Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland?

Yea he got death threats which forced him to retire from international football just because he was Catholic..

Er, em, how can I put this politely? - I wouldn't be so sure on that one Mags. It seems wrong on way too many fronts.    

We'll leave it like that, eh?

YNWA

Er, em, how can I put this politely? - I wouldn't be so sure on that one Mags. It seems wrong on way too many fronts.   

We'll leave it like that, eh?

YNWA

Yeah, i think mags has got his wires crossed on that one.

Sorry my mistake, it was Lennon who received the treats... here's the article

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/2207034.stm#

heyread alan brazils book about his abuse at celtic

plus roy keane got it right.McCarthy your  F..inG English.Was at the match years ago when N.I were playing the Republic world cup qualfier.1 each but apparently  as keane was walking past the N.I changing room  he got a call well done in qualifying.His respond no thanks to you orange bas**rds

plus roy keane got it right.McCarthy your  F..inG English.Was at the match years ago when N.I were playing the Republic world cup qualfier.1 each but apparently  as keane was walking past the N.I changing room  he got a call well done in qualifying.His respond no thanks to you orange bas**rds

Roy Keane's a c*nt - end of!!!

Very close to getting into uncomfortable arguments! Gibson is a Derry lad, probably brought up supporting ROI, dont really see a new problem! Things are changing for the better now but it is only very recent, sectarian songs used to be common place at Windsor! Did Boruc not receive a load of abuse recently?? Anyway, international football is only a distraction!

This has actually turned out to be an interesting thread to read. I suppose that i just have to get over the fact that the Good Friday Agreement and the St Andrews Agreement state that people of the North can choose what nationality they are. I don't have to agree with it though and i still don't agree with players from the North being cherry picked at a young age by the FAI.

This has actually turned out to be an interesting thread to read. I suppose that i just have to get over the fact that the Good Friday Agreement and the St Andrews Agreement state that people of the North can choose what nationality they are. I don't have to agree with it though and i still don't agree with players from the North being cherry picked at a young age by the FAI.

It's quite simple, if these lads didn't want to play to play for the Republic they would play for NI. Nobody can deny that there is many people in Northern Ireland who are technically British at birth even though they believe in an Irish Republic. If these players want to play for the Republic of Ireland who is to say that they can't and that they must play for a nationality that they don't believe in?

I think the whole point Semple was making is that the R.O.I. were cherry picking Shanner. Should they be allowed to? You say yes. Semple and myself would think otherwise.

First off: the F.A.I. are re-enforcing the divisions that exist in this island by exploiting "loyalties" to a certain political/religious ideal and will only "target" players from a certain background - morally, that's wrong.

The fact also remains that only the better Nationalist/Roman Catholic lads, (lads with bigger teams), will be asked to play for the Republic. Lads (from the North) with lesser teams just don't get asked. - making their policy even more despicable.

Legally (through a loophole) the F.A.I. may be within their rights but morally they are wrong.

Thankfully, I don't buy into any of that political or religious sh*te so i can look at the subject objectively and logically. Is it right for the Republic to target players based on their religious or perceived political allegiance? I don't think so but maybe i'm wrong. 

I think the whole point Semple was making is that the R.O.I. were cherry picking Shanner. Should they be allowed to? You say yes. Semple and myself would think otherwise.

First off: the F.A.I. are re-enforcing the divisions that exist in this island by exploiting "loyalties" to a certain political/religious ideal and will only "target" players from a certain background - morally, that's wrong.

The fact also remains that only the better Nationalist/Roman Catholic lads, (lads with bigger teams), will be asked to play for the Republic. Lads (from the North) with lesser teams just don't get asked. - making their policy even more despicable.

Legally (through a loophole) the F.A.I. may be within their rights but morally they are wrong.

Thankfully, I don't buy into any of that political or religious sh*te so I can look at the subject objectively and logically. Is it right for the Republic to target players based on their religious or perceived political allegiance? I don't think so but maybe I'm wrong. 

Excellent post. I am so happy that someone has been able to get across what i have been trying to explain for about a month now.

Screw politics and relegion! Always been Eire due to the long history of GREAT liverpool players of irish descent and also for my love of Roddy Doyle's books...The Van really brought back the love of italy 1990 for me. I am a proud englishman but always admired the midfield of whelen, houghton, sheridan, sheedy(injured for 90) , townsend and paul mcgrath (even though tainted by manure u have to admire him for his comeback @ villa in spite of injuries...and yes he was initially a midfielder)

Screw politics and relegion! Always been Eire due to the long history of GREAT liverpool players of irish descent and also for my love of Roddy Doyle's books...The Van really brought back the love of italy 1990 for me. I am a proud englishman but always admired the midfield of whelen, houghton, sheridan, sheedy(injured for 90) , townsend and paul mcgrath (even though tainted by manure u have to admire him for his comeback @ villa in spite of injuries...and yes he was initially a midfielder)

McGrath was an absolutely outstanding centre-half and I wouldn't worry about his Man u connections, could he have even remembered it, he was always shitfaced at Utd, which was one of the reasons Fergie fu**ed him and Whiteside off.

McGrath was that good a centre-back he made Babb look good.

Fair enough lads but your preferences don't actually address the question as posed in the original post, the topic, if you like. Should the R.O.I. cherry pick lads from N. Ireland?

Lester....... F.Y.I. -  McGrath - English; Sheridan - English; Townsend - English; Houghton - Scottish; Sheedy - Welsh  ...... Says it all.

Fair enough lads but your preferences don't actually address the question as posed in the original post, the topic, if you like. Should the R.O.I. cherry pick lads from N. Ireland?

Lester....... F.Y.I. -  McGrath - English; Sheridan - English; Townsend - English; Houghton - Scottish; Sheedy - Welsh  ...... Says it all.

Wouldn't matter, I can only think of one decent Northern irish player recently and that would be David Healy. And please don't mention Keith "Fergie's bi*ch" Gillespie.

Fair enough lads but your preferences don't actually address the question as posed in the original post, the topic, if you like. Should the R.O.I. cherry pick lads from N. Ireland?

Lester....... F.Y.I. -  McGrath - English

Read up on Paul Mcgrath and find out why he was born in London. Then read about his childhood. Hes as Irish as I am

Read up on Paul Mcgrath and find out why he was born in London. Then read about his childhood. Hes as Irish as I am

Don't take this wrong Brian but I really don't give a f**k to be honest - if I can borrow a quote?

Im not getting in to a debate about a player who

A) was crap
B) was a manc

Yeah P.McG's Irish, you're Irish and I'm Irish. The Rep are a better team. Not a problem.

However, the topic's on whether or not the Republic are right to cherry pick/target young lads from the North simply because of perceived political or religious preferences. Maybe it's best locked as the question Semple asked is being ignored.

Anyhow - I've had enough.  

Don't take this wrong Brian but I really don't give a f**k to be honest - if I can borrow a quote?
 
Yeah P.McG's Irish, you're Irish and I'm Irish. The Rep are a better team. Not a problem.

However, the topic's on whether or not the Republic are right to cherry pick/target young lads from the North simply because of perceived political or religious preferences. Maybe it's best locked as the question Semple asked is being ignored.

Anyhow - I've had enough. 

This whole question has arisen again in the press due to the match tonight. I am not sure if anyone saw it but the Irish reporter for SSN was in the studio earlier today and he was asked several questions about this matter and he handled himself brilliantly. My level of respect grew for him so much. Its just wrong for players to be taken away from N.I. if they are from teh North. He put it like this...Republic can take players from the North and yet the North can't take players from the Republic. While I wouldn't want the latter to happen, it just seems wrong that it is being allowed to happen this way. Also, the fella, can't remember his name, who grew up in Leicester to Northern Irish parents, played for the North against Morocco and yet, it looks like he is going to be called into the Republic set-up. The whole reason why he is able to play for the North our his parents are from Northern Ireland. He has no connection whatsoever to Republic. It all baffles me and pisses me off.

http://embed.zonein.tv/plkgftdhgfhydfyhayer.php?id=442567&w=900&h=675
http://www.veemi.com/embed.php?v=w0v2YO9p5gSssEP&vw=640&vh=360&domain=mypremium.tv

Also, the fella, can't remember his name, who grew up in Leicester to Northern Irish parents, played for the North against Morocco and yet, it looks like he is going to be called into the Republic set-up. The whole reason why he is able to play for the North our his parents are from Northern Ireland. He has no connection whatsoever to Republic. It all baffles me and pisses me off.

I think it's Adam Barton your thinking of. Played  an U21 for Republic Of Irlenad after the Morroco game for the North.

I have no problem if a player born in NI wants to represent the Republic but what isn't right are the players who are selected and come through the younger teams of NI and then the Republic take them  for the full team. Once you represent a country at an level that should be your decision made in my opinion.

Thorny subject this. Although it's clearly not fair on N.I, It's hard to tell someone who considers themselves to be Irish, that they can't play for their country because, like it are not, they're British.
I wonder if N.I were to suddenly become world beaters, and qualify for tournament after tournament, while the Republic became also rans, would the exodus from north to south suddenly stop, and the situation be reversed???

3-0 To the Republic at half time btw.