"Never mind Ireland's non-qualification," begins Billy Williamson.
He has a non-qualification (an honorary diploma conferred upon him by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition - which he founded - when he was director).
In 2006 there was the red card against Portugal, then the non-qualification for Euro 2008 and two years later the World Cup in South Africa.
"The performance of Italy and France kind of puts Ireland's heroic non-qualification in context," suggests Sean DeLoughry, giving everyone pause for thought.
Thus it was that McClaren brought his matey, fraternal style to the training ground before it all ended under an umbrella with England's non-qualification for Euro 2008.
Robert Di Matteo paid for non-qualification for this stage with his job at Chelsea, but in such a rarified atmosphere, the failures match the rewards.
His prediction was correct, and he took it hard: "There's only one person will take non-qualification for a World Cup to the grave with them, that's me.
Benjamin Massey, Editor, Maple Leaf Forever, Vancouver: The great story for Whitecaps fans this week is the collapse of hope, the end of joy, our oppression by the cruel grey clouds of playoff non-qualification.
Regardless of the international results, the non-qualification of any MLS team for the Concacaf Champions League group stages should have alarm bells ringing through the halls of MLS headquarters in New York.
After the debacle of Doncaster Belles' relegation before they had even kicked a ball last season and Sunderland's non-qualification for inclusion in WSL1, despite winning the Premier League, all for non-footballing reasons, Simmons says the FAWSL has finally solved the issue of its licensing regulations.
