Grannygate: How Stephen Ireland’s Lie About His Granny Ruined His Republic of Ireland Career
“Grannygate” might be one of the strangest, most infamous stories in Irish football. It’s a tale of promise, missteps, and ultimately, a lost career on the international stage for Stephen Ireland. Once tipped as a potential star for the Republic of Ireland, Ireland’s talent and creativity stood out in a team hungry for flair. But his decision to invent a story about his grandmother’s passing, in a desperate bid to leave the Irish camp in 2007, changed everything.
For fans of Irish football, Stephen Ireland remains a mystery – a player with undeniable skill who faded into the background of the sport, leaving many to wonder just how different things could have been if not for Grannygate.
In the early 2000s, Stephen Ireland was a young midfielder from Cork who quickly made his mark at Manchester City. His ability to link up play, create scoring chances, and glide past defenders set him apart from the typical Irish midfielder. He wasn’t just hard-working – Ireland brought an elegance and finesse that were rare for Irish players at the time.
It wasn’t long before he caught the eye of Republic of Ireland manager Steve Staunton, who was looking to rebuild the squad. Ireland, with his unique mix of skill and intelligence, was expected to lead a new generation of Irish players, with Staunton planning to rely on him heavily during the Euro 2008 qualifiers.
Stephen Ireland: A Tale Of Lies
It all kicked off in 2007 when Ireland was called up to represent his home country in a Euro 2008 qualifier away to Czech Republic. Irish manager at the time Steve Staunton was heavily relying on his star midfielder to help his country grab a much-needed win and boost their chances of qualification.
All seemed fine until Stephen received a call from his girlfriend an hour before the game. She begged for him to come home as she had just suffered a miscarriage back in Cork. So, what did the player do? Stay and represent his country and try to lead them to qualification and then catch the first plane back to Cork to aid his girlfriend in need? No. Ireland decided the best way for him to get out of playing the game was to throw his poor Granny under the bus.
Stephen Ireland pulled Staunton aside and explained that he had just received a phone call from his girlfriend saying that his grandmother had unfortunately passed. Staunton had no issues with letting his star leave and even organized a private jet to get him home swiftly, as Stephen Ireland recalls,
“The manager went back to get my phone and I immediately called my girlfriend. She was distraught and told me that she had had a miscarriage but thought that they would let me home quicker if they thought my grandmother had died.”
The Unravelling:
Ireland’s story might have ended there – except that his grandmother was very much alive and kicking. The lie began to unravel when Ireland’s maternal grandmother, Patricia Tallon, heard about her own “death” in the media and quickly reached out to Irish newspapers to correct the record. Word spread fast, and the bizarre reality of the situation started to emerge.
So, what did Ireland do then? Yes, he decided to try to write off two more of his grandparents. Who were also still alive.
Stephen decided to say that it was his father’s mother that had unfortunately passed. Brenda Kitchener also learned about her passing in the papers and threatened to sue the publication for the story. Ireland with his back against the wall decided to pull out the wildcard he had been holding on to. Grannygate had become a national spectacle by this point, with the Irish press in full pursuit and fans both amused and confused.
He insisted that he was indeed telling the truth but this time he claimed his grandfather’s divorced partner was the one who was passing away. What happened next? Ireland was exposed for the third time.
At this stage, Ireland had nobody else he could ‘kill off’ and decided the best course from here was the truth and an apology.
“I decided at that stage that I must tell the truth and admit I had told lies. I realise now it was a massive mistake to say my grandmothers had died.“
Unfortunately, it was all too late for Ireland. He was never again selected for the Irish squad and felt his club career suffer after his manager at Manchester City publicly criticised him for his nonsense lies.
The Fallout of Grannygate: A Career Never the Same
Stephen Ireland’s standing in Irish football took a massive hit. Staunton, and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), were livid over the incident, and Ireland’s teammates reportedly felt betrayed by his deception. He was left out of future squads, and though some still called for his return, the FAI was not prepared to risk another Grannygate episode.
His club career also felt the impact. At Manchester City, then-manager Sven-Göran Eriksson was not impressed by the drama, and Ireland soon found himself spending more time on the bench. Though he would go on to have a standout season in 2008-09, winning City’s Player of the Season award, his career never truly recovered. Ireland moved from club to club, including spells at Aston Villa, Newcastle (on loan), and Stoke City, but he never recaptured the form that had once made him a promising star.
About The Author
