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''.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)