Irvine Moves To The Us

[KingBeastie]

Former Elgin City manager and ex-Scotland defender Brian Irvine has been appointed as the new boss of American side Carolina Rail Hawks. (Daily Record)

Best of luck to him, very pleased for him, according to my Dad he's a lovely bloke.

Either way at least I'll not have to listen to his dire radio fuckwittery, err sorry punditery when ICT are on the radio.

[FortressICT]

Marks & Spencer will miss him.

[kencar]

He was dreadful but at least he knew most of our players names!

[Heilandee]

Top guy, real gent,ah the very best to Brian

[Guest Muir-Jaggie]

all the best brian

[Yngwie]

For a horrible moment I thought the topic said Irvine moves to us!

[Renegade]

So did I. Ah the old Carolina Railhawks, gotta be the best name in football (or is it soccer?) especially since the old Rochester Raging Rhinos changed their name to the boring old "Rochester Rhinos".

[AJS]

I heard that he got that job ages ago and was just waiting to get a chance to move out. Pleased for him, really nice bloke, had the privelege of nut-megging him in a 6-a-side game.

[DJS]

He has spent a couple of summers working in the States and I hope he does really well with them

[L_G]

He has spent a couple of summers working in the States and I hope he does really well with them

I wish him all the very best. Shame he's had to leave the country just because Kirsteen failed to find him full time employment here. Some agent she turned out to be. :-)

He was absolutely fantastic at our AGM forum and I think he has a lot to offer, so I hope he does really well.

[Renegade]

Apparently he's not actually manager, rather assistant manager. I see the Railhawks also have Paul Richie (as in the defender). Intersting quote from the Daily Record here:

BRIAN IRVINE last night made a shock return to football as assistant manager of ambitious American outfit Carolina Rail Hawks. The former Aberdeen and Scotland star, sacked by Elgin last year, has jumped at the chance to help the First Division side in their bid to reach the star-studded MLS.

I'm guessing that the Daily Record is making the point that he's going to help the Railhawks get promotion to the MLS. Which as far as I know, isn't possible.

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

Why all the love for an ex County player ?

[Scotty]

I'm guessing that the Daily Record is making the point that he's going to help the Railhawks get promotion to the MLS. Which as far as I know, isn't possible.

Its not. The MLS is a 'closed shop' just like the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB etc and elevation to the league is by invitation only .... and the payment of the appropriate Franchise Fee !!!

You could argue that this year's new "expansion" team - the Seattle Sounders - is a USL team that were awarded a place in MLS but thats not strictly true. The USL Sounders are classed as defunct and resigned from USL. The MLS Sounders are a new team that retained many of the same staff and players as the USL side as well as the same owner (who is part-owner of the new side).

At the end of the day, promotion to the MLS is nothing to do with results, its all to do with money and a desire to get teams into currently untapped markets. The USL and MLS teams have big sponsors - Sounders managed to get a 5 year $20million deal with Microsoft and X-Box for example !