GreenScene » Carel Tiofack and Conor O’Donnell released by Ipswich

Carel Tiofack and Conor O’Donnell released by Ipswich

17 February 2012 2,221 views 8 Comments Written by Ronan

Ipswich Town second year scholars Carel Tiofack and Conor O’Donnell have been released after failing to sign professional contracts.

The Republic of Ireland under-17 duo are among five academy players who have been released by the club. Academy manager Sammy Morgan spoke of the difficulty of letting the youngsters go. “It’s the hardest part of the job for Russell [Osman, U18 coach] and I. We have worked with the boys for two years, longer in many cases, and it’s hard to sit down with them and tell them we have to let them go – but decisions have to be made.

“We will circulate the names of the others and try and help them get fixed up with a club. Just because we have not given them a contract, it doesn’t mean they won’t stay in the game. There are plenty of examples of players being released who have gone on to have good careers in football.”

Cameroon-born striker Tiofack had been bizarrely linked with a move to Arsenal by the Sun newspaper, which senior Ipswich boss Paul Jewell dismissed. “He’s a young Academy player who can’t get a regular game in our team. I don’t know where that story came from. If Arsenal want to give us £2 million with a view, we’ll listen to it! His contract’s up this year, so he’s one of those players that we have to make a decision on, which is horrible when it goes the wrong way for them.”

However, the move now seems more unlikely for the former Ballincollig AFC attacker. Goalkeeper O’Donnell joined the club while Roy Keane was in charge, signing from Buncrana Hearts. Both players will now be hoping to find new clubs as soon as possible.

8 Comments »

Propagandhi said:

Tiofackin’ hell. Fackin’ tabloid garbage!

# 17 February 2012 at 5:38 pm

IrishRI said:

Wow. We have Cameroonians playing for Ireland now. How about some of these Brazilians in Gort? Surely there’s a hidden Ronaldinho there somwhere waiting to be discovered.

# 17 February 2012 at 6:40 pm

Propagandhi said:

I reckon it will be approximately 2020 before we see a Brazilian, Pole or Nigerian in the senior team. These people only started arriving here in high numbers about ten years ago. In 7 or 8 years we will find the next Irish Kaka, Yakubu or …. Lukasz Fabianski?

# 17 February 2012 at 6:49 pm

IrishRI said:

Polak is derogatory term. Not sure if you knew that. I only realised it myself recently when I actually called a Polish-American guy a Pollak and he almost punched me. I thought people from Poland were called Pollaks, like Slovaks etc but I was wrong.

EDIT: Previous comment by other reader was edited to prevent any misuse of this term.

# 17 February 2012 at 7:03 pm

Fionn said:

lmfao, good luck at Arsenal!

# 21 February 2012 at 3:27 am

Propagandhi said:

I heard the expression in The Wire season 2. I thought that’s what they’re called. My mistake.

# 23 February 2012 at 3:47 pm

Owen said:

Regarding the Brazilians in Gort. Local people were not asked and they were cheap foreign labour. Repatriate them.

# 28 March 2012 at 7:34 pm

The Emerald Exiles Carel Tiofack: Making the present and leaving the future to itself said:

[...] being linked, somewhat bizarrely, with a move to Arsenal in The Sun newspaper last year, a claim the former Ipswich manager Paul Jewell refuted, Tiofack was released in February 2012 after failing to sign a professional contract. That was [...]

# 24 April 2013 at 10:53 pm