28 January 1999 Edition
Outrage at IFA sectarianism
By Emmet McAleer
A South Derry family has expressed outrage at the Irish Football Association, claiming that the IFA recognised 17-year-old Brian Lagan as a Catholic first and footballer second.
The claims were made following Brian's decision to play for the Republic's youth international team, after being rejected by the north's youth team three times. Mary Lagan, the boy's mother, was furious at a letter which the IFA sent to her son, coupled with a recent television interview in which the IFA secretary, David Bowen, and youth manager, Roy Millar, suggested that the young boy ``had neglected his country''.
Mrs Lagan said, ``he went for trials for the schoolboys' under 15, 16 and 17 teams. The last time he played excellently. But he didn't get anywhere.'' She told how she sat Brian down and offered him the choice to go elsewhere, after all he did hold an Irish passport. ``He didn't do it for religious reasons,'' his mother reiterated.
The letter, written by the IFA's community relations officer, Shane Maguire, went on, ``I would be interested to find out if you feel your religion had any influence on your career during this time.'' Brian Lagan was extremely angry that the question of religion had arisen, and he stated that he was ``very disappointed that they brought religion into it because, with me, it hasn't come into it at all.''
The IFA secretary criticised the validity of dual citizenship which allows players like Lagan to opt to play for the south. Bowen said he was against the idea of players from the north heading south. ``We feel that being able to get an Irish passport, living in the north with no family traced in the south, is wrong.'' He continued by claiming that there was ``a very simple solution to it'', namely that ``if you are born in the north you play for the north, and if you are born in the south you play for the south.''
The IFA later admitted that the letter had, in fact, been sent to two young players, Brian Lagan and Mark Hicks. IFA president Jim Boyce apologised to both youth players and their families, claiming the letter had been ``naive''. He also accused the body's recently-appointed community relations officer of sending the offending letter ``without authorisation'' adding the communication had been ``a major mistake''.
A South Derry family has expressed outrage at the Irish Football Association, claiming that the IFA recognised 17-year-old Brian Lagan as a Catholic first and footballer second.
The claims were made following Brian's decision to play for the Republic's youth international team, after being rejected by the north's youth team three times. Mary Lagan, the boy's mother, was furious at a letter which the IFA sent to her son, coupled with a recent television interview in which the IFA secretary, David Bowen, and youth manager, Roy Millar, suggested that the young boy ``had neglected his country''.
Mrs Lagan said, ``he went for trials for the schoolboys' under 15, 16 and 17 teams. The last time he played excellently. But he didn't get anywhere.'' She told how she sat Brian down and offered him the choice to go elsewhere, after all he did hold an Irish passport. ``He didn't do it for religious reasons,'' his mother reiterated.
The letter, written by the IFA's community relations officer, Shane Maguire, went on, ``I would be interested to find out if you feel your religion had any influence on your career during this time.'' Brian Lagan was extremely angry that the question of religion had arisen, and he stated that he was ``very disappointed that they brought religion into it because, with me, it hasn't come into it at all.''
The IFA secretary criticised the validity of dual citizenship which allows players like Lagan to opt to play for the south. Bowen said he was against the idea of players from the north heading south. ``We feel that being able to get an Irish passport, living in the north with no family traced in the south, is wrong.'' He continued by claiming that there was ``a very simple solution to it'', namely that ``if you are born in the north you play for the north, and if you are born in the south you play for the south.''
The IFA later admitted that the letter had, in fact, been sent to two young players, Brian Lagan and Mark Hicks. IFA president Jim Boyce apologised to both youth players and their families, claiming the letter had been ``naive''. He also accused the body's recently-appointed community relations officer of sending the offending letter ``without authorisation'' adding the communication had been ``a major mistake''.