New Ireland U23 team!

**EalingGreen** · 14/10/2007, 10:22 PM

Originally Posted by Sheridan

This sounds like a very exciting departure. If it comes to pass along the lines described, it would be only legitimate Irish national team in my book.

"The majority of the team will consist of eircom League players, with the squad set to take part in an eight-team tournament later this year, facing group opponents Slovakia, Northern Ireland and Belgium"

**Shelsman** · 16/10/2007, 12:44 PM

In The Sun today it says that the 8 teams in the tournament will be as follows:

Rep. of Ireland
N. Ireland
Slovakia
Belgium
England
Wales
Italy
Finland

With England and Italy in the competition it should be pretty good.

Fenlon has said that the Ireland squad will be drawn exclusively from the Eircom League.

He has said that it is a pity that so many good players have left the league and he wants to 'put it right' though the transfer fees have been much better.

I think it is one of the best ways for the league to go forward in that the players will be snapped up but that eL clubs will now be getting good money regularly -surely a good source of revenue and good exposure for the league?

Backroom team is Alan Matthews and Dave Henderson ( GK Coach ).

**gspain** · 16/10/2007, 12:53 PM

We're drawn with Belgium, Northern Ireland and Slovakia. We've NI away next year and Slovakia at home in November. No idea where/when we play Belgium.

**eirebhoy** · 16/10/2007, 12:56 PM

Play Belgium next Autumn. 3 games in a year basically.

**Shelsman** · 16/10/2007, 1:04 PM

I hope they have the good sense to play the home matches outside of the Dublin area???????????????????????????? So as to get proper support ( and I'm from Dublin -but living in Cork

)

**galwayhoop** · 16/10/2007, 1:20 PM

Originally Posted by EalingGreen

No, I don't.

Haven't heard much from you since Nigel Worthfookall got appointed and NI's subsequent slide down the FIFA rankings! Coincidence???

Anyway, I know it's a small bit off topic but surely Players from NI would be given the choice to Play for the GB & NI team or alternatively for an All Ireland team in the Olympics the same as the atheletes??

Or is the Olympic Soccer Competition run different under the control of FIFA or some other body. I honestly don't know the answer but I assumed football players would have the same choice as sprinters/swimmers and pole vaulters!!!

**John83** · 16/10/2007, 1:28 PM

What about the B team? Was it a failure? Why? What's an U23 team going to achieve that the B team couldn't? Or are we going to have both?

Anyone else annoyed that there's yet another measure being taken to bring about progress in the association, completely ignoring the last one? It's almost like something the government would do.

**Dodge** · 16/10/2007, 1:39 PM

Originally Posted by galwayhoop

Or is the Olympic Soccer Competition run different under the control of FIFA or some other body. I honestly don't know the answer but I assumed football players would have the same choice as sprinters/swimmers and pole vaulters!!!

All sports in the Olympics are run through the individual sports governing bodies so the Athletics events are covered by IAAF, the swimming by FINA and the football by FIFA. Currently NI athletes can choose to represent Ireland or GB under IAAF rules (likewise pretty much all sports in the Olympics). Rowing is the only other sport that has NI athletes (seperate) competing for both Ireland and GB AFAIK.

As for the B team, I think the U23 has superceded it and with the advent of a structured tournament it basically makes the B team redundant. What that means for Pat Devlin is anyone's guess.

**galwayhoop** · 16/10/2007, 2:19 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

All sports in the Olympics are run through the individual sports governing bodies so the Athletics events are covered by IAAF, the swimming by FINA and the football by FIFA. Currently NI athletes can choose to represent Ireland or GB under IAAF rules (likewise pretty much all sports in the Olympics). Rowing is the only other sport that has NI athletes (seperate) competing for both Ireland and GB AFAIK.

a well informed, straight forward, well thought out and mature response..... an all too infrequent occurance on foot!!!

Thanks

**EalingGreen** · 16/10/2007, 4:32 PM

Originally Posted by galwayhoop

Haven't heard much from you since Nigel Worthfookall got appointed and NI's subsequent slide down the FIFA rankings! Coincidence???

Anyway, I know it's a small bit off topic but surely Players from NI would be given the choice to Play for the GB & NI team or alternatively for an All Ireland team in the Olympics the same as the atheletes??

Or is the Olympic Soccer Competition run different under the control of FIFA or some other body. I honestly don't know the answer but I assumed football players would have the same choice as sprinters/swimmers and pole vaulters!!!

It is "coincidence", actually. Although I browse this Board out of interest in football generally and Irish football particularly, I generally only post on threads which are specifically to do with NI football. And if you were to check these, you would see that these have pretty much dried up recently. Anyhow, Worthy is still our manager, I don't see too much prospect of the slide being halted anytime soon - and I'm back!

As for your other point, as Dodge pointed out, Olympic football is currently administered by FIFA, who delegate responsibility for the individual teams to the relevant National Associations. None of the four British Associations, inc. the IFA, will be entering the 2008 Olympics and if there is an FAI team, I can't believe they would select "non-connected" NI-born players - at least until the present Gibson case is sorted out.

As for 2012, whilst the IOC is v.keen to see a "home" team entered, that is currently a matter of huge controversy between the 4 Home Associations, with England keen, Scot & Wales implacably opposed, and the hierarchy of the IFA going along with England so as not to upset HMG (over funding for other issues)

If, as seems possible, the English FA goes ahead and selects a team to represent the UK (maybe with one or two token NI players?), then it may be open to other NI-born players to opt for any FAI team entered, but I imagine they would be subject to the same eligibility criteria as for all other international teams. That is, I presume the fact that the team was being selected to play in the Olympic Games shouldn't differentiate it from any other Tournament.

**pineapple stu** · 16/10/2007, 4:37 PM

Originally Posted by John83

What about the B team? Was it a failure? Why? What's an U23 team going to achieve that the B team couldn't? Or are we going to have both?

Anyone else annoyed that there's yet another measure being taken to bring about progress in the association, completely ignoring the last one? It's almost like something the government would do.

It's JD getting jobs for all his buddies. No more to it than that. It's ridiculous to employ a full time manager for a team which is going to play about twice a year, if that. Same way as it's ridiculous to employ Devlin as B team manager. I'd sack both, cut both teams and put the money saved into the pot for a proper senior manager.