NI Boss targets Republics Kane

[Torn-Ado]

from http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...e-1070276.html

Ok. This was discussed in the Lapira thread.

If a player plays for a country in a full international at senior level (incl. friendlies), he is then tied to that country for life. Is this true because I thought it was confirmed but Nigel Worthington has different ideas it seems.

[EalingGreen]

Yes and Kane and Gibson were ROI players (that's another team) before the IFA tried to get them back on board so to speak. No? You can't see this? Too complicated for you? Ok let's move on. You're not quite grasping this are you?
See above argument on "tapping up" and earlier conspiracy theories by yourself on ourweecountry.com regarding FAI "tapping up".


There are many other examples on ourweecountry.com were you assert that the FAI "tapped up" some players (Baird, McKenna) and speculate that they have done the same for O'Connor, Gibson and Kane. I already listed some of these how many more such nonsense do I have to drag up before you'll admit you are talking your usual crap albeit dressed up in long posts with large words to confuse the less gifted amongst us?


You're welcome but perhaps it was a bit premature considering you still can't grasp any of the points above and see how ridiculous they make some of your previous bile on this matter look. You also can't quite seem to grasp the merits of a logical argument. In fact basic logic of all kinds doesn't seem to register with you so I take back what I said earlier. Accept my sincerest apologies.

When it comes to understanding the concept of "tapping up", it is clear that one of us has got this wrong and I'm confident it's not me.

As for which players might have been tapped up, I said that I understand Baird and McKenna were and I would not be too surprised if it turned out one or more of the other four (Gibson, Kane, O'Connor and Wilson) were. That is NOT the same as claiming any of them was, no matter how much you would like it to be, in order to support your baseless claim.

And I'm still awaiting even one example of where I have been illogical or contradictory. Not to mention "insane" - which you also accused me of being!

Re the retraction of your compliment, there is no need to apologise, since I was never going to include "Cited by Young Irish as 'reasonably clever'" in my Obituary Notice, ahead of:

"Not the worst poet I've ever read" - William McGonigall

"Might make a half-decent football manager" - Steve Staunton

"Good at sums" - Jade Goody

"Not the most retiring of individuals" - Victoria Beckham

[youngirish]

As for which players might have been tapped up, I said that I understand Baird and McKenna were and I would not be too surprised if it turned out one or more of the other four (Gibson, Kane, O'Connor and Wilson) were. That is NOT the same as claiming any of them was, no matter how much you would like it to be, in order to support your baseless claim.

Ok let's assume for the moment that you never made any suggestion that any of the above players were "tapped up" by the FAI (which you did, I've provided an example for Gibson that seems to imply this and I seem to remember a number of other posts). Anyway in the spirit of compromise let's just let this go. You've admitted that you at the very least have stated Baird and McKenna were "tapped up" so to speak? Yes? So who cares about the particular names you spoon, my original argument is still just as valid.

What exactly do you consider "tapping up" btw? Any association other than the IFA courting the attentions of a player tied to another organisation? So in that case the IFA approaching Gibson and Kane both Republic of Ireland players at the time isn't considered by you to be "tapping up" because as you state nobody put a gun to their heads but the FAI approaching Baird and McKenna is in what seems to me to be a very similar situation? Did John Delaney hold a gun then to one or both of the above heads and this is what differentiates the two approaches? If this was not the case and no firearms were involved then my argument stands that you are a hypocrite yes? We can at last agree on something. Thank God for that.

[geysir]

If tapping means a quiet word in the ear of a player then the persistent public targeting of Darron by the IFA would be the equivalent of belligerent foghorn diplomacy.

[EalingGreen]

If tapping means a quiet word in the ear of a player then the persistent public targeting of Darron by the IFA would be the equivalent of belligerent foghorn diplomacy.

My understanding of the term "tapping up" means surreptitiously approaching someone who is already under a contract or some other sort of commitment, in order to induce them to break that contract or commitment.

Which may be understandable in the "dog eat dog" world of professional club football, but should have no place in international football - especially when youngsters are involved (imo).

And in any case, if you actually read what Worthy and Wells have been saying, it is that they genuinely don't believe players like Kane and Gibson etc are eligible for ROI, but the IFA won't hold their switch to the ROI against them, should they decide they wish/need to come back.

That is hardly "belligerent" (or a "witchhunt", as another poster characterised it).

[geysir]

if you actually read what Worthy and Wells have been saying, it is that they genuinely don't believe players like Kane and Gibson etc are eligible for ROI, but the IFA won't hold their switch to the ROI against them, should they decide they wish/need to come back

balls.
Who cares what belief system the IFA currently have.

They are IRISH players until FIFA sanctions a transfer back to the IFA.
Belief systems are not an exemption from acting ethically.

[Not Brazil]

"Nigel Worthington called me a couple of times in the last few weeks to see what my thoughts were and I told him that I always wanted to play for Northern Ireland."

"As far as what has happened in the past I hope that is forgotten about now and I can concentrate on playing for Northern Ireland. I am committed to the country now."

Tony Kane in tonight's Belfast Telegraph.

[EalingGreen]

"Nigel Worthington called me a couple of times in the last few weeks to see what my thoughts were and I told him that I always wanted to play for Northern Ireland."

"As far as what has happened in the past I hope that is forgotten about now and I can concentrate on playing for Northern Ireland. I am committed to the country now."

Tony Kane in tonight's Belfast Telegraph.

I don't believe a word of it, it's just more lies put about by the IFA, through their in-house rag, the Belfast Telegraph. In fact I wouldn't be at all surprised if Howard Wells was holding a gun to Kane's head, whilst somebody else from the IFA phoned a murder threat to his family...

[Paddy Garcia]

"Nigel Worthington called me a couple of times in the last few weeks to see what my thoughts were and I told him that I always wanted to play for Northern Ireland."

Tony Kane in tonight's Belfast Telegraph.

Tapping up so.

[lopez]

I don't believe a word of it, it's just more lies put about by the IFA, through their in-house rag, the Belfast Telegraph. In fact I wouldn't be at all surprised if Howard Wells was holding a gun to Kane's head, whilst somebody else from the IFA phoned a murder threat to his family...

Again! Do you believe everything you read in the papers...or just what you want to believe?

[EalingGreen]

We'll have Gibson and let's see who fares the better.

Jonny Evans. And you'll never get him!

[EalingGreen]

Tapping up so.

And if the McCanns were to chance upon Maddy somewhere and take her back, that would be kidnapping, would it?

Kane was ours. He played for us. He was persuaded to play for someone else, but decided to come back, when asked. You can't "tap up" your own player...

[EalingGreen]

Again! Do you believe everything you read in the papers...or just what you want to believe?

No, I do not believe everything I read in the papers. But I believe this:

"Nigel Worthington called me a couple of times in the last few weeks to see what my thoughts were and I told him that I always wanted to play for Northern Ireland."

"As far as what has happened in the past I hope that is forgotten about now and I can concentrate on playing for Northern Ireland. I am committed to the country now."

(Tony Kane in tonight's Belfast Telegraph)

[co. down green]

And if the McCanns were to chance upon Maddy somewhere and take her back, that would be kidnapping, would it?

Kane was ours. He played for us. He was persuaded to play for someone else, but decided to come back, when asked. You can't "tap up" your own player...

Moderator

Any chance of removing the comments about young Madeline McCann, ffs eg, catch yourself on.

[Paddy Garcia]

Kane was ours. He played for us. He was persuaded to play for someone else, but decided to come back, when asked. You can't "tap up" your own player...

You tapped up our player, disgraceful if you ask me. No place in the game where young footballers are concerned.

[Paddy Garcia]

Jonny Evans. And you'll never get him!

Well we really really need a central midfielder, so Gibson will do fine. And maybe O'Connor.

[EalingGreen]

You tapped up our player, disgraceful if you ask me. No place in the game where young footballers are concerned.

Then tell it to Chris Baird or Kieran McKenna (or Brian Kerr, more to the point)

[EalingGreen]

The full story on Tony Kane (for those who sometimes believe what they read in the papers, at least). Oh, and a curious choice of phrase - "when I was offered the chance to play for the Republic" [sic] - which could be read more than one way, if one was of a mind to...


I'm here to stay with Northern Ireland: Kane

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

By Stuart McKinley

Tony Kane has revealed that an administrative blunder on the part of the Irish Football Association led him to seek his international future south of the border.

Now, however, just two calls from Northern Ireland manager have brought the Belfast-born defender back north and to the verge of a full debut for the country of his birth.

Manchester United midfielder Darron Gibson has found himself at the centre of an international tug-of-war between north and south as the IFA press FIFA for a decision on whether Irish Passport holders born in Northern Ireland are eligible for the Republic's teams.

Kane is also on the list of players whose eligibility the IFA wanted checked out after winning two under-21 caps for the Republic earlier this year, but now there will be no need for his qualifications to come under scrutiny as he is fully committed to Northern Ireland.

Nigel Worthington has called the Blackburn Rovers man into the squad for Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier away to Latvia and the game in Iceland four days later. An appearance at any stage in those two games will stamp Kane as Northern Ireland property, as far as international football is concerned.

"I am delighted to be in the squad and that all the complications of the last year or so can be put behind me," Kane told the Belfast Telegraph.

"I enjoyed playing for the Northern Ireland under-19 team under Mal Donaghy and Seamus Heath and had a good relationship with them.

"Last year I was called into the under-21 squad for the Milk Cup, which clashed with my first pre-season trip with the Blackburn first-team.

"I was going to have to cut the trip short by a couple of days to join up with the Northern Ireland squad, which wasn't ideal because I was trying to make an impression with the manager Mark Hughes.

"Then a couple of days before I was due to leave I got a call to say that I hadn't been properly registered for the tournament.

"I thought that was an absolute joke and I was left wondering if they really wanted me to play for Northern Ireland.

"All I've ever been interested in is playing football and when I was offered the chance to play for the Republic it felt good to be wanted and for me it was the right decision at the time because I didn't feel that Northern Ireland wanted me.

"Nigel Worthington called me a couple of times in the last few weeks to see what my thoughts were and I told him that I always wanted to play for Northern Ireland."

And Worthington's calls were enough for Kane to turn his back on the Republic - for good.

"It was nice to have the Northern Ireland manager make that effort and make it known that he wanted me to be part of the set-up," said Kane, whose call-up came as something of a late 20th birthday present.

"As far as what has happened in the past I hope that is forgotten about now and I can concentrate on playing for Northern Ireland. I am committed to the country now."

[SwanVsDalton]

In so far as I consider that FIFA's Rules may be being broken by the FAI, I want to see them enforced, the effect of which would be to prevent the likes of Gibson representing the ROI.

But throughout all my long correspondance on this topic, both here and on OWC, I have consistently argued this for footballing reasons and nothing else.

Problem is, by preventing footballers from playing for the Irish team of their choosing, it becomes intrinsically political. It's supremely naive to think otherwise.

And saying to those players 'Lump it', simply because FIFA'S rules do not take into account Ireland's particuarly unique status, is ridicuously undiplomatic.

The end result may be that thousands of young footballers are prevented of playing for the Republic, even though they will feel that it is their right to play for the nationality of their choosing.

As much as I'd like it to be simply about football, it isn't and it probably never will be.

[sylvo]

I don't believe a word of it, it's just more lies put about by the IFA, through their in-house rag, the Belfast Telegraph. In fact I wouldn't be at all surprised if Howard Wells was holding a gun to Kane's head, whilst somebody else from the IFA phoned a murder threat to his family...

Good man, thats it bring in a kidnapped little girl to back up your bullsh1te argument about your little pub team, you lads are a right laugh from ourweeminds.

Your comment was just sick, but coming from that shower of bigots you follow I shouldn't be surprised really.

.