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If anyone other than Keane raised the exact same points as Keane would there be the same type of vitriol ? Many of the same points raised by various posters on here between the gnashing of teeth and hand wringing. I have just watched it and didnt disagree with any of it but because who is delivering the message the valid points are lost.

Lets see what Keane's points were that you agree with

"People seem to forget what was going on in that World Cup (in 2002), and that man (FAI chief executive John Delaney) is on about honesty. I was one of the players and he didn't have the courtesy to ring me".

Saipan   
Wasn't Delaney the FAI treasurer then? why would Roy want a phone call from the treasurer?

"There was one match against Georgia where Ireland got a penalty and it was one of the worst decisions I've ever seen which changed the whole course of the game. I don't remember the FAI after the game saying we should give them a replay."
Worst decision? 
The ball hit the shoulder of a Georgian player in full view of the ref who gave a penalty. No Irish player cheated.

"I'd focus on why they didn't clear it (the free-kick). I'd be more annoyed with my defenders and my goalkeeper than Thierry Henry. How can you let the ball bounce in your six-yard box? How can you let Thierry Henry get goal-side of you? If the ball goes into the six-yard box, where the hell is my goalkeeper?"

So is Roy the only bright spark to allude to McShane's  culpability?
But I'd say he certainly is the only one to mention Given

"Ireland had their chances in the two games (against France), and they never took them," Keane added. "But it's the usual FAI reaction - 'We've been robbed', 'The honesty of the game...'

Ireland had their chances and should have buried the tie in a magnificent performance in Paris which should have been the biggest shock result in international football for many a year.
We were robbed by an act of cheating.
The FAI got carried away on a fools errand ...... big fxcking deal. 

Does the ranking of the teams they got results against matter? This new system is different from the FIFA rankings, from what I've seen a 1-0 win over San Marino is every bit as good as a 1-0 win over Spain.

This is what I can gleam from wikipedia, probably wrong. No mention of points being weighted by the ranking of the opposition.

The ranking of the opposition does not matter in the UEFA rankings. Same points for us when we  drew with Italy as drawing with Montenegro, the 6th team in our group.

Slovenia in pot 4 and they've just qualified?

Ya, i think Bosnia are in pot 4 too, not pot 3. Be some kick in the stone to get either Slovenia or Bosnia

We have to aim to top the group.
I think it has its advantages to have a good 4th or 5th potted team who can take points of the two top teams.

Even with a weak team like Georgia, they drew with Bulgaria  which meant we were in pole position to finish 2nd  and Italy needed two own goals to get the points against them in a game that had a draw written all over it.

Any resemblance?

One time years ago my wife told me that if I was going to have an affair with another woman, I should tell her before embarking on it.
As I didn't (dare) ask for clarification at the time, that request has stayed in the doesn't make sense zone.
Maybe she had some emergency plans, a secret course of action mapped out in her brain, sourced from some Soap she was watching at the time, exactly on how she should deal with that news.

Co. Azoffaly 

When Ruairi claimed Tyrone hijacked Sam last year, was that not a football comment?

[Is that disputed?]

Anecdotal evidence points to more people wear the poppy in NI and for a longer period.
Is that disputed?

All depends whose anecdotes you're talking about. Certainly if it is someone like Lynchbhoy, who clearly feels he can discern a Poppy-wearer's motives without ever even having asked him/her, I wouldn't give it any credibility.

Myself, AZOffally and others have given relevant statistics to back our respective cases, you (and Lynchbhoy et alia) have given only "anecdotal evidence" [sic] to back yours.

Try harder.

On the contrary I have not given anecdotal evidence on this matter,
Also I am pretty sure AZoffally stated clearly that he had no statistics on the wearing of the poppy, do you?

Have you offered evidence to counteract the claims that more people in NI wear the poppy and for longer than the rest of the people in the UK?
I have no way to compare.
Although I do recall being in England around this time I have no memory of the poppy wearing, one way or another

The priest deviated from his duties/vows.
At a wild guess he is not the first priest to deviate from his vows. Afaia deviating from his strict vows in the catholic church is not enough to have a priest in the pastoral doghouse. Should the said priest still be resolved to continue as a priest then he does some form of confession, is forgiven and carries on.

The circumstances surrounding his thoughts to resign, his contact with the woman and his final decision to resign are not known.

Anecdotal evidence points to more people wear the poppy in NI and for a longer period.
Is that disputed?

Tough news about Luke Fitzgerald, he ruptured his knee ligaments and estimated out for 4 to 6 months.

Made me shudder at the time just watching him awkwardly twist his knee when he fell/stumbled.

I was sort of half watching it until the last 25 mins caught my attention.
The Irish lads looked good  then and made it look simple enough to get over the line twice in the last 5 mins. I would have thought the Aussies would have defended their line with their lives.

Why is there so much hoofing garryowens in the game these days?  to a casual observer like me it looks awful.

You do put the anal in analysing Myles.
First time for everything in the history of analysing career ending tackles, Myles reckons that the  victim is to be responsible for receiving his injury by playing the game, for which Kennedy was on the receiving end of what most everybody else on the planet would include on their list worst ever tackles.

Probably already uploaded somewhere on you tube under worst ever tackles.

The tackle he did not have to make was not the cause of his injury.

It's perfectly sensible. What's your issue with the fact that FG are unionists. It's hardly a new idea. Everything FG do in relation to the north begins with unionism. FG position is one of shut up and accept the status quo. That is unionism, the status quo is the Union and FG believe all is as it should be. If you have a different definition of FGs position or unionism then state it. I might agree.

If you did, I'd start to worry.

Good wind-up though.

Hardy, from a northern nationalist perspective, Fine Gael are the southern equivalent of Unionists.
That perception had been well earned by Fine Gael over a 35 year period.

If you want to nitpick and breakdown the policies of Unionist and Fine Gael then no,
one Gay Mitchell does not define FG party policy as regards to entry to the Commonwealth.