If Father Ted ran a football association...

[Snookie]

Family mix-up costs Irish the services of bereaved Ireland

 

David Hytner in Prague

Tuesday September 11, 2007

The Guardian

 

As if sudden family bereavement were not draining enough, Stephen Ireland had to contend with a bizarre case of mistaken identity in the whirlwind 24 hours that saw him withdraw from the Republic of Ireland's squad for tomorrow's Euro 2008 qualifier against the Czech Republic.

 

Ireland was told of the loss of his grandmother on Saturday night, immediately after playing and scoring in the 2-2 draw with Slovakia in Bratislava. The Manchester City midfielder believed that the deceased was his maternal grandmother, who had been prominent in his upbringing in County Cork and to whom he was extremely close.

 

The Football Association of Ireland chartered a private jet to fly him to Manchester on Sunday morning and, en route to the airport, he spoke to the FAI official in the car with him about the relative that he cared for deeply.

 

Ireland would learn, however, that his maternal grandmother was still alive and the bereavement concerned his paternal grandmother.

"It's unfortunate that there has been a bereavement in Stephen's family and it's his grandmother," said Steve Staunton, the Ireland manager. "It's not on his mother's side, it's on his father's side. We were given the wrong information and so was he. That is not to say it's not the same. It's his grandmother, and we send him our best wishes, and that's the end of that."

 

How the wrong information was passed to Ireland remains a mystery. Ireland's girlfriend, having been informed of the bereavement, tried to contact him on Saturday afternoon but his mobile phone was switched off as he prepared for the Slovakia match. She eventually contacted an FAI administrative official, and the governing body, having waited until after the game, in which the player scored the opening goal, they told the player who promptly telephoned home.

 

The FAI granted Ireland leave on compassionate grounds and released a statement on Sunday afternoon in which Staunton said that the 21-year-old would not return for the Czech Republic tie in Prague. This remains the case.

 

"Stephen found out after the [slovakia] match that his grandmother had died suddenly," said Staunton. "He was very close to her and so we made arrangements overnight to get him home as quickly as possible. It is very important that he is with his family at this sad time and, on behalf of the squad, I want to extend our sympathies to Stephen and his family."

 

The mistaken identity only emerged on Sunday night, by which time several daily newspapers had reported the death of Ireland's maternal grandmother in their first editions. Later editions were revised. Ireland's family life can be described as complicated and FAI officials worked long into the night to clear up the confusion over the bereavement.

 

"I was up half the night myself," said Staunton, who added that he had spoken to Ireland yesterday morning. "The [deceased] grandmother is in London and the family don't know whether to move her back to Cork [for the funeral] or [have it in] London. That's their own business, so I think everybody should leave it lie now and respect the family."

 

Ireland's place in the team for the Czech game is expected to go to Charlton's Andy Reid, who was disappointed to be left out of the starting line-up against Slovakia. Stephen Hunt, the Reading winger, is also set to return in place of Celtic's Aiden McGeady, who struggled against the Slovaks, and Steve Finnan, the Liverpool full-back, who has a knee injury, remains at Anfield and has been ruled out.

 

"I think it's too late now [to call up anyone else]," said Staunton. "We were fortunate that we got no yellow cards on Saturday and we're OK. I was going to change the team whether Stephen [ireland] was here or not. That was a very sapping pitch on Saturday and we'll freshen things up on Wednesday. It's a cup final for us and we knew we had to beat the Czechs. The worst scenario is we take the draw and then at least we have two home games to try and rectify it."

 

The Republic are third in qualifying group D, three points behind the second-placed Czechs, with four games to play. They face Germany and Cyprus in Dublin next month before finishing against Wales in Cardiff. The Czechs still have to go to Germany and finish with Slovakia at home and Cyprus away.

 

 

 

 

From: here

[L19red]

father ted has enough on his hands with the all priests over-75 5-a-side football team.

[Boca]

Regardless of this latest debacle, the FAI are the most inept shower of clowns you could imagine, and their biggest mistake was hiring this gombeen of a manager.

Saturday night just highlighted how clueless he is, bringing on a manc reserve (I fully believe this was just to tie him to the Republic), a Sunderland reserve and Jonathon f***ing Douglas, with qualification on the line, beggars belief.

Luckily I hate international football so I don't care about it too much

[DonRafa]

Regardless of this latest debacle, the FAI are the most inept shower of clowns you could imagine, and their biggest mistake was hiring this gombeen of a manager.

Saturday night just highlighted how clueless he is, bringing on a manc reserve (I fully believe this was just to tie him to the Republic), a Sunderland reserve and Jonathon f***ing Douglas, with qualification on the line, beggars belief.

Luckily I hate international football so I don't care about it too much

 

 

Gombeen - what a great word, I've not come across it before. What's it mean?

[Ostrich Man]

gombeen

 

 

the best bit about that is the "See Also"section at the bottom

Edited September 11, 2007 by Ostrich Man

[johngibo YPC]

"The [deceased] grandmother is in London and the family don't know whether to move her back to Cork [for the funeral] or [have it in] London. That's their own business,

 

why the f*** are you telling us all about it then?

[Spike]

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2169529,00.html

 

Wasn't a dead granny after all

 

Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland today admitted he lied about the circumstances of his withdrawal from the Republic of Ireland squad ahead of Wednesday meeting with the Czech Republic. Ireland pulled out of the squad shortly after Saturday's draw in Slovakia, citing the death of a grandparent, when in fact his girlfriend had suffered a miscarriage.

In a statement on City's official website, Ireland explained: "I wish to explain the circumstances surrounding my departure from the Republic of Ireland international squad following the Euro 2008 qualifier against Slovakia in Bratislava last Saturday.

 

 

"When the game ended our manager, Stephen Staunton, took me outside the dressing room into the corridor, along with the Ireland team doctor. He told me that they had taken a call from my girlfriend, Jessica, and she said my grandmother had died. I was deeply shocked because I believed it was my maternal grandmother, who had brought me up from when I was five. The manager went back into the dressing room to get my phone and when I got it I immediately rang my girlfriend to get more details.

"My girlfriend was distraught and explained that she had just suffered a miscarriage. Jessica said she was very lonely and wanted me to come home. She said she thought they might let me come home quicker if they thought my grandmother had died.

 

"When I finished the call I told the manager and doctor that my grandmother had died and, because we were very close, I wanted to go home immediately. The manager said that was no problem and he would get the FAI to sort it out.

 

"The FAI hired a private jet to get me home and I flew out of Bratislava the following morning. Before I left I told the FAI media officer that the name of my grandmother was Patricia Tallon. Early on Monday morning I got a phone call from Stephen Staunton telling me that the FAI had discovered my grandmother in Cork was not dead.

 

"He wanted to know what was going on and I told him that there had been a mistake and it had been my father's mother. I told him her name was Brenda Kitchener, that she lived in London.

 

"Jessica and I were still very upset over the miscarriage so we flew home to Ireland for a few days.

 

"On Thursday, I got a phone call from Manchester City stating that the FAI had discovered that my grandmother, Brenda Kitchener, was also alive. I decided at that stage that I must tell truth and admit I had told lies.

 

"I realise now that it was a massive mistake on my part to tell the FAI and Manchester City that my grandmothers had died and I deeply regret it."

 

Ireland continued: "The miscarriage that Jessica suffered last Saturday has caused both of us a lot of heartache and had caused us both to panic. It was wrong and I sincerely apologise, particularly as I caused a lot of problems for many people.

 

"I would like to apologise to my grandmothers and all my family for any distress I have caused them. Ireland manager Stephen Staunton, my Ireland team-mates, the backroom staff and the FAI also deserve my profound apologies.

 

"I truly appreciate that the extraordinary lengths they went to put my welfare first and ensure I got home from Slovakia as quickly as possible. I am also sorry for causing Manchester City any embarrassment and apologise to the supporters of both Manchester City and Ireland for misleading them and the media." I love playing for my country and am grateful for the understanding Mr Staunton and the FAI have shown to me since I told them the truth. I have learnt a valuable lesson from this mess and hope those I have hurt by my actions will forgive me."

 

In response to Ireland's admission, the FAI released the following statement: "What occurred was a result of a traumatic situation for a young player and his girlfriend and the Association does not believe that they realised at any time the full implications of their actions or the distress that it would cause."

 

Staunton was also sympathetic to the player, adding: "I welcome Stephen's clarification of the situation. He is a player who loves playing for his country and unfortunately made a poor judgement call because of the traumatic circumstances he found himself in. I hope he can now put this behind him and learn from it because he is a young player with a tremendous future in the game."

[cymrococh]

How did the FAI find out that these ladies weren't dead?

Edited September 14, 2007 by Paul Caruso

[dorgie]

How did the FAI find out that these ladies weren't dead?

 

Ireland's a small country. He's from Cobh, Cobh Ramblers would have reps on the FAI who probably know his family.

 

Albeit he must have been under a fair bit of domestic stress with his gf, but he sure made himself look a complete t*** with this judgement call.

[cymrococh]

What do you say though?

 

"Thanks for the plane lads, but my girlfriend was wrong. My gran's not dead, but my girlfriend has had a miscarriage."

[Behind Enemy Lines]

How did the FAI find out that these ladies weren't dead?

Possibly by trying to establish what the funeral arrangement where in order to a) ensure that he was able to attend & b) perhaps send some blooms as a mark of respect?

[Coyler]

Ah that's awful.

[Snookie]

I wonder what his granny thought when she heard that she was dead.

 

There is no possibility of making a story like this up

[Rimbeux]

Anyone think he's told the whole truth now?

[Crazy Horse]

The miscarriage story would be hard to prove. I reckon he's still lying.

[R A Softlad]

What do you say though?

 

"Thanks for the plane lads, but my girlfriend was wrong. My gran's not dead, but my girlfriend has had a miscarriage."

 

Next time let him Fly with McCartney and Gillespie... that'd sort it out.

[Coyler]

The quote from an earlier story that said, "Ireland's family life can be described as complicated" is weird.

[fyds]

Anyone think he's told the whole truth now?

Nope

[R A Softlad]

I reckon she just had a headache and was a bit drunk...

[Maldini]

I wonder what his granny thought when she heard that she was dead.

 

There is no possibility of making a story like this up

 

There was a story in one of the papers the other morning with quotes from her (this was before it emerged that no grandmother had died) the jist of it was: I'm grand, but it must have been very upsetting for Stephen thinking it was me, but luckily it was his other granny, so that's not too bad"

 

It made pretty funny reading, she sounds like a character

[Snookie]

Anyone reckon this is actually created by Stephen Ireland. If it is...

[Guest Kaizer]

Anyone reckon this is actually created by Stephen Ireland. If it is...

 

Its probably his, shocking as it is.

[Rimbeux]

Young footballer with surpressed development and hung up on yoot culture shock

 

 

 

 

 

 

you'd probably have a go on his btw