IFA want answers on player exodus

[alonso]

RTÉ Sport: IFA want answers on player exodus

The Irish Football Association are raising the matter of player eligibility with the Court of Arbitration for Sport after another talented youngster turned his back on Northern Ireland.
Everton defender Shane Duffy, 18, was this week named in the squad to face Albania in a friendly on Wednesday, only to state he would prefer to play for the Republic of Ireland instead.
That is a path also taken by Manchester United's Darron Gibson and Portsmouth's Marc Wilson among others.

[rockofcashel]

Listened to Gerry Armstrong talk about this on Off the Ball during the week.. and he made the most important point in it all

If the players don't want to play for NI.. there is no point in chasing them

To be perfectly honest, I am pretty sure that those who declare for the Republic invariably, though perhaps not always, will come from the Nationalist side of the NI community, and therefore will identify more with the Republic of Ireland than with NI. Years of allowing festering sectarianism within the game in NI by the IFA is now coming back to bite them on the backside

[reprazant]

They have no chance of winning.

Legally, anyone in Northern Ireland is able to have both an Irish and a British passport.

Unless they want to Court of Arbitration for Sport to change the Good Friday agreement?

[Sync]

They've no hope of doing anything with the CAS as long as the dual passport system exists. It's always going to happen for NI that they lose players to their bigger, more successful neighbour. Look at half the French, Dutch and Portugese teams as examples of other nations who benefit from the situation. As Roy once politely pointed out, you didn't see Viera playing for Senegal.

As mentioned above, most of those who would choose to do so would be of Nationalist or Catholic backgrounds. Given the delightful way Neil Lennon was treated up there it's hard to blame them.

[willoughby]

All Ireland soccer team is the only way to go. George best was an advocate of this although his reason would of been to play for a half decent team other than any longing for a united Ireland I would think.

[Oldira1]

They have no chance of winning.

Legally, anyone in Northern Ireland is able to have both an Irish and a British passport.

Unless they want to Court of Arbitration for Sport to change the Good Friday agreement?

What? A unionist body wanting to change the GFA? Theres a surprise!

[alonso]

All Ireland soccer team is the only way to go. George best was an advocate of this although his reason would of been to play for a half decent team other than any longing for a united Ireland I would think.

Bestie just fancied havin pints in Slattery's and Searsons after the matches

[Fraxinus_]

Listened to Gerry Armstrong talk about this on Off the Ball during the week.. and he made the most important point in it all

If the players don't want to play for NI.. there is no point in chasing them

To be perfectly honest, I am pretty sure that those who declare for the Republic invariably, though perhaps not always, will come from the Nationalist side of the NI community, and therefore will identify more with the Republic of Ireland than with NI. Years of allowing festering sectarianism within the game in NI by the IFA is now coming back to bite them on the backside

Absolutely bang on. I think Martin O'Neil as well as Lennon had to put up with terrible abuse from so called fans. Tough fuking biggoted luck.

[willoughby]

I think it should be a solely protestant team. There drop in world rankings would help biggoted unionists superiority complex no end. (I wish)

[British Citizen]

What? A unionist body wanting to change the GFA? Theres a surprise!

How can I vote for this unionist body 'IFA'? I've never noticed them on a ballot paper before. Are they a political party?