Wilhelmus ("Wim") Jacobus Koeverman

[Greenforever]

ah man come one
he has pretty much put the FAI into the red with the ticket fiasco, and it now looks likely that the new landsdowne raod will again be owned by the IRFU - back to square one then again where the FAI dont have a home

all these appointments dont impress me at all. Cvs look good - buts thats paper talk isnt it? anyway i will look forward to coming onto this site when it all goes pearshaped

And to have dennis O brien invlolved stinks of high heaven

As for my own local town the FAI ploughed a few million into one of the local teams (the cops team) and i can guarantee that its money down the drain, but the real town team (in the centre of the town with the fan base) where all the young fellas play got nothing

The land is owned by the IRFU. LRSDC own the stadium.

What ticket fiasco? Are you talking about his dad going back almost 20 years or are you talking about the current 10 yr ticket plan.

THey were never going to get €12,000 per ticket or even €9,000. You can not blame JD for the fact that there is no demand for such priced tickets. You can however credit him with renegotiating sponsorship deals early over the last few years, as if they were up for renenwal now the FAI would not get as much due to the economic downturn.

All in all he is getting the house in a lot better shape, and things are looking good at most levels for IRish football.

[Drumcondra 69er]

No pointing the finger at anyone in particular it just seems funny that a very important and good appointment by the FAI has so little posts and very little replies whereas lots of "off season" topics get lots of action.

I suppose its kinda like the nice guys and the girls.

Could be down to the fact that more people are logged on here during the week and the story was posted on the weekend (or 4pm on the Friday anyway)? I was out of the country all weekend and I'm sure others may have had plans that didn't entail logging onto foot.ie.

Looks a good progressive appointment to me but we'll see how it works out.

Delaney may well be doing a reasonable job behind the scenes but it's understandable that people don't trust him given the Stan fiasco and teh way he tried to deflect any blame for it away from himself and also given the manner of his rise through the FAI which as has been mantioned was done in the manner of a sleeven where he seemed to be on a mission to avenge the his father despite the obvious chicanery that had gone on around the US 94 tickets. His opposition to Eircom Park is a black mark for me as well as I think that was personally motivated by wanting to have a slice at Bernard O'Byrne rather then for the good of the game here. The current ticket enpase and the issues with schoolboy football are also black marks.

As for people still moaning about Denis O'Brien sunsidising Trap's salary, this is fairly common at this stage in international football (Hiddink at both Russia and Australia for example) so I can't see why anyone would have an issue with it, it's a small price to pay for a sucessful appointment so hopefully that's what it'll prove to be.

[bawn79]

In todays metro I think it mentions that Koeverman is going to ring Barry Maguire the Irish u-15 and Dutch u-19 international about the possibilty of switching back.
Hate to bring it up but they mention that this is still possible to do before he is 20 years old. Is this possible to do?

[tetsujin1979]

In todays metro I think it mentions that Koeverman is going to ring Barry Maguire the Irish u-15 and Dutch u-19 international about the possibilty of switching back.
Hate to bring it up but they mention that this is still possible to do before he is 20 years old. Is this possible to do?

yeah, you can switch nationalities until you are 20, and have played a competitive game at u-21 level for that country
I know someone turned out for Scotland recently that has U-19 caps for England, but I can't think of his name

Sean McCaffrey approached Maguire before about declaring for Ireland, but he stuck with Holland

[geysir]

His opposition to Eircom Park is a black mark for me as well as I think that was personally motivated by wanting to have a slice at Bernard O'Byrne rather then for the good of the game here.

The good of the game was not a driving motivating force at that time.
Delaney did not even have to draw out that long knife
Even by FAI standards, Bernard's behaviour had him delicately poised on the edge of a tall building.
Sunday Business Post 11/03/01
Sunday Business Post 18/03/01

Now we see that rowing in with the plans for Abbotstown was a good move.
We don't know about Eircom pk.

Personally I don't mind a backstabber, if he is on my side and he stays in front.
On the bits of his brief that I notice, Delaney does quite well. He gets on well in UEFA and FIFA. Manages to get €1m out of them for Abbotstown Academy
He is a good focussed driven negotiator and I can see how he gives a good account of himself representing the FAI.
For the first time in the FAI, I have actually witnessed plans for the future, like this Academy, being made and living to see them on the way to being realised.

[bennocelt]

As for people still moaning about Denis O'Brien sunsidising Trap's salary, this is fairly common at this stage in international football (Hiddink at both Russia and Australia for example) so I can't see why anyone would have an issue with it, it's a small price to pay for a sucessful appointment so hopefully that's what it'll prove to be.

cause he is bent and corrupt and has his own selfish motives for doing it
thats right compare us to the clean living russians

typical of modern ireland i say

[Billsthoughts]

For the first time in the FAI, I have actually witnessed plans for the future, like this Academy, being made and living to see them on the way to being realised.

take a bow Brian Kerr on that one....

[Drumcondra 69er]

The good of the game was not a driving motivating force at that time.
Delaney did not even have to draw out that long knife
Even by FAI standards, Bernard's behaviour had him delicately poised on the edge of a tall building.
Sunday Business Post 11/03/01
Sunday Business Post 18/03/01

Now we see that rowing in with the plans for Abbotstown was a good move.
We don't know about Eircom pk.

Personally I don't mind a backstabber, if he is on my side and he stays in front.
On the bits of his brief that I notice, Delaney does quite well. He gets on well in UEFA and FIFA. Manages to get €1m out of them for Abbotstown Academy
He is a good focussed driven negotiator and I can see how he gives a good account of himself representing the FAI.
For the first time in the FAI, I have actually witnessed plans for the future, like this Academy, being made and living to see them on the way to being realised.

Lot of spin and politics involved in any reporting around the FAI and Eircom Park, I'd disagree that rowing in with the farce that was the Bertie Bowl was a good move and argue that, if Government support for our own stadium had been forthcoming rather then the consistent obstacles that were placed in it's way by FF at the time and there hadn't been personal divisions within the FAI ranks we'd already be playing there. But that's all ifs and buts.

[Drumcondra 69er]

yeah, you can switch nationalities until you are 20, and have played a competitive game at u-21 level for that country
I know someone turned out for Scotland recently that has U-19 caps for England, but I can't think of his name

Sean McCaffrey approached Maguire before about declaring for Ireland, but he stuck with Holland

Article about him in today's indo. His father disputes McCaffrey's version of events and says he'd atill be interested somewhere down the line if possible. Call him up for the U 21's asap I'd say.....

http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...d-1433824.html

ARSENAL, Liverpool and Tottenham have all reportedly been keeping a close eye on his rapid progress.

At the age of 18, he has already played over 70 senior games and has just been the subject of a bidding war involving some of the top clubs in Holland.

And he's half Irish.

So why is Barry Maguire now being proclaimed as the future of Dutch international football?

Cruyff, Gullit, Van Basten, Koeman, Bergkamp, Van Nistelrooy . . . Maguire?

The Netherlands' football history is steeped in a tradition of class and technique.

And the Oranjes have played their part in some of Ireland's most memorable moments in world football, not least on that fateful night almost 14 years ago in the Orange Bowl in Orlando -- one which will haunt Packie Bonner for the rest of his days.

How cruel a twist of fate it would be, then, if the distinctly Irish name of Barry Maguire were to join the list of Dutch legends.

The FAI's new international performance director, Wim Koevermans, has already put Maguire on top of his list when he begins his job at Abbotstown on September 1, such is the quality of the young midfielder.

And he should know. Koevermans was the man who snatched Maguire from under the noses of Ireland and coaxed him into the bosom of the KNVB, calling him up for the Dutch U-18s to play against none other than Sean McCaffrey's Irish colts at Richmond Park last year.

But all is not lost for Irish football.

Maguire, born of an Irish father and a Dutch mother in Tiel, speaks in a distinctly Dutch tone and without a hint of an Irish accent of how he is still open to offers from the FAI.

"It's an honour to play for your country, whether it's your father's country or your mother's country," he said.

"Right now I'm only playing for Holland because they have asked me so if Ireland asked me to play for them then maybe I could play for them.

"I would have to make a choice but it would be real honour to play for Ireland."

Limelight

Maguire's name only really emerged into the limelight in the past month when he was snapped up by FC Utrecht of the Dutch Premier League.

Despite more lucrative offers from some of the larger Eredivisie outfits, he opted for the club just half an hour from his home and one which, crucially, pitched the offer of a big chance of regular first-team action.

Maguire has become accustomed to first-team football. For anyone familiar with the career of James McCarthy, another promising half-Irish starlet, the story of this box-to-box teenage player follows a similar trend.

At 16, Maguire made his debut for Den Bosch, the club at which one Ruud van Nistelrooy began his career, in the Dutch second tier and has since been a pivotal player, making over 70 consecutive appearances, playing almost every minute during that time.

Like Hamilton Academicals star McCarthy, Maguire's transition from a frail kid into a potential world beater occurred within the proverbial blink of an eye.

A versatile attacking midfielder, he is known to possess the kind of technique which, dare we say, is more synonymous with Dutch football than with Irish.

Now, he has been hailed as one of the brightest young talents emerging from the Netherlands and is expected to be put right into first-team action with Eredivisie mid-table regulars Utrecht, under the tutelage of another Dutch legend Willem van Hanegem.

His international career, unfortunately, is a little more complicated. Maguire has, in fact, played in an Irish shirt, when he was called up for an U-15 friendly against Northern Ireland.

His father, Martin, who, as a 19-year-old, travelled through Holland during a European sightseeing trip but never returned, was far from impressed with what was waiting for Barry when they both made the journey over here.

"I remember well that they had two games that day against Northern Ireland, so they had two teams, and he played 15 minutes," said the Dubliner, who played for Home Farm briefly as a teenager.

"I think there were 15 players from Ireland, who were living in Ireland and who they could watch every week, but they gave him 15 minutes and said 'you'll hear from us', but we never heard anything else from them until he was called up for Holland."

When he was called up for Holland a couple of years later by Koevermans, it was a twist in the plot that both parties could certainly have done without. Lo and behold, his first international appearance for the Dutch was against Ireland, in Ireland.

Irish U-17 and U-19 manager Sean McCaffrey, however, stands by the fact that he had invited Maguire to play for the Boys in Green for that very match, but only found out that he had chosen for the Netherlands when the Dutch Association sent the FAI details of their hotel arrangements.

"He was called into the squad and we told him we would include him in the next match. Now we didn't know the next match was going to be against Holland.

"We were then invited to a tournament in Portugal and I said: 'If we're going to Portugal there's no point in you coming with us and playing you in Ireland as well' and that was basically it," McCaffrey explains.

"And then when we named the squad against Holland, he was already in the Dutch squad. He never rang us to say he was in the Dutch squad and he had made up his mind as far as I was concerned."

McCaffrey's and Maguire's versions of events do not quite correlate, however, and Maguire's father insists that Barry was never given a decision to make.

"Somebody rang him up from the FAI to ask him if he was interested in playing for Ireland and he said he was, but then he never heard anything from them again.

"Then we saw a piece in the paper one day saying 'Irish coach disappointed in Maguire choosing for Holland' and I thought, Barry was talking to them and told them he'd play if they called him up, but they never did.

Discovered

"I was under the opinion that once the FAI had discovered Barry, and they knew about him they'd keep an eye on him, but I just don't think they work like that."

Martin still believes that Ireland would still be an option if they were to request Maguire's services, and the Drumcondra native knows which colour he would prefer to see his son play in if both associations came knocking.

"My heart lies with Ireland," he admits, "but it's his choice and it will be interesting to see in a couple of years if they both call him up.

"But at the moment his mind is being made up for him because he hasn't heard anything from Ireland in so long."

Only time will tell if Irish football lays claim to Maguire before the gifted youngster turns 21. It is a decision that currently lies with Giovanni Trapattoni and, indeed, Don Givens.

If not, however, Maguire could well prove to be a gem lost to the wreckage of miscommunications.

[geysir]

The familiar sound of the FAI rustling around to offer another shambles of an excuse.
It might have made more sense had McCaffrey said "Barry who"?

McCaffrey says "we called him"
Doesn't sound like "I called him"
Nor does it sound like any attention was paid to the outcome of the phone call.

The article is spot on to refer to a wreckage of miscommunications.
At least if there is a chance of the lad declaring then Koevermans is the man to do it.

[SilkCut]

cause he is bent and corrupt and has his own selfish motives for doing it
thats right compare us to the clean living russians

typical of modern ireland i say

Jesus, a man gives us money to at last get a world class manager and still he gets this begrudgery!!! This is typical of modern Ireland IMO. Would you prefer we had appointed Paul Jewell, Sam Allerdyce or another such footballing genius (even though I think their wages would have been just as high.) instead. What would these selfish motives be?? More involvement in our footballing setup - if it means more of his cash we should be delighted - or perhaps to make a few Euros himself? - God forbid a businessman should want to make money!!! Remember this is also the man who donated so much time and money to the Special Olympics when they were in Dublin.
By the way how many Russians do you know and are they all corrupt or are you basing your opinion on Mr. Abramovic, if so let me assure you not all Russians have billions of dollars salted away.
We should be bowing down and giving thanks to Denis O'Brien.

[bennocelt]

We should be bowing down and giving thanks to Denis O'Brien.

that pretty much makes my point
now thats modern ireland

(I dont know maybe a small thing called morality!!!)

[SilkCut]

that pretty much makes my point
now thats modern ireland

(I dont know maybe a small thing called morality!!!)

What on earth are you babbling about "Morality"?? What morals is Denis O'Brien lacking?? He is in the business of making money, almost everything he has been involved in has been hugely successful, do you want our football team / industry to be successful or would you prefer an eternity of underachievement so you can continue to moan, complain and be sanctimonious about what you would do if you were in charge??
You didn't answer my question either, who would you have employed for half of Traps wages?

[bennocelt]

What on earth are you babbling about "Morality"?? What morals is Denis O'Brien lacking?? He is in the business of making money, almost everything he has been involved in has been hugely successful, do you want our football team / industry to be successful or would you prefer an eternity of underachievement so you can continue to moan, complain and be sanctimonious about what you would do if you were in charge??
You didn't answer my question either, who would you have employed for half of Traps wages?

My point is that support is easily bought,
you are going on about kissing the feet of this man and then you mention modern ireland whats your point????

moan? sorry im not one of the ole ole brigade and the happy clappy fan, i dont just follow the sheep, and i guess im not an event junkie
As i said previously Im not supporting the national team anymore -i sticking to the EL, and thats my choice but i guess for some thats showing a lack of patriotism!! (patriotism is overrated anyway)

I am not a supporter of trap, and to be honest i would have went with Roy Hodge, the Polish manager, or dare i say it even Terry
But i guess when it all goes balls up im sure you will be around for the afters

[FarBeag]

My point is that support is easily bought,
you are going on about kissing the feet of this man and then you mention modern ireland whats your point????

moan? sorry im not one of the ole ole brigade and the happy clappy fan, i dont just follow the sheep, and i guess im not an event junkie
As i said previously Im not supporting the national team anymore -i sticking to the EL, and thats my choice but i guess for some thats showing a lack of patriotism!! (patriotism is overrated anyway)

I am not a supporter of trap, and to be honest i would have went with Roy Hodge, the Polish manager, or dare i say it even Terry
But i guess when it all goes balls up im sure you will be around for the afters

What a load of rubbish. Why do you even go to the trouble of popping into the Ireland forum and taking an hour to type up such trash, if you dislike the team so much. I guess you are another of those ‘’Jump on the bandwagon brigade’’ when things are going well you then hop along to an international with a suit and tie shouting at real supporters to sit down and shut up.

I hope you do continue to support the EL and the best of luck to you. We don’t need supporters like you so you wont be missed.I hope your team gives you the satisfaction you crave for and if some rich business man comes in to help make your team a better one you will continue to support them.

You appear to the only one with a bee in their bonnet about Mr O’ Brien. Nobody else cares. He has done nothing wrong, just invested wisely with no interference so get over it and move on. One more thing, it also proves your limited knowledge about football if you think that Trap is a bad appointment compared to the ones you mention above and then you cant get even their names right.

[bennocelt]

What a load of rubbish. Why do you even go to the trouble of popping into the Ireland forum and taking an hour to type up such trash, if you dislike the team so much. I guess you are another of those ‘’Jump on the bandwagon brigade’’ when things are going well you then hop along to an international with a suit and tie shouting at real supporters to sit down and shut up.

I hope you do continue to support the EL and the best of luck to you. We don’t need supporters like you so you wont be missed.I hope your team gives you the satisfaction you crave for and if some rich business man comes in to help make your team a better one you will continue to support them.

You appear to the only one with a bee in their bonnet about Mr O’ Brien. Nobody else cares. He has done nothing wrong, just invested wisely with no interference so get over it and move on. One more thing, it also proves your limited knowledge about football if you think that Trap is a bad appointment compared to the ones you mention above and then you cant get even their names right.

oh dear
to be fair you are correct i shouldn't really be on the Irish forum, thats a fair comment, but still i cant help but laugh (sorry)


ole ole ole and all that, trust me im not a fairweather fan, just a person who loves football (and as much as i watch other sports, football is the only game i follow), and isnt going to be conned by all the rubbish the FAI spout. And so far it is all talk!
I hate the happy clappy brigade that (like sheep) follow any old rubbish. I will continue to support irish football by following the EL, and by coaching at underage level (as i have done in the past). Im sorry if i dont buy the eircom-ireland shirts or get excited when delaney introduces us to foreign guys with nice CVs

Im sorry but i do actually have a big problem with the FAI accepting money from a well-dodgy Businessman. It seems thats the way things are in this great country of ours. By the way there was much more to that than meets the eye (future sponsorship), but i guess you dont read Shane Ross regulalry

As for the last comment, well time will tell
Enjoy watching negative football under Trap

[irishfan86]

Back to the actual topic of the thread- does it worry anybody else that the person put in charge of developing Ireland's talent makes his first move recruiting from abroad?

I want the best players available to play for us, including this Dutch kid, but it's an interesting move.

[geysir]

Back to the actual topic of the thread- does it worry anybody else that the person put in charge of developing Ireland's talent makes his first move recruiting from abroad?

I want the best players available to play for us, including this Dutch kid, but it's an interesting move.

It was ironic from the man entrusted with putting together a training academy to keep our kids at home.

He knows the player.
He might have been asked a Q about him.
Apart from that I wouldn't read too much into it. It's not his job to scout for quality 2nd generation players.

[SilkCut]

oh dear
to be fair you are correct i shouldn't really be on the Irish forum, thats a fair comment, but still i cant help but laugh (sorry)


ole ole ole and all that, trust me im not a fairweather fan, just a person who loves football (and as much as i watch other sports, football is the only game i follow), and isnt going to be conned by all the rubbish the FAI spout. And so far it is all talk!
I hate the happy clappy brigade that (like sheep) follow any old rubbish. I will continue to support irish football by following the EL, and by coaching at underage level (as i have done in the past). Im sorry if i dont buy the eircom-ireland shirts or get excited when delaney introduces us to foreign guys with nice CVs

Im sorry but i do actually have a big problem with the FAI accepting money from a well-dodgy Businessman. It seems thats the way things are in this great country of ours. By the way there was much more to that than meets the eye (future sponsorship), but i guess you dont read Shane Ross regulalry

As for the last comment, well time will tell
Enjoy watching negative football under Trap

My God man you have lost the plot. If you are a true "fan" of the game in Ireland all you should hope for is its success. Traps CV is not just nice it is extraordinary, he has won wherever he has gone. Instead of being a moaner why cant you get excited by the possibilities he can bring to the team. As for this latest appointment, it can only be good for our game. even if Wilhelmus is completely useless he is better than what we had before - nothing. This appointment will benefit Irish football in all areas, I am not a fan of the FAI, in fact I think they are bungling idiots who would be better employed counting sand in the Sahara or some other equally productive task than running our football association. It is obvious that they are trying to change, is it a complete coincedence that this is happening after Denis O'Brien and Trap became involved with them??? I think not. As for underage football, it is disadvantaged enough without having more begrudgery and negativity being thrust upon it!!
As a side note no I dont read Shane Ross regularly. However anything he writes about O'Brien should be taken with a pinch of salt as he works for Anthony O'Reilly who is not exactly friendly with O'Brien is he??

[bennocelt]

My God man you have lost the plot. If you are a true "fan" of the game in Ireland all you should hope for is its success. Traps CV is not just nice it is extraordinary, he has won wherever he has gone. Instead of being a moaner why cant you get excited by the possibilities he can bring to the team. As for this latest appointment, it can only be good for our game. even if Wilhelmus is completely useless he is better than what we had before - nothing. This appointment will benefit Irish football in all areas, I am not a fan of the FAI, in fact I think they are bungling idiots who would be better employed counting sand in the Sahara or some other equally productive task than running our football association. It is obvious that they are trying to change, is it a complete coincedence that this is happening after Denis O'Brien and Trap became involved with them???
?

fair enuff, thats your opinion.

As i said, enjoy the campaign. (and i will be waiting in the long grass)

I wont be supporting the FAI - team ireland brand (and thats my choice)

Football in this country is a joke, total joke from top to bottom.