2012 Qualifiers

[Sauvignon Blank]

I think being seeded clinches the deal for you, folks.

Turkey maybe most difficult but I'd say you'll do it.

So will you be jumping off yer sofa with joy if Ireland qualify?

If Ireland ever play in a future tournament I'll happily support the team.

Quelle surprise.

[Ulster's Best]

So will you be jumping off yer sofa with joy if Ireland qualify?[/quote]

If Ireland ever play in a future tournament I'll happily support the team.[/quote]


Quelle surprise.[/quote]

[Leinster Exile]

So will you be jumping off yer sofa with joy if Ireland qualify?

If Ireland ever play in a future tournament I'll happily support the team.[/quote]


Quelle surprise.[/quote]

[/quote]

So anyhoooooo...............Colin Clarke puts his hat in the ring. He was a tough fecker in his day. He is working with the Puerto Rico MLS team at the moment , also helped their national team. I'm not sure Gerry Armstrong is a good choice to be honest.

As for the Republic , fingers crossed for Estonia

[Ulster's Best]

So will you be jumping off yer sofa with joy if Ireland qualify?

If Ireland ever play in a future tournament I'll happily support the team.

Quelle surprise.[/quote]

[/quote]

So anyhoooooo...............Colin Clarke puts his hat in the ring. He was a tough fecker in his day. He is working with the Puerto Rico MLS team at the moment , also helped their national team. I'm not sure Gerry Armstrong is a good choice to be honest.

As for the Republic , fingers crossed for Estonia[/quote]

Yeah, I think Estonia wouldn't be a bad draw - they beat us twice BUT that didn't say an awful lot in the circumstances. But they got there ahead of Serbia and Slovenia so couldn't be written off either. Turkey still looks your toughest potential opponent though.

I can remember Colin Clarke scoring a goal in the 1986 World Cup - he hasn't been much seen/heard from in NI circles in recent times but has some managerial experience and might be an option though Dowie would be ahead of him in the pecking order probably. Gerry is a fan favourite and a great 'PR man' but wouldn't really see him as the out and out manager for NI. Magilton still my favourite with Michael O'Neill as part-time assistant while remaining with Shamrock Rovers - win win for everyone. Always assuming Martin O'Neill can't be tempted!

[Sauvignon Blank]

So will you be jumping off yer sofa with joy if Ireland qualify?

If Ireland ever play in a future tournament I'll happily support the team.

Quelle surprise.

Nice to see you'll be shouting for us if we do qualify.

Dude your quoting needs to be sorted

[Ulster's Best]

So will you be jumping off yer sofa with joy if Ireland qualify?

If Ireland ever play in a future tournament I'll happily support the team.

Quelle surprise.

Nice to see you'll be shouting for us if we do qualify.

I'll be shouting for us even before then - from the day the team is formed in fact! Not just if we qualify.

Dude your quoting needs to be sorted

[Sauvignon Blank]

So will you be jumping off yer sofa with joy if Ireland qualify?

If Ireland ever play in a future tournament I'll happily support the team.

Quelle surprise.

Nice to see you'll be shouting for us if we do qualify.

I'll be shouting for us even before then - from the day the team is formed in fact! Not just if we qualify.

Dude your quoting needs to be sorted

[Ulster's Best]

Sorry, quoting still not working for me - it keeps going on about three quotes so I just have to take them all out but the last one and then it looks like it does.

Anyway, point being - if and when there is an 'Ireland' team in international football I will give it my full support.

[Sauvignon Blank]

Sorry, quoting still not working for me - it keeps going on about three quotes so I just have to take them all out but the last one and then it looks like it does.

Anyway, point being - if and when there is an 'Ireland' team in international football I will give it my full support.

There is an Ireland team.

[Ulster's Best]

Sorry, quoting still not working for me - it keeps going on about three quotes so I just have to take them all out but the last one and then it looks like it does.

Anyway, point being - if and when there is an 'Ireland' team in international football I will give it my full support.

There is an Ireland team.

Not in soccer.

Did you think I meant international rugby football? I should have been clearer - but this being the 'Other Sports' section and a thread on association football, I thought you'd have known what I meant.

Just for info, we've also an Ireland team in hockey (men's and women's) and cricket. Basketball has short-sightedly been put on hold as far as I know due to financial constraints - very backward step in my book.

[Sauvignon Blank]

Sorry, quoting still not working for me - it keeps going on about three quotes so I just have to take them all out but the last one and then it looks like it does.

Anyway, point being - if and when there is an 'Ireland' team in international football I will give it my full support.

There is an Ireland team.

Not in soccer.

Did you think I meant international rugby football? I should have been clearer - but this being the 'Other Sports' section and a thread on association football, I thought you'd have known what I meant.

Just for info, we've also an Ireland team in hockey (men's and women's) and cricket. Basketball has short-sightedly been put on hold as far as I know due to financial constraints - very backward step in my book.

No I didn't think you meant the Rugby team.

My national 'soccer' team is Ireland.

[Ulster's Best]

Not in soccer.

Did you think I meant international rugby football? I should have been clearer - but this being the 'Other Sports' section and a thread on association football, I thought you'd have known what I meant.

Just for info, we've also an Ireland team in hockey (men's and women's) and cricket. Basketball has short-sightedly been put on hold as far as I know due to financial constraints - very backward step in my book.

No I didn't think you meant the Rugby team.

My national 'soccer' team is Ireland.[/quote]

No such team exists - as you know!

[Sauvignon Blank]

Not in soccer.

Did you think I meant international rugby football? I should have been clearer - but this being the 'Other Sports' section and a thread on association football, I thought you'd have known what I meant.

Just for info, we've also an Ireland team in hockey (men's and women's) and cricket. Basketball has short-sightedly been put on hold as far as I know due to financial constraints - very backward step in my book.

No I didn't think you meant the Rugby team.

My national 'soccer' team is Ireland.

No such team exists - as you know![/quote]


I give up

[Ulster's Best]

Apologies again for the poor technical ability re the quoting - almost as mixed up as you are about international football!

There isn't an Ireland team at present. There are two teams, a Republic of Ireland team for the 26 counties jurisdiction and a Northern Ireland team for the 6 counties jurisdiction.

[Sauvignon Blank]

Apologies again for the poor technical ability re the quoting - almost as mixed up as you are about international football!

Not mixed up at all.

There isn't an Ireland team at present. There are two teams, a Republic of Ireland team for the 26 counties jurisdiction and a Northern Ireland team for the 6 counties jurisdiction.

I see where you're coming from but.....

There is an Ireland team at present who play at the Aviva, a ridiculous moniker (ROI)notwithstanding from the goons at FIFA issued in 1953.

Your point on the '26 counties jurisdiction' is interesting but flawed.
How is it then we have support from folks in your '6 counties jurisdiction' and crucially we have players from the very same 'jurisdiction' playing for Ireland ?(or ROI as you prefer)
Players such as McLean, Gibson, Wilson, O'Connor, Kane and Kernaghan...Catholic and Protestant.

Seems pretty clear to me we have in essence an Ireland team, made up of the 2 traditions (plus English&Scotch) from both 'jurisdictions' representing their country.

[Ulster's Best]

Apologies again for the poor technical ability re the quoting - almost as mixed up as you are about international football!

Not mixed up at all.

There isn't an Ireland team at present. There are two teams, a Republic of Ireland team for the 26 counties jurisdiction and a Northern Ireland team for the 6 counties jurisdiction.

I see where you're coming from but.....

There is an Ireland team at present who play at the Aviva, a ridiculous moniker (ROI)notwithstanding from the goons at FIFA issued in 1953.

Your point on the '26 counties jurisdiction' is interesting but flawed.
How is it then we have support from folks in your '6 counties jurisdiction' and crucially we have players from the very same 'jurisdiction' playing for Ireland ?(or ROI as you prefer)
Players such as McLean, Gibson, Wilson, O'Connor, Kane and Kernaghan...Catholic and Protestant.

Seems pretty clear to me we have in essence an Ireland team, made up of the 2 traditions (plus English&Scotch) from both 'jurisdictions' representing their country.

There is also an Ireland team at present who play at Windsor Park, Northern Ireland - run by the original Irish Football Association, the IFA!

Not ROI as I prefer - THAT is the official name of the team.

Yes, there are some bitter bigots from the six counties who support the Republic of Ireland in soccer instead of the team that represents where they come from ie Northern Ireland - just like there are some bitter bigots from the six counties who support England in rugby instead of the team that represents where they come from ie Ireland. That is how it is in both sports. I support Northern Ireland in soccer as that is the footballing 'country' I come from. I support Ireland in rugby as that is the rugby 'country' I come from.

Yes, we know about the modern defectors, mainly relative non-entities. The vast majority of significant soccer players from NI have played for NI down through the years. Of course the bad behaviour of NI fans hasn't helped things - and now a mix of political pressure, individual opportunism, FAI poaching and the CAS ruling has led to the Republic picking up a few of our players. Most won't make it, but like England with Declan Danaher in rugby they're being made promises and/or cyncially capped in order to deny them to Northern Ireland, for whom they played at age-group level.

So, you're wrong!

[Leinsterman]

Regarding Estonia, didn't Shamrock Rovers already knock out an Estonian team on their European travels that contained quite of few of the Estonian internationals?
Actually, Rovers seem to play more attractive football than the national side. Good grief, it was awful stuff the other night but that's been the norm for a while now.

[Broken Wing]

Regarding Estonia, didn't Shamrock Rovers already knock out an Estonian team on their European travels that contained quite of few of the Estonian internationals?

Rovers beat Flora Tallinn and while a number of their players have been called up by Estonia I don't think there was even one in the side that played Northern Ireland in their last qualifier. They did have one player come on with 2 minutes to go in their 4-1 home win over Northern Ireland though.

[Broken Wing]

Estonia, away on November 11/12, home on November 15th.

[Degz]

Great draw for us, although we'll probably stuff it up.