SidelineS llllllllllllllllllllll PUSH PAGE 18


ulster players face a long road to gb squad


ireland: by Harry Allen u


LSTER players are unlikely to make the Great Britain team – firstly they have to be good enough and


secondly they have to show resilience against the obstacles placed in their way. Back in the late 1900s a player


from Northern Ireland (Ulster) simply had to be good enough to play for GB, but as the 2000s unfolded the Irish Hockey Association at first declared that a player joining the GB squad could no longer play for Ireland, but this has been relaxed and any Ulster wishing to join the GB squad now has to reside in England for a set period. That is why Iain Lewers – pictured right in is HGC (Netherlands) days


– and Mark Gleghorne both returned from the continent to England and both have been training with the GB squad. They are likely to be eligible for selection very soon, but will they make the grade? Historically, only three Ulster


players have played for GB and that was in the seventies and eighties. Stephen Martin and Jimmy Kirkwood both picked up Olympic gold medals in Seoul 1988, though Martin only played in the closing minutes of the final and Kirkwood remained on the bench. Billy McConnell later won a bronze medal with GB, again as a squad player. At present Lewers would appear


to have the most realistic chance of playing for GB, but is he in the same class as Martin or Kirkwood, who were both rated as phenomenal players in Ireland – or even McConnell? Only time will tell. It is a hard road to follow if you are


a Northern Irish player who wants to play for GB. Only the very best Ulster players will make the grade, which is why most of them are not confident enough to take up permanent residence in England. Remember, Ulster players are


the only UK citizens in the island of Ireland, so the others cannot even take up the option. Ulster players are the only citizens eligible to play for both Great Britain and Ireland, though the


such as yoga. The CPP puts Ireland in line with the top nations and McCay says: “The girls have all made huge sacrifices, both financial and social, to make this happen. It proves how determined we are to achieve our goals and ultimately qualify for the Olympics in 2012.’’ But, Bridget Cleland points out


the other side of the coin after retiring from international hockey, having gained 150 caps since her debut in Japan in 2003. The Ballymoney player has captained


question of why they are eligible for the Irish team is contentious.


Big chill


THE snow and ice which ruled out hockey throughout Ireland for seven weeks has also hit the plans of many exiled Irish internationals to play for their ‘home’ club during the European break for one of the conditions is that they must start playing before the end the new year. One player, from a possible 16,


Timmy Lewis did beat the deadline and played for his Irish club, Pembroke, twice in the Leinster league. Lewis also plays for Crefelder in the German League, so he cannot play for Pembroke in any competitions connected to Europe. Ironically, Irish high performance


director, Dave Passmore, had asked that clubs give their internationals a three-week break, starting on the last week of the big freeze, but in a club verus country dilemma surely these internationals have already had a huge break and will want to get back into action with the rest.


central programme JUST like their English counterparts,


top women players in Ireland still have differing views on the Central Preparation Programme (CPP). Shirley McCay is one of six Ulster-


based players who have moved home to take part in the programme in Dublin. Now playing for Old Alexandra McCay says they can now train as a squad, both on the pitch and in the gym with more advanced training techniques


the international team on several occasions with her last appearance as captain against Australia in July last year.


Among the various reasons for


retiring, the paramount one seems to be her inability to take part in the CPP. The schoolteacher said: “As a result of increasing work commitments, family and travelling I am unfortunately unable to meet the demands of international sport.’’ National head coach, Gene Muller,


admitted: “Bridget has been an excellent player and leader for Ireland. She was a consistent performer who held enormous respect and her retirement leaves a gap in the team which will be hard to fill.’’ Do Muller’s comments reflect that


the CPP is viewed as the “must attend’’ for international hopefuls? If Cleland


“leaves a gap which will be hard to fill’’ – Muller’s words – then how in future can Ireland field their best team?


south east THE one region in Ireland which


has not been mentioned to date in this regular column is the very small South East, which is more or less south of Dublin, centred around Carlow, Kilkenny, Portlaoise, Wexford and a school section in Waterford county. Time to have a look at the map of Ireland! There are seven clubs in the


Branch: Athy, Carlow, Enniscorthy, Gorey, Kilkenny, Portlaoise and Wexford. These are mainly made up of women and girls, with boys’ hockey developing. There are three men’s teams – South East Wanderers, Kilkenny and Waterford.


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