I don't know why not. Wouldn't you want the 11 Brave hearts beating on that field to have the same connection as you do to heroin and Irn Bru?
But that's the whole point Eric, those are the rules. Everyone is using the same loopholes and have been doing so for years, Di Stefano played for 3 countries, lots of players have represented 2 countries.
That's what a lot of people think actually Some of the best Scottish players I saw were born outwith Scotland, Bruce Rioch, Asa Hartford, Richard Gough, Don Masson, David Harvey.
Ok, what if McGeady was selected for Scotland and he said... No thanks. I am an Irish citizen. I want to play for Ireland. Would you make it that he can't do that?
I know its the rules but we are debating why they are stupid. Imagine messi played with us tomorrow do you honestly think he would care?
Yeah. That is kinda why I alluded to Andy Townsend earlier on. I remember Matt Holland singing GSTQ before a Charlton play off game...he went on to give everything for Ireland, scoring at the World Cup. Martin Keown only played for England because of the foreigner rule. He was as English as they come by the end of it. Kevin Gallen born and raised in west London played for England b. All his brothers declared for Ireland. He was out at the World Cup in 2002 supporting Ireland....go figure.
I think McGeady would care if he was forced to play with Scotland. Or Goram was forced to play with England. Or Don Hutchison.....
I think it is about right where it is. If McGeady is the catalyst for this conversation then it is probably not fair to him. He has a great affinity with Ireland where (for example) Ray Houghton didn't. There are loads of other examples of people choosing an international side for other reasons. Islam Feruz for example. i don't know if you've heard of Stephen Cherono. I can't remember what he's called now. He runs for Quatar. That is money talking. Two irishmen play cricket for England? Eoin Morgan is Irish. He plays because Ireland don't have a test side and he wants to compete at the highest level. Boyd rankin is also Irish.....but he is from the North and is from the unionist tradition. It might mean all of those things to him too.... But maybe something else as well. England have loads of cricketers who aren't English but would certainly pass the Tebit cricket test. Anything beyond third generation is stretching it, but..... The world's most famous living Irishman is Muhammad Ali.
His great grandfather came from Ennis in Co Clare. Abe Grady was his name. He married an emancipated slave and the rest is history. He was back here a couple of years back meeting all this relations and what have you.
[video=youtube_share;ITa-QGHALo8]http://youtu.be/ITa-QGHALo8[/video] That's a bit tongue in cheek, but it does show that you can have an affinity with a place because of your heritage. That is 150 years further removed from McGeady going to Donegal every holiday as a kid. He's playing for his people. Those of the diaspora who have done well should be celebrated and reciprocating that should also. There is a tale of the nine fine Irishmen who went to Prison in Van diemens land and written off as crooks. On release they went toNorth America and ran the place.... They were still Irishmen and are still celebrated.
Yeah but they were born in Ireland. Ali wasn't. Mcgaeady is being a ****, he always was and always will be.
McGeady is being a **** for playing for Ireland? Come off it. He wanted to play for Ireland, as an Irish citizen he is entitled to put himself forward to do that. He has been selected to do that so he is doing it. It isn't a commentary on Scotland, it is a commentary on who he is. What is a commentary on Scotland is the reaction to him and McCarthy. I don't recall any vitriol directed towards Goram for chosing Scotland for the equally ****y act of not playing for the country of his birth. I have trouble with people contending that there is no choice, that they can decide for you. It feels like people with this attitude have no appreciation of why a person might feel drawn towards their ancestral homeland. I mentioned the nine fine Irishmen as it is the diaspora celebraring them. A demonstration of how people are proud of who they were. They are drawn to Irish figures, irish tales and stories. That has a huge pull.
Pure bag of ****e. People are to clung onto the past causing to many problems. If you are not good enough to play for your country you should try harder, not change allegiances.
