NIFG

Part one can be found here . By Gavan Bergin “ Genius and perseverance until the last gasp” (the Glasgow Herald February 1913) Frank Thompson had great success playing for the Irish international team. He made his international debut for Ireland in their British Championship match against England, at the Solitude ground in Belfast on February 12th 1910. He was brilliant in that game: he attacked smartly, using his pace and craft to cause havoc in the English defence. They were holding on, though, and seemed certain to reach halftime on level terms until, Frank set off on yet another run, flying forward on the left wing-but now, instead of going straight for the corner when he passed the halfway line, he suddenly swerved infield and sped into the box, where he made a towering jump to win the aerial battle and smash the ball into the net, scoring with what the Sheffield Daily Post called “a perfect header“. That 43rd minute goal by Frank meant that the half-time score was 1-0 to Ireland

Dating back to the earliest days of organised football there has been a steady stream of ex-pat players seeking to share the beautiful game with the colonies . The benefits of this were obvious, with the opportunity for a retirement pay-day in sunnier climes, or the chance of a new life far away from the strife at home. As such, Australia, New Zealand and British Hong Kong became a favoured spot for British pros from the 1960s-1980s. More recently, Asian domestic football has grown in stature (and Australia have joined the AFC), starting with the J League in Japan in the 1990s through to the professional leagues in the likes of China and India seeking to cash-in on the huge markets presented by the world's two most populace countries. The NSL was Australia's top division 1977-2004 The A-League became Australia's top flight in 2005 The Hong Kong First Division was founded in 1908, and was usurped by the Premier League in 2014 India's