Miller Snubbed by anti-Cork FAI

20th Mar 2007

Miller Snubbed by anti-Cork FAI
Finbarr Barry

"Cork man first. Irishman second."

Roy Keane has revealed his thoughts on the omission of Ovens/Ballincollig man Liam Miller from the Irish squad. Miller who recently signed for Roy's Sunderland has been snubbed by the FAI and excluded from the squad to play Wales in Lansdowne Road. Calling his omission a "disgrace" Keane is adamant that Miller has been left out of the squad because he is from Cork.

" What's holding Liam Miller back is that he's from Cork, without a doubt", said Keane, ironically on Patrick's Day - the day 31 counties celebrate their Irishness and Corkonians wave flags and go drinking.

The Cork man has transformed the fortunes of Sunderland FC bringing them from the danger of the relegation zone right up to second place in the English Championship - in stark contrast to the recent fortunes of former teammate Steve Staunton who has stumbled through the first half of his Euro 08 qualifying fixtures.

Quality players like Miller apparently not required for Welsh game.

It is widely known that Staunton had always been a "very good friend" of FAI chief executive John Delaney, something which drew the wrath of the FAI's many critics when Staunton was appointed Irish coach in January 2006.

The appointment appeared to fly in the faces of his doubters when, in his first game in charge, Staunton's side defeated Sweden 3-0 in a friendly at Lansdowne Road. Despite the bright start Staunton's luck has been deteriorating rapidly in the Euro 2008 qualifiers - including a humiliating 5-2 defeat to Cyprus last October.

The last outing for the Boys in Green was a visit to minnows San Marino where a last minute goal from Cork man Steven Ireland saved more than one man's career in a nail biting 2-1 finish.

McCarthy with FAI chief Menton who resigned after the publication of the Genesis Report. A week later McCarthy checked out.

Keane is famous for his clashes with the notoriously inept FAI, including being sent home by then international team manager Mick McCarthy for questioning the professionalismof the FAI at the team's Saipan base before the 2002 World Cup.

Keane was later exonerated in the Genesis Report of 2005 which laid huge criticisms at the door of the Dublin based football association. Among other anecdotes of inefficiency the report claimed the FAI had "no culture of discipline" - something which rubbed salt in the wounds of Corkman Keane.

His latest statement on the make up of the Irish squad and its two fingers to Cork is sure to reverberate in the national media but the Mayfield man is adamant.

"People think I'm crazy for saying that, but I'm not. They don't know the FAI as well as I do."
We at the PROC would like to quell rumours that Roy Keane has applied for the job of Propaganda Minister in the Provisional Government of the Peoples Republic.

On the application form he actually ticked "Minister for Justice".