HOCKEY ULSTER PLAYERS CHANGING ALLEGIANCE TO BRITAINTHIS WAS the offending paragraph that appeared on the Ulster Hockey website on August 26th before the Ulster under-18 side travelled to Bristol to compete in the UK School games from August 28th-31st.
"For the selected boys this is an opportunity to showcase their talents on a national level in front of Great Britain selectors who are using this tournament as a chance to identify players for the London 2012 Olympic Games."
The piece was written under the article headline: "Beijing may be over, but London 2012 beckons for Ulster's Under-18 Hockey Boys."
Needless to say, the piece has angered many people, who had believed an Ireland hockey team, governed by the Irish Hockey Association, was hoping to qualify for the London Olympics. Ireland narrowly missed out in qualifying for Beijing but the allure of GB this time is that, as hosts, they automatically qualify.
The serious error of judgment by the Ulster Branch in putting up the enticement for the best young Ulster players to be cherry-picked also comes on the back of an unofficial meeting that took place in Beijing this summer between British officials and individuals involved in Irish hockey.
Richard Leman and David Faulkner, both Olympic medal winners and currently part of the Britain team management, approached the Irish officials to tell them a number of Irish players had made approaches to them about playing for Britain for 2012. Their claim was that as British officials they simply informed those players of the rules governing the switching of allegiance.
Both Leman and Faulkner would have played alongside Stephen Martin, Billy McConnell and Jimmy Kirkwood, three Irish players who won Olympic medals with Britain.
While it has been stated that it takes three years to make the move, as Irish players would first have to play for a specified number of years for England, Wales or Scotland before being eligible (there is no Northern Ireland hockey team), it is also believed the international governing bodies can fast-track changes if all parties agree on the move. This would allow players to compete after just one year.
What also emerged from the meeting is that another international Irish player would be declaring himself for Britain before the end of this month and, if Leman and Faulkner are true to their word, maybe several more after that.
Irish hockey can do little to stop the flow but given the tens of thousands of euro it has taken to bring players to the required standard, it is believed that if any such transfers do take place, the IHA may seek compensation.
Iain Lewers, who plays professionally in the Netherlands and was a central figure with Ireland, switched allegiance earlier this year, while Chris Gregg did the same a few years ago. Several other players have withdrawn or retired from the Irish scene, including Ulster's Mark Gleghorn.
Ireland do not want players to leave but if they do the association's view may pragmatically turn towards seeking reward for the development costs. The Ulster Branch subsequently stated publicly and unequivocally they hoped players would continue to represent Ireland but in the current light and in the light of what might happen over the next four years, the Ulster website did little to quell fears.
FIXTURES: Tomorrow: Neville Cup quarter-finals: Suttonians v Railway Union, 1pm; Sutton Park School; Three Rock Rovers v Fingal, 2pm, Grange Road; Monkstown v Glenanne, TBC; UCD or Naas v YMCA TBC.
