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Over one million good reasons

on 1 September 2006 , 3:44 pm 14 | 0 views

Ahead of the first qualifying game, the IFA has announced more than £1m of a bonus scheme for the players and staff of the Northern Ireland team if they qualify for the European Championships.

  • Henry94

    Make it £10 million. Why not when you won’t have to pay out?

  • Donnie

    Wouldn’t they be better putting this money to better use at grassroots level? If a player needs the promise of monetary reward to give his all for his “country” then he shouldn’t be on the team!

  • IJP

    Donnie

    They would be better to use it at grassroots level, yes, and they’ll be able to do so in late 2007 when they still have it…

    Don’t mean to be cynical because the team’s better than it was, but anything higher than fourth place in the group would approach miracle status.

  • smcgiff

    The IFA could also offer to pay the ROI players if they qualify. Hate to be a doom monger but there’s going to be some lean years ahead for both associations.

  • deadmanonleave

    Hmmm….if I put a fiver in can youse keep picking the (so far) anonymous Quinn and overlooking the (this season at least) Kirk and give the Cobblers a chance of staying up.

    It’s a fair bet to save the IFA a million!

    Back to my usual Irp-ish posts later!

  • deadmanonleave

    Hmmm….if I put a fiver in can youse keep picking the (so far) anonymous Quinn and overlooking the (this season at least) (PROLIFIC) Kirk and give the Cobblers a chance of staying up.

    It’s a fair bet to save the IFA a million!

    Back to my usual Irp-ish posts later!

  • Little Eva

    deadmanonleave

    Love the moniker.

  • Blackadder

    “Wouldn’t they be better putting this money to better use at grassroots level? If a player needs the promise of monetary reward to give his all for his “country” then he shouldn’t be on the team!”

    They don’t have the money yet, but if they qualify then it will flood in from various sources.

    It’s a no lose offer from the IFA, and one they know they won’t have to confront in 18 months time.

  • Dispatch

    £1 million divided by say (being conservative) 20 squad and staff is hardly a huge bonus given the money some of these guys make. NI would make a lot more and have a lot more to contribute to grass roots should they qualify. Sounds fair enough to me.

    I tend to think that neither Irish side will qualify though.

  • Carson’s Cat

    I’ll be in Block K of the Kop tomorrow cheering OWC on to hopefully a good start towards that qualification.

  • Tony Clifton

    I love watching Northern Ireland but we probably cant qualify, just hoping for a few good results along the way.

    Yeah it is non existent money, its money that we will only get if we were to qualify. As for the grassroots comments, thats fair enough and money should be pumped into that area, however, our 1 mill split i small fry compared to what other countries get, had england won the word cup they would have ended up with a million each and knighthood for pete’s sake.

    Anyway, all the best of luck for Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland as they kick off their campaigns…..we both might need it 🙁

  • Setanta

    Perhaps some of that money would be better used to contribute to the cost to ratepayers of cleaning up the Lisburn Road today which is covered with blue bags, empty bottles and cans and assorted fast food wrappers.

    This coupled with a bit of intimidating behaviour and singing the of the Sash – (two separate occasions this morning) is not the knock about, loveable image some people seem to be trying to promote.

  • lib2016

    Given the invasion of Iceland by Britain in WW2 – an invasion of a small neutral country by a larger and more belligerent country, just as was threatened in Ireland – the men from Iceland may feel they have a point to make now that they are in one of the last of Britain’s colonies.

    They do still prefer to shop in Dublin after all. Small countries have very big memories! 😉

  • Chris Donnelly

    After that result, might as well make it £10 million…..