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

Le King

major bill wrote: »

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

Mullane would destroy him

Carcharodon

Maybe thread would be more interesting if the title was something like what GAA players could/would of made it at high level in soccer.

From what I have been told Maurice Fitz could easily of made it if he wanted to go that way.
Cooper was/is a sensational soccer player, I witnessed that myself.

Frank Spencer

I'll say this as a GAA man. The transition from soccer to Gaelic football would be much easier than vice versa. For every 10 soccer players that could play Gaelic football at the top level you might find 1 Gaelic footballer that could make the transition to play soccer at any reasonable level. If I'm being honest I'm being generous saying 1 Gaelic footballer would make it.

flahavaj

Frank Spencer wrote: »

I'll say this as a GAA man. The transition from soccer to Gaelic football would be much easier than vice versa. For every 10 soccer players that could play Gaelic football at the top level you might find 1 Gaelic footballer that could make the transition to play soccer at any reasonable level. If I'm being honest I'm being generous saying 1 Gaelic footballer would make it.

You'd have to question whether they soccer soft chaps would be able for the rough and tumble of GAA though, you only have to look at them and they're rolling around in agony - I'd imagine a good hard shoulder from a Galvin or a McMenamin would kill them stone dead.:pac:

JerryHandbag

Anthony Tohill (Derry) played a few games for Man Utd reserves back in the 90s.

Mr Alan

maybe throw Padraig Harrington up front while we're at it too. this thread has aids.

Blarney92

thebullkf wrote: »

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??

I think he won an all ireland community games medal when he was here one summer. I'll try to find proof

http://www.euro2008.gr/players/spain/Xabi_Alonso.html not sure how accurate this is

major bill

Frank Spencer wrote: »

I'll say this as a GAA man. The transition from soccer to Gaelic football would be much easier than vice versa. For every 10 soccer players that could play Gaelic football at the top level you might find 1 Gaelic footballer that could make the transition to play soccer at any reasonable level. If I'm being honest I'm being generous saying 1 Gaelic footballer would make it.

i know quite a few players that play in england that would defo make the dublin team easy, they were all savage gaa players but obviously chose the glamour of soccer abroad. id actually go the opposite and say it would be easier going from soccer to GAA, without been too harsh on the players that actually play the game the skill level in gaelic football is nothing compared to the skill level in soccer.

applehunter

major bill wrote: »

i know quite a few players that play in england that would defo make the dublin team easy, they were all savage gaa players but obviously chose the glamour of soccer abroad. id actually go the opposite and say it would be easier going from soccer to GAA, without been too harsh on the players that actually play the game the skill level in gaelic football is nothing compared to the skill level in soccer.

You are not going the opposite.

monkey9

This thread reminds me of the one created asking whether Man Utd should sign Usain Bolt cos he can run very fast!

major bill

applehunter wrote: »

You are not going the opposite.

:pac:

artanevilla

thebullkf wrote: »

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??

Socrates never won a World Cup.

Panthro

has Jason Sherlock been mentioned yet?
sure i might try out for Ireland tomorrow afternoon sometime.

wandatowell

baz2009 wrote: »

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

If you look at the current shower arsenal have have playing for 'em that aint saying much

parker kent

~Rebel~ wrote: »

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

I know that is why I said they stopped him. They watched his getting a hard time of it against Kerry so they did not allow him do it any more. As a pro he was a target.

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:

I agree it is a pointless thread as it is similar to saying something like "Christopher Nolan is a great director, imagine if he joined F1 how great he would be at it". Or saying that Henry Shefflin is the greatest tennis player or cricketer. It is apples and oranges, two different things.

That being said, you are ignoring that many GAA players do not have access to top class underage soccer facilities. Soccer in Kerry is not really taken seriously the way it is in Dublin for example. Also many may actually just not like soccer so did not play it. For all I know I might be the greatest pole vaulter of all time, but I have no interest in it so I have never tried it.

There are plenty of people with the physique to play soccer in the GAA. The likes of Colm Cooper, JJ Delaney and Brian Dooher are examples. Most GAA players range from 5'10 to 6'4. perfectly fine for soccer. Plus soccer players are getting bigger anyway.

I have no doubt that there are GAA players that would have made it as soccer players if they had chosen a different path or if one had been available to them.

CiaranC

Jesus its a slow day on the football forum if this nonsense is the most active thread

parker kent

Carcharodon wrote: »

Maybe thread would be more interesting if the title was something like what GAA players could/would of made it at high level in soccer.

From what I have been told Maurice Fitz could easily of made it if he wanted to go that way.
Cooper was/is a sensational soccer player, I witnessed that myself.

Your idea would have made for a good thread! Cooper could have been our lost goal poacher

Sean Og has the physique to be a good centre half or defensive midfielder.

Esse85

MementoMori

well Darran O'Suillivan who captained Kerry to an All-Ireland played for Crystal Palace for two years with one of their underage teams.
Also Mick McCarthy has been playing with Castleisland in the Kerry league the last few winters and is apparently decent enough at that level

Jordan Berbatov

Whats that? Premier leauge GAA XV you say . . .

Given

De Jong Vidic G.Cahill

Lawrence Mascherano Nzogbia

Diaby Yaya Toure

Park Ji Sung T.Cahill Bale

Rooney Crouch Bellamy

Kind of hard to make out, but you get the picture


EDIT: Forgot we're talking about being the other way around

Blazer

Jordan Berbatov wrote: »

Whats that? Premier leauge GAA XV you say . . .

Given

De Jong Vidic G.Cahill

Lawrence Mascherano Nzogbia

Diaby Yaya Toure

Park Ji Sung T.Cahill Bale

Rooney Crouch Bellamy

Kind of hard to make out, but you get the picture


EDIT: Forgot we're talking about being the other way around

Nzogbia? Are you fúcking mad? This is the same guy who whinged when Bobby Robson (god rest his soul) called him Charles Insomnia
He wouldn't last 10 seconds on the pitch...

Jordan Berbatov

Sc@recrow wrote: »

Nzogbia? Are you fúcking mad? This is the same guy who whinged when Bobby Robson (god rest his soul) called him Charles Insomnia
He wouldn't last 10 seconds on the pitch...

Haha fair point, well with a good kick up the hole he'd be a decent wing back

FlawedGenius

Yeah Im sure theres lots who could of made it at soccer, Id say Cluxton could easily play LOI football at least, dont need to be super fit to be a keeper and a gaa keeper is basically the same as soccer.
I think wed be a real force in world football only for the GAA, all the players we produce are from Dublin and the odd one or 2 from Donegal and Cork, the rest of the country dont take soccer serious at all.:(

tommyhaas

Sc@recrow wrote: »

Nzogbia? Are you fúcking mad? This is the same guy who whinged when Bobby Robson (god rest his soul) called him Charles Insomnia

That was Joe Kinnear. Bobby Robson got confused between between Shola Ameobi & Carl Cort

Reporter: So, do you have a nick name?

Shola: The lads just call me Shola

Reporter: And what does Bobby Robson call you?

Shola: Carl Cort

glanman

Cathal Naughton (Cork hurler, fast GAA player around) played with Notts Forrest.

Ciaran Lyng (Wexford footballer) was playing soccer in UK too

Other way round, David Myler of Sunderland was a very promising GAA player in Cork. His dad was Wexford hurling coach and coaches Kerry hurlers now.

parker kent

glanman wrote: »

Cathal Naughton (Cork hurler, fast GAA player around) played with Notts Forrest.

Ciaran Lyng (Wexford footballer) was playing soccer in UK too

Other way round, David Myler of Sunderland was a very promising GAA player in Cork. His dad was Wexford hurling coach and coaches Kerry hurlers now.

Not forgetting Shane Long, a really strong prospect for Tipp reaching a minor All Ireland Final. His focus on hurling has been to the detriment of his football career.

HalloweenJack

PJ Banville was playing for Waterford United and the Wexford minors at one stage, maybe 2005, iirc. He looked a decent enough player at football.

Former Wanderers keeper John Walsh played for Donegal around the time he played for Finn Harps, afaik.

Stephen Hurley went from the LOI to the Wicklow GAA after he was at Bray. I think he's still in the Wicklow side.

I'd like to see the Gooch have a go at football. He'd get more space and he's got a good eye to score. He also seems to be one of the fitter GAA players.

Didn't Shane Long play hurling for the Tipp minors before going to Reading?

parker kent

HalloweenJack wrote: »

Didn't Shane Long play hurling for the Tipp minors before going to Reading?

Sort of funny asking this immediately after my post

WesternZulu

FlawedGenius wrote: »

I think wed be a real force in world football only for the GAA, all the players we produce are from Dublin and the odd one or 2 from Donegal and Cork, the rest of the country dont take soccer serious at all.:(

This tread is a joke.

But are you serious!!!

England doesn't have the GAA and is hardly a real force in world football (in terms of they win sfa) :rolleyes:

Add that the FAI even without having GAA/rugby to deal with would still be a sham.

We would hardy be the European Brazil if the GAA didn't exist :pac:

slingerz

artanevilla wrote: »

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

When Graham Gerathy went to Arsenal on trial he finished first in their fitness tests. And that was from playing GAA. Senior intercounty footballers would be a lot more powerful than a number of the top soccer players.

CiaranC

slingerz wrote: »

When Graham Gerathy went to Arsenal on trial he finished first in their fitness tests. And that was from playing GAA. Senior intercounty footballers would be a lot more powerful than a number of the top soccer players.

Who the **** is Graham Gerathy. Mods can you move this thread to the bog wrestling forum, its making me nervous

gonedrinking

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

haha how many people who thanked this post have actually read the article? It proves feck all, its about body fat levels, not fitness, and all it shows is that gaelic footballers have slightly more fat than soccer player (13.4% compared to 12.2%)

Pauleta

slingerz wrote: »

When Graham Gerathy went to Arsenal on trial he finished first in their fitness tests. And that was from playing GAA. Senior intercounty footballers would be a lot more powerful than a number of the top soccer players.

That sounds like one of those made up GAA stats, just like when they said The Birdsnest Stadium was based on Croke Park :pac:

CiaranC

Pauleta wrote: »

That sounds like one of those made up GAA stats, just like when they said The Birdsnest Stadium was based on Croke Park :pac:

Careful or you'll be replaced

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDC5DGPJ1CI

micks

slingerz wrote: »

When Graham Gerathy went to Arsenal on trial he finished first in their fitness tests. And that was from playing GAA. Senior intercounty footballers would be a lot more powerful than a number of the top soccer players.

And they didnt sign him because?

curry-muff

Brendan Devenney was a better soccer player for Harps than he ever was a Gaelic player really, his split allegiances came into question several times though, usually picking GAA over football, think he ended up at Limavady FC and just faded away after his decline though

flahavaj

micks wrote: »

And they didnt sign him because?

He's not French or 16.

WesternZulu

CiaranC wrote: »

Who the **** is Graham Gerathy. Mods can you move this thread to the bog wrestling forum, its making me nervous

God bless your ignorance...you're obviously quite the sports fan :rolleyes:

Thats like saying who the f**k is Dan Carter just because he doesn't play football and to move the thread to the egg chasers forum.

Suppose you call Gaelic football "bogball" and hurling "stick fighting" and think you are ever so clever.

No need to be like that even if you don't like the sport.

CiaranC

WesternZulu wrote: »

God bless your ignorance...you're obviously quite the sports fan :rolleyes:

Thats like saying who the f**k is Dan Carter just because he doesn't play football and to move the thread to the egg chasers forum.

Suppose you call Gaelic football "bogball" and hurling "stick fighting" and think you are ever so clever.

No need to be like that even if you don't like the sport.

Who the **** is Dan Carter?

Im not a "sports fan" Im a football fan, and I really, really dont like GAA.

WesternZulu

CiaranC wrote: »

Who the **** is Dan Carter?

Im not a "sports fan" Im a football fan, and I really, really dont like GAA.

No need to call gaelic football "bog wrestling" even if you really, really don't like the sport.

Comes across that you think that its played by muck savages and you are so much more superior

Oh and Dan Carter is a rugby player from New Zealand...he's meant to be the next big thing.

CiaranC

WesternZulu wrote: »

Comes across that you think that its played by muck savages and you are so much more superior

Bang on the money. Just for that Im going to look this Dan Carter chap up on wikipedia. I have no moral objections to Rugby.

*edit* Dan Carter? How was I supposed to get that reference? You shoulda said the small baldy fella that plays for Ireland

WesternZulu

CiaranC wrote: »

Bang on the money. Just for that Im going to look this Dan Carter chap up on wikipedia. I have no moral objections to Rugby.

Yea, because its not played by the bleedin' culchies?

Go to croke park some day...you might like it?

Whats your big problem with the GAA?
The FAI/FIFA are hardly the beacons of how a sporting organisation should be run either..

*edit Dan Carter is probably one of the best/well known rugby players in the world
*peter stringer is the small bald lad you are thinking of

Pauleta

I think GAA HQ have been notified and the gahphone has alerted all its members to come on to this thread

happydayz182

play all three of rugby soccer and gaelic....gaelic has a lot more in common with rugby than soccer and soccer requires muuuch more fitness yes the pitch is bigger in gaelic but that just means your only running when the balls comes into your patch while soccer your nearly always sprinting to keep up with play to make sure your in the correct position! soccer is the toughest sport by a mile

joe123

Ive played soccer against some really good GAA footballers and some of them are just terrible at soccer.

This thread is ****e.

Cypher_sounds

I know some great footballers and hurlers that have played minor with their county and are now playing LoI and vice versa, one or two are good enough to to make it over in england and i hope they can get spotted soon, one in particular, so id definitely say some current gaa stars are good enought to be playing premiership/championship soccer imo

SantryRed

WesternZulu wrote: »

Whats your big problem with the GAA?
The FAI/FIFA are hardly the beacons of how a sporting organisation should be run either..

Can of worms opened

WesternZulu

SantryRed wrote: »

Can of worms opened

Don't want to go way off topic, just gave it as an example...as in im a massive football fan as well as a Gaelic Football fan.

But i don't have much time for the GAA or the FAI or FIFA.

Point being that i don't let whoever is over a certain sport dictate whether or not i enjoy that particular sport.

Back on topic, this thread is pointless

gonedrinking

Some of you lot are really over estimating how fit soccer players are. They only run an average of about 5 miles a match, and its not even like its constant running, theres plenty of breaks in between where they are just strolling about. Also remember the ball is only in play for about 55 to 60 minutes each match. And I should also point out that referees typically run more than anyone in a match, and they're all in their 40's and 50's!

The Rooster

Shane Supple the former Ipswich Town goalkeeper who gave up soccer last year is now playing with gaelic football with St Brigids. He didnt make the Dublin panel this year, but many expect him to come into it next year. However, he's unlikely to replace Stephen Cluxton as first choice keeper.