Carling Nations Cup

[MW]

Surely scotland and ireland are a league above wales and the 6 counties select?

Hardly. NI are ranked 38th in the world, the ROI 35th, and Scotland 53rd (Wales are 116th).

That was nothing like the NI "A" team (10 withdrawals after the squad was announced).

Even so it was a dire performance - literally the worst NI performance I have ever seen in nearly 22 years following the team.

Surely that is a bold statement MW!

Seriously - from the top of my head the disasters that were Faroes in 1991, Republic in 1994, Armenia in 2004 and Iceland in 2005 run it close, but this topped the lot. It was like Worthington's personality writ large on a football pitch.

[ziggysego]

South - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4MuvdGh-Us

North - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mR-P5w4ubY

Hardly representative to people not from Belfast or Dublin.

My choice would be:

South :- Danny Boy

North :- Londonderry Air

[imtommygunn]

MW to be fair to Scotland in the last Europeans they near qualified in front of Italy and France. It went down to the 2nd last game.

NI have no depth whatsoever - Scotland and ROI are better with regard to depth. Wales however I'm not so sure about.

Personally speaking I think NI have been the sum of their parts over the last few years. If you marked all the teams player by player they'd fall a good bit behind but it is to their credit what they have done in some qualifying results.

It's getting to the point where I think the bubble has burst though. You can only perform above yourself for so long.

BTW I am not an "anti OWC" person. I am more than happy to see NI do well.

[Orior]

OWC would suffocate without their anthem and butchers apron.

Given that a significant section of our support (varying according to poll) want GSTQ replaced with a NI-specific action, and only a minority use the Union Flag, I wouldn't say that's accurate.

Fair enough.

[Bogball XV]

To base your judgement on the much maligned world rankings would suggest you are clutching at straws!!

Maligned by who exactly?  Afaik the thinking is that whilst there are a few anomalies, in general they're pretty accurate (and results over the past number of years tend to back them up), especially when comparing teams that play the majority of their games in the same region.

[The Real Laoislad]

It will be interesting to see how GSTQ is going to be received by RoI fans.

I'm sure there will be a few idiots from both sides that will boo the respective anthems,personally I'll just keep sitting and read my programme when GSTQ is played,I certainly won't boo it but I won't stay standing for it either.

[Declan]

Cllr Kevin Humphreys has called for the cancellation of the next two Northern Ireland matches to be played at the Aviva Stadium. This is due the high levels of public disorder and delinquency fueled by alcohol that occurred last night, Wednesday 9th of February in the surrounding residential areas.

Local residents had to undergo a barrage of abuse and intimidation and were unable to leave their homes. From early afternoon, gangs of supporters were roaming the streets while openly drinking from cans of beer and bottles of spirits. Local streets were used as public conveniences and damage was done to a number of properties. Residents should not be expected to have to undergo this again.

There must be guarantees of proper crowd control, curbs placed on public consumption of alcohol and sufficient Gardai in place to protect residents and property of those on the frontline of moving crowds.

The next two matches are scheduled for Tuesday 24 May (Republic of Ireland v Northern Ireland) and Friday 27 May (Wales v Northern Ireland).

Kevin is a Councillor for the South East Inner City and General election candidate for Labour in constituency of Dublin South East. He lives off Bath Avenue, which is part off the crowd control program for the Avivia Stadium.

[Tubberman]

South - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4MuvdGh-Us

North - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mR-P5w4ubY

Hardly representative to people not from Belfast or Dublin.

My choice would be:

South :- Danny Boy

North :- Londonderry Air

Is that not an 'Irish-American' type song? I certainly never hear anyone singing it, and can't stand it myself.

[paco]

Are they planning on repeating this tournament in the future and, if so, how often will it be played? International football seems to have fallen down the priority list of many professional footballers and glorified friendles like this tournament, which take part during a crucial and very busy part of the club season, will only make it more of a nuisance.

[Hardy]

Cllr Kevin Humphreys has called for the cancellation of the next two Northern Ireland matches to be played at the Aviva Stadium. This is due the high levels of public disorder and delinquency fueled by alcohol that occurred last night, Wednesday 9th of February in the surrounding residential areas.

Hear! Hear!

[Tonto]

It will be interesting to see how GSTQ is going to be received by RoI fans.

I'm sure there will be a few idiots from both sides that will boo the respective anthems,personally I'll just keep sitting and read my programme when GSTQ is played,I certainly won't boo it but I won't stay standing for it either.

At least you're honest.  But surely sitting, booing, turning your back etc. still amounts to the same thing; disrespect of another country's anthem.  I think it would be seen in the same bracket as booing by the other fans if all RoI fans sat down during the anthem.

[Tonto]

".............God save the Queen."      "FCUK THE QUEEN!"

Not the current Queen; but maybe if Wills and Kate ascend to the throne before she lets herself go too much.

[Croí na hÉireann]

It will be interesting to see how GSTQ is going to be received by RoI fans.

The Jackeens will probably join in anyway

[mick999]

Cllr Kevin Humphreys has called for the cancellation of the next two Northern Ireland matches to be played at the Aviva Stadium. This is due the high levels of public disorder and delinquency fueled by alcohol that occurred last night, Wednesday 9th of February in the surrounding residential areas.

Local residents had to undergo a barrage of abuse and intimidation and were unable to leave their homes. From early afternoon, gangs of supporters were roaming the streets while openly drinking from cans of beer and bottles of spirits. Local streets were used as public conveniences and damage was done to a number of properties. Residents should not be expected to have to undergo this again.

There must be guarantees of proper crowd control, curbs placed on public consumption of alcohol and sufficient Gardai in place to protect residents and property of those on the frontline of moving crowds.

The next two matches are scheduled for Tuesday 24 May (Republic of Ireland v Northern Ireland) and Friday 27 May (Wales v Northern Ireland).

Kevin is a Councillor for the South East Inner City and General election candidate for Labour in constituency of Dublin South East. He lives off Bath Avenue, which is part off the crowd control program for the Avivia Stadium.

Declan, You do realise that picture is actually a Polish Fan at Windsor Park last year :

http://www.daylife.com/photo/0fW06VT5d0fuX

[The Real Laoislad]

It will be interesting to see how GSTQ is going to be received by RoI fans.

I'm sure there will be a few idiots from both sides that will boo the respective anthems,personally I'll just keep sitting and read my programme when GSTQ is played,I certainly won't boo it but I won't stay standing for it either.

At least you're honest.  But surely sitting, booing, turning your back etc. still amounts to the same thing; disrespect of another country's anthem.  I think it would be seen in the same bracket as booing by the other fans if all RoI fans sat down during the anthem.

Maybe so but I just couldn't see myself standing for GSTQ ever.
I have nothing against the Northern Irish soccer team and have often found myself wanting them to win when I watch them and have actually been to Windsor Park at a N Ireland game with a friend of mine from Portadown and didn't have a problem with any of the fans I met and they didn't seem too bothered that I was from the South either.

I can't see many of the Northern Irish fans standing for Amhrán na bhFiann either and if you ask me I'd rather someone sat down and kept quiet rather than boo the whole way through either anthems,it's a least showing some sort of respect by just keeping quiet.

Anyway talking about respecting anthems I have seen many Irish fans in soccer and Gaelic not respecting our own anthem by talking the whole way through it or screaming like animals before its even finished so I wouldn't be too upset if I was you if a few of them are talking/booing through GSTQ because they won't be too bothered about their own anthem either.