FAI...June 2024 Friendlies v Hungary and Portugal

[Olaf]

I have ....though it is not they who are playing tomorrow I believe.

You say with awful certainty that the Ulster team playing tomorrow is not the same thing as the rugby province of Ulster. I would presume you have some evidence to back this up?

No , but my understanding is that since the advent of professionalism Ulster became a professional rugby club. Prior to that the players on the team represented the province of Ulster and therefore came from  the  province. It is a Club in the same way as other Club participating in the ERC. This view is bolstered by the fact that back in the 80s when Ulster were doing particularly well in the inter-pros you wouldn't have seen a Saffa/foreign import/ about the place and the team was picked from clubs controlled by the Ulster Branch. In fact IIRC the players would have worn their club socks when playing for Ulster.

[Jonah]

Ooppss sorry,I was looking for the Irish soccer thread didn't realise this was the rugby thread.
Anyone know where I can find the Irish soccer thread?

[deiseach]

I have ....though it is not they who are playing tomorrow I believe.

You say with awful certainty that the Ulster team playing tomorrow is not the same thing as the rugby province of Ulster. I would presume you have some evidence to back this up?

No , but my understanding is that since the advent of professionalism Ulster became a professional rugby club. Prior to that the players on the team represented the province of Ulster and therefore came from  the  province. It is a Club in the same way as other Club participating in the ERC. This view is bolstered by the fact that back in the 80s when Ulster were doing particularly well in the inter-pros you wouldn't have seen a Saffa/foreign import/ about the place and the team was picked from clubs controlled by the Ulster Branch. In fact IIRC the players would have worn their club socks when playing for Ulster.

You could have stopped at 'No'. The rest is just guess work.

[Olaf]

I have ....though it is not they who are playing tomorrow I believe.

You say with awful certainty that the Ulster team playing tomorrow is not the same thing as the rugby province of Ulster. I would presume you have some evidence to back this up?

No , but my understanding is that since the advent of professionalism Ulster became a professional rugby club. Prior to that the players on the team represented the province of Ulster and therefore came from  the  province. It is a Club in the same way as other Club participating in the ERC. This view is bolstered by the fact that back in the 80s when Ulster were doing particularly well in the inter-pros you wouldn't have seen a Saffa/foreign import/ about the place and the team was picked from clubs controlled by the Ulster Branch. In fact IIRC the players would have worn their club socks when playing for Ulster.

You could have stopped at 'No'. The rest is just guess work.

What exactly do you mean by the "rugby province of Ulster" and , whatever this means,  how can it be  compared with a team? The question posed is mighty hard to understand

[Capt Pat]

So is this going to be like 2002 again with people taking time off work and pubs packed with drinkers when it all kicks off.

[Agent Orange]

So is this going to be like 2002 again with people taking time off work and pubs packed with drinkers when it all kicks off.

It was the same in 88, 90 and 94 so I would say so.

[laoislad]

So is this going to be like 2002 again with people taking time off work and pubs packed with drinkers when it all kicks off.

All of our games start at 7.45 and the other games the earliest start is 5pm so work shouldn't be an issue with most.

[ballinaman]

Tickets in the paw for the euros.....

Blocks K2 for Croatia, 09 for Spain and M3 for the Italy game....

Anyone get their hands on them yet?

[Declan]

Yep got my Italiann ones last week

[upmonaghansayswe]

Got 2 Italian ones yesterday and a Spain one this morning off the portal!.. Restricted view, but after the hours spent on that portal i couldnt care!..

[ludermor]

Tickets in the paw for the euros.....

Blocks K2 for Croatia, 09 for Spain and M3 for the Italy game....

Anyone get their hands on them yet?

Yeah got all my tickets on a single batch last week, happy days!

[Billys Boots]

McDermott reveals Irish dream - Soccerway.com, May 21st

Reading manager Brian McDermott would like to manage the Republic of Ireland one day.

The former Arsenal midfielder, whose parents were born in Ireland, represented England as a youth player, and was thus denied the opportunity to represent Ireland – a decision he sorely regrets.

The man responsible for leading Reading back to the Premier League has closer ties to Ireland than to his English birthplace and feels his commitment to England was a result of youthful naivety.

Speaking on Irish radio station RTÉ Radio, McDermott explained: "My mum is from Clare and my dad is from Sligo. Growing up in England I supported Sligo Rovers.

"It was Don Howe that suggested I play for the English youths.

"Don was a big influence at Arsenal at the time, and I was a 17-year-old lacking in confidence, so I just went along with what he said. I suppose I was pressurised into doing it.

"Kenny Sansom, who was a senior player with Arsenal at the time, said that I would go on to play Under-21 and then become a full England international. Of course, things are different today, as players can switch allegiance.

"A couple of years later I realised it was a big mistake. I live in England, and I'm not ashamed of that, but being Irish is in my blood."

McDermott then revealed that he wished to redeem himself by one day taking charge of Ireland.

"Ever since then it has been a goal of mine to manage Ireland," he said.

"It was an error on my part to line-out for England, and I have told my friends that. You have career paths in life – and I'm determined to realise my long-hold ambition."

[GAA_Talk]

Got 2 Italian ones yesterday and a Spain one this morning off the portal!.. Restricted view, but after the hours spent on that portal i couldnt care!..

I wouldn't worry too much about that restricted view. It's probably just an aul pole that blocks about an inch of the field that would be fixed by tilting your head. Fair play to ya. Truly jealous.

[upmonaghansayswe]

Got 2 Italian ones yesterday and a Spain one this morning off the portal!.. Restricted view, but after the hours spent on that portal i couldnt care!..

I wouldn't worry too much about that restricted view. It's probably just an aul pole that blocks about an inch of the field that would be fixed by tilting your head. Fair play to ya. Truly jealous.

No need to have a pop at our hosts  .. Ah yeah i was checking up on it over on YBIG.. I cant see where a restricted view seat would be in Gdansk.. Not a pillar in sight and its a bowl like stadium!.. Poznan does have a few dodgier corners by the look of it but hopefully it will be grand.. Some reckon they could just be front row seats aswell that might be a nibble under the playing surface level..

[Leo]

McDermott reveals Irish dream - Soccerway.com, May 21st

Reading manager Brian McDermott would like to manage the Republic of Ireland one day.

The former Arsenal midfielder, whose parents were born in Ireland, represented England as a youth player, and was thus denied the opportunity to represent Ireland – a decision he sorely regrets.

The man responsible for leading Reading back to the Premier League has closer ties to Ireland than to his English birthplace and feels his commitment to England was a result of youthful naivety.

Speaking on Irish radio station RTÉ Radio, McDermott explained: "My mum is from Clare and my dad is from Sligo. Growing up in England I supported Sligo Rovers.

"It was Don Howe that suggested I play for the English youths.

"Don was a big influence at Arsenal at the time, and I was a 17-year-old lacking in confidence, so I just went along with what he said. I suppose I was pressurised into doing it.

"Kenny Sansom, who was a senior player with Arsenal at the time, said that I would go on to play Under-21 and then become a full England international. Of course, things are different today, as players can switch allegiance.

"A couple of years later I realised it was a big mistake. I live in England, and I'm not ashamed of that, but being Irish is in my blood."

McDermott then revealed that he wished to redeem himself by one day taking charge of Ireland.

"Ever since then it has been a goal of mine to manage Ireland," he said.

"It was an error on my part to line-out for England, and I have told my friends that. You have career paths in life – and I'm determined to realise my long-hold ambition."

If only langars like Roy Keane and Stephen Ireland could even begin to understand that trueIrish feeling so eloquently expressed by McDermott and epitomised also by other sons of economic emigrants like Kevin Kilbane & Mick McCarthy.