Dermot Ahern's comments on an all Ireland side

[geysir]

PS. I don't put much stock on BBC "polls" - when 51% of Northern Ireland block bookers say they fancy a single Irish team, I'll take heed.
At the minute, I'd suggest the figure is about 50% short of that.

That's what called gerrymandering the vote

[geysir]

Lennon's was the only one in recent years deemed serious enough by the authorities that they advised him not to play.

I'd guess that Lennon's resolve to play at that time was already weakened by the loud booing at the Norway game, not to mention McIlroy's post match attempts to downplay it's significance.
AFAIK, Lennon has come out publically to give fulsome praise to the NI fans as regards to the changes made since then. The Lennon episode is not a stick to beat the NI fans over, it was barometer of how low things got and a point from where you measure on how far things have moved on since then.

[lopez]

Not a mission of an "independent Northern Ireland" coming into being...

If you're not interested, don't think for one minute I'm interested.

...PS. I don't put much stock on BBC "polls" - when 51% of Northern Ireland block bookers say they fancy a single Irish team, I'll take heed...

That's not very democratic. I mean if we're talking about 'international' football we're talking the whole 'nation' of NI, no? Are you saying that your team is some sort of club, where only the season ticket holders or members have the right to decide if this 'club' disbands or merges with another?

I'd guess that Lennon's resolve to play at that time was already weakened by the loud booing at the Norway game, not to mention McIlroy's post match attempts to downplay it's significance...

Were they NI fans? I think the PSNI would like to know if they were ACTUALLY NI fans that were doing the booing. Sure they weren't Norwegians, nationalists trying to make it seem it was NI fans, or the 13%?

[sylvo]

Of course, those from the North who were in San Marino "supporting" the ROI and singing their IRA and "**** The Queen" songs (as reported on this board) would be the first to condemn the "bigots" who follow Northern Ireland.

Yes it was a sea of hate all right. , I'm sure we are going too have to play our home games in places like Coventry, Norwich or Wrexham like our so called rival had to do in the seventys as well as Linfield had too. FFS

[lopez]

Yes it was a sea of hate all right. , I'm sure we are going too have to play our home games in places like Coventry, Norwich or Wrexham like our so called rival had to do in the seventys as well as Linfield had too. FFS

I must confess I did belt out a rendition of The Old Brigade in honour or foot.ie's 'Wanka of da Week' Ealing Green. Couldn't find the words for Long Way to Tipp Ayrie which is why that sectarian song was sung instead. Apologies to the easily offended...not!

[sylvo]

[QUOTE=EalingGreen;621146]1. Forgive me for enjoying a laugh at the expense of your team. I trust you didn't giggle when NI were similarly awful three years back? Or won't, when/if we next suffer our own "San Marino"?

Don't laugh to much now, after all they did cause us more problems then your weefakecountry did at Parc An windsor November 94, or on some of your visits to the capital when you left with a bit of a hiding and we had your bigot manager crying about how those nasty Ireland fans were singing ''theres only one team in Ireland.''

[sylvo]

I must confess I did belt out a rendition of The Old Brigade in honour or foot.ie's 'Wanka of da Week' Ealing Green. Couldn't find the words for Long Way to Tipp Ayrie which is why that sectarian song was sung instead. Apologies to the easily offended...not!

Sure its only a bit of craic , they even say that on ourweeminds.

[Not Brazil]

I'm sure we are going too have to play our home games in places like Coventry, Norwich or Wrexham like our so called rival had to do in the seventys

Remind me why that was?

I mean if we're talking about 'international' football we're talking the whole 'nation' of NI, no? Are you saying that your team is some sort of club, where only the season ticket holders or members have the right to decide if this 'club' disbands or merges with another?

It's all sorted now lopez.

Everyone's a winner - except those that harbour the notion of a single "Ireland" team. Their dreams are shattered.

''theres only one team in Ireland.''

Now a firm favourite at Parc An Windsor.

Looking forward to the "there's only one Stevie Staunton" chants in Vaduz next month.

[youngirish]

Not_Brazil you could have answered all those in the one post. To save on paper.

Save the whales.

[gustavo]

Not_Brazil you could have answered all those in the one post. To save on paper.

Save the whales.

I helped him out there

[Not Brazil]

I helped him out there

Cheers Gustavo - I don't know how to do that.

Much appreciated.

[galwayhoop]

i dont either. how do you quote multiple posts in a single post

[youngirish]

i dont either. how do you quote multiple posts in a single post

Quote them all individually and then copy them all into the one post and post that. This is the easiest way to do it.

[galwayhoop]

thanks. watch me attempt my new party trick at the earliest opportunity

[gustavo]

Looks like there will be economical use of diatribe on this thread in future

[galwayhoop]

all part of the new mindset of our envoirnment friendly suburban dewelling population

[EalingGreen]

Why do you bring Scottish players who declare for Ireland into the rant 'O'Connor And Kane Go To The Darkside, when are these bigoted w*nkers going to wake up and realise some of their neighbours want to be Irish'? What daf*ck has that got to do with the rights and wrongs of Gibson, Kane et al, playing for their country.

13% supporting England. 45% supporting Ireland. How many does that leave supporting your country (sic.)?

Re your first para, I've really no idea what that's meant to be about.

Re. your second, all I know is that support for NI is growing apace, such that we had 14k for the visit of Wales in a friendly on a ball-freezing night in February, with another 10k unable to get tickets (according to the IFA).
Of course, this number might not compare with many other countries, but it was still better than e.g. Belgium or Croatia achieved the following evening, in stadia with much greater capacity.

[EalingGreen]

Our side is called IRELAND. Not the Republic of Ireland, simply Ireland. Forget a united team, the name gives me all the proof I need, that we are the representative side of this island

Wonderful stuff, LH1.

Re your team's name, you can call yourself "The Masters of the Universe" for all I care or you matter. The fact is, it is FIFA who determine such things, and this is what they say:
http://www.fifa.com/en/organisation/...ountrycode=IRL
And if you don't believe that, just take a look at what's printed on your match ticket, or on the programme cover. It will also be (or should be) on the new Scoreboard when they re-open Lansdowne.

Also, you ask why I "persist at bringing politics into the discussion wherever possible", whilst in the self same post typing out the following:

"Northern Ireland may as well be a state. You are pretty much ruled from Westminster, your Stormont has no legislative powers whatsoever, you are poorly represented in Westminster, you are simply a puppet state and a state where the politicians will try out their policy ideas before implementing them on the masses. I could list examples but seeing as your name suggests Ealing, and you live in Northern Ireland, im sure you have seen this in action"

OR

"Well you have Michael Collins to thank for your 6 counties and your national side. Geography has damn all to do with it"

Every come across the concept of "irony"?

And we also had this classic:

"Whilst im on the subject, I have read on many occassions about a challenge in the courts or to fifa attempting to ban players from the North playing for us. Having studied EU law, there are provisions set aside that will continue to allow this to happen. Going to fifa is a waste of time, they would be better going to the European Courts"

You are not the only one who has studied European Law ( ), but from the confused state of your argument, I can safely say that the others understood it rather better than you!

Quite simply, FIFA is the recognised authority in matters of footballing jurisdiction and arbitration. I should be most interested to see any examples you have found of where the EU has successfully overturned a FIFA ruling in any matter relevant to this thread. Oh, and if going to FIFA is such a "waste of time", why did the FAI seek their advice on Northern-born players' eligibility, in this much trumpeted, but never actually published FIFA letter they refer to?

P.S. If "Stan Staunton's Travelling Circus" is the 'representative side of this island', then God Help Poor Ireland is all I can say!

[EalingGreen]

I'd guess that Lennon's resolve to play at that time was already weakened by the loud booing at the Norway game, not to mention McIlroy's post match attempts to downplay it's significance.
AFAIK, Lennon has come out publically to give fulsome praise to the NI fans as regards to the changes made since then. The Lennon episode is not a stick to beat the NI fans over, it was barometer of how low things got and a point from where you measure on how far things have moved on since then.

Thank you for your reasoned analysis here, Geysir - it is in marked contrast to the more usual posts here on the NL affair.

For the record, when NL was booed by a significant, but nonetheless minority, section of the crowd in the Norway game, this did appear loud, since the whole crowd was only 7,502. Add to this the fact that we were 3-0 down at half-time and you can imagine why the general support was more demotivated than usual in the face of the knuckle-draggers who were booing.

Anyhow, NL simply cannot have been too discouraged by the booing, since he made himself available for the next three NI games, two of them at Windsor. Indeed, for the next game immediately after Norway (home v Czech Republic, just a month later), the crowd was 10,368 and I can honestly say that not only was there no booing, but on the contrary, Lennon was cheered every time he touched the ball. That to me reflected the sentiment of the "true" NI support.

In any case, the isolated booing v Norway should not be conflated with the death threat, since that was some months later and issued by person or persons unknown. As such, it is at least mischievous, if not malevolent, to try and lay that at the door of the NI support, the vast majority of whom were horrified, even ashamed, at being associated in any way with such a vile act.

However, in a silver lining to this dark cloud, most observers consider that the Lennon affair was the "last straw" which caused the true supporters to seize back the Agenda from the bigots and put our house in order.
And whilst things never should have got so bad in the first place, nor should it have gone unchallenged for so long, none of us can change history - though doubtless the begrudgers and naysayers will continue with their attempt, whilst the rest of us continue with trying to change the future.

[EalingGreen]

I must confess I did belt out a rendition of The Old Brigade in honour or foot.ie's 'Wanka of da Week' Ealing Green. Couldn't find the words for Long Way to Tipp Ayrie which is why that sectarian song was sung instead. Apologies to the easily offended...not!

You can try to attach all the offensive epithets you like to me, but in the end, you are the one who is proud to sing party political songs when your team plays, whilst I do not engage in such bigoted behaviour, nor have I ever.

Pathetic.