Ireland vs Moldova & Wales v Ireland - World Cup Qualifiers 06/10/2017 & 09/10/2017

[Ashman]

They had a Brazilian centre forward that night .

[dodgy_keeper]

@Blake

Belgium - away second leg. OUT

Oh yes, Belgium got a throw in that should have gone the other way and scored the winning goal from it IIRC.

Luc Nilis? (Spelling)

[Sidney]

We’ve a poxy record against Belgium. I can remember us beating every other European team we’ve ever played. Except Belgium.

[croppy_boy]

@GeoffreyBoycott

The rest of the British Isles have always relied heavily on England to provide them with players.

What part(s) of England were John Barnes, Raheem Sterling and Owen Hargreaves born in?

[Sidney]

@croppy_boy

What part(s) of England were John Barnes, Raheem Sterling and Owen Hargreaves born in?

The epitome of John Bull himself, Terry Butcher, was born in Singapore.

[dodgy_keeper]

For those fortunate enough to be on annual leave today (or unemployed even) highlights of last night on Sky 403 now.

[Bandage]

It’s gas really how the stars aligned for Ireland.

All the other PERMUTATIONS conspiring against us except the Scotland group.

And the way they needed to help us twice - first by beating Slovakia to fuck the Slovaks over and then by failing to win themselves in Slovenia to scupper their own chances.

That Slovakia game was a bit mad with the Slovaks having a guy sent off in the first half for two yellows in quick succession, the second for a dive. Scotland then absolutely battered them, hit the bar twice and were met by an inspired keeper who made some spellbinding saves.

Just when it looked like they had run out of ideas they got an 89th minute winner via a freakish own goal. I don’t think Skrtel would be able to replicate that connection on the ball and place it into the corner of the net if he tried it another 50 times.

And then the Jocks going in front in Slovenia but becoming paralysed by fear and shitting their knickers only to get a late equaliser and provide us with a fraught (cc @briantinnion) last 5 minutes or so before we knew definitively that everything would ride on last night.

And then Wales coming out and playing some nice controlled, passing football. And then Meyler flattening Joe Allen. And then Wales getting less assured when they didn’t take the lead. And then Hennessey deciding to throw it out to Williams when Ireland had pressed up to a greater degree than before. And Williams being too casual in losing the ball and not reacting. And Davies being equally casual and not expecting Hendrick to keep the ball in play. And Arter deciding to dummy the cross. And McClean deciding to rifle it in first time with his weaker foot. And Duffy putting his head on everything for the last 35 minutes.

@Rocko, can we get a balaclava emoji please?

[GeoffreyBoycott]

@Ashman

A lot of that Welsh team are English born .

@GeoffreyBoycott

The rest of the British Isles have always relied heavily on England to provide them with players.

@croppy_boy

What part(s) of England were John Barnes, Raheem Sterling and Owen Hargreaves born in?

In last nights Eire v Wales match, of the 27 players who saw action, 10 were born in England, 8 in Eire, 7 in Wales and 2 in Northern Ireland.

Not on point but great work the way you came up with three English internationals over the last 35 years who weren’t born in England.

[Ashman]

It appears the English soccer public are really enjoying the Irish win

[Mac]

John Bull hasn’t forgotten how the Taffs were roaring on Iceland last summer

[croppy_boy]

@GeoffreyBoycott

Not on point but great work the way you came up with three English internationals over the last 35 years who weren’t born in England.

I was being selective.

The full list is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_England_international_footballers_born_outside_England

Cherry picking senior and U21s I recognised these names:
Tony Dorigo
Saido Berahino
Owen Hargreaves
Leroy Lita
Cyrille Regis
Wilfried Zaha
John Barnes
Luther Blissett
Raheem Sterling
Nedum Onuoha
John Salako
Dominic Matteo
Chris Bart-Williams
Terry Butcher
Jlloyd Samuel
Rob Jones

[GeoffreyBoycott]

@croppy_boy

I was being selective.

The full list is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_England_international_footballers_born_outside_England

Cherry picking senior and U21s I recognised these names:

Tony Dorigo
Saido Berahino
Owen Hargreaves
Leroy Lita
Cyrille Regis
Wilfried Zaha
John Barnes
Luther Blissett
Raheem Sterling
Nedum Onuoha
John Salako
Dominic Matteo
Chris Bart-Williams
Terry Butcher
Jlloyd Samuel
Rob Jones

You really are working hard. Of the 1,223 players to be capped for England, you’ve now come up with 16 who weren’t born in England.

In the 1990 World Cup alone, Eire sent a squad to Italy with 16 of the 22 players born in Great Britain (14 of the 16 in England) .

[farmerinthecity]

@croppy_boy

Leroy Lita

Remember that guy!

[farmerinthecity]

@croppy_boy

Dominic Matteo

Pretty sure he ended up playing for Scotland.

[croppy_boy]

Yeah he played U21 for England though.

[Ashman]

No then .

[Big_Dan_Campbell]

A very good and underrated player who was decimated by injury

[croppy_boy]

@GeoffreyBoycott

Of the 1,223 players to be capped for England, you’ve now come up with 16 who weren’t born in England.

In the 1990 World Cup alone, Eire sent a squad

Again I’m cherry picking the ones I’ve heard of.

I’m just pointing out that England aren’t immune to picking players outside of their remit either.

The Irish situation is skewed because economic circumstances forced a lot of families to move to England up to the 1990s. You can’t blame someone for picking the country of their family.

[Tassotti]

The English are very sporting and full of goodwill towards the drunken simpletons from Oireland

[farmerinthecity]

I was actually about to post that he was very overrated!