New Posts For Thread: Best , Blanchflower , Doherty , Gregg , McIlroy , O'Neill , Armstrong ...https://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/27347601/best-blanchflower-doherty-gregg-mcilroy-oneill-armstrongFrom a tiny "nation " which produced players of this calibre on a regular basis up to the mid eighties , where have the current lot come from ?I grew up in / around Belfast , still live here , but I wonder what has happened to the production line . TNot sure where peace process comes into it , but agree that skill levels are possibly not as high as they were 20 plus years ago . I took some players to "compromise rules " try-outs in late eighties , speaking to the Ireland fitness trainer , he tolhttps://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/27347601/best-blanchflower-doherty-gregg-mcilroy-oneill-armstrong?post_id=491087801#491087801Not sure where peace process comes into it , but agree that skill levels are possibly not as high as they were 20 plus years ago . I took some players to "compromise rules " try-outs in late eighties , speaking to the Ireland fitness trainer , he tolFri, 01 Apr 2011 04:17:07 -0500If the talent is not there it's not there Kelly, you can't make it mate. I would argue one point that the standard of skill involved with gaelic teams north of the border has not improved at all in the last 15 years. It's their organisational, tactichttps://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/27347601/best-blanchflower-doherty-gregg-mcilroy-oneill-armstrong?post_id=491011545#491011545If the talent is not there it's not there Kelly, you can't make it mate. I would argue one point that the standard of skill involved with gaelic teams north of the border has not improved at all in the last 15 years. It's their organisational, tacticThu, 31 Mar 2011 12:57:03 -0500Agree with most of the comments re improvement in gaelic and rugby , but it still does not explain to me the demise of soccer locally . In terms of effort and activity I see huge efforts being made promoting and funding soccer activities at lower lehttps://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/27347601/best-blanchflower-doherty-gregg-mcilroy-oneill-armstrong?post_id=491008557#491008557Agree with most of the comments re improvement in gaelic and rugby , but it still does not explain to me the demise of soccer locally . In terms of effort and activity I see huge efforts being made promoting and funding soccer activities at lower leThu, 31 Mar 2011 12:27:57 -0500What has helped Rugby massively is that there are technically only 4 pro clubs, the 4 provinces.The actual clubs act as feeders, and this allows the fan base for the 4 provinces to be much greater.Also they compete at a European level weekly. Its nothttps://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/27347601/best-blanchflower-doherty-gregg-mcilroy-oneill-armstrong?post_id=490989181#490989181What has helped Rugby massively is that there are technically only 4 pro clubs, the 4 provinces.The actual clubs act as feeders, and this allows the fan base for the 4 provinces to be much greater.Also they compete at a European level weekly. Its notThu, 31 Mar 2011 09:19:36 -0500In Rugby the standard collectively has gone up due to professionalism. The great Wales teams of the 70s were great and played brilliant rugby but would not by physically able to compete against some of today's players. If the played the current All Bhttps://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/27347601/best-blanchflower-doherty-gregg-mcilroy-oneill-armstrong?post_id=490967977#490967977In Rugby the standard collectively has gone up due to professionalism. The great Wales teams of the 70s were great and played brilliant rugby but would not by physically able to compete against some of today's players. If the played the current All BThu, 31 Mar 2011 03:11:19 -0500If you look just at rugby versus soccer in both parts of this island , the overall standard in rugby has gone up ( considerably some would argue) and the soccer standard has gone down , comparing last 20 years with the time up to the mid eighties . Thttps://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/27347601/best-blanchflower-doherty-gregg-mcilroy-oneill-armstrong?post_id=490944569#490944569If you look just at rugby versus soccer in both parts of this island , the overall standard in rugby has gone up ( considerably some would argue) and the soccer standard has gone down , comparing last 20 years with the time up to the mid eighties . TWed, 30 Mar 2011 20:26:41 -0500Yes very true Squigs, good points.https://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/27347601/best-blanchflower-doherty-gregg-mcilroy-oneill-armstrong?post_id=490850905#490850905Yes very true Squigs, good points.Wed, 30 Mar 2011 03:25:48 -0500Best was a one of so he can be discounted, the North have produced some very good rugby players in recent times, Tommy Bowe and particularly Stephen Ferris would compete in any era. They also have a lot of good young academy players coming through uphttps://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/27347601/best-blanchflower-doherty-gregg-mcilroy-oneill-armstrong?post_id=490850657#490850657Best was a one of so he can be discounted, the North have produced some very good rugby players in recent times, Tommy Bowe and particularly Stephen Ferris would compete in any era. They also have a lot of good young academy players coming through upWed, 30 Mar 2011 03:17:01 -0500Ta but i was just saying they ain't there mate, there is no Gerry Armstrong playing for Antrim and i have seen them play a few times in the recent years, they're poor and will be division 3 team next season.In Rugby, they've not produced a Willie Johhttps://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/27347601/best-blanchflower-doherty-gregg-mcilroy-oneill-armstrong?post_id=490849937#490849937Ta but i was just saying they ain't there mate, there is no Gerry Armstrong playing for Antrim and i have seen them play a few times in the recent years, they're poor and will be division 3 team next season.In Rugby, they've not produced a Willie JohWed, 30 Mar 2011 02:49:38 -0500One of those named above DID play for Antrim , Rocketfingers . Friends of mine from Kerry who were at the match told me they had never seen as good a performance from any player ( and they had a lot to pick from , being from Kerry and closely connechttps://community.betfair.com/irish_sports/go/thread/view/94110/27347601/best-blanchflower-doherty-gregg-mcilroy-oneill-armstrong?post_id=490814261#490814261One of those named above DID play for Antrim , Rocketfingers . Friends of mine from Kerry who were at the match told me they had never seen as good a performance from any player ( and they had a lot to pick from , being from Kerry and closely connecTue, 29 Mar 2011 19:26:46 -0500