Burnley launch British clubs partnership

[Tribesmen]

Take it you’re one of those commenting on the Instagram post
Quite a few Irish unhappy about that

Close to everyone in the South and about 40% in the North don't take too foundly on the word British in Ireland .

[dougcollins]

Portadown is probably less than that (30%?) but I take your point.

[paintycanned]

It’s actually the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The British isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic
consisting of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Hebrides and over six thousand smaller islands.
Just saying

[BurnleyFC]

It’s actually the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The British isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic
consisting of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Hebrides and over six thousand smaller islands.
Just saying

But Cobh Ramblers aren’t from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, so the term ‘British Isles’ or ‘Britain and Ireland’ is correct in this instance.

[paintycanned]

As a Ports fan I am thrilled with this partnership with Burnley FC a proper English club with genuine not plastic fans, hope we can build on this.

[randomclaret2]

Getting perilously close to discussing both Politics and Religion on this thread

[Burnley1989]

Close to everyone in the South and about 40% in the North don't take too foundly on the word British in Ireland .

And I’d say they’re well within the rights

[paintycanned]

Agree football should be an escape from politics and religion.

[Stockbrokerbelt]

I presume this will be some type of blueprint for future tie ups with European & American clubs, makes a lot of sense for scouting large areas of the globe aswell as pushing the Burnley brand?

[Father Jack]

Cobh Ramblers expect to benefit from Burnley’s expansion under their new American owners.

The Premier League outfit has struck “strategic partnerships” with four clubs across the UK and Ireland to expand its scouting network. Portadown, Ayr United and Welsh side Llandudno have entered a similar arrangement in the wake of Velocity sports partners, the sports investment arm of ALK capital, acquiring an 84 per cent stake in Burnley last December.

Ramblers have a relationship with Burnley dating back to 1921, when the Cork club adopted the English league champion’s claret and blue colours, but this formal two year deal provides immediate benefit for Cobh’s academy and soon to be established women’s side, as they will play their new partners in pre-season tournaments.

Along with a focus on sending over young talent, Cobh expects to benefit from Burnley’s coaching and commercial expertise.

“What is very important is the way Burnley have negotiated with us,” said Cobh chairman Bill O’Leary. “They have treated us with great respect. We feel they are the right sized club [to partner with] and they have certainly performed way beyond what you would expect from the region.

“It is not a very big region in population terms but they are now a well established Premier League club, so there is learnings there for us in terms of how we could do something similar.

“Aligning ourselves with a Premier League club brings real opportunity and attractiveness in us bringing underage players through our academy, so that is a big feature,” O’Leary added. “As is the ability of players to go both ways as the seasons are complimentary.”

Cobh, who received a fee of £47,000 from Nottingham Forest for a 19 year-old Roy Keane in 1990, do expect compensation when a player they send to Burnley is sold to another club, but the terms of this arrangement have to be “fully detailed out.”

It is timely now,” said O’Leary. “It makes a lot of sense for us geopolitically and for many other reasons.

“I think to some extent we are breaking new ground here. Ok, there are one or two other relationships [like Sligo Rovers and Everton] but we are another piece of that jigsaw. We want this relationship to be really demonstrable, tangible and of a mutual benefit.

“This relationship will only be as good as the amount of work we put into it but it has got to be underpinned by a really positive, transparent intent and I think that is there now, for sure.”

At present there is no financial aspect to the partnership with Cobh hoping it will offer a way around restrictions put on Irish teenagers travelling to England post-Brexit.

“This is very much the first step in our plans to expand the football network of Burnley, build the relevance of our club beyond the north west of England and ensure that Burnley’s academy continues to be a high-performance hotbed for future first team players and international footballers,” said Burnley chairman Alan Pace.

[Father Jack]

Burnley’s first-team coach Tony Loughlan is a close friend and former assistant to Roy Keane and Burnley’s chief operating officer Matt Williams revealed yesterday that the Keane link was a positive factor in the deal, while Burnley have been previous visitors to the Fota Island Resort.

“We have fond memories of going to Fota on pre-season. I think we've been there twice in six or seven years. So we're aware of the club.

“It helps that Roy Keane is good friends with one of our first-team coaching staff. So he gives a positive comment about the club.”

Brexit has made it more difficult for British clubs to sign players from the Republic of Ireland, with underage players effectively no longer available to sign on until they are aged 18. Ramblers chairman O’Leary says the Cork club will help give Burnley access to young Irish players.

“In terms of free movement of players, we will help Burnley with that. That makes this relationship attractive to Burnley and we’re certainly open to helping with that.”

Burnley’s current Irish contingent includes internationals Robbie Brady and Kevin Long, and U21 international Jimmy Dunne. Burnley COO Williams added: "The Republic is a country that Burnley have historically done well from in terms of some of the players that have come over the water and done fantastically well.

“You know we've a Cork boy in the squad, Kevin Long, who has been here 10 years now. And he's been fantastic for us.”

And Williams says the club’s recruitment in Ireland might not stop at Ramblers, using the link to spot other talents in the League of Ireland.

“We might not have an active presence on the ground. But you know, with video and our video recruitment, I can tell you all about some of the Shamrock Rovers boys who have got a standard of the Championship at least. So I think if we can sort of look at that and unearth and pick brains of people over there and speak to either Cobh, who might know someone at Shamrock Rovers or might know someone in Cork or might know somebody from Dundalk who comes available. It’s often who you know not what you know in football."

[Father Jack]

Smith, speaking from Turf Moor ahead of last night's clash between Burnley and Liverpool, added: "When I was coming down I was talking about how many young players we lose to bigger teams in Scotland that bypass Ayr and go elsewhere.

"But now they will have a pathway to the English Premiership and a club like Burnley - and that is absolutely massive.

"This is nothing but positive for Ayr United.

"The chance to top up our playing squad with potential loans could be huge for us in our league.

"It's a fluid situation and will be a blossoming situation in that regard.

"The partnership with Burnley is exciting - but the partnership with the other partner clubs is equally as exciting.

So there are opportunities now in terms of before we might have sent a young player up to Albion Rovers on loan.

"We can now send them over the water to Ireland, for example, and the maturity that will come from that will be a massive bonus for our young players."

United's under 16 squad will travel south this weekend to take part in the Barnfield Tournament at Burnley's state-of-the-art training complex as the deal has an immediate impact.

And Burnley, who will send their under 23s north this summer, hope to schedule a pre-season friendly with Ayr so that United can run the rule over potential loan signings.

Burnley bosses say Ayr were a "natural fit" after initially identifying the club through boss David Hopkin, who remains well known down south from his time at the likes of Leeds and Chelsea.

Clarets' chief operating officer Matt Williams told the Post: "We looked at a number of clubs but we spoke to the chairman and Ayr are very similar to us in terms of being a one town club.

"They're not in the Glasgow, Edinburgh or Dundee catchment area.

"We think their philosophy about what they do in the community ties in nicely with what we do.

"Davie as chairman has only been there a short time but has real ambition and hit it off immediately with our chairman Alan.

He added: "We want this to be about more than football, it's about every aspect of the business.

"In an ideal world we'll send two players out at a time but there's lots of conversations to be had.

"We're hoping to arrange something in pre-season with the under 23s so that Ayr will be able to get eyes on that squad and who might improve them.

[Burnley Ace]

It covers the citizens of the island of Ireland, a common travel area etc.

There is a Memorandum of Understanding it’s not the Belfast Agreement. The benefits are very much in favour of Ireland and If NI leaves the UK then there is very little benefit of keeping it in its current form.

[CharlieinNewMexico]

Surely with one eye on the AIScout trialees? No point being interested in someone from the US or Malaysia if current rules don’t allow them to play for us. But could in the ROI or Scotland? Or am I wrong.

[MalaysiaMo]

In Britain and most of the world it’s still known as ‘British Isles’ and in Ireland it’s known as ‘Britain and Ireland’. There really is no issue in the wording used.

Given that the Government of Ireland does not recognise the term "British Isles" and that many people in Ireland (north and south) strongly object to its use,and given that the clarets are trying to enhance links with people and football clubs throughout the island of Ireland, a more considered and precise use of language could reasonably have been expected of our club.

I should also add that the British Isles is a collective noun for more than just the islands of Greater Britain and Ireland - it includes over 6000 other islands.

I live in Asia and teach Geography at university, and before that taught Geography at a university in Ireland for 12 years. I am not sure what "most of the world" the earlier poster is referring to. Certainly few people I come across would be familiar with the term British Isles, and even fewer would use it.

[chekhov]

Stephen Ireland played for Cork City, but he was actually born in Cobh.

As well as their nan, you need to find out how old the pregnant girlfriend is.

I loved watching Stephen Ireland, he was a terrific player. Never seemed to make it to the very top but I thought he had everything. Could have been down to character or personal issues I guess.

[Colburn_Claret]

I loved watching Stephen Ireland, he was a terrific player. Never seemed to make it to the very top but I thought he had everything. Could have been down to character or personal issues I guess.

I agree, a very gifted player, but his mind never seemed to be focused on the game.

[dibraidio]

You may have noticed that none of the other clubs have used the same "British" headline as Burnley did. Perhaps this poor choice of words is more down to our Media department than anything else.

[BurnleyFC]

You may have noticed that none of the other clubs have used the same "British" headline as Burnley did. Perhaps this poor choice of words is more down to our Media department than anything else.

How is it a poor choice of words? It is a British term used by a British football club.

It’s Burnley’s right to use that term just as much as it’s the other clubs’s right to use the term ‘UK and Ireland’.

[dibraidio]

Interesting that in the article about Ayr it says it's more about who you know than what you know. So Ayr was chosen because the chairmen got on well together, Cobh Ramblers manager Stuart Ashton is a Burnley fan. We've done business with Portadown recently for academy players. What about Llandudno?

[GodIsADeeJay81]

What about Llandudno?

Maybe someone enjoyed a day out there, it's not a bad place to visit

[Tribesmen]

One thing i must stress if we ever do play in Cobh bring your hiking boots as the climb up to Coleman Park from the seafront is not for the faint hearted .

Also the have a bar in the corner of the ground , top spot .

[edison]

One thing i must stress if we ever do play in Cobh bring your hiking boots as the climb up to Coleman Park from the seafront is not for the faint hearted .

Also the have a bar in the corner of the ground , top spot .

I think a few fans went down there one of the times we played Cork City, just to see the ground.

[ClaretTony]

As a Ports fan I am thrilled with this partnership with Burnley FC a proper English club with genuine not plastic fans, hope we can build on this.

And hopefully a trip over to you for a friendly

[ClaretTony]

One thing i must stress if we ever do play in Cobh bring your hiking boots as the climb up to Coleman Park from the seafront is not for the faint hearted .

Also the have a bar in the corner of the ground , top spot .

We went to Cobh for the day when we were in Cork fir pre season in 2013 but the climb to the ground looked beyond me on foot especially when I knew I had even bigger climb from Cork station to our hotel on the way back.

[JarrowClaret]

We went to Cobh for the day when we were in Cork fir pre season in 2013 but the climb to the ground looked beyond me on foot especially when I knew I had even bigger climb from Cork station to our hotel on the way back.

I can’t remember Cork being particularly hilly especially around the centre, been a while since I have been though. Come to think of it actually on the other side of the main part of the river it did have a steep climb so I take it back, I didn’t see a hotel up there though do you remember what it was called by any chance?

[ClaretTony]

I can’t remember Cork being particularly hilly especially around the centre, been a while since I have been though. Come to think of it actually on the other side of the main part of the river it did have a steep climb so I take it back, I didn’t see a hotel up there though do you remember what it was called by any chance?

The benefits of hoarding old emails - just found the flight and hotel bookings.

It was the Montenotte on Middle Glanmere Road - you came out of the station and walked up this street. I swear it was so steep it was almost vertical.

[ClaretTony]

I can’t remember Cork being particularly hilly especially around the centre, been a while since I have been though. Come to think of it actually on the other side of the main part of the river it did have a steep climb so I take it back, I didn’t see a hotel up there though do you remember what it was called by any chance?

I've found the steep road on Google Maps

Cork Street.jpg (93.85 KiB) Viewed 1591 times

[Quickenthetempo]

I've found the steep road on Google Maps


Cork Street.jpg

The Bob Lord wall looks steeper than the first garden wall so I'm claiming it's not that steep.

[JarrowClaret]

Ha ha I can confirm that side of the river is reasonably steep I didn’t venture much up there if honest but I did have a wander around there a few times in my times in Cork. I was sad when my Work stopped sending me there, it really is a good place to visit. Spent most of my time when not working in and around the Grande Parade some fantastic eateries and drinking holes.

[ClaretTony]

The Bob Lord wall looks steeper than the first garden wall so I'm claiming it's not that steep.

Ha ha - a hell of a lot steeper than Brunshaw Road or the bit near the Usha on Rossendale Road

[timshorts]

How is it a poor choice of words? It is a British term used by a British football club.

It’s Burnley’s right to use that term just as much as it’s the other clubs’s right to use the term ‘UK and Ireland’.

Well it's a poor choice of words because it unnecessarily and predictably managed to **** off a percentage of the population of one of the countries involved just reminding them of an era when their country had been invaded, the population starved, innocent civilians shot etc etc.
Either way, its done now, let's just not do it again, eh.
The concept looks great and that seems a unanimous opinion on this site, which is a rarity.