Wednesday, May 14, 2008
“Of course, it also insists its ‘international’ players carry UK passports”
Sticking with the subject of soccer, there seems to a misapprehension abroad regard the IFA passports issue. It’s hardly surprising since there has been a lot of self serviing posturing around the issue. Even newsman Máirtin O’Muilleoir seems to have the wrong end of the stick, when he states that “...of course, it (the IFA) also insists its ‘international’ players carry UK passports”. However this this is what the chief executive of the IFA, Howard Wells, said before Fifa changed its mind in March 2006:
“There is not a problem about players travelling on either passport,” he said.
“The issue has been that historically, on the administration of some matches that we have had at international level, there has been confusion in the minds of some Uefa officials about the fact… that some of our players have different passports to each other.
“It is because people don’t understand the differences, or the uniqueness of Northern Ireland, in terms of our passport issue.”
Given that was the IFA position at the outset of the controversy, I’m not sure how Máirtín’s claim stands up to scrutiny now…
Mick Fealty @ 05:29 PM
What’s wrong with a UK passport for N.I players?
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 05:50 PMwhats wrong with an Irish passport for the northern statelet players?
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 05:55 PM“whats wrong with an Irish passport for the northern statelet players? ”
What you mean, one like the Republic of Ireland? sure that would be silly and totally arse about face. If you want your Irish identity in there why not ask for an Irish/UK one, if Irish is your thing?
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 05:59 PMCouldn’t we just surmount all this difficulty by recruiting players with French and Brazilian passports and then converting them to whatever’s required? Better still howzabout some Senegalese and Cameroonians? Might be worth supporting so.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 06:08 PM“Irish/UK one”
What is that?
“sure that would be silly and totally arse about face”.
Most people I know have Republic of Ireland passports though some also have UK passports which they invariably claim that have to get in an emergency.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 06:14 PM‘if Irish is your thing?’
but sure Ulster is Irish.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 06:15 PMEverything else he says is spot-on.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 06:22 PMIt still amuses me that some “Oirish” people can’t admit that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. They know, deep in their hearts that it is, but just can’t come around to admitting it. I used to get angry at such people when I was a young man, now it actually just makes me laugh.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 06:38 PM‘Oirish’....whats that?
as regards the rest of your post, your point is?Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 06:44 PMII,
I have never ever met any nationalist who wouldnt admit Northern Ireland is part of thr UK. Indeed given the fact that people vote for parties who proport to be dedivated to taking Northern Ireland out of the UK it would seem that its status is well known, if not accepted.
Indeed, it is the position of the UK government that Northern Ireland is not indefeasibly and not necessarily a permanent part of the UK as they have no ‘selfish interest’ in Northern Ireland and would withdraw if the majority of the population wish it.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 07:12 PMInteresting tangent to the original blog. Only Dec has (rather deftly) noted the commonplace error on Mairtin’s blog. This single minded mythologising ‘de udder side’ out of all recognition is impressively ‘wrong headed’.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 07:38 PMMick - were you not getting enough “hits” on your site this month?
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 07:40 PM“it (the IFA) also insists its ‘international’ players carry UK passports”.
Whilst Máirtin, from time to time, has contributions to discussions to make that I find myself in agreement with, this is quite simply a falsehood.
Why does he peddle such falsehoods?
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 08:03 PMMick
My glass is always half-full :]
It still amuses me that some “Oirish” people can’t admit that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom.
II
We have lots in common. I get most of my chuckles from Unionists who think they’re nationality is ‘Brattish”.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 09:06 PMzzzz and let’s not start about Rangers.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 09:18 PMNorthern Ireland is politically under the jurisdiction of the UK, non-intelligence insider, but it is actually in Ireland.
So, for example, Ballymena is and always will be an Irish town. However, while NI is under jurisdiction it can also be called a British town by Unionists, like Aberdeen is primarily Scottish and currently also British, unless Scotland breaks free of the Union.
But Ballymena etc. will always be Irish whilst it’s situated on the island of Ireland, and no amount of colonial brainwashing will change the geographical reality.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 09:27 PMslug,
Believe me, I can think of better things, but… needs must… The amount of magical thinking that goes on here is simply stunning… But you know what they say: ‘better out than in...’
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 09:33 PMEds: removed. This is a potentially libellous comment.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 10:02 PMThis thread - because of the use of football as a subject - was odds-on to be banal to start with.
However, the stone-throwing has helped it to descend to depths so far not plumbed in the annals of boredom.
Or perhaps I haven’t visited the site enough lately to be convinced otherwise.
“move along...move along now...nothing to see here...”
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 11:21 PMwhy were the linfield/rangers fans singing ‘rule brittania’ while they were wrecking an english city?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZJEr2Ehl2sPosted by on May 15, 2008 @ 06:53 AMBoruc, not a Linfield shirt in sight. What has a bunch of drunken thugs/Rangers fans got to do with the IFA beyond the connection you’ve made in your own bigoted little mind?
Posted by on May 15, 2008 @ 09:23 AMDoctor Who’s contribution to the discussion is libellous.
Posted by on May 15, 2008 @ 09:43 AMlook again beano...dont let your embarassment at the linfield/rangers fans singing rule brittania while wrecking an english city blind you to the red hands
Posted by on May 15, 2008 @ 09:57 AMStill don’t see any Linfield shirts Boruc. A few Ulster flags, but still not sure what that has to do with anything.
Posted by on May 15, 2008 @ 10:21 AM“Doctor Who’s contribution to the discussion is libellous”
Really, can you explain why Petrocelli. The very fact that Martin has clearly and knowingly lied about NI players forced to carry a UK passport speaks volumes.
Posted by on May 15, 2008 @ 10:26 AM
