Ahern Calls For All-reland League

[David]

The AIL is the only way we will achieve a fully professional League on the island of Ireland.... so of course I am in favour of it.

An eventual All-Ireland representative international team, might well see, the chances of this rain sodden oul sod's chances increase of participating in major tournaments .

Northern Ireland reached 1958, 1982 and 1986 World Cups no Euro Championship final appearances.
This was in spite of defeating (West) Germany home and away in the 1984 European Championship Qualification Group.

Republic of Ireland reached 1990, 1994 and 2002 World Cups and a solitary Euro 1988 Final appearance.

I think that with the entire island's population to choose from and the children of immigrants it would be easier to get a successful squad together.

If you merge England and Scotland they would have a better chance of winning things. If Switzerland merged with Austria it would make them strong, if Brazil and Argentina merged their national teams it would make them virtually unstoppable yet I don't hear of anyone in these countries calling for it to happen. People want their national identity and a national team should be what it says on the tin, the national team of that country. Once you start merging national teams it would turn into a farce.

[Billy Lord]

If you merge England and Scotland they would have a better chance of winning things. If Switzerland merged with Austria it would make them strong, if Brazil and Argentina merged their national teams it would make them virtually unstoppable yet I don't hear of anyone in these countries calling for it to happen. People want their national identity and a national team should be what it says on the tin, the national team of that country. Once you start merging national teams it would turn into a farce.

East and West Germany were reunited following an imposed partition, so why not reunify Ireland?

[David]

East and West Germany were reunited following an imposed partition, so why not reunify Ireland?

Completely different situation. The teams were reunited when the country was, there was never two separate countries playing as one. ROI and NI are two separate countries.

[BohsPartisan]

You'd never see an English man cheering for a united English/Welsh team... or an English/Scottish team?

Completely different situation. The teams were reunited when the country was, there was never two separate countries playing as one. ROI and NI are two separate countries.
23/01/2007 8:26 AM

Lads, not that I'm advocating an All-Ireland international team but your arguements in this case don't fly. No one seems too upset about there being an All-Ireland Rugby team. In Rugby League, there's a Great Britain team.

If you want to carry the national Identity thing then Cork should have a different team as should Connemara. In the UK the north of England should have its own team too. All I'm trying to say is that nations and national boundaries are arbitrary. Having said that I couldn't care less if we had a united national team or not. All-Ireland League is all I'm concerned with.

[Macy]

Ahern looking for cheap publicity. Dundalkkk wouldn't make that league either if that was his intention.

I'm in favour of an All Ireland League, if nothing else an 18 team league, home and away. However, people are deluded if they think it's going to be the solution. As was said before - 10 team league was failure; Summer football was failure compared to what it was supposed to deliver; Licencing has been a failure. What makes anyone think that the FAI can be involved in anything that'll be done properly? Even the Setanta Cup has had it's issues with FAI controlled teams.

Frankly, couldn't give a toss about the international team, one way or another.

[David]

Lads, not that I'm advocating an All-Ireland international team but your arguements in this case don't fly. No one seems too upset about there being an All-Ireland Rugby team. In Rugby League, there's a Great Britain team.

If you want to carry the national Identity thing then Cork should have a different team as should Connemara. In the UK the north of England should have its own team too. All I'm trying to say is that nations and national boundaries are arbitrary. Having said that I couldn't care less if we had a united national team or not. All-Ireland League is all I'm concerned with.

What rugby does is rugby's business. As far as I am aware the Ireland rugby team has simply stayed in existence and did not split when the island was divided into two countries. Your arguments re North of England etc are just plain silly. How difficult is it to understand that one country = one international team. It is this way all over the world.

[BohsPartisan]

Or in the case of the UK, which to all intents and purposes is one country, one head of state and all served by the westminster parliament (despite devolution) you have 4 national teams. Yes 4!
The old USSR team covered more than one nation.

Your arguments re North of England etc are just plain silly. How difficult is it to understand that one country = one international team.

that was just responding to what you said about "identity". There are different identities all over the island of Ireland and also all accross the UK. In fact you'd get it hard to find a nation anywhere with one homogenous identity.
Anyway don't get your knickers in a twist, I'm only playing devils advocate and pointing out that there are holes in your particular arguement. There is one arguement, one very good arguement against an All-Ireland team and the only arguement you need i.e. people don't want it. Case closed.
As I said I couldn't care less about International football.

[David]

Or in the case of the UK, which to all intents and purposes is one country, one head of state and all served by the westminster parliament (despite devolution) you have 4 national teams. Yes 4!
The old USSR team covered more than one nation.


that was just responding to what you said about "identity". There are different identities all over the island of Ireland and also all accross the UK. In fact you'd get it hard to find a nation anywhere with one homogenous identity.
Anyway don't get your knickers in a twist, I'm only playing devils advocate and pointing out that there are holes in your particular arguement. There is one arguement, one very good arguement against an All-Ireland team and the only arguement you need i.e. people don't want it. Case closed.
As I said I couldn't care less about International football.

There is merit in people calling for a UK team, it is a legitimate argument. The old USSR team covered one political entity. I cannot think of any examples of two countries from different jurisdictions playing as one.

[galwayhoop]

i.e. people don't want it. Case closed.

i would like to see it.

BUT

i would want the team to play under the tricolour and sing Amhrán na bhFiann prior to home and away games. none of this 'irelands call' BS.

HOWEVER

i would think that our northern cousins who currently support NI would not be too fond of the above.

and that little difference is before the suits sit down. No chance anytime soon unfortunately

Point is that we are a lot closer to an AIL than an All Ireland National Team. and i don't see the situation changing any time soon.

personally i feel that the idea of an AIL would increase the profile of the game here, increase attendances, more revenue....etc. In turn BOTH the FAI & IFA would have a better product which run right would increase the standard of footballer based on these islands and as an obvious roll-on we would both have better National Teams.

[David]

i would like to see it.

BUT

i would want the team to play under the tricolour and sing Amhrán na bhFiann prior to home and away games. none of this 'irelands call' BS.

So you want a merged team yet only want one part of that team recognised? Very fair indeed. I wonder why people up here would be against that. You are being totally unreasonable.

[wws]

I'm with David on this. Some of the ignorance on here never ceases to amaze me - that tri colour remark really took the biscuit. I'm opposed to an AIL as well. Both leagues are making good progress in their own right and the Setanta Cup has served both well.

[galwayhoop]

So you want a merged team yet only want one part of that team recognised? Very fair indeed. I wonder why people up here would be against that. You are being totally unreasonable.

selective quoting from a post isn't really smart

read the rest of the post - especially the comment that came after that what you quoted!! it answers your question.

then the post goes on to rule out the proposition in the short term but points to the benefit of an AIL for BOTH associations.

your reply to my post sir is akin to the red tops attitude of quotation!

[galwayhoop]

I'm with David on this. Some of the ignorance on here never ceases to amaze me - that tri colour remark really took the biscuit. I'm opposed to an AIL as well. Both leagues are making good progress in their own right and the Setanta Cup has served both well.

the post was meant to show that there would be difficulties outside of boardroom level.

i stand by the fact that i would like to support a national team under the national flag. it is neither ignorance nor sectarian.

i understand fully that members of the northern community would not (thus the capitolised HOWEVER) and that was the point of the post.

[BohsPartisan]

Easy solution we fly the Red Flag and sing l'internationale!

[LukeO]

Easy solution we fly the Red Flag and sing l'internationale!

[David]

selective quoting from a post isn't really smart

read the rest of the post - especially the comment that came after that what you quoted!! it answers your question.

then the post goes on to rule out the proposition in the short term but points to the benefit of an AIL for BOTH associations.

your reply to my post sir is akin to the red tops attitude of quotation!

Regardless of what you posted afterwards you are still in favour of a merging of two national teams yet only one of those countries being recognised with regards to anthems and flags which to me is a despicable attitude.

[galwayhoop]

Regardless of what you posted afterwards you are still in favour of a merging of two national teams yet only one of those countries being recognised with regards to anthems and flags which to me is a despicable attitude.

it is more of a personal opinion than an attitude. BTW the actual meaning of the tricolour was to show the unity between both of the main traditions on the island - although it has not been accepted by one of the traditions.

i would not support the notion of the national team which played under the union jack however i understand that would be the preference of some from your community (not necessilary you).

i identify the tricolour as my national flag and any team representing ireland imo should play under it. however i also understand that there is a large number of people from your community who would not tolerarte such a scenario and that is why, as i said, it will not happen.

just because you do not believe the same as i do does not make you right or wrong and the same applies to me. we merely have different opinions.

would i identify with a single national team that neither played under the tricolour nor sang Amhrán na bhFiann: NO

would you identify with a single national team that played under the tricolour or sang Amhrán na bhFiann: NO

does that make me wrong: NO

am i just pointing out more reasons why the suggestion is not feasible at this point in time: YES

[David]

it is more of a personal opinion than an attitude. BTW the actual meaning of the tricolour was to show the unity between both of the main traditions on the island - although it has not been accepted by one of the traditions.

i would not support the notion of the national team which played under the union jack however i understand that would be the preference of some from your community (not necessilary you).

i identify the tricolour as my national flag and any team representing ireland imo should play under it. however i also understand that there is a large number of people from your community who would not tolerarte such a scenario and that is why, as i said, it will not happen.

just because you do not believe the same as i do does not make you right or wrong and the same applies to me. we merely have different opinions.

would i identify with a single national team that neither played under the tricolour nor sang Amhrán na bhFiann: NO

would you identify with a single national team that played under the tricolour or sang Amhrán na bhFiann: NO

does that make me wrong: NO

am i just pointing out more reasons why the suggestion is not feasible at this point in time: YES

I do recognise the tricolour and have no problem whatsoever in doing so. It is the flag of the Republic of Ireland. Likewise Amhrán na bhFiann is the national anthem of the ROI. Howebver if there was to be one team on the island that team would not be the ROI it would be a joint ROI/NI team and therefore both countries should be recognised.

[Not Brazil]

Regardless of anthems, flags etc, the only international team on the island that I support (and will ever support) is Northern Ireland.

That will be the case until I die.

[Jamjar]

amhrán na queen