We’re not Brasil we’re Tuaisceart Éireann

Roberto Baggio wrote:

Loyalist tubthumper Steven Nolan was apparently whipping up the crowd at Casement being selected

What a surprise. His show is a party political broadcast for the TUV

Pied Piper to: Baldrick, Brendan 88, 9Fingers, Borussia and more...

There is more to this than meets the eye.

Casement has money ringfenced for it and was guaranteed the same as Windsor and Ravenhill. Obviously the GAA should still get that. There is also money for Irish League grounds which like our own badly require significant investment. This is held up because Casement was a mess due to local objections and other reasons.

Costs for Casement have ballooned. The GAA were arguing that they should still pay the £15 million they were paying at the start and the UK government should pay the rest. . This would mean they get tens of millions more than rugby or football. Dressing this up as part of the euros bid could be a way out.

Expanding Windsor is not an option. In reality it is probably big enough as is or certainly doesn't need another 12K seats.

So the legacy of the Euros for Northern Ireland could be an almost free stadium for the GAA in West Belfast that in reality even if it was available to the IFA on an ongoing basis they wouldn't use.

The statement could have been better worded but I guess the thinking is if there is government money to support the bid it should leave a legacy for football and not the GAA.

Even in practical terms it is more likely than not that Northern Ireland will not qualify. Appreciate it is tough to predict 5 years out. So £60-£80 million could be better spent upgrading the Oval, Solitude, the Showgrounds etc for these to be used as training grounds by countries who play elsewhere.

Pat Jennings saying the Nordies should embrace the Casement Park option for the bid.

Double Maxim without doubt the greatest drink in the world

I had no idea about this.

https://www.bbc.co.uk › news › uk-northern-ireland-65469698?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

Northern Ireland keeper Trevor Carson: I gambled daughter's birthday money

When Northern Ireland goalkeeper Trevor Carson squandered his daughter's birthday money to gamble, he knew he had hit rock bottom. Gambling had taken over his life and things had...

Double Maxim without doubt the greatest drink in the world

Green Cockade wrote:

Yeah, you’ll remember him from his time at Sunderland. Celtic tried to sign him when Rodgers was manager but Motherwell would not let him go at the time. He was shattered about that because the difference in wages would have meant so much more to him as a compulsive gambler with growing debts. Seems to have sorted it out now, hopefully. All too common problem for professional footballers.

I remember him very well from Sunderland I thought he was a decent keeper.

Double Maxim without doubt the greatest drink in the world

Roberto Baggio wrote:

His family wouldn't have liked to have seen him playing for Celtic

His bookie would have

BrendanD88 wrote:

Roberto Baggio wrote:

His family wouldn't have liked to have seen him playing for Celtic

His bookie would have

As expected

His playing pool has declined badly last few years

Misplaced glee in two narrow 1-0 losses for NI.

They probably should have got the draw against a fantastic Denmark team in Copenhagen. And it's no shame losing to Kazakstan given the form they are in. And especially with such a young team.

If we had a coach with half the organisation nous and ability to get players to over-perform as Michael O'Neill, we would be competitive, instead of consistently out of competitions two games in.

Add to that the smooth integration of potentially excellent young players such as Conor Bradley and Shea Charles particularly, but also Isaac Price and Callum Marshall.

Ironically, they are possibly in a better place than us, despite a meagre playing pool and no underage achievements to speak of.

Conclusions as to NI's demise are greatly exaggerated.