Eligibility Rules, Okay

**DannyInvincible** · 12/01/2016, 11:55 PM

Billy Hutchinson made some daft, paranoid comments about the eligibility of northern-born Irish nationals at the motion debate inside Belfast City Hall last week. I wrote a bit on what he said here: https://danieldcollins.wordpress.com...fa-corruption/

In a bizarre and completely inaccurate “explanation” of “facts”, Hutchinson asserted that “the whole notion of whether you can play for Northern Ireland or whether you can play for the Republic goes back to the days of Sepp Blatter“. He then mentioned Blatter’s recent ban from all football-related activities, imposed upon him by FIFA’s Ethics Committee, along with the FBI’s investigation into alleged FIFA corruption, as if to imply a direct connection between the eligibility of northern-born Irish nationals to play for the Republic of Ireland and corruption at the governing body.

There's a video of what he said there too.

**geysir** · 18/03/2016, 9:40 AM

A tardy Fifa have given Grealish the official go ahead to represent England.

The journalist writes,
'Grealish .............. appears a much less likely England international than was the case when he made his decision in September.
Despite Villa’s dreadful season, Grealish has found himself on the sidelines. He has not appeared in the Premier League for more than two months and his last appearance in any competition for Villa was the defeat by Manchester City on 30 January.'

**Charlie Darwin** · 18/03/2016, 10:28 AM

And people say McGeady has no end product. This lad has taken it to the extreme.

**DannyInvincible** · 06/04/2016, 11:39 AM

But we're "the beggars", supposedly...

(Edit: Oh, and hat-tip to Dodge for alerting me.)

**The Fly** · 06/04/2016, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

But we're "the beggars", supposedly...

(Edit: Oh, and hat-tip to Dodge for alerting me.)

Is that genuine?

Edit - I see it's for the women's teams.

**geysir** · 06/04/2016, 3:33 PM

That has to be a spoof?

Euro's?

**CraftyToePoke** · 06/04/2016, 4:04 PM

I hope this is real, I hope they have actually gone and done this, it can't be can it ?

And I await the FAI version welcoming all creeds of Irishmen of any community or tradition aboard.

**DannyInvincible** · 06/04/2016, 7:40 PM

It was tweeted by an Anth Nolan who's bio describes him/her as: "Commerical Manager of women's footy website & magazine. Responsible for distribution and liasing with clubs. So get in touch."

Here's the tweet: https://twitter.com/SheKicksAnth/sta...71303407386624

All seems legit to me.

**geysir** · 06/04/2016, 9:18 PM

The Apostrophe Protection Society will surely take them to task.

**Gather round** · 07/04/2016, 4:27 PM

Now now lads. As you know, I don't tend to go in for all that offensive stuff. Well except when you Freestaters get lairy.

I was talking to my cousin and his wife the other day, reminding that their son (currently playing in Norwich City's U-12 squad) is eligible for various other international teams through his granda...

Alfie Wylie (from the flyer) is a top lad. Invited the entire away support to dinner at a couple of recent women's internationals.

<MOD EDIT>
Personal insults (tongue in cheek or not) removed

**geysir** · 07/04/2016, 5:49 PM

Invited the entire away support to dinner at a couple of recent women's internationals.

Should that not be, 'he invited the entire away support, the couple at the recent women's internationals?'

**Gather round** · 08/04/2016, 9:07 AM

Eight (including a couple) and three respectively for visits to up-country Belgium and Motherwell.

Coincidentally I've just seen another Icelander (your departing PM) struggling with basic arithmetic on the TV news

**ifk101** · 08/04/2016, 9:24 AM

Originally Posted by Gather round

Invited the entire away support to dinner at a couple of recent women's internationals.

He invited the away support to a couple of recent women's internationals for dinner?

**paul_oshea** · 08/04/2016, 9:35 AM

I was thinking about this before, but is Herzegovina a similar situation to ours? Croats born there, playing for Croatia? I assume they are eligible in the same way as ROI players born in the North.

**geysir** · 08/04/2016, 7:49 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

I was thinking about this before, but is Herzegovina a similar situation to ours? Croats born there, playing for Croatia? I assume they are eligible in the same way as ROI players born in the North.

The difference is, ethnic Croats born in B&H are not automatically Croat citizens just by virtue of being born in B&H. They have to acquire it by satisfying criteria to establish their basic Croat ethnicity, according to their citizenship laws article 16
Therefore the criteria in Fifa article 7 apply for them, should they so desire.
And as you know, we Irish enter through the front door, via article 5.

**DannyInvincible** · 16/04/2016, 9:24 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

I was thinking about this before, but is Herzegovina a similar situation to ours? Croats born there, playing for Croatia? I assume they are eligible in the same way as ROI players born in the North.

From having had a look for an appropriate parallel a few years ago, I think a somewhat similar situation to our own is Turkey-Northern Cyprus. That's just from my own research. Turkey extends citizenship extra-territorially over the northern half of the island of Cyprus; a territory only it recognises as being under its jurisdiction. The rest of the world, or at least the UN, views the whole of Cyprus as a 'de jure' sovereign and independent state. I could do with double-checking, but, from memory, I don't think any other state in the world recognises Turkey's territorial claim or the extension of its citizenship law as legitimate. It's different from out situation in that sense; the UK formally endorsed the extra-territoriality of Irish citizenship law over the entire island via the GFA. In spite of global disapproval or non-recognition of Turkey's claim, however, Muzzy Izzet and Colin Kazim-Richards qualified to play for Turkey through their Northern Cypriot ancestry. FIFA may not acknowledge the legitimacy of Northern Cyprus, but they recognise Turkish citizenship as valid, so long as someone possesses it and fulfils the relevant eligibility criteria.

**Gather round** · 17/04/2016, 9:26 AM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

I don't think any other state in the world recognises Turkey's territorial claim or the extension of its citizenship law as legitimate

Didn't one fairly large country (Bangladesh from memory) do so in the past?

It's different from out situation in that sense; the UK formally endorsed the extra-territoriality of Irish citizenship law over the entire island via the GFA

Strictly, is that endorsement any more than symbolic? I mean, you can offer citizenship to me, or whoever you fancy, regardless what I or the Brit government think. Like you have done for decades

In spite of global disapproval or non-recognition of Turkey's claim, however, Muzzy Izzet and Colin Kazim-Richards qualified to play for Turkey through their Northern Cypriot ancestry. FIFA may not acknowledge the legitimacy of Northern Cyprus, but they recognise Turkish citizenship as valid, so long as someone possesses it and fulfils the relevant eligibility criteria

If the Cypriot problem isn't resolved, Kibris should be welcomed by FIFA/ UEFA. There could be a celebratory tournament involving NI, Norway and wannabe breakaway nordie regions of other countries (Catalunya, Vlanderen, Padania etc.) to welcome them.

**DannyInvincible** · 17/04/2016, 3:05 PM

Originally Posted by Gather round

Didn't one fairly large country (Bangladesh from memory) do so in the past?

It seems Bangladesh and Pakistan may have done, although this is no longer the case. Some info here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreig...orthern_Cyprus

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

Turkey is the only country which recognises Northern Cyprus and has an embassy in North Nicosia. Northern Cyprus has an embassy in Ankara.

In 2005 the President of Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, said that Gambia was ready to recognize the independence of Northern Cyprus. The Cypriot government protested and Gambia did not recognize the TRNC.

In October 2011, Libya signed cooperation treaties with TRNC government.

...

In 1983 Bangladesh and Pakistan withdrew recognition after UNSC Resolution 541 and international pressure.

Strictly, is that endorsement any more than symbolic? I mean, you can offer citizenship to me, or whoever you fancy, regardless what I or the Brit government think. Like you have done for decades

It is symbolic in the sense that Irish citizenship was available to northerners since 1956. Pre-GFA, it was officially a matter of diplomatic tension/dispute.