Official Irish Football Association Thread (Northern Ireland)

[MW]

Youse do need a decent stadium MW, Windsor is a shambles, and it does carry alot of old "bad" baggage.

You won't get any argument from me on us needing to move away from Windsor to a decent stadium - well overdue.

[Hurler on the Bitch]

The piece of terracing at Windsor Park - below the south stand - where Belfast Celtic's Jimmy Jones had his leg danced upon by Linfield fans in 1948.. has not been upgraded since that day! Surely, there is no 'national' stadium in the world that has not had its terracing replaced  in 60 years!!!!

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Youse do need a decent stadium MW, Windsor is a shambles, and it does carry alot of old "bad" baggage.

You won't get any argument from me on us needing to move away from Windsor to a decent stadium - well overdue.

Walking on egg shells with this one, but here goes - Where would you build a new stadium?

[Orior]

I can only report what my eyes saw and my ears heard.

They sang catchy tunes? The whole stadium sang. They have a nice stadium. They have ambition.  They're not bank-rolled by a mother nation. Their team doesnt fight with each other. They're supported by the whole country. The whole atmosphere looked homely, friendly, welcoming, unkike Windsor Park.

[Maguire01]

I can only report what my eyes saw and my ears heard.

They sang catchy tunes? The whole stadium sang. They have a nice stadium. They have ambition.  They're not bank-rolled by a mother nation. Their team doesnt fight with each other. They're supported by the whole country. The whole atmosphere looked homely, friendly, welcoming, unkike Windsor Park.

Eh, how good is your Slovenian? They could have been singing anything! If you couldn't hear what NI fans were singing and didn't hold any significance to the Union Jack or 'NI' flag, would you notice any difference from watching the TV?

I didn't see the programme - maybe they have a nice stadium - as has been siad, it wouldn't be hard to better Windsor Park.

I'm not an NI fan, but surely such 'observations' are clutching at straws(?)

[MW]

I can only report what my eyes saw and my ears heard.

They sang catchy tunes? The whole stadium sang. They have a nice stadium. They have ambition.  They're not bank-rolled by a mother nation. Their team doesnt fight with each other. They're supported by the whole country. The whole atmosphere looked homely, friendly, welcoming, unkike Windsor Park.

You're flip-flopping about all over the place here.

Why would "having a nice stadium" make Slovenia fans "real fans" and the lack thereof make NI fans "not real fans"

Why would "the team fighting with each other" or not mean one set of fans "real fans" and another set "not real fans" (have you been keeping tabs on the Slovenian squad, by the way?)

What were you trying to get at with the population figures on the last page

As for the atmosphere, I actually don't see how it was much removed from what you'd get at a NI game. And in fact NI fans played no small part in the atmosphere last night.

[MW]

Youse do need a decent stadium MW, Windsor is a shambles, and it does carry alot of old "bad" baggage.

You won't get any argument from me on us needing to move away from Windsor to a decent stadium - well overdue.

Walking on egg shells with this one, but here goes - Where would you build a new stadium?

Actually, I haven't got a hard and fast answer to that one. I'd prefer a 'city centre' venue but don't quite know whether there's a viable option. I wouldn't be totally averse to the Maze, but the most important factor for me is the size being right - look at how the Slovenian stadium (seating 12,000) helped to generate a good atmosphere.

[Orior]

Aplogies for flip-flopping.

But owc try to tell me that WP is a neutral, pleasant place. Its not. Its hostile if you're a nationalist.

[Orior]

MW, maybe you can tell me this - why do i hope that owc get stuffed by San Marino? Am I just a bigot? What makes me want to think like that?

[MW]

Aplogies for flip-flopping.

But owc try to tell me that WP is a neutral, pleasant place. Its not. Its hostile if you're a nationalist.

In what way?

BTW, do you know how a Slovenia home game might be perceived by, say, a member of that country's Hungarian or Italian ethnic/national minorities? Or a Serb?

[ONeill]

Orior, I know a wee bit of Slovenian from living in Portrush. One of their songs was 'Your best player's a Sunderland sub'. I thought that was distasteful and you wouldn't find Ulster singing that.

[MW]

MW, maybe you can tell me this - why do i hope that owc get stuffed by San Marino? Am I just a bigot? What makes me want to think like that?

Since I can't read your mind, you'll have to tell me, I'm afraid.

[Rav67]

They sang catchy tunes?

Give owc fans some credit, can't fault them for not having some catchy chants the Healy one is brilliant!

[supersub]

anyone actually watch the match here..how'd ryan mcgivern play when he came on? apart from the fact they conceeded two goals   

[T Fearon]

I watched the match (well I'm paying for setanta, had fcuk all else to do). Slovenia looked like Lisburn Distillery and played like them as well yet they exposed the 6 county team for what they are...a bunch of hammer throwers.

As Souness and O'Neill soon realised any defence pivoted by Aaron Hughes is always likely to concede goals.

But the most distrubing thing was the nasty fool by Evans (obviously well schooled by the Keane)