Hartlepool or City?

**Pablo** · 11/12/2002, 4:48 PM

Murphy staying with the �Pool

Cork lad Brian Barry Murphy has had his loan spell with Division Three leaders Hartlepool United extended for another month.

Barry Murphy has impressed during his spell with United thus far and is thrilled to have had the extention to his loan deal rubberstamped by Preston boss Craig Brown.

He moved to Hartlepool to get some first-team experience and has been a key performer in a surge that has seen them move four points clear at the summit of the Nationwide League�s basement division.

The player - who sports one of the most famous surnames in Cork sporting history - said: "I am delighted to be staying another month. My loan got extended after Saturday�s match. The previous manager brought me here and I didn�t know what the situation would be once he left."

**Pablo** · 11/12/2002, 4:49 PM

We could do with him on the Right hand side couldnt we? i always though he was a good player. BL should offer him a good contract and see if he'll come home.

**Shane** · 11/12/2002, 5:41 PM

You'd like to think he'll come home, next season would be great. Surely he's better off playing for City in front of decent crowds and pushing for honours than languishing at the wrong end of English football. He's a very good player and did well for city so here's hoping...

**niamh** · 12/12/2002, 9:07 AM

Hopefully more players will come back to City, since it appears from the outside that they are making progress.

**The Donie Forde** · 12/12/2002, 10:22 AM

Originally posted by Pablo
We could do with him on the Right hand side couldnt we? i always though he was a good player. BL should offer him a good contract and see if he'll come home.

Well, seeing as he is almost completely left-footed that may not be the best option if he ever returns to City...

Donie

Bround · 12/12/2002, 10:23 PM

If I'm not mistaken BBM has two left feet and is equally capable of playing either wing... burp

**foureyes** · 14/12/2002, 3:17 PM

If I had the choice of playing for hartlepool or city, it would definitely have to be hartlepool. May not be the popular choice but there you go. I'd say most of our squad would feel the same.
Theyve a good chance of playing div 2 football next season.

In any case, Im sure Brian (and all our ex players) know that if things dont work out there is ALWAYS a place for him in the city squad - sure why not stay in English football as long as possible.

**eoinh** · 14/12/2002, 6:49 PM

Originally posted by foureyes
sure why not stay in English football as long as possible.

dead right - where did norwegian players get by staying at home
huh - the champions league. they could be playing with chesterfield if they had played their cards right.

sure crowe has only been capped by ireland and is going to the play in the champions league.
you're so right!!!

Oirish and proud!!!!!!!!!

**foureyes** · 15/12/2002, 4:24 PM

Originally posted by eoinh
[B]dead right - where did norwegian players get by staying at home
huh - the champions league. they could be playing with chesterfield if they had played their cards right.

Rosenborg are the only norweigan team to do well in europe, since they buy all the best players in norway. So should all the best city players go to bohs?

We cant compare ourselves to Norway anyway so thats not an issue.

Why do you think these players ALL want to go to the English leagues? Crowe has already been over and didnt make it which is the main reason he hasnt gone back - yet. Noel Hunt will be next to go. Houlihan wont stay much longer at Shels. Its known that O'Flynn wants to go back.

No matter how well a player does in this league it is nothing compared to doing well, even in the English third division. Rightly or wrongly most managers in Britain feel the standard here is of conference level, and with the exception of one of two clubs I think they are correct.

sure crowe has only been capped by ireland and is going to the play in the champions league.
you're so right!!!

In a friendly with a temporary manager. In the qualifying rounds.
Yes, I do believe that Bohs have a chance of making it to the champions league if they get a favourable draw.

But Bohs are light years ahead of us in every respect.

**eoinh** · 15/12/2002, 7:37 PM

Originally posted by foureyes

We cant compare ourselves to Norway anyway so thats not an issue

Why cant we? We should be doing what Norway, Denmark and Israel all have done in recent years. All small countries like ourselves.

Why do you think these players ALL want to go to the English leagues? Crowe has already been over and didnt make it which is the main reason he hasnt gone back - yet

I think Crowe has learned his lesson. Only go if a big club comes (primiership or big first division team) is it in your interest to go over. clubs should be demanding big money if they do go over.

you're not a failure if you dont go to England.

with the financial crisis in the english first, second and third divisions at present i reckon you're going to see more players coming home. most english clubs now by the time wages are paid are already in debt.

this is one of my fav sites and it gives a good indication of how leagues are doing in Europe. look at how some small small countries are doing
http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/crank03.html

BTW Heres an experiment: everybody here who contributes to this thread list the 5 players who you think will go over to england within the year. I bet no one will get it right. In other words list the 5 best players in the league. It would be interesting to resurrect the thread again in 1 year to see who is still here and playing. You'll be surprised!!!

**niamh** · 16/12/2002, 9:57 AM

Agree with you there. There's is no way of predicting who'll be here next year or not.
I'll be surprised if John O'Flynn is still here though. As Gunther said at the forum, his motivation for his career is to get back to England, with a Div One of Premiership club.

**A face** · 16/12/2002, 11:11 PM

Question for Four Eyes

I just want to ask ..... Do you think that our National League can develope into something more that it is/has been ??

The reason i ask is because you come across as if you are of a certain school of thought, and that is that our league will always remain the same and that it is inevitable that players will leave and go elsewhere for greener pastures.

Do you not think that the league can progress into something better and that standard could rise and we could give our european conterparts a bit more competiton. Do you not think that someday we could have people like yourself who compare our league to the English league and put us on parr with 1st and 2nd Div. clubs.

Please reply as i am curious as to what you'll say.

**�anna** · 18/01/2003, 1:30 PM

just on the subject of hartlepool, there�s a story on soccercentral.ie- Kevin Sheedy is now assistant manager there.

[SIZE=1]*another useless fact*[/SIZE]

**Seanie** · 19/01/2003, 9:34 AM

BBM is now back at Preston - he played in their 3-0 defeat at Ipswich yesterday - his second appearance since returning to Deepdale.

**UCD_4_Life** · 19/01/2003, 11:55 AM

In my opinion as far as standard of football goes Ireland is on a par with Division 2 in England.

Facilities are conference and worse.

Refereeing is a disgrace, everything that I've seen in England is better than here.

One big thing that Irish footballers have going against them is that it for the most part is a part time league, the only way we'll ever advance is by going full time.

**foureyes** · 19/01/2003, 5:41 PM

Yes, I believe the league can progress, clubs like bohs and to a lesser extent shels are leading the way in this respect.

However, I dont think structures are in place for the league to progress as a whole at the moment. Until there is adequate tv coverage, there simply won't be enough interest in the league from the general public to allow it to progress at the moment. The standard is quite low at the moment in comparison to what the Irish public are used to seeing (although the introduction of live scottish football will lower that standard).

Added to that, with the exception of the two clubs mentioned, the other clubs are basically amateur outfits, we don't have to look beyond our our doorstep to see this.

I believe if a concerted effort was made by everyone involved in the league it could go places but that doesnt seem to be happening just now.

One idea I think all clubs should adopt is having players visiting local schoolboy clubs and school teams and doing a couple of hours of training with them. I know this happens on a small scale, but it should be happening ALL the time in EVERY possible club/school. A large problem with the league is the belief of the public that it is full of crap players, the 'id be better than them myself' attitude unfortunately does exist.

Were schoolkids to have an opportunity to kick around with these guys they would go home thinking 'those guys were class', an interest would be generated among the youth and in time the league would reap the rewards, plus immediate rewards of bigger crowds etc. I think its long term plans like these that the league needs to focus on if it is to progress.

**goalside** · 19/01/2003, 9:42 PM

i agree with foureyes. the team should come out and visit my school. im sure it would go done well with everyone. the team should visit very school in the city like the lord mayor does. would everyone agree.

**A face** · 19/01/2003, 11:54 PM

Foureyes .... you just answered my question, cheers mate .... but your solution means i have to wait 20 fcukin' years man.

Can you doin anything about the time scale side of things.

Man you'd want to check yourself out !!

Your entitled to be a pesimist, that is you own look out. But least you could do is get thing a bit more accurate (*Note i did not say inaccurate !!*) The way you us all thinkin' is that the league is like a Sunday school boy league.

And you said earlier that we cant compare our league to Norway. Listen mate, i dont know if you meant it or not, but your comments smack of you comparing our league to the english league, No .... in actual fact .... YOU DID. While on that topic ... can you give me a few examples of what we should be comparing our league to, and maybe reasons why.

** Waiting to be enlightened **

**Seanie** · 20/01/2003, 8:38 AM

Originally posted by UCD_4_Life
In my opinion as far as standard of football goes Ireland is on a par with Division 2 in England.

Facilities are conference and worse.

Refereeing is a disgrace, everything that I've seen in England is better than here.

One big thing that Irish footballers have going against them is that it for the most part is a part time league, the only way we'll ever advance is by going full time.

And I reckon that the Second and Third Divisions in England may be soon be forced into part-time set-ups themselves - so what do we have to lose by pushing for full-time outfits

**�anna** · 20/01/2003, 8:47 AM

Originally posted by Seanie
And I reckon that the Second and Third Divisions in England may be soon be forced into part-time set-ups themselves - so what do we have to lose by pushing for full-time outfits

might not be the intended sense of the saying but "England�s difficulty is Ireland�s opportunity"