Yep, heard the cheering from down below, now it’s all quiet because it’s all over… (till the pubs get out)… They just expect Healy to score and he does… Meanwhile, with a 1-0 against Slovakia, maybe some of the blatantly pernicious salami slicing of Stan will stop…
World by Storm has a nice piece up on the IRA’s role in helping MK, the armed wing of the ANC, in the 1980s. In particular he sees a strange alchemy at work there: …if one can think of a clearly legitimate contemporary struggle it was that against apartheid and it is to the credit [...] read our review »
Which reminds me…. Platform for Change’s driving force Robin Wilson has produced a corrective to the notion that the lessons of the NI conflict are easily exportable. Like myself, Robin is associated with the Constitution Unit. He introduced his new book in a CU blog which I here reproduce. The water crisis in Northern Ireland [...] read our review »
Extract from Greg McLaughlin and Stephen Baker: The Propaganda of Peace: The Role of Media and Culture in the Northern Ireland Peace Process. Bristol: Intellect Books. 2010. Political opponents Ian Paisley and Martin McGuiness were confirmed as First Minister and Deputy First Minister of a new executive in May 2007, closing yet another chapter in [...] read our review »
macswiney
we’re not top of the group – we’re level on points with the country at the top, which is completely different. If that logic stood up we’d have half of the six nations trophy. NI are top of their group, and fair play to them. And all built on Johnny Giles mantras of ‘moral courage’ and ‘honesty of effort’, something that has been lacking on a consistent basis from the Republic since the 2002 qualifers.
If you insist on finding a straw to clutch at, the fact that both sides having played everyone in their groups have 13 points from 6 games is about as good as it gets.
And anyone willing to take either side to win their group at 14/1 is certifiable.
We may be top of the group but teams below us have games in hand.
Our problem is definently our away form and its disappointing that Lafferty has proved incapable of taking any of the goal scoring burden of Healy. Its not good Lafferty missing easy chances and then putting his hand over his mouth, I think Feeney is a better option up front.
Not another of that we’ve now won 4 games in a row shite -ffs, 2 were against San Marino, 1 against Wales and last night’s oppo were the only half decent team amongst the lot.
Well done NI – a few decent teams beaten but I don’t think your ex-Sligo Rovers boss will be there come the World Cup Quals. Never mind, I know one current international manager who’ll be looking for a job.
“And all built on Johnny Giles mantras of ‘moral courage’ and ‘honesty of effort’, something that has been lacking on a consistent basis from the Republic since the 2002 qualifers. ”
A Keane fan I see ;P
We had both those things in the 2002 Finals too, we just missed a bit of class.
Our best hope is for Germany to run away with it, and try to nick 2nd place I think. That would probably require at least draws against the Germans and the Czechs, and to win the remaining matches. Tough, but hopefully some players will come into form and Stan will have the wit to play them.
Sammy Morse
‘Altintop†who scored both Turkey’s goals against Norway last night has a surname that means “Golden Ballâ€. ‘
Thanks for the info. So the Norwegians must be ^&**#@ altogether . Imagine being defeated by a one balled Turk -the shame
Altintop had only one big ball
Called Golden which says it all
Norway had nothing similar
So fans in Oslo
They now have to bawl !
With apologies to Spike Milligan not to mention sammy morse !
Tochais Siorai,
The problem with yourself, Ringo and many other contributors on Slugger is that you spend your life listening to the likes of Dunphy, Giles and all the other “failed” entities who scrape an unjustified living as media pundits.
I am a block booking holder and travel to every Ireland game and i can tell you that Staunton’s name was being chanted by tens of thousands at Croker last night.
You need to get out more mate rather than living in a clasutrophic environment where what is really happening passes you buy…
To quote Mark McCadden in today’s Irish Daily Star ” By the end of it, ole, ole’s washed over the stands and poured onto a pitch packed with celebrating players, manager, coaches and of course Mick Byrne…”
If you want base your views on sport, life or anything else based on the insular and anal viewpoints of the Dunphy’s and Giles of this world then fair play to you, but the real world full of thousands of genuine celebrating irish fans was a wonderful place to be at Croker last night….
A Keane fan I see
. Since then the so called top players have been the root of the problem. Duff is a big man for the small game. He has never produced a match winning performance against a top side, at either club or international level. The arselicking over his performance last night is typical. Carsley was far more important to last nights result than Duff. Robbie Keane is worse. His goalscoring record against top sides is absolutely shocking – not one goal against any side in the top 20 in almost 5 years in a competitive fixture. Contrasted with Healy’s record it is damning.
ok I’ll begrudgingly stretch it to Japorea when Mad Stan and Quinny were still there to provide a bit of spine
But there’s hope – the attitude of the three Reading boys has been a breath of fresh air, as have McShane and Ireland. And Dunne is providing the leadership that Robbie is utterly incapable of providing. Hunt must start up front against the Czechs.
Still in a state of extacy after that result. 2-1 to NI and top of the group.
Wait, no, I STILL can’t believe it!!!!!
The result of the week. Everyone phoning in to 5-live saying that they’re going to support NI from now on.
I think Staunton pretty much picked his best available side last night.
The young lads, Doyle, McShane, Long, McGeady & Hunt are making a real difference within the team.
The defence looks rock solid and the addition of McGeady & Hunt on the flanks adds far more depth to the team.
Staunton called the substitutions right last night with the introduction of Long & Hunt easing the pressure.
With O’Dea, Stephen Quinn, Gibson etc.. coming through the future looks very promising for the future.
One the most striking things about the last week, is the total support for Staunton from the players.
Great atmosphere at the game last night, by the way. Over 70k supporters – superb.
macswiney
the real world full of thousands of genuine celebrating irish fans
Did all these inhabitants of the ‘real world’ think we are ‘top of the group’ or just yourself?
Jesus Ringo,
Get a life man… My point was that they are level on points at the top and I made an analogy with Northern ireland re the respective opposition sides having games in hand.
Yourself and the Dunphys of this world are the type of people who probably complained even when we dumped England in Stuttgart 98, when we got to the WC quarter final in 1990 and also when we stuffed Italy in New York in 94. ( A game which i was at and will never forget…).
We are a small nation. We were then and we are now… Lower your expectations man…
Dunphy crucifies Staunton in todays Irish Star without producing one single piece of evidence to support his assertions. Reactionary, insular journalism at its worst which reveals more about his own dubious character than it does his accused…
I’m not a fan of Dunphy and find him a bit predictable.
Dunphy did a very readable biography of Sir Matt Busby, his first book he did as a journeyman at Millwall is also worth a read, but he seems incapable of providing a really intelligent analysis on the tele, he is good entertainment though.
macswiney
I don’t take Dunphy seriously, and I don’t read the Star (the Busby book is a good read all the same). Staunton is a novice who shouldn’t have been given the job and he’s being crucified for it (unfairly in my opinion), but he’s not the main problem, no more than McClaren is. Its the players who are responsible. Staunton made a balls of things up to this point, but he deserves credit for picking the right side last night.
It has nothing to do with being a big or small nation, its all about attitude. (McGrath on Baggio probably sticks in your mind from Giants stadium, Pakie Bonner in the last 10 minutes in Stuttgart, Keane flattening Overmars in 2001 etc..). NI have a fraction of the talent at the disposal of England, but they expect to have to go out and earn their results in a way that is alien to ‘Lamps’ and co. We had that attitude for years, then the lads won the u16 and u18 European championships and a 3rd place in an u20 WC and grew up to become the most spineless side in memory, (Dunne excepted). Thankfully it looks like they will be bailed out by the next generation.
Ringo,
I agree with a lot of what you say but there’s also bit of hypocrisy there surely? Most Irish fans would agree that the players were primarily responsible for the mayhem in Cyprus. The defence was truly shocking and Keane has been virtually anonymous in the past 5 games in which he has played. How o’Shea manages to play for Man United remains nothing short of a mystery bearing his inept performances in the green jersey.
Bearing all this in mind the savaging of Staunton was surely disproportionate? That he was deserving of criticism is beyond question but he must be given a chance. His introduction of McShane in central defence has been a revelation. He has not been afraid to throw in the young talents of Doyle, Hunt and Long. A policy which will surely reap divends in the future. A fair crack of the whip is all he is asking for. Kerr failed to win 4 games in a row in his entire tenure, so surely Stan must be given a chance…?
I’m sure everyone vividly recalls Ireland’s fantastic Italia song, “Put ‘em under pressure”? Remember, the one with Jack Charlton spelling out his team’s manifesto over the riff from Dearg Doom?
Watching the NI game last night reminded me of the Charlton philosophy. Go and compete. Inflict your game on the opposition. I remembered how, though Ireland were by no means the best collection of footballers in the world, they were the team that scared the shite out of the big boys.
The present NI team has taken on that mantle. It’s great to see at least one team from these shores playing in the Irish tradition and getting success. I love it.
Fair play to the north. Hope they qualify – might go myself if they do.
Northern Ireland have done something they haven’t done in a long time; they are still in with a serious chance of qualification for a major tournament with the group stage half over. I still think a couple of injuries or suspensions could mean they fall short but at least they still have chips on the table.
Wednesday was a big improvement on Saturday for the Republic. They are also in with a chance but I still have serious doubts. Their ball possession against the Slovaks was terrible (still better than against Wales) and when the Slovaks started applying the pressure in the second half the ball was just hoofed back to them and another attack started up.
Everything went through Vittek and he was let run the show. If we give the same space to the Germans, Czechs and Slovaks in Slovakia, then I can see zero points from 3 games.
Billy Pilgrim,
The Spanish manager at the time called them “11 wolves in green shirts”.
Is Dave Healy a catholic? Does that mean then that there are 12,000 ‘prods’ cheering on a ‘papist’ everytime he scores?
More Catholics should support the team, and in due time they will. I remember everyone down south supported NI back in the 1980′s World Cup campaign in Spain.
Well done Northern Ireland, great football display on the pitch!
Is it just me or does anyone else think the “IRISH NEWS” let itself down badly today.
The headlines and front page were about some house prices in North Belfast and the NI match was relegated to the bottom left hand corner of the back page.
I know they think their market is a nationalist one but they are still a BELFAST BASED newspaper ffs.
If the News Letter was a Dublin based unionist paper and I was a regular reader I would expect them to follow everyone else’s lead and plaster any ROI team exceptional achievement across the front page.It was news that has even made it onto the official UEFA sites.
They really missed a trick – especially in a week when their editorials have been lecturing everyone on the significance and benefits of the Paisley Adams meeting.
This was an opportunity for them to provide some leadership and help build bridges between unionism and nationalism.
Shame on them.
And a big Ole, Ole to you too, macswiney. If we beat the Mother Superiors xi it’ll be 5 in a row. Listen, buck, you have no idea what I think of Mr Dunphy, Giles & Brady, I never mentioned them, I may even have opinions of my own. I, for my sins, am also a block ticket holder who attended his first ROI match in 1978 so I don’t see D, G & B that often cos I’m at the games.
However, I certainly don’t need a third rate hack from the Daily Star to analyse football for me.
For future reference macswiney, criticising other people’s viewpoint is perfectly valid but try & read what they say rather than what you think they think before responding. Oh and less of the man, not ball as they call it around these parts.
John EB, don’t shoot the messenger. If their target audience cared it’d be on the front page. Whether you like it or not, that’s the blunt truth of it.
Healy has been approached by a few prem. clubs.
Wigan, Sheffield, CHarlton. Rangers are lloking at him now with Prso not coming back next season.
And with Healy being a life long Rangers supporter..who knows?
“Is Dave Healy a catholic? Does that mean then that there are 12,000 ‘prods’ cheering on a ‘papist’ everytime he scores?”
Does it really matter?
What a stupid question.
This was an opportunity for them to provide some leadership and help build bridges between unionism and nationalism.
JEB
I would suggest that it is you- as opposed to the Irish News- that has to do the serious thinking about bridge building.
Why is it so difficult for unionists like yourself to accept that the national team/ country of northern nationalists play out of Dublin?
Your comments reflect an arrogance which is rightly rejected by nationalists who, whilst wishing the north well, have no intention of abandoning support for the national team just ’cause some narrow-minded unionist can’t accept that.
Get used to it JEB.
“Your comments reflect an arrogance which is rightly rejected by nationalists who, whilst wishing the north well, have no intention of abandoning support for the national team just ‘cause some narrow-minded unionist can’t accept that.”
Break-away splitters, the “national” team? Think and feel what you want, but that it aint.
Too funny.
“Is it just me or does anyone else think the “IRISH NEWS†let itself down badly today.
The headlines and front page were about some house prices in North Belfast and the NI match was relegated to the bottom left hand corner of the back page.
I know they think their market is a nationalist one but they are still a BELFAST BASED newspaper ffs.”
I don’t see why the Irish News should give any major page space about a story that is of little interest to its readership.
The IN always provides excellent pre & post match coverage of Ireland games with today’s paper being no different. The back page headline story was Ireland’s defeat of Slovakia naturally.
The Irish News sports team have always provided us with indepth coverage of Ireland games and were superb during the World Cup campaigns.
To be fair, they reported on the n.i & Scotland games as well.
Good to see the paper running competitions to win tickets to the Wales & Slovakia games last week, giving the readers the chance to attend international games.
p.s. Great colour pic of Duffer & Doyle on the back page today, by the way, pretty much sums up the new & old breed starting to knit together.
Chris Donnelly
Surely the story was worthy in itself ?
ie High drama in Belfast, 3rd big team to be humbled at Windsor Park on a Wednesday night, David Healy bags another two goals following a hat trick on Saturday to make him the highest scoring striker in the entire tournament.
His Manager Dennis Wise shows up to see how he can exploit this talent and possibly save Leeds United from relegation to effectively the third divsion.
NI hammered in the first game and now top of the Group.
Are you telling me that a newspaper BASED IN BELFAST where all this occurred could not find journalists to make a story out of this ?
Instead Irish News Readers are more intersted in House Prices in Alliance Avenue ?
They could have run the Alliance Avenue story on Friday.
You have a cheek calling me small minded – lets face it the only reason this was not considered news worthy because it was NI – sorry but that says it all to me about the Irish News and its readership when it comes to petty minded begrudgery.
As I said Shame on them and they really need to take a good long look at a mindset that prevents them from getting into a piece of drama like this.
I am very interested in the Staunton and England stories – it is drama and sport – a potent mix.
The Irish News is introducing the prejudice but at the sametime giving us regular editorial lectures on how we need to move forward.
Think of the good they could have done by running this story ?
Do they really think they would have lost thousands of readers ?
Instead they chose to emphasise our division
JEB
Oh dear, where to start?
Instead of ranting, you need to try to escape from the narrow mindset that doesn’t allow for the fact that nationalists are primarily interested in the footballing fortunes of their own national football team- end of story.
Try chatting with a nationalist and that will become quite evident in no time.
Of course the fortunes of Lawrie Sanchez’s team are fascinating, and to be fair to the Irish News, they did feature an article on the Belfast game on the back page alongside that of the more important (in the minds of IN readers) Croke Park match.
To be honest, I find the inability of Northern Ireland supporters to accept that they can’t control the hearts and minds of northern nationalists to be quite revealing.
Fair play to you and your ‘wee country’, but our loyalty lies elsewhere.
Now, you can bemoan that fact, issue pathetic little condemnations of the Irish News for organising its stories to suit its readers, or you can take the more sensible road of simply accepting that as fact.
JEB,
The day that the IFA stop playing GSTQ is the day that you’ll have a point.
The above comment is not intended to take away from the good work done to improve the atmosphere at Windsor, or the fantastic support that the GAWA give the team.
But Windsor remains an unforgiving place for nationalists.
John East Belfast,
just an FYI: the Northern Ireland match got a lot less coverage than the England game against little Andorra did in the Irish Independent, this island’s largest selling daily newspaper. It got about as many words as the Scotland game against Italy.
That’s just the way it is these days. The majority of people simply aren’t interested enough for it to get a bigger spread.
JEB
I can understand your point but the way to look at this is that getting moved further up the Irish News is a work in progress. Previously NI was mentioned in a paragraph at the end of the ROI story. Now its got its separate story.
chris
“ranting” ?
I am not ranting.
I am just pointing out that a fascinating (your words) story appeared on the Irish News patch and they chose to ignore it because their readers are Nationalist.
I am not asking them to put every NI match on their front page but it was a David and Goliath story here last night.
Anyhow lets develop this issue of Nationlist heads facing two ways -
If John O’Dowd gets the Enterprise Ministry and he is aware of a major US multi national thinking of locating in Belfast or Dublin are you telling me that because his “heart and mind” is with the 26 Counties he is going to encourage the company to go south of the border ?
JEB
I’d imagine John would argue for a location in the six counties in the first instance, and, as an Irish republican, be more than content to lose out if the investment at least went to another part of the country.
This is hardly controversial. Politicians right across the globe will look to secure financial investment into their own patch in the first instance- in the USA there are 50 states. Are you saying because the Governor of Idaho wants jobs for his state that he is somehow acting to subvert the Federal Union??
Chris
What I am saying is if he can act as cheer leader for NI business over ROI then I see no reason why he cannot cheer on NI over ROI in soccer.
I am sure the Idaho Governer is not cheering on any other State other than his own in the NFL or NBA despite being a good American
Not that it matters but Healy is not a Catholic.
Aaron: The day that the IFA stop playing GSTQ is the day that you’ll have a point.
I’m inclined to agree. If the IFA can’t manage to be vastly more inclusive than the FAI will ever be, then the IFA won’t really deserve cross-community support either.
Why should the IFA request that the National Anthem be barred from NI matches to be replaced by ‘The men behind the wire’ or ‘Oh Danny Boy’.
If people have a problem with the National Anthem then thats their problem not the IFA’s.
Dave, I don’t have a problem with GSTQ. That said, I wouldn’t have a problem with it being changed if it turned out to be something that a lot of potential fans would like.
For me if its changed that certain patriotism is lost and the National team simply becomes just another team. The anthem for me is an essential ingredient that helps to define the country.
“If people have a problem with the National Anthem then thats their problem not the IFA’s.”
Should the IFA not at least be asking for the thousands of supporters who shoout ‘no surrender’ during the English anthem to stop.
Where does ‘no surrender’ fit into the less sectarian atmosphere ?
Lockers
It doesn’t and I agree with you but lets be fair the IFA has worked hard to erradicate this sort of thing from the National game and done a good job of it if you ask me.
Dave, I respect your point of view and share that patriotism. On the other hand, if I thought it was putting off a lot of potential fans then I would consider alternatives if rousing alternatives. Ideally an alternative that is both rousing and distinctively Northern Irish which a lot of people could unite under.
Slug were not miles apart.
But I would never be happy with some of the proposed songs such as ‘Oh Danny Boy’ or ‘Days like this’.
I think education in the fact that people don’t necessarily have to agree with the National Anthem but to understand that there is no need to be threatend or put off by it.
If you take away the National Anthem then you need to remove Northern Ireland flags as well as the Union flag. The team would need to be renamed the ‘Ireland’ and then one community feels more isolated while the others still supports the ROI anyway.
Remove sectarism and continue to educate is what I feel to be the only solution.
The boys in green are on a roll.
Looks like it’s a battle for 2nd place now between Spain and Sweden !!!
)
I think the FAI should maybe apply to rejoin the IFA, help the bridge building and all that. Would financially suit everyone too. They seceded from the IFA in 1921…..
http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32&Itemid=47
GOF, no prob with that in principle, aside from everything else we’d reduce the number of gobshites holding official positions in Irish soccer by half. And Lawrie might stay then to manage the team.
(JEB, Dave et al, no offence guys, but I don’t think you get it as to why northern nationalists don’t support the NI team).
Just by way of nothing but mischief, does anyone else think that the FAI logo is just atrocious? I know that England and Scotland have made minor changes from the 1970s, but this is the third new FAI badge since the 1980s. Compare this with the elegant IFA celtic cross, virtually unchanged since 1950-aprt from a brief 1977 style disaster
To be honest if nationalists want to support n ireland great,if they dont thats fine as well,but i will be dammed if im going to beg them to support n ireland.
More Nationalists support NI that this thread would allow you to believe.
I am completely against the emergence of a United Ireland football team for numerous reasons.
1. I wouldn’t support it.
2. NI and the ROI are seperate coutries
3. Most NI players wouldn’t get into an all Ireland team e.g. Gillespie and Healy.
4. It would be called Ireland and represented by Irish tricolours as is the case with the Rugby.
I think two seperate footballing teams on this Island is a good thing and while I’m always a NI fan 1st I do take more than a passing interest in the ROI.
Apologies, for reposting this from the Equlaity thread but I believe it has more relevance here.
How exactly is ‘No Surrender’ sectarian?
Surely, it is just a stock Ulster-British catchphrase since the 1700s. It is merely a reflection of identity.
The problem is, Ulster protestant identity is perceived to be inherently sectarian and therefore all expressions of it is termed sectarian. I think that reflects more on the people who proscribe to that view, rather than the Ulster Protestants themselves.
No Surrender is not aimed at Catholics. It is a statement derived from history that reflects and reinforces an identity. It may appear on loyalist murals but loyalists do not own it. The same way the Tricolour does not belong to the IRA.
Shouting No Surrender at the start of a football game is a very good thing! It shows intent.
Look at the faces of the ROI players and fans at the England game at Croker as they belted out the SS. It was pride, it was an expression of identity. It was not sectarian, even though to many Prods the SS has overtly Republican sentiments. No Surrender chants are the exact same thing.
Pride not prejudice.