Healy Scores At Last
Wed, Feb 24 2010
David Healy has finally scored a goal, coming off the bench in last night's 1-1 draw at Scunthorpe.
With news earlier in the week that he'd been lucky enough to be selected for the senior squad's trip to Albania, Healy will be delighted to shake the monkey off his back. It's been doom and gloom for some time and a place on the bench for The Tractorboys over the last two games is not where Nigel Worthington wanted to see his best striker.
Whether this is enough for Healy to secure a regular first team place under Roy Keane only time will tell. The corner has been turned but it's games that count if he is to prove to both Roy Keane and Steve Bruce that he can do a job.
Meanwhile Rory Patterson celebrated his Northern Ireland call-up with the only goal in Coleraine's win at Cliftonville. There is every chance that Nigel Worthington will play Patterson in Tirana having extolled his virtues to the press on numerous occasions in recent months.
It's great to see homegrown talent but what are the IFA going to do about the ongoing eligibility crisis? We cannot afford to lose the likes of Shane Duffy to the Republic when he has captained our very own U-19s. How can it be that FIFA can allow such a misuse of time and funds to groom a player to play for another country? It's perfectly ludicrous. What sticks in the throat is that the FAI seem completely incapable of exercising any understanding or acknowledgement that chasing players that have already represented Northern Ireland is not in the spirit of football or fair play. They did it with Darron Gibson and Marc Wilson.
The FAI recently cried foul about the integrity of the game for all the world to hear, making fools of themselves in the process. Something needs to be done and if the IFA are unable to mount enough pressure themselves then the supporters need to take action also. The root cause lies at FIFA, but likewise, the FAI need to have a look at the traditions of football and what is and what is not acceptable. Happy Days Fanzine Facebook page has a poll which has some calling for all cross border initiatives to be suspended, for games to be petitioned etc. Please let us know your thoughts. Sepp Blatter is not our friend, but because of the complicated history of our country we need FIFA to change the ruling. This is not about a dubious goal or a poor refereeing decision, this is about the very future of our international game which is being threatened by our very own neighbours exploiting a loophole.
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