Messages

North 2 up away to Ukraine with 29 mins gone.
3 up now.
Average age i heard on BBC 2 commentary of team is 22. Michael Bloodline O'Neill must be doing something right.
Had the luxury of giving Céadach O'Neill his 4th cap, ensuring his future is bowing to GSTK.

Article on the BBC News website this week about their academy structures. They run some sort of camp via Campbell College. Like them or loathe them they are doing something right. The more successful they are the more likely it is that ambitious parents from a nationalist background will encourage them to stay with OWC.

There's no question that the immense S&C at underage GAA is providing ready made athletes for professional soccer.

Is this nonsense still believed?

Why would it be nonsense? Pat Jennings, Martin O'Neill and Gerry Armstrong all credited their GAA background to their soccer success. GAA builds athletes from a young age, long before they do an 8 week course at an academy during their teens. I saw the bit about the JD Academy during BBC's half time break and one thing that was noticeable was the time Michael O'Neill invests in young players. I doubt that happens in the FAI setup, where our senior manager is invested like that. Irish manager never even saw Céadach play. It's why Conor Bradley and Céadach O'Neill were already set to play for North before an FAI administrator is approaching them too late. An administrator is always going to pale in comparison to a senior manager and as for the personalities of some of the underage managers trying to win a lad over. Goodnight Irene.

The notion that the GAA condition soccer players better than soccer do for soccer is bonkers.

Playing multiple sports before specialising makes you a better sports person. Gaelic games isn't particularly unique in that.

I have no idea what the rest of your post is about - the FAI are light years ahead of the IFA in terms of youth development. I understand about 5 of the OWC squad are domestically produced. 5 of the current Irish squad aren't.

But in general have we not moved on from the idea of 'claiming' any soccer player who at one point also played gaelic games as GAA property? Caedach O'Neill gave up football at 14 to concentrate on soccer and was nowhere near county level. How much of his development are you claiming?

Light years ahead?? Based on what?

Another question - would the FAI be allowed to have something similar to the JD academy and exclusively for northern players? Say based in Derry, West Belfast or Newry?

North 2 up away to Ukraine with 29 mins gone.
3 up now.
Average age i heard on BBC 2 commentary of team is 22. Michael Bloodline O'Neill must be doing something right.
Had the luxury of giving Céadach O'Neill his 4th cap, ensuring his future is bowing to GSTK.

Article on the BBC News website this week about their academy structures. They run some sort of camp via Campbell College. Like them or loathe them they are doing something right. The more successful they are the more likely it is that ambitious parents from a nationalist background will encourage them to stay with OWC.

There's no question that the immense S&C at underage GAA is providing ready made athletes for professional soccer.

Correct me if I'm wrong but is another major advantage NI has that if that say a nationalist lad utilises their right to a British passport - they can go to England at 16, whereas if they've an Irish passport they have to wait to 18? Are the brexit rules based on where you are born or nationality?

A complete muppet. While the law did say they should walk that road I think there are very few among us who would fault any politician backing those residents. The shame is on the people putting them in this position.

I honestly think they will try to disrupt things like the fleadh after this.

They can try but at the end of the day Belfast is now an overwhelming nationalist city. The optics of disrupting the fleadh would not be good.

Do they honestly believe they are getting down tonight?

I assume the residents are still concerned/ dont trust the PSNI if numbers are swelling?

They haven't been seen since the Donaldson thing I thought?

True. Lyons quiet though.

Gregory and Sammy very quiet this past few days. Gregory probably knows the consequences in Derry where locals can easily stop the ABOD parade. Another man very quiet has been Lyons. Just shows you how splintered the DUP are.

[SoS /PSNI declares march cancelled.]

Neither  side will back down. Two options:

SoS /PSNI  declares march cancelled.

Or , they beat/water cannon the residents off  the road and force it down.

Both options will no doubt  result in widespread violence.

And we do it all again next  year .

The residents need to hold  it together, stick it out. If they can do that , this  march will never get down the Garvaghy Road again.

Chief Constable has to ask Bryant to step in and stop the march is my understanding.

This is clearly what needs to happen tonight but Boutcher won't do it as he knows the consequences.

Not according to William Crawley on Twitter. His tweet indicates that SOS can overrule the CC.

Also go easy on the name calling Gallsman. The inner smick is coming out again 

If they get to march down it then Derry and Ardoyne need pulled for future parades! Not to mention every other nationalist town in the 6 counties. Rossknowlagh another - whether its more tea and ice creams or not.

JJ Gabriel looking out! Is he that good? Looks very small.

He is 15 so can just leave. But anywhere worth going will look at him as trouble.

Won't bother Chelsea or City! They'll throw money at him.

JJ Gabriel looking out! Is he that good? Looks very small.

Aquinas is brave. Didnt think they big playing numbers.

Bredagh, Carryduff and St Brigids would be the main feeder clubs. Seems (at underage anyway) that the power balance in Belfast is shifting from West to South?

I'm not interested in other clubs or sports. If you are an elite u20 county player then it is by far and away your preferred sport in the vast majority of cases. Of course some might play soccer and errrr tennis.

Therefore that club (yes through volunteers) have invested heavily on the premise of one day producing senior club footballers and perhaps county footballers.

To lose that hugh investment clubs need financially compensated. In a world where we dont have a transfer market helping pay the clubs bills would go some way towards an act of fairness IMO.

Why would or should clubs be compensated? What have they lost out on from a financial perspective?

Blood sweat and tears into developing said athlete. Theses multi million pound corporations should be paying their way!

[How long do they put up with it down there I'd imagine people not happy.]

Kerry in particular getting rinsed by the AFL here. How long do they put up with it down there I'd imagine people not happy. Was it a lad Ben Murphy well talked up last year who's away already?

What the actual feck, young men heading off to play pro sports? What about rugby, soccer, NFL?...time to pull the shutters down, hands off!

Does pro soccer ever pick up U20s? If you havent made it by then you are unlikely to surely. Can think of maybe one or two lads away to England from county minors. Think Tyrone lost one last year? No issue with lads going to AFL but whatever about county boards their clubs need compensated. Wouldnt expect crazy money but sure 50-100k is reasonable.

When Joe Molloy left the writing was probably on the wall. His various Indo Sport podcasts are brilliant. Also the OTB subscription model was never going to work.

No one comes close to Joe Molloy in this sphere. Havent listened to OTB in ages. The new presenters are absolutely brutal. Quinlan on the rugby. Give me a break!