United Ireland

thebaz · 18-09-2006 12:53pm #1

With the poorest Republic of Ireland team in my memory , is it about time discusions were re-opened with the folks up North, in having one average team, rather than 2 poor teams !
It happens in rugby and most other sports , with the peace process kicked in, surely all parties could be big eneough to discuss !!

I know it will be shot down with a "Just say No" response , but surely we should all be big eneogh to discuss, instead of having to follow 2 weak international teams .
We are supposed to have moved on and progressed as a society , would one national football team , be a further example of this growth, as well as improving the overall quality of the team.

gustavo · 18-09-2006 1:36pm

Why would NI want any part of it ,they are on an upward spiral , If we werent at a low ebb you wouldnt be suggesting it.

Attractive Nun · 18-09-2006 1:45pm

Besides, would it really improve things all that much? I mean, as well as the Northern Irish team are doing at the moment, who from their squad would make our first eleven? Carroll would make the bench. Hughes might edge out O'Brien at centre half. Gillespe would be given a chance in central midfield probably, but he's no better than Kavanagh or any of our other options IMO, and is hardly a long-term solution. Healy might compete for a place on the bench.

It would certainly not be the answer to our current terribleness.

Vokes · 18-09-2006 1:58pm

Gillespie might take the right-wing, and Davis would be in for a shout at centre midfield, and McCartney at LB maybe.

thebaz · 18-09-2006 2:08pm

gustavo wrote:

Why would NI want any part of it ,they are on an upward spiral , If we werent at a low ebb you wouldnt be suggesting it.

I would, as it should be a long term thing , the island of Ireland does not have the resources to feed 2 competitive International teams , but were forced into it due to political conditions .
While we wouldn't be world beaters , it wouldn't do any harm ---
if you look at the rugby , very few Ulster players are involved now, but they have had a big impact in the past, and hopefully will do in the future.

youthacademy · 18-09-2006 2:17pm

i think a move like this would be vital not just for soccer, but politicaly aswell, there are too many begrudgers on both sides up there, they could talk about it till they're pink in the face but they should just try it for a period and c what the craic is, it would be real progress if it works, if it doesnt jus revert back, no harm done.

LostinBlanch · 18-09-2006 2:17pm

Baz,

it would have made more sense when we were on the up. Now it just looks like oportunism and the nordies will rightly tell anyone who suggests it now where to go and what to do when they get there.

Whatever about the calibre of their players, they have one thing we don't a manager :mad:

smemon · 18-09-2006 5:23pm

the northerners wouldn't have it.

you're basically mixing irish and english fans, or celtic and rangers fans.... won't happen.

union jacks and tri colours in support of one country would cause *some* problems

Andrew 83 · 18-09-2006 6:02pm

You'd then have to merge the leagues and the IFA and FAI too I would think which would lead to lots of problems. I would like to see it but think it's unlikely to happen anytime soon.

zAbbo · 18-09-2006 6:42pm

I'd say at least Healy, Davies, Gillespie, McCartney and Aaron Hughes would make the current Irish team as it stands.

Unfortunately you have small minded people on both sides.

Bounty Hunter · 18-09-2006 7:40pm

..............................Given..........................
.....Finnan........Dunne.......Hughes.......O'Shea

McGeady/A Reid...S Reid.....Davis........Duff

.................R Keane....... D Healy...........

Subs: Carrol, O'Brien, Carr, Kilbane, Gillespie, K Doyle, C Morrison

LostinBlanch · 18-09-2006 8:07pm

Andrew 83 wrote:

You'd then have to merge the leagues and the IFA and FAI too I would think which would lead to lots of problems. I would like to see it but think it's unlikely to happen anytime soon.

Spot on, it was always the case that half of them would be doing themselves out of "jobs".

I wonder are the IFA as badly run as the FAI?

Bateman · 18-09-2006 8:21pm

Why do people assume that discussions have not yet taken place? Just because there hasn't been any big press conference, that doesn't mean that nothing is happening north or south.

_blank_ · 18-09-2006 9:01pm

The Setanta Cup is the first step on a very long road to an All-Island League, imo.

An All-Island League should mean merged National Teams too, but these ideals and dreams are way, way off.

I'd love to see a full time, fully profesional league encompassing the entire island. One in which our best players stay and play at home, and a national team is drawn from it. A league which draws large crowds every week.

BaZmO* · 19-09-2006 12:39am

Bateman wrote:

Why do people assume that discussions have not yet taken place? Just because there hasn't been any big press conference, that doesn't mean that nothing is happening north or south.

Do you really think that the goons in Merrion Square could keep that one quiet?

MrJoeSoap · 19-09-2006 3:50am

thebaz, first you want Celtic and Rangers in the Premiership, now you want Ireland and Norn Iron to combine...

You certainly are a man full of ideas!

PS - Kevin Doyle > David Healy.

eirebhoy · 19-09-2006 9:55am

zabbo wrote:

I'd say at least Healy, Davies, Gillespie, McCartney and Aaron Hughes would make the current Irish team as it stands.

Certainly not Gillespie and Healy doesn't do much outside of Windsor park.

leninbenjamin · 19-09-2006 11:00am

would FIFA even allow it? they dont seem to like upsetting the status quo, even where it might benefit the game

Benedict XVI · 19-09-2006 11:18am

In 83 years of it's existance the FAI has made 1 good move, and that was breaking away from the IFA in the first place.
Lets not start going backwards.

thebaz · 19-09-2006 11:41am

MrJoeSoap wrote:

thebaz, first you want Celtic and Rangers in the Premiership, now you want Ireland and Norn Iron to combine...

You certainly are a man full of ideas!

.

I'm a frustrated football fan living in Dublin , i used to enjoy watching the Internationals when we had a competitive team , but can't get excited about the current bunch of pretenders .
I go the odd time to UCD , and am involved and play in local junior football, but would like to watch regular quality live football, without having to cross the pond .

The Rooster · 19-09-2006 11:54am

If we're looking to join forces with another small state, I vote for Iceland rather than Northern Ireland.

_blank_ · 19-09-2006 12:11pm

thebaz wrote:

I'm a frustrated football fan living in Dublin , i used to enjoy watching the Internationals when we had a competitive team , but can't get excited about the current bunch of pretenders .

What - you can't support the national team because they aren't competitive. I'm sorry, but that smacks of fair-weather-itis.

thebaz wrote:

I go the odd time to UCD...snip...but would like to watch regular quality live football,

And there, sir, is your problem

thebaz wrote:

without having to cross the pond .

It's not possible to compare the money rich EPL with the cash poor eL.

BaZmO* · 19-09-2006 12:15pm

If we did merge with NI would that mean we'd have to play some of our games in Windsor Park? F@#k that!!!

thebaz · 19-09-2006 12:26pm

seansouth wrote:

What - you can't support the national team because they aren't competitive. I'm sorry, but that smacks of fair-weather-itis.

.

I'm probably one of the few Irish fans who've watched them live in a half full Dallymount , watched one too may dour freindlies at Lansdowne -- and no matter what rubbish is on offer will always watch them -- so the fair weather jibe is a bit cheap :cool:
Because i'm a fan i'm entitled to moan , about rubbish as i see it .
Kerr gets shafted only to be replaced by the Walsall assistant .
I just think many of the current lot are not worthy of wearing the same jersey , as worn by McGrath , Roy Keane, Kevin Moran, Towsend, Houghton, Irwin, Whelan, Aldridge etc etc .

_blank_ · 19-09-2006 12:35pm

It wasn't a jibe.

thebaz · 19-09-2006 1:08pm

seansouth wrote:

It wasn't a jibe.

If you call a fan , a fair weather one , is that not a jibe ??

_blank_ · 19-09-2006 1:15pm

Look, I don't want to get into some kind of argument here, over semantics of all things, but you did post that :

i used to enjoy watching the Internationals when we had a competitive team, but can't get excited about the current bunch of pretenders .

Now, whether you are or not is unimportant, but that comment certainly does portray a notion that the poster supported the team in good times, but now doesn't get excited about doing so.

Hmm. Having re-read your post perhaps 'fair-weather' was a bit strong, and I apologise.

thebaz · 19-09-2006 2:23pm

seansouth wrote:

Hmm. Having re-read your post perhaps 'fair-weather' was a bit strong, and I apologise.

No worries --

Andrew 83 · 19-09-2006 6:18pm

leninbenjamin wrote:

would FIFA even allow it? they dont seem to like upsetting the status quo, even where it might benefit the game

I could be wrong about this but I seem to recall a move prior to the 2002 World Cup to have a united Korean team for the finals. Apparently though Hiddink had a look at the North Koreans and didn't think any of them were good enough for the team. I would say that as long as it was accompanied by a united league and association they'd probably allow it. It would be good PR and that's something FIFA never shy away from.

United Ireland

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