Why aren't GAA players allowed to play for the national soccer team?

gonedrinking

Think how much our GAA stars would transform the team. Imagine the likes of Brian Dooher running the show in midfield, what a proposition that would be. Surely those lads couldn't do any worse than our current crop of soccer players? I say we give them a chance in a few friendlies and see how it works.

artanevilla

Amatuers V Professionals? The difference in fitness levels would be immense.

GLaDOS

I imagine they are, they just suck at football

Paul Tergat

Ha ha ha.

One of the funniest suggestions I've seen on this forum. Well played OP!


Think of the number of free kicks they would give away from just picking the ball up. Draft in O'Connoll to play as a big commanding centre back too, maybe O'Driscoll to play on the wing in place of McGeady?

jesus_thats_gre

You do realise that being at the top of one sport doesn't automatically mean that you will be at the top of anther sport? Even if there is a round ball that you kick involved in it.

flahavaj

Well Aisake O hAiplin should give it a shot as he ain't a hurler.:pac:

artanevilla

How it works the other way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO_ZRP5MlRc

mikemac

Pavlyuchenko played safe and took his point, good man

gonedrinking

artanevilla wrote: »

Amatuers V Professionals? The difference in fitness levels would be immense.

thats not true, look at how much a soccer player runs in a match compared to a GAA player, the difference is minimal, and thats with soccer players playing longer each match than GAA players

parker kent

This is obviously a ridiculous idea. Not that top GAA players could be international footballers, but to suggest that they can just take it up mid career. You have to playing football at a high standard for the majority of your teenage years to play international football. There are very few players who have not had the traditional experiences in youth football. Technique, fitness, know-how etc are learned over many years and combined with natural ability. Dooher cannot just "become" a top soccer player. He stands as much chance becoming a top gymnast.

Also before the anti-GAA crowd get in, lots of GAA players could have been top footballers if they had a different upbringing, different interests or moved areas when they were younger (i.e. Kerry to Dublin when they were 10 etc).

artanevilla

gonedrinking wrote: »

thats not true, look at how much a soccer player runs in a match compared to a GAA player, the difference is minimal, and thats with soccer players playing longer each match than GAA players

There is a huge difference when you are training 7 days a week professionally rather than working a full time job with training in the evening. At the top level in GAA (The Championship) You might only play 10 odd games if you go far. In football with the league season, you'd play at least 38, depending on the league obviously, plus cup competitions, Europe etc.

Didn't Niall Quinn and Kevin Moran play GAA for Dublin?

I think one or maybe both have an All Ireland medal if I'm not mistaken.

Drag00n79

gonedrinking wrote: »

thats not true, look at how much a soccer player runs in a match compared to a GAA player, the difference is minimal, and thats with soccer players playing longer each match than GAA players

is there any stats on this?

Xavi6

If they were good enough and wanted to play football then they would.

Dublin GAA players Mark Vaughan and Bernard Brogan were super football players as kids (I played with Brogan and he was lethal in front of goal) but it's a lot more difficult (imo) to make it in football.

flahavaj

rarnes1 wrote: »

Didn't Niall Quinn and Kevin Moran play GAA for Dublin?

I think one or maybe both have an All Ireland medal if I'm not mistaken.

Quinn hurled minor for them AFAIK and Moran has an All Ireland football.

Incidentally on the fitness thing, I think people would be surprised at the levels that inter county GAA players at the top level reach.

parker kent

rarnes1 wrote: »

Didn't Niall Quinn and Kevin Moran play GAA for Dublin?

I think one or maybe both have an All Ireland medal if I'm not mistaken.

Kevin Moran has a senior All-ireland medal. United stopped him from coming back every summer over injury fears. Quinn won a Leinster minor title and they lost to Galway in the All-Ireland minor final in 1983.

tdv123

gonedrinking, where you drinking while you came up with this idea?

3hn2givr7mx1sc

Fergal Byron(Laois goalie in the Micko years) was approached by Arsenal at one stage.

flahavaj

Xavi6 wrote: »

If they were good enough and wanted to play football then they would.

Dublin GAA players Mark Vaughan and Bernard Brogan were super football players as kids (I played with Brogan and he was lethal in front of goal) but it's a lot more difficult (imo) to make it in football.

I was in school with John Mullane and he was a very good soccer player, but he never passed the ball.:pac:

Eire-Dearg

Judging by the name, he's defo a Gaelic footballer.

parker kent

Xavi6 wrote: »

If they were good enough and wanted to play football then they would.

Dublin GAA players Mark Vaughan and Bernard Brogan were super football players as kids (I played with Brogan and he was lethal in front of goal) but it's a lot more difficult (imo) to make it in football.

That is not true for every county in Ireland though. You grew up in Dublin presumably and as such, your experiences of GAA players is very different to Cork, Kerry, Kilkenny, Galway etc.

I know the son of an All Ireland winner from Galway and he said that he had no opportunity to play soccer until he was in college. Soccer was just something they watched on TV.

dyl10

They wouldn't make the grade at this stage of their career. Naturally, many GAA players probably could have been professional soccer players, many actually are and were, others were up and coming talents and had to choose one way or the other. Gary Rogers is one that comes to mind, that played intercounty GAA and LOI at roughly the same time.

Goalkeepers may have a chance of jumping across at a later stage in their career, but it's unlikely there is a GAA goalkeeper of the sporting calibre to be able to do that to international level.

artanevilla

Martin O'Neill played GAA while playing football for Distillery, it caused some controversy as GAA players were banned from playing "foreign games".

Eire-Dearg

Xavi6 wrote: »

If they were good enough and wanted to play football then they would.

Dublin GAA players Mark Vaughan and Bernard Brogan were super football players as kids (I played with Brogan and he was lethal in front of goal) but it's a lot more difficult (imo) to make it in football.

Footballers in ireland should take any chance they get to play football, be it the LOI or in england. if your a good footballer at a young age, there's definately time to mould yourself into a decent football player.

dfx-

gonedrinking wrote: »

Think how much our GAA stars would transform the team. Imagine the likes of Brian Dooher running the show in midfield, what a proposition that would be. Surely those lads couldn't do any worse than our current crop of soccer players? I say we give them a chance in a few friendlies and see how it works.

I would go to Croke Park to see the prospect of such players take on Iniesta, Fabregas and Xavi.:pac:

Or van Bommel and De Jong..

GLaDOS

dfx- wrote: »

Or van Bommel and De Jong..

In fairness I suspect they'd be well up for that

artanevilla

dfx- wrote: »

I would go to Croke Park to see the prospect of such players take on Iniesta, Fabregas and Xavi.:pac:

Or van Bommel and De Jong..

Xabi Alonso played GAA. FACT.

artanevilla

artanevilla wrote: »

Xabi Alonso played GAA. FACT.

That's right. When he was over in Meath as a student learning English iirc.

major bill

id like to see van bommel play hurling, him and mullane on opposite teams:eek:

tommyhaas

Didnt Jason Sherlock play for the Irish U21s at one stage while he was playing for Rovers?

~Rebel~

parker kent wrote: »

Kevin Moran has a senior All-ireland medal. United stopped him from coming back every summer over injury fears. Quinn won a Leinster minor title and they lost to Galway in the All-Ireland minor final in 1983.

They did actually allow him over a few times, and a few times he played while over on the sly as well.

JerryHandbag

artanevilla wrote: »

Xabi Alonso played GAA. FACT.

So did Thierry Henry & Luis Suarez

thebullkf

^^

correct.

both played.
Quinn @ Minor iirc.-Hurling
Moran @ senior-football.

Geraghty had trials @ Arseanal years ago.
apparently he was as fit or fitter than the entire squad.:eek:

feelingstressed

feelingstressed wrote: »

Name a player with a Champions League medal and All Ireland medal

Xabi Alonso?

flahavaj

major bill wrote: »

id like to see van bommel play hurling, him and mullane on opposite teams:eek:

Mullane eats fellas like that for breakfast.:pac:

Xavi6

feelingstressed wrote: »

Xabi Alonso has an underage GAA All Ireland medal

It's a popular quiz question

Name a player with a Champions League medal and All Ireland medal

The All Ireland Medal bit is an urban legend isn't it?

thebullkf

it used to be "who has an All Ireland Winners Medal and a WC winners medal....??

GLaDOS

Xavi6 wrote: »

The All Ireland Medal bit is an urban legend isn't it?

It's not on wiki so it can't be true :pac:

Eire-Dearg

He doesn't have an All Ireland, I'm 100% sure.

He spent a summer in Kells in Meath, there's no record of them having any All Ireland success in that time.

Pauleta

gonedrinking wrote: »

Think how much our GAA stars would transform the team. Imagine the likes of Brian Dooher running the show in midfield, what a proposition that would be. Surely those lads couldn't do any worse than our current crop of soccer players? I say we give them a chance in a few friendlies and see how it works.

If GAA players were good enough to play international football and get paid tens of thousands a week they would be doing so. In terms of if GAA didnt exist then the Rugby team would benefit more because most county GAA players are 6 foot plus and in their teams for physicality rather than eye to foot coordination.

This is a trolling thread :rolleyes:

artanevilla

thebullkf wrote: »

it used to be "who has an All Ireland Winners Medal and a WC winners medal....??

Used to be? He only won the latter the other week!

major bill

Pauleta wrote: »

If GAA players were good enough to play international football and get paid tens of thousands a week they would be doing so. In terms of if GAA didnt exist then the Rugby team would benefit more because most county GAA players are 6 foot plus and in their teams for physicality rather than eye to foot coordination.

This is a trolling thread :rolleyes:

if the GAA didnt exist our football teams would be like the scandinavians.

Optimalprimerib

graham geraghy had trials for arsenal and according to paul merson he was one of the fittest players he had seen

thebullkf

Pauleta wrote: »

If GAA players were good enough to play international football and get paid tens of thousands a week they would be doing so. In terms of if GAA didnt exist then the Rugby team would benefit more because most county GAA players are 6 foot plus and in their teams for physicality rather than eye to foot coordination.

This is a trolling thread :rolleyes:

thats a trolling statement.:rolleyes::rolleyes:

gonedrinking

Pauleta wrote: »

If GAA players were good enough to play international football and get paid tens of thousands a week they would be doing so. In terms of if GAA didnt exist then the Rugby team would benefit more because most county GAA players are 6 foot plus and in their teams for physicality rather than eye to foot coordination.

This is a trolling thread :rolleyes:

Thats ridiculous to suggest gaa players are in their teams because they are over 6 foot. The average height of a 21 year old male these days is probably 6 foot.

thebullkf

artanevilla wrote: »

Used to be? He only won the latter the other week!

the answer was Socrates......not alonso ffs.


Socrates played for RCPI when he studied here to be a doctor...
apparently it never happened.

who did aslonso win AllIreland with??

major bill

gonedrinking wrote: »

Thats ridiculous to suggest gaa players are in their teams because they are over 6 foot. The average height of a 21 year old male these days is probably 6 foot.

in fairness this is a ridiculous thread, to suggest that a player playing inter-county ''football'' can make the step up to soccers international level is just plain daft.

Ferris_Bueller

I'd be pretty confident in saying Socrates and Xabi Alonso have never won an all-ireland medal.

Ush1

As regards fitness levels, there was a study done with LOI players and GAA players and the LOI lads were basically much fitter, I'll try dig out the article.

EDIT:

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/gaa-trails-soccer-in-fitness-stakes-248003.html

lordgoat

Has anyone pointed out to the OP that they are two different sports?

flahavaj

Ush1 wrote: »

As regards fitness levels, there was a study done with LOI players and GAA players and the LOI lads were basically much fitter, I'll try dig out the article.

EDIT:

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/gaa-trails-soccer-in-fitness-stakes-248003.html

I wonder who the county hurlers were.:pac: