General Sykes wants to play for the republic

[ljs]

Mark Sykes has no relatives or blood line connecting him to Republic of Ireland. I'm sure if sancho and Harry kane could just up root and start representing Germany that English fans would be just as enraged.

So, why do you think he has said it was always his dream to play for ROI if he has no connection?

 

[carefreeoufc]

He can represent North Korea for all I care so long as he signs an extension, scores plenty and sets up plenty before being sold for a few million next summer.

 

[MG]

Happens all the time mate. ROI are notorious for it. If you look back at some of their squads in major tournaments you will find that alot of the time as little as 60% of their squad are born in the Republic of Ireland.

James McClean, Shane Duffy, Marc Wilson, Eunan O'kane, Darren Gibson to name a few in recent years...




The DUP could raise tax to 99% of your income and the same people would still vote for them. Unionists here certainly have not accepted a United Ireland or any sort of possibility of it.

Unfortunately there are still large chunks of Northern Irish people who vote tribally, voting one party to keep the other out. The most loyal DUP voters tend to be working class unionists which is quite ironic giving their right wing policies. Unfortunately these people don't educate themselves on the policies and simply vote to keep other parties out. As a protestant myself, I actually align myself more with SF policies however both parties are toxic and I don't endorse either.

Sykes decision if anything is more contentious now, the Northern Ireland football fans are sick of this behaviour.


Appreciate your comments although I trust you noticed I referred to 'moderate unionists,' which, as you know pretty much excludes the DUP. Both SF and the DUP took hits at the last election as the SDLP/Alliance made gains (DUP losing North Down to the Alliance was especially striking). But I have a question for you - do DUP supporters engage with the all-Ireland Rugby Union team and why does the divergence between Rugby Union and football?





Not really, historically we've had alot of great Catholic players who have been loved by the Northern Irish fans and treated very well. Even Michael O'Neil who is adored by the fans as a player and manager is catholic.

If anything it's actually became much more common in the last 10 years to change allegiance.



I'm sorry to say this but I really hope he does fail now. It really frustrates me stuff like this.

It's frustrating because he was happy to represent Northern Ireland through all the youth teams right up to the senior squad. He was also happy to take a wage playing in the irish league and now the English system. And I'm sure Gavin Whyte probably played a role in helping him join Oxford United and that other internationals formerly from the Irish league such as Stuart Dallas probably offered him alot of help and advice.

I just think it's ridiculous that in this day and age players can represent one country for so long and then just switch to the ROI so easily. We have a quarter of the population of the ROI as it is and if you take all those players who swapped to ROI from NI, we'd actually probably have a much stronger squad than them too.

I personally think Fifa need to change the rules with this a bit. I understand as a teenager you're not in the position to make an informed decesion but their should be an age limit in place which they have to switch by or something. It's unfair on NI to bring these players through the youth system and then for them to leave like that with no compensation. Not only are we losing good players but other potential youth prospects are also losing opportunities to represent their country too and push on.

If Mr Sykes really didn't want to represent NI then I'm sure he would of known a long time ago. Nothing has changed overnight to make him change his mind.

 

[MG]

Appreciate your comments although I trust you noticed I referred to 'moderate unionists,' which, as you know pretty much excludes the DUP. Both SF and the DUP took hits at the last election as the SDLP/Alliance made gains (DUP losing North Down to the Alliance was especially striking). But I have a question for you - do DUP supporters engage with the all-Ireland Rugby Union team and why does the divergence between Rugby Union and football?

 

[Followtheox1]

He can represent North Korea for all I care so long as he signs an extension, scores plenty and sets up plenty before being sold for a few million next summer.

Pretty much this. One or two on here are tied up in the politics in NI either through personal experience or just because they choose to be. For most on here, I suspect, we are able to look at the situation more impartially and actually couldn't care less who he chose to play for as long as he is happy with the choice and importantly, from an Oxford fan perspective, we care about his performances for us.

 

[Scotchegg]

You can't make these comparisons with other sports or countries because what has happened here hasn't happened elsewhere to my knowledge.

Mark Sykes has no relatives or blood line connecting him to Republic of Ireland. I'm sure if sancho and Harry kane could just up root and start representing Germany that English fans would be just as enraged.

Your lack of compassion and being able to look at this from a different perspective is your issue here. I can fully understand why an Oxford fan with no ties to Northern Ireland may not be frustrated by this. However to claim the outrage is embarrassing is just pure ignorance and shows a really lack of understanding.

"Lack of compassion"??? I actually have compassion for a young man making a decision on his sporting future for his and his families own reasons.

You talk about the outrage and how I am ignorant of this. But I would like to think that the peace process (and any number of other movements in the last 10 years) has shown us that it is irresponsible to make wider political issues out of the totally unrelated actions of an individual.

I can understand the frustration of losing a player to a rival, and that the Irish situation makes that worse, but it is still only a game of football. Mark Sykes is a young player with potential, but is maybe not even guaranteed a starting position in a league one side. So I'm not sure that his international future, or otherwise, warrants the attention some are giving it.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

If you criticise any players performances, someone on here will come out with the line ‘oh, here we go, X is the new scapegoat I suppose’, as sure as night follows day.

This is a byproduct of the wider social and political landscape of recent years. Try to create a situation based on extremes, pick your side, then beat the other side. That’s basically what debate and conversation has become even on a football forum - just make it a bit nasty and spiteful. It’s turned something as simple as having an opinion into something that simply must be defeated and smashed into the ground, and you need to be as divisive as possible in the way that you disagree so that you can get people to join your ‘team’. If you come across anybody who actually has valid points and can put them across coherently, or heaven forbid actually has some kind of firsthand experience or real knowledge on a subject, you need to pile on as quickly as possible and stigmatise them. Get a label on them and then every time they say anything, shove that label down their throats and shout as loudly as you can to drown them out. You know you’re on to something when that starts happening to you. Players only kick other players because they can’t stop them any other way. It shows a lack of ability. Quite sad.

As for Mark Sykes, seeing as this thread is about him, I think we will have a much better idea in a year’s time of what went down here. In the meantime I think he would do well to keep his head down and his mouth shut after his brief statement, and simply focus on his game. I do personally think he’s behaved a little ‘dishonourably’ in all this, given he never alluded to ROI being his preference at any time before now and would have quite happily come off the bench on the occasions he was sat on it for NI, but that’s his decision. People are allowed their opinions and that’s mine - the way it happened is a bit smelly. But it won’t keep me awake at night and if he knuckles down and plays well for Oxford United, I’m not too fussed. That’s my primary concern.

Will be watching that contract situation closely on the back of this public kerfuffle, mind.

 

[ThehatchetMan]

Appreciate your comments although I trust you noticed I referred to 'moderate unionists,' which, as you know pretty much excludes the DUP. Both SF and the DUP took hits at the last election as the SDLP/Alliance made gains (DUP losing North Down to the Alliance was especially striking). But I have a question for you - do DUP supporters engage with the all-Ireland Rugby Union team and why does the divergence between Rugby Union and football?

I think that's a difficult question to answer. Rugby historically is a more upper class game so alot of DUP supporters wouldn't take an interest in it. However there obviously are still working class people who follow and enjoy rugby.

For protestants like myself, I happily support the Ireland rugby and cricket team without question. Id say most portestants don't have an issue with it however dup supporting protestants wouldn't be as tolerant as your average protestant. However even still I imagine a larger majority of DUP supporting rugby fans would support Ireland than wouldn't.

The difference between rugby and football is that after the separation of Ireland there was no desire by the RFU to separate the teams. Whereas all the football teams from the Republic of Ireland refused to travel into Northern Ireland after the separation which resulted in the split.

Having now supported Northern Ireland for years it would be difficult to support and all Ireland team. Don't get me wrong it would be nice to see and I would 100% support them if it was the only choice. It would just be more difficult for us because we'd likely be the team doing the merging if that makes sense. The bulk of the squad would be from the south, the matches would be in Dublin, the southern Irish would make up most of the fans and lead the chants. It would be very difficult to lose everything which makes the NI team unique. It would be like if Wales and England national teams were to merge. It would be less attractive a proposition for a Welsh fan than what it would be for an England fan.

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

"Extremely controversial"???

How many players have represented one nations at youth level before playing for other nation? Hundreds! Not just in football, our cricket team has always included players from other nations. As with athletics. And boxing. In fact, you'd do pretty well to look to a sport where our national team hasn't benefited from importing talent.

How many of these have led to people questioning the integrity of those involved?

I may be wrong, but do you live/work in America? Does anyone question you (or others) for turning their back on the education system that invested in you? No, of course not. Sykes has done absolutely nothing wrong and the hysteria is embarrassing.

Precedent doesn’t make something more reasonable. You wouldn’t suggest cheating in a relationship is legitimated just because people have done it before.

He was called up to the Northern Ireland Senior squad and accepted that call up multiple times. He’s not made the first team During those call ups and has now changed his mind about his allegiance and country of identity.

As for your country analogy about migration it’s clumsy for multiple reasons not least because I continue to pay Uk taxes, continue to retain British citizenship, and there’s no set of rules that commit you to representing one country in the work place as the core concept of the “competition”.

Or are you saying that Raheem Sterling should transfer to Jamaica if he doesn’t get into the starting line up in the next few months?

It doesn’t matter to you but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t considered extremely controversial in many areas. (And no I don’t have a political axe to grind in Northern Ireland but I did study it and write a dissertation on it) . You appear to have your yellow and blue glasses on and it’s a rather patronizing and belittling view to the fans of Northern Ireland.

 

[Wandering Yellow]

True though isn’t it?

You enjoy your imaginary moral highground mate doesn't bother me. I'll enjoy living in an independent United Kingdom.

 

[werthersoriginal]

You enjoy your imaginary moral highground mate doesn't bother me. I'll enjoy living in an independent United Kingdom.

Oooh!! Taking back control!!!! Or have you just handed it to the Etonians, the Americans and the big corporations? Enjoy your five quid minimum wage and your chlorinated chicken, sucker.

 

[beyondthefourth]

Mods! It's happening again!

 

[werthersoriginal]

Mods! It's happening again!

Sorry! Someone said something that was wrong.

 

[Scotchegg]

You appear to have your yellow and blue glasses on and it’s a rather patronizing and belittling view to the fans of Northern Ireland

*patronising ?

 

[MG]

I think that's a difficult question to answer. Rugby historically is a more upper class game so alot of DUP supporters wouldn't take an interest in it. However there obviously are still working class people who follow and enjoy rugby.

For protestants like myself, I happily support the Ireland rugby and cricket team without question. Id say most portestants don't have an issue with it however dup supporting protestants wouldn't be as tolerant as your average protestant. However even still I imagine a larger majority of DUP supporting rugby fans would support Ireland than wouldn't.

The difference between rugby and football is that after the separation of Ireland there was no desire by the RFU to separate the teams. Whereas all the football teams from the Republic of Ireland refused to travel into Northern Ireland after the separation which resulted in the split.

Having now supported Northern Ireland for years it would be difficult to support and all Ireland team. Don't get me wrong it would be nice to see and I would 100% support them if it was the only choice. It would just be more difficult for us because we'd likely be the team doing the merging if that makes sense. The bulk of the squad would be from the south, the matches would be in Dublin, the southern Irish would make up most of the fans and lead the chants. It would be very difficult to lose everything which makes the NI team unique. It would be like if Wales and England national teams were to merge. It would be less attractive a proposition for a Welsh fan than what it would be for an England fan.

Thank you - a very helpful answer.

 

[Wandering Yellow]

Oooh!! Taking back control!!!! Or have you just handed it to the Etonians, the Americans and the big corporations? Enjoy your five quid minimum wage and your chlorinated chicken, sucker.

We out-perform the EU on almost all workers standards and the EU is a protection racket for big business. Good try though.

I'll do just fine thanks as will almost everyone else. Enjoy sulking about it for the rest of your life x

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

*patronising ?

You got me..?


Time to give up my passport

 

[Ox4Eva]

There are occasional weird comments about Rangers and 'Chelsea lads' that i suspect are based on some sort of loyalist bigotry, but it's quite obscure.

Show us these comments?

 

[MarkG]

James McClean speaks out in support of Mark Sykes after Oxford star follows winger's path from Northern Ireland to the Republic

James McClean has spoken out in support of Mark Sykes after the midfielder made the familiar switch from Northern Ireland to the Republic.

www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Just to throw the cat among the pigeons.

 

[Ox4Eva]

If people are interested in hate filled bigotry, I suggest you check out a certain England international who jumped ship from the ROI and see how he was treated on social media etc after making that decision...