The Irish Hockey Association announced today that star-player Iain Lewers has withdrawn from the Senior Irish Men’s team, effective immediately. Lewers has made the decision to make himself available for future selection on the Great British hockey team.
As a result, he will no longer be eligible to play any international hockey for the next three years. He will continue to play his club hockey with top Dutch club HGC in Holland.
Speaking to the Hook about his decision, Lewers said that he has taken this route in order to further his hopes of playing at the pinnacle of international hockey, namely the 2012 Olympics.
“I have ambitions and goals in hockey like everyone else, and I feel this is the best possible way to achieve these goals and aspirations.”
In doing so, Lewers is hoping to emulate two of Ulster’s finest – Jimmy Kirkwood and Stephen Martin (who is heavily involved in bringing the Olympics to London) – and compete for gold at hockey’s highest level.
But if the HGC player is successful in making the British squad for 2012, he will be the first player from this island to play in an Olympics since a ruling was made that Ulster players cannot play for both GB and Ireland.
The decision will be a major concern for the IHA, with Lewers believing that Ireland does not currently have what it takes to break into the world’s elite, despite recent improvements.
Asked whether he saw Ireland making the grade, he responded
“The answer to your question at this minute time is no, and that’s why I decided to make the decision I have. While I agree with a lot of people in Irish hockey that the current time has a lot of talent, I don't believe that at the top end of high performance in Irish hockey that the structure is there to help give these talented players the best possible chance of qualifying for major tournaments.%20sm.jpg)
“Ultimately my decision can be seen as selfish, but you are not an international hockey player for too long and you have to make decisions which are best for you.”
The move is not without precedent in hockey’s recent past with Marilyn Agliotti playing initially for South Africa before taking a three-year hiatus and then getting selected for the Netherlands. Likewise, Laurence Doherty attempted to shift allegiance from Scotland to the Netherlands.
The latter spent three years attempting to naturalise, living in Holland and playing for Klein Zwitserland but found it hard to break into the Oranje squad but, after a struggle and a lot of time spent on the fringes, has now made the Dutch Olympic squad.
If all goes to plan, Lewers will qualify to play for England in international competition in three year’s time but says that this was an independent decision and was not approached by the English set-up to force his hand.
The case will, as such, mirror the break from international that cricket’s Ed Joyce took in order to qualify for an England call-up – though the fact Ireland play at the same level in hockey rather than having test status means that Lewers could well play his old colleagues sooner and more regularly.
Asked if he was concerned about the three year hiatus, playing with the European club runners-up should provide the sharpness he needs to develop.
“Basically, I will not compete on an international hockey pitch for three years, then i will become available for England. However, in order to compensate for the lack of international hockey, I will be continuing to play in the best league in the world in Holland where every week is close to playing a international game. I feel by doing this it will give me the best possible chance to re-entering the international fold.
“I think it’s the risk you take as an individual if you are going to make these decisions. As long as you are aware of the possible outcomes of your decisions, and as long as you feel you have done everything possible to ultimately be selected then I think you can always justify your decision.”
A brave decision – it ultimately raises serious questions for the IHA to deal with, especially with the recent motion from DUP and Lisnagarvey man Alaistair Ross on the issue.
42 comments:
Very good choice in my opinion. Himself and Jermyn are the only two players who could possibly be held up as world class players on the Irish team. They cant go any further than they already have with the Irish team and this allows him to compete at the London 2012 competition. Good luck to you Iain!
Irelands best player by a mile, and will on get better playing in Holland and for Great Britain. Good luck Iain. Will be interesting to see how well Ireland do now without him, David Passmore as promised alot and delivered little or nothing in my opinion.
I'd be very careful about saying jermyn is world class,saw him in the setanta trophy and I would even go so far as to say he looked off the pace and out of his depth. However, Lewers is top draw!
At the Setanta, Jermyn was recovering from a broken bone in his foot and had played next to no hockey in the preceding three months. He was a lot better in the Celtic Cup, though, and is one of our better players.
Now that Lewers has left, only a fit Jermyn and Eugene Magee are the stand out players in the squad. Indeed there are a number of players who should not even be in the squad.
bad move for lewers...has to wait three years before he can play international hockey again,he will start off with england "A" team having not played international hockey for three years i think there is a possibility he will struggle to break into an england team that already has some top players in his position before he can even be considered for a place in the GB team.There is no doubt that he is a top class player and Irelands best by a good bit but 4 years is a long time and anything can happen between now and then. I think its a harsh confidence blow to his ex team mates in the Irish squad who have fought so hard to make the massive strides they have,and who in my opinion,will qualify for a place in London with the talent they have..
Obviously someone from the GB setup tapped him up at the Setanta trophy, he is certainly good enough now and will be even better in 3 years
Only a matter of time before Magee goes too.
how can i irsh man pull on aan english jersey!!!!! doesnt make sense
I think this highlights just how bad a job passmore is doing. I agree with the comment above that states that the teams being picked these days just arent correct. Passmore has had his chance to qualify for Beijing-failed but still now has the chance to lead us to London. I believe the reinstatement of the U21 national teams can only be a good also as many young club players who are borderline are now being told they dont have the chance or even the help to step up to senior international level. Is there any way we can push for the U21's to reintroduced.
Good luck Iain in the future.
poor decison!! and where does this leave irish hockey? Without a doubt the best player and likely that Gleghorne and Eugene will be approached. Perhaps even Watt for th 2016 also. If ireland want to make big tournamnent they need to keep their best players
Great article Steve, really well written and much more informative than the IHA!!
I wish Iain every success with his decision but also feel he's turning his back on his team-mates that really have put Ireland on the cusp of qualification for the final stages of major tournaments.
Hockey isn't an individual sport and just as at club level there are consequences when someone jumps ship.
It's a huge risk and by the time he's eligible to qualify for England he doesn't have much time left to break into that squad and then springboard onto the GB team. Despite claims to the contrary, I'm sure it was someone else that put the idea in his head or at least convinced him that he would indeed stand a chance of making the GB squad.
It's a blow for Ireland to lose one of our best current international players and someone who would undoubtedly have been at the core of future successes... but perhaps it also represents a great opportunity for someone to step into his shoes on the Irish starting team and for someone else to play a bigger part in the Irish squad.
I think now is also the time to evaluate the management team and their achievements to date. We are at the start of a new 4-year cycle and perhaps the irish team needs to be reinvigorated with some fresh faces at the helm, lest we fall into the same trap as with Cees Koppelaar who was stale after remaining for 10 years in charge!!!
anyone looking to criticise Ians decision needs to pipe down..
he has been a committed member of the irish team for 4 or so years now and has never let the side down, infact he has been their best performer for t least 2 years now.
He obviously has ambitions and these cannot be achieved with Ireland at the minute, as for 1. They are not good enough and 2. There are obviously problems within the strucutre of irish hockey, so, think we should all wish him well and accept that he is hopefully going onto bigger and better things.
At the end of the day hockey is an amatuer sport, it is not like football where players pick up
£20k for an england cap. This whole issue is not a question of loyalty and if people look at the decision logically without their "IHA rose tinted glasses" on they will see that the olympics is obviously where Iain wants to play and declaring himself for GB is his best chance of acheiving this. at the end of the day, knowone is getting any younger.
Seeing as the men get no sports council money and the women do, surely this makes a major case that the men should now be given some encouragement and financial help. otherwise more will go...
Good luck Iain, hopefully, the IHA can use this for some long-term gain!
Leaving out whether Iain was right or wrong! What is the long term impact of this and any other potential defections going to have on Irish Hockey as a whole! Surely everyone must agree that a lot of work and investment has gone into Irish hockey over the last number of years. Its a shame we cannot hold on to Iain but what is the next
It's a pity he's going. Recent Irish performances have been huge improvements and I hope this won't set the whole squad back.
Wish him well though....we all have dreams!
It's up to the squad now to pull together and meet him in 2012!!!!!
I think Gleghorn may well follow suit, his dragflick is worldclass and would give GB that extra that could push them into Olympic medal contention.
It does seem time for Passmore to get off his high horse and realise he hasn't helped irish hockey at all. The only reason things appear to have improved is because of the slightly better financial situation that irish hockey has now. He has to step down or be sacked, now is the time.
I also believe Craig Fulton is the man to take his place. He basically does the job already without the title or wage packet that accompany it.
I cant see how anyone could even think about putting on another international jersey(let alone an English one).Anyone who says this isnt a question of loyalty is having a laugh.This is about the players he grew up with,from underage right up to the senior team and now he has just decided to forget each one them and go play with a new set of players from a different country.
There is no question that the guy is absolutely class but to change countries as though it were just a club situation....Not On.
..........
Also how can people geniunely say that passmore should be sacked, the man has improved hockey majorly over here.He has brought younger players more closer to the standard of senior status (Mitch Darling for one). 4 years ago thinking of drawing with a Spanish side 1-1 would have been a joke but thats what the Irish did last year and there is no doubt that every hockey fan was in shock. I'm not saying everything is perfect in the Irish setup but to sack Passmore could be a decison people may regret!!
Thats ridiculous to claim that it was Passmore being the single reason for Mitch Darling coming to the forefront of Irish senior hockey. Passmore is simply the man that picks the teams. Does nobody ever wonder why Sheriff isn't still with the irish team??? He is without doubt the leading striker in the country, look at his goals to games ratio - its outstanding. Craig Fulton is in my opinion a fantastic candidate. He knows a lot of the players and also doesnt have a bad name in Irish hockey like Passmore does. There would be none of these suprise inclusions of players such as Pritchard, strange how a talented player can get ahead of the likes of Paul Gleghorne for the Irish team, oh wait his Dads the manager. Joke - bring back the U21
wise up with the comments,paul gleghorne would be equally as uncomfortable at international level at left back as adam pritchard is,different positions played by each player so you can't compare.Agree passmore has a bad name but hes done a great job to date but i also feel its time to move on,he evaluates his own performances and thats never healthy in any situation.Sheriff is past it for international level,he was in his time,without doubt,one of the worlds best strikers,but contrary to what was said above,he struggles to score the same amount of goals he used to.pity he was let go of the way he was,if he had of been kept in the panel no doubt he'd still be as awesome as ever to this day.
Sheriff is the best striker in ireland and will be still for the next 5 years without doubt. Its hilarious to suggest otherwise he's two times the play sothern, watt or Darling are you cant deny that. They will be there soon hopefully hitting his levels but for the moment Sheriff is the best player in Ireland
Paul gleghorne starts at centre back for one of the top teams in Europe. A team that tops the best team in Ireland- Pembroke
Just a few more details on Laurence Doherty that I thought this may be of interest. He's been selected in the Dutch squad for the Olympics this year having been previously been involved in the squad only to be dropped for both the World and European Championships.
He moved to Holland at the age of 20 in 2000 after playing in the 1999 Under-21 wordlc up for Scotland in Milton Keynes but his Dutch naturalisation did not come through until 2005.
what centre backs are coming through to take his place???
one of the best centre backs in the country isnt even in the squad at the minute
i heard he was tapped up at the setanta trophey....magee was to nd said no fair play magee!!!!
conor harte will take his place he is a class act!!!
I think that this is a great decision by Iain.
He has been involved in the senior setup for about 6 years now, earning himself over 80 caps. Before moving to Holland he was training about 3 times a week for Ireland, and 2 for his club. He made a massive commitment for a sustained period without being given proper support that a top sports person should be given.
Being British he has every right to play for GB. Iain has made big sacrifices to play for Ireland and clearly now feels that he needs a new challenge. There can't be any bigger than aiming to play in an Olympic Games.
All the best Iain. You have a lot of support.
why dont northern ireland start up their own team?
wouldnt be a bad idea..
also, paul van ass (Iains previous coach at HGC) is now an advisor for the dutch national team so i wouldnt be surprised that if in 3 years he was playing for holland!
Although this decision is disappointing from an Irish perspective it has to be respected. Best of luck to Ian and it would be great to see him play in the Olympics in London.
On another note I think Passmore has to have a look at his position now and evaluate how far he has taken the team and more importantly how far he can continue to take the team in the future!
This is crazy stuff. You should not be allowed to play for two national sides. This carry on needs to be nipped in the bud.
on the grounds of a comment above noting that Iain is British, surely that calls into question why he ever wanted to play for Ireland?
Furthermore, Conor Harte is somewhat like a young Rio Ferdinand in that he oozes quality but lacks concentration in a big way and is prone to costly lapses
As for Sherriff being among the best strikers in the world, if anyone has seen the guy train they may know there is a certain lack of appetite for hard work and a doubt over the mental strength - these are things that are beyond doubt in the world's infest players - a phenomenal talent no doubt but never among the world's best strikers
I don't want to get heavy into politics but just have to correct an absolutely ignorant statement in a previous post:
[quote]Being British he has every right to play for GB.[/quote]
Perhaps this was just written to wind people up... but in case not, let me correct for the record:
1. Northern Ireland is [b]not[/b] actually part of Great Britain.
2. Great Britain only constitutes England, Scotland and Wales
3. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom which comprises Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
4. People from Northern Ireland are Northern Irish [b]not[/b] British.
5. Dual nationality is afforded through either an Irish or United Kingdom passport
i'm thinkin of declarin for the ussr
Is this another step on the way towards division of hockey on this island? Is this another step towards an Northern Ireland hockey team? I know from speaking to coaches, committee members and supporters of Ulster sides last season that a vast majority are very anti the AIL and wanted Ulster sidea to stay in their own league.
Re: Lewers - Ireland invested a lot of time, money and expertise in bringing him up through the ranks and he decides to cut his ties and head off for the GB squad. Do we want to become a player development feeder system for GB? Hockey Ireland needs to think long and hard about how to address this problem. We won't have much of a future in international hockey if a third or more of the players on the Irish squad are eligible for another country as well!
I for one would be 100% in favour of Ulster being segregated from Irish Hockey - surely those from Munster and Leinster have suffered long enough from biased selection processes with Ulster players getting a far easier ride into representative sides and southern players having to be twice as good to achieve parity. At this point just because the balance of power has essentially swung south in terms of winning prizes and selection has become more merit based than ever Ulster may not be so keen - deciding at the outset of one's career which side they want to play for would settle that once and for all.
As it is, one guy has decided to use Ireland as a stepping stone for his career to then go on and represent a different country in the Olympic Games - we should learn from that and prevent it re-occurring.
Queso, a little pedantic getting into the semantics of whether Mr. Lewers is British or a citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - NI citizens would refer to themselves as British and he will be representing Great Britain in the Olympics so it was really just a phrase to indicate his right to play for the GB squad or that's how I read it anyway.
It's a shame for Ireland but a bonus for team GB and NI.
Perhaps the time has come for Ulster to cuts its ties with the IHA and set up an NI association.
I am not being political, I just feel the NI players would gain more exposure to high level tournaments.
NI could easily compete at a European B level, they would also get into the same qualifiers as Ireland currently do and be able to compete at the commonwealth games, and their top players could have Olympic medal aspirations. At the moment Ireland just flit between Euro A and B and occasionally do half decent in a OQ or WCQ, but do they really have a chance to qualify, personally I would say no.
Plus this would also mean that the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland could get 2 Euro Club places each, which would benefit the game as a whole in Ireland. Having two associations would not mean that all ireland competition would have to stop, it is currently happening in soccer.
Just a thought....could this be a start of many?
Chris Gregg - Already declared for England
Lewers - Gone
Gleghorne - Def Going
Gleghorne (Paul) - still no cap for ireland
Ryan McCrea - No senior cap GB have already been looking at him
Magee - Think he will stay with Ireland
Mikey Watt ????
Soccer is the only sport that currently has the divide between the Republc and NI.
why follow that model which sees two very average national outfits? To make players want to play for Ireland over GB means having the structure in place and making it an attractive option.
We have a much bigger playing population than Spain so being a top nation is acheivable if all is in place. Obviosuly it is not at the moment.
Dividing into two average sides is pure nonsense in progressing Irish hockey.
Having the structure to create an elite international playing side doesn't depend on having greater playing numbers than spain.
Surely if the structure is correct (using alot of different Australian sports as an example - they excel internationally due to their academy and elite training model), the playing numbers are not as important, assuming of course there are significant numbers, which there probably are.
Why does splitting an average side into two average sides make a difference in the short term - the structure to be implemented would take a decade to yield dividends but wuold do so in a Republic context as much as it would in an all Ireland one
Comments about the soccer team being the only one split is fair but the rugby team (being the prime example of a functioning united island team) does not lose players to England and can't, once they represent Ireland at senior level
sorry, just saw that last suggestion. are you serious in asking to spilt the team in Rep and NI for the short term and then go abck to being all-ireland a few years later once we have seen benefits?
no - i'm saying split into two and put the correct structure in place then trust in that structure as it will take 10 years to produce tangible results at senior levels
Where did i say that we should then go back to an all-ireland scenario?
The alternative is to have a system whereby Ulster players choose who they play for and then can't go back - this would force them into the GB system (if they so chose) at an early stage and would allow them pursue that dream if that is their choice - but once they choose Ireland, they would be locked in
either one seems preferable to the current situation
I think im right in saying that the GB team plays in the Olypmpics and Champions trophies only. In all other competitions its England, Scotland and Wales - so does that mean Lewers is ruling himself out of a World cup? He would hardly represent England or how would that work?
I think dividing into separate sides would be a disaster for the high performance aspects of both new teams north and south as it is much better to have single high performance unit with better resources than two underfunded ones.
I'd prefer to build on what we currently have for the next ten years rather than wipe the slate clean and start again.
In a country as small as Ireland it also makes no sense on a domestic front as everyone gets good representation on a national level unlike say scotland and wales where they might suffer from lack of resources and attention if GB organised the domestic game.
It does seem unfair that players from england, scotland and wales can play for their counties and GB but not players from Northern Ireland is there anyway of reversing that decision? However it is also unfair that GB can poach some of our best players who have been developed using IHA resources. So something has to give.
Whats all this rubbish about Gleghorne this and young Gleghorne that?Lewers is a phenomenon.He is capable of improving a GB team.Neither Gleghorne is anywhere near that standard
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