188 replies to this topic

[dipped flake]

He's English and shouldn't be in your squad. International football is representative football and whilst their will always be anomalies (Jordan Rhodes, Owen Hargreaves) in the main filling your national team with foreigners isn't generally a good idea. I also think that this one has pissed the FA off and whilst you may find this amusing you proboably wont should the FA sniff around any Scottish prospects with an English Granny.

He qualifies for Scotland , end of story. If you are that upset about it get on to FIFA and your own fa who agreed the rules.
As for england picking up Scottish prospects with english grannies, fine. Them are the rules

[Matty16]

How good he is is irrelevant to those who don't want foreigners in our team.

I know I shouldn't but I will........according to FIFA criteria he is now scottish. I'll judge him on his football.

[Dalgety Bay TA]

The look of total joy on Morrisons face when he scored against Wales last year said it all!

Ohh come on Wanderer please!!! It "said it all"?! It said no more or less than any professional football player would say after scoring a goal. He was happy to score, end of it, please don't try and suggest it was some sort of "pride" in scoring for his country or any other guff. He scored for his TEAM, that was all, most footballers are happy when they do that.

[ParisInAKilt]

And Eck and Burley may have "uncovered" Mackie but neither of them thought he was worthy of a call up. Levein on the other hand does.

They found their own little gems in McEverly and
Fox

[Dalgety Bay TA]

They found their own little gems in McEverly and Fox

Aye, let he who is without sin etc

I think that sums up a lot of our "Englishers" to be honest - they ain't actually very good so why bother?

[ParisInAKilt]

Aye, let he who is without sin etc

I think that sums up a lot of our "Englishers" to be honest - they ain't actually very good so why bother?

I know. Don't know why our managers are so willing to cap them

Edited by ParisInAKilt, 17 May 2012 - 12:16 PM.

[wanderer]

Ohh come on Wanderer please!!! It "said it all"?! It said no more or less than any professional football player would say after scoring a goal. He was happy to score, end of it, please don't try and suggest it was some sort of "pride" in scoring for his country or any other guff. He scored for his TEAM, that was all, most footballers are happy when they do that.

well I wish some of the Scottish born players had that "pride" when they scored a goal for Scotland (been a few who have scored at Hampden, and best we get is a wee smile)

[Tartacus]

So after representing England at all levels except full international He realised that he can't let his granny down and that he really always wanted to play for Scotland. You need to check if someones putting something in your hot chocolate.........

Maybe he doesn't fancy playing for a team that has a racist thug as captain? Maybe he hates southern English people. Maybe he is an international whore. Maybe his Grandad was nicer to him as a kid than his Dad. We dont really know. This is an issue that will explode when a truly great player is involved. Most English people I know are not bothered about these players as they are not great players. If Rooney had done a switch/chosen Ireland etc then it would have kicked off.

Nobby your other point about England capping a Scots born of English heritage is fair enough and worth considering. I reckon its less likely to happen. Scotland (for all its faults) has a better sense of national identity than England. England is kind of stuck at times without an identity as it put so much into the British Empire. I live in Yorkshire and there are lots of folk with no affinity to London and the South in general. Same in Cornwall. I have a friend who was born and raised in Oban to English parents. He supports Scotland and his parents do. They love Scotland and dont want to move 'home' again. They vote SNP. I can't imagine that happening in reverse.

[wanderer]

Looks like Leveins future plans involve Phillips and Forrest as attacking options.

http://www.dailyreco...86908-23864044/

[Tartan Eagle]

He's English and shouldn't be in your squad. International football is representative......and in the main filling your national team with foreigners isn't generally a good idea. I also think that this one has pissed the FA off and whilst you may find this amusing......

Do you really think the prevailing view on here is one of amusement?
I'd read it as one if angst and frustration as we collectively wrestle with an emotive issue involving national identity. Clearly England has found no such difficult in its pursuit of international success, particularly in the fields of rugby, most recently Tuilagi (whose 5 brothers all played for Samoa) and a string of New Zealanders: Hape, Flutey, Botha, Waldrom, Hartley and also in cricket (that most English of pastimes) where "English" stars have included, over many years, Smith, Lamb, Hick, Denness!!!, Pietersen, Trott, Strauss, Butcher and so many more
I don't see a lot of amusement in the feelings expressed on the numerous (tedious?!) threads on this matter but the thought of an eFA being stirred by losing "one of their own" does bring a smile to my face

[Nobby]

Do you really think the prevailing view on here is one of amusement? I'd read it as one if angst and frustration as we collectively wrestle with an emotive issue involving national identity. Clearly England has found no such difficult in its pursuit of international success, particularly in the fields of rugby, most recently Tuilagi (whose 5 brothers all played for Samoa) and a string of New Zealanders: Hape, Flutey, Botha, Waldrom, Hartley and also in cricket (that most English of pastimes) where "English" stars have included, over many years, Smith, Lamb, Hick, Denness!!!, Pietersen, Trott, Strauss, Butcher and so many more I don't see a lot of amusement in the feelings expressed on the numerous (tedious?!) threads on this matter but the thought of an eFA being stirred by losing "one of their own" does bring a smile to my face

Agree with all of that re the rugby but whats that got to do with the price of fish ? we're talking about football. You might not smile when the FA's that object to the home nations status questioning it again when your starting line up has 6/7 anglos in it plus its quite frankly embarrassing to be poaching another countries players because you can't sort your own house out.

[Parklife]

I know I shouldn't but I will........according to FIFA criteria he is now scottish. I'll judge him on his football.

He's eligible for Scotland, he will never be Scottish.

You've still not answered my question about supporting Spain.

[scotlad]

He's English and shouldn't be in your squad. International football is representative football and whilst their will always be anomalies (Jordan Rhodes, Owen Hargreaves) in the main filling your national team with foreigners isn't generally a good idea. I also think that this one has pissed the FA off and whilst you may find this amusing you proboably wont should the FA sniff around any Scottish prospects with an English Granny.

I actually think the 'schooling rule' rather than the 'granny rule' could potentially lead to this happening. In a sense that particular ruling disadvantages Scotland more than England, given that proportionally more Scots move to England than vice versa.

Maybe he doesn't fancy playing for a team that has a racist thug as captain? Maybe he hates southern English people. Maybe he is an international whore. Maybe his Grandad was nicer to him as a kid than his Dad. We dont really know. This is an issue that will explode when a truly great player is involved. Most English people I know are not bothered about these players as they are not great players. If Rooney had done a switch/chosen Ireland etc then it would have kicked off. Nobby your other point about England capping a Scots born of English heritage is fair enough and worth considering. I reckon its less likely to happen. Scotland (for all its faults) has a better sense of national identity than England. England is kind of stuck at times without an identity as it put so much into the British Empire. I live in Yorkshire and there are lots of folk with no affinity to London and the South in general. Same in Cornwall. I have a friend who was born and raised in Oban to English parents. He supports Scotland and his parents do. They love Scotland and dont want to move 'home' again. They vote SNP. I can't imagine that happening in reverse.

Well, he was born in High Wycombe, so he would be a pretty self-loathing individual if he did.

A good post though, Tartacus.

Edited by scotlad, 18 May 2012 - 11:34 AM.

[Nobby]

Maybe he doesn't fancy playing for a team that has a racist thug as captain? Maybe he hates southern English people. Maybe he is an international whore. Maybe his Grandad was nicer to him as a kid than his Dad. We dont really know. This is an issue that will explode when a truly great player is involved. Most English people I know are not bothered about these players as they are not great players. If Rooney had done a switch/chosen Ireland etc then it would have kicked off. Nobby your other point about England capping a Scots born of English heritage is fair enough and worth considering. I reckon its less likely to happen. Scotland (for all its faults) has a better sense of national identity than England. England is kind of stuck at times without an identity as it put so much into the British Empire. I live in Yorkshire and there are lots of folk with no affinity to London and the South in general. Same in Cornwall. I have a friend who was born and raised in Oban to English parents. He supports Scotland and his parents do. They love Scotland and dont want to move 'home' again. They vote SNP. I can't imagine that happening in reverse.

From what I gather Phillips has been through all levels of England up to U-20 and if you believe that all that time he was really dreaming of wearing the dark blue then fine and dandy you carry on

As for English sense of identity thats doing fine, even in Yorkshire you'll see the little flags going onto cars and hanging out of windows in the next few weeks granted they'll probably be down pretty quick but we'll make the most of it.

As for Yorkshire its produced plenty of Englishmen however they generally play cricket and the Cornish play rugby but they are English none the less however much they bitch and moan about London

[wanderer]

You might not smile when the FA's that object to the home nations status questioning it again when your starting line up has 6/7 anglos in it plus its quite frankly embarrassing to be poaching another countries players because you can't sort your own house out.

Out of the current lot, 4 is the most I can think of who have started a game (Slovenia friendly - Martin, Morrison, CMS and Mackie).... so I do not buy the argument that soon half the team will be non Scots (considering in a sqaud of 21 players, you are talking 6 players).

Paw Broon once played 4 in a qualifier match (I include Di Matteo in those 4 as he had England U21 and B caps, plus was involved in a couple of England squads)

Gordon and McGregor are your two goalkeepers, so Gilks has no chance.

Caldwell, Berra, Mulgrew, Wilson, Hutton, Hanley and Webster are the backbone of your defence, so atleast 3 of them will start every game.

Brown, Adam, Fletcher, Naesmith and Bannan are your midfielders.... Morrison is established, and you have guys waiting in the wings like McFadden, Dorrans, McArthur, Snodgrass etc....

And people keeping going on and on upfront is our weakest position.... if fit, Kenny Miller will start EVERY game (except for the odd friendly) and out of all the strikers you are only talking CMS and Rhodes against Goodwillie and now Russell.

So is Levein seriously going to drop the backbone of his team (Gordon/McGregor... Caldwell, Berra, Hutton.... Adam, Fletcher, Brown... Miller.... who, if all fit, will all start every game!) just to play a team of "English" for the sake of it?

Some folk need to relax!