Eligibility Rules, Okay

[Predator]

From Trevor Ringland's piece:
"Extreme disappointment would be my initial reaction to this latest development. It’s like an Ulster player deciding to switch to Munster or a Down player deciding to turn out for Tyrone"
Ringland's ignorance is clear from this statement. In fact, I'd almost go as far as to say that the statement is 'incredibly short-sighted' and shows 'a total lack of understanding' of the reasons why players would rather play for the FAI. The only truth in the statement is that it is an act of playing for what, only to the likes of Ringland, is a rival team.

[Charlie Darwin]

But an Ulster player DID just decide to switch to Munster.

[The Fly]

But an Ulster player DID just decide to switch to Munster.

ahhh........poor Trev.

[Not Brazil]

i can play for any of the 4 home countries because i am eligible for a british passport and not being born in britian

In addition to being a British Citizen, players need to comply with Article 16 of the FIFA Stautes in order to play for one of the "home" Associations.

[co. down green]

Paul George named in the Ireland u17 squad for Elite qualifiers later this month. Welcome aboard Paul.

http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=101591:irish-u17-squad-announced-for-uefa-championship-qualifiers&catid=6:under-17&Itemid=17

[Stuttgart88]

I hear John Ringo is also about to declare.

[Paddy Garcia]

well i am decent i am eligible for a british passport because my granny was born in eire before the rebellion so she is british. so i am in the maik taylor mold i can play for any of the 4 home countries because i am eligible for a british passport and not being born in britian. matthew letissier was the same way he could of played for northern ireland since he was born jersey. maik taylor was born in germany but could play for n.i becase he was a british citizen born abroad, so he chose northern ireland. so could grame lesaux could of played for n.i so the rules are tricky with british citizenship it seems anyone born out side of britian can play for the home countries if there british citizens so i dont know what northern ireland problem is they could of had owen hargraves, le tiss,lesaux dorigo ect they just chose not to cap them or even approach them

Well your grammar and punctuation is a lot better than most of our players - so I'd certainly have you in the team.

[geysir]

I don't think Sean has any hypothetical choice of Irish teams. Unless he has British nationality, he cannot play for NI.
I'd say he'd have a job getting a UK passport, unless his grandfather was a UK passport holder.

[sean r]

thanks paddy i do have a education and being born in usa i do have a grasp of our native tounge and know Amhrán na bhFiann in irish too! more than can be said about half the national team. we should be picking players what WANT to play for eire not players where we were the 2nd choice. i remember when marlon king was linked with us. what if he was on the team now!! i said on another thread we are really the england "B" team now anyway

[Lionel Ritchie]

Which great sage of foot.ie was it who said "appropriate capitalisation is all that separates I'm helping my Uncle Jack off a horse from i'm helping my uncle jack off a horse" ?

[The Fly]

i remember when marlon king was linked with us. what if he was on the team now!!

We'd have to keep him well away from Manuela for a start.

[Predator]

A poster on OWC suggested that if the IFA supported Grant Wahl in his campaign to be FIFA President, that they may have a chance of getting the rules changed to suit them. Alas, today he announced that he would no longer be running (from his twitter):
"If only the world's fans could vote. But they don't, so today I'm bowing out of the FIFA president race. Thanks for your support!"

Here's his piece on the affair: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/grant_wahl/04/01/fifa.candidacy/index.html

[Predator]

I truly wish the Belfast Telegraph's sports writers would stop peddling such misinformation. I'm almost embarrassed for them.
Should Northern Ireland born players be free to opt for the Republic? (http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/poll-should-northern-ireland-born-players-be-free-to-opt-for-the-republic-15103864.html)

"The world governing body gave the FAI the green light to cherry pick players born in Northern Ireland, despite Fifa’s own statutes dictating that either a player himself, one of his parents or a grandparent must be born on the ‘territory of the relevant association’ in order to play for that country."

[DannyInvincible]

The only thing I find semi-annoying about that is this notion of carte blanche "cherry picking". It gives the impression that the FAI can select who they like and somehow force them to play for Ireland when any rational-thinking person would understand and acknowledge that the decision of a dual national as to who to represent if considered good enough by whichever association is concerned quite naturally lies entirely with the player himself. If he's not keen on representing the FAI, then there'll obviously be no "cherry picking".

The rest of it, by now, I just find kind of unfathomable, amusing and cringeworthy. It's as if the writers are living within a vacuum. There's a lot of ill-informed nonsense spouted in the comments sections below the pieces they churn out too, from both sides of the debate - although, in fairness, those commenting there aren't being paid to regurgitate balderdash - but I'm pretty sure the error of the writers' ways has been highlighted there at least, even if nobody has bothered to e-mail them to correct their misunderstanding every single time they fail to actually bother doing the most basic bit of research you'd expect of them as to the wording of the FIFA statutes before having a moan about them.

Then again, what was it Joseph Goebbels said about repeating a lie often enough?...

[geysir]

You've got to credit the sheer persistence of those sports writers on the Belfast Telegraph, to maintain that level of obstinacy.
Thicker than 2 short planks, though.
Where do you start with someone who thinks this is the question?
BT Poll - Should footballers born in Northern Ireland be free to play for the Republic?

[awec]

The BT get it wrong time and time again. I reckon they do it on purpose.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Playing 'Devil's Advocate' is their new (or not so new) 'Modus Operandi??

Sure on the comments section on one of their many debates on this issue last year, one persistent poster (unless they too also were playing DA) was suggesting The BT were not adhering to their expected agenda/stance, which is another oddity. Given the medium this person was protesting through.

[Predator]

Interesting to read the thoughts of 'AugherStar' over on OWC. Hard to know whether those who expound these views are serious or not.

"Can you not see the irony in all this ,re the funeral of Ronan Kerr and the RoI policy of dividing our population?This country is struggling to put our former divisions to bed and your bunch of parasites are stoking up ill feeling over somthing as irrelevant (in the grand scheme of things) as football.Constable Kerr and his colleagues are able to satisfy their "irishness" whilst working within NI ,for the UK government,yet little sectarian toe rags are allowed to declare for the Republic ,"coz that's who caffilicks play for ".All the while being cajoled and influenced by scum like Delayney and Brady .
Sure who cares if we get a peaceful,mature society (which may ultimately lead to some sort of "United Ireland")as long as the Republic pick up an odd extra, decent player to mix in with the rest of the English and Scots that they have gathered up to make themselves think they are an important footballing nation."

The FAI are not just scheming sectarian childcatchers, but they're also to blame for bombs and conflict. It would be a task to make this up, I'm sure.

[tetsujin1979]

Good thing there's no English players on the Northern Ireland team, isn't it?

[co. down green]

Good thing there's no English players on the Northern Ireland team, isn't it?

augherstar must have missed the announcement of the north's u19 squad yesterday, especially their midfield

Midfielders
David Morgan – Born ni
Matthew Ball – Born Chelmsford
Ryan Brobbel – Born Middlesbrough
James Knowles – Born ni
Jack Warburton – Born London
Ben McKenna – Born Carlisle

As for the rest of it, a sectarian rant - best ignored.

[Predator]

We could ignore it, or we could laugh it out of the room.

[co. down green]

We could ignore it, or we could laugh it out of the room.

Very true, laughing it out of the room sounds like more fun :)

[paul_oshea]

Interesting to read the thoughts of 'AugherStar' over on OWC. Hard to know whether those who expound these views are serious or not.

"Can you not see the irony in all this ,re the funeral of Ronan Kerr and the RoI policy of dividing our population?This country is struggling to put our former divisions to bed and your bunch of parasites are stoking up ill feeling over somthing as irrelevant (in the grand scheme of things) as football.Constable Kerr and his colleagues are able to satisfy their "irishness" whilst working within NI ,for the UK government,yet little sectarian toe rags are allowed to declare for the Republic ,"coz that's who caffilicks play for ".All the while being cajoled and influenced by scum like Delayney and Brady .
Sure who cares if we get a peaceful,mature society (which may ultimately lead to some sort of "United Ireland")as long as the Republic pick up an odd extra, decent player to mix in with the rest of the English and Scots that they have gathered up to make themselves think they are an important footballing nation."

The FAI are not just scheming sectarian childcatchers, but they're also to blame for bombs and conflict. It would be a task to make this up, I'm sure.

they really are so thick over there.what i can't get my head around is people like gr eg nb who associate with these sorts by posting on that forum. and then we all wonder when we see them in landsdowne singing racist vile drivel.

[Drumcondra 69er]

Interesting to read the thoughts of 'AugherStar' over on OWC. Hard to know whether those who expound these views are serious or not.

"Can you not see the irony in all this ,re the funeral of Ronan Kerr and the RoI policy of dividing our population?This country is struggling to put our former divisions to bed and your bunch of parasites are stoking up ill feeling over somthing as irrelevant (in the grand scheme of things) as football.Constable Kerr and his colleagues are able to satisfy their "irishness" whilst working within NI ,for the UK government,yet little sectarian toe rags are allowed to declare for the Republic ,"coz that's who caffilicks play for ".All the while being cajoled and influenced by scum like Delayney and Brady .
Sure who cares if we get a peaceful,mature society (which may ultimately lead to some sort of "United Ireland")as long as the Republic pick up an odd extra, decent player to mix in with the rest of the English and Scots that they have gathered up to make themselves think they are an important footballing nation."

The FAI are not just scheming sectarian childcatchers, but they're also to blame for bombs and conflict. It would be a task to make this up, I'm sure.

Sweet Jesus. That's actually beyond belief.

[awec]

To be fair, it is a bit ridiculous.

[The Fly]

Interesting to read the thoughts of 'AugherStar' over on OWC. Hard to know whether those who expound these views are serious or not.

"Can you not see the irony in all this ,re the funeral of Ronan Kerr and the RoI policy of dividing our population?This country is struggling to put our former divisions to bed and your bunch of parasites are stoking up ill feeling over somthing as irrelevant (in the grand scheme of things) as football.Constable Kerr and his colleagues are able to satisfy their "irishness" whilst working within NI ,for the UK government,yet little sectarian toe rags are allowed to declare for the Republic ,"coz that's who caffilicks play for ".All the while being cajoled and influenced by scum like Delayney and Brady .
Sure who cares if we get a peaceful,mature society (which may ultimately lead to some sort of "United Ireland")as long as the Republic pick up an odd extra, decent player to mix in with the rest of the English and Scots that they have gathered up to make themselves think they are an important footballing nation."
The FAI are not just scheming sectarian childcatchers, but they're also to blame for bombs and conflict. It would be a task to make this up, I'm sure.

Has the FAI 'making Northern Ireland a Protestant Team' thread, been renamed the FAI 'Cementing Partition' thread yet? ;)

[Predator]

Very true, laughing it out of the room sounds like more fun :)Indeed. If ignored, there is a possibility that these irrational views may influence other, more gullible, fans, stirring them up into a rabble. It's the kind of thing that could potentially create problems in May.


they really are so thick over there.what i can't get my head around is people like gr eg nb who associate with these sorts by posting on that forum. and then we all wonder when we see them in landsdowne singing racist vile drivel.To be fair to GR, he has disputed such views. I'm not sure if I can say the same for EG though, who has still not withdrawn his ridiculous comments about some of our players.


Has the FAI 'making Northern Ireland a Protestant Team' thread, been renamed the FAI 'Cementing Partition' thread yet? ;)I shouldn't know, because I'm banned... :angel:

[paul_oshea]

Thats not really the point I'm making, for example when I lived in Dublin I avoided certain pubs where I knew there was a few eejits for Old Firm games for example, I don't really want to associate with that, not snobbery but I just dont like it.

Now, thats why I cant understand why one would partake in such a forum by posting, if thats the kind of members they have. And its not the first user to write that type of crap, actually I dont remember seeing that fellas name posted on here before....

[Predator]

As in life, there will be a few clowns and imbeciles on every forum. I do not think individual posters should necessarily be defined by the idiotic ramblings of certain other posters. However, I think that such idiotic ramblings should be challenged and exposed as being ridiculous, but they rarely are, which takes credibility away from the forum. It is an interesting insight.

[geysir]

Has the FAI 'making Northern Ireland a Protestant Team' thread, been renamed the FAI 'Cementing Partition' thread yet? ;)
Are you banned from the OWC site as well?

[The Fly]

Are you banned from the OWC site as well?

No, I just decided to refrain from posting for a short while to allow tensions to ease; particularly between myself and one of the moderators. That short while then became a longer while, during which my subcription lapsed. It's only recently that I have begun to revisit the site.

After the resolution of the player eligibility case with the CAS, there was an understandable deflation, and increased sensitivity, amongst many of the OWC members. IIRC, it was during this time that Predator received a ban, and I received the tribute of my very own thread, entitled "The Fly Educates Da North". This honour was bestowed upon me by 'fhtb'; the moderator in question, and was quickly followed by a warning which ran as follows:

"trolling - and finally admits he doesn't support NI. No reason to humour him any longer then. If he starts gurning I support kicking him out completely - give back what's left of his sub if needs be."

The part emboldened above suggested to me that perhaps the 'lunatics had taken over the asylum', and it was best to withdraw.

[geysir]

Yet here, you seem such a mild inoffensive chap and a such a willing student.

[paul_oshea]

As in life, there will be a few clowns and imbeciles on every forum. I do not think individual posters should necessarily be defined by the idiotic ramblings of certain other posters. However, I think that such idiotic ramblings should be challenged and exposed as being ridiculous, but they rarely are, which takes credibility away from the forum. It is an interesting insight.

Yes thats true, but from what Ive seen of it before, it doesn't get challenged. These kinda people you just cant educate there is no point telling them, so why bother trying? And if you're not trying then why would you bother even associating/speaking with them - unless you aren't actually trying to educate them?

[Wangball]

augherstar must have missed the announcement of the north's u19 squad yesterday, especially their midfield

Midfielders
David Morgan – Born ni
Matthew Ball – Born Chelmsford
Ryan Brobbel – Born Middlesbrough
James Knowles – Born ni
Jack Warburton – Born London
Ben McKenna – Born Carlisle

As for the rest of it, a sectarian rant - best ignored.

Ryan Brobbel, formerly of our U17's! Those player stealing Dastards!!!!:eek::mad:
http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=100655:ireland-under-17-squad-named-for-double-header-against-hungary&catid=6:under-17&Itemid=17

[ArdeeBhoy]

Don't mind them picking eg. English-born players, if they're eligible.
It's just the Hypocrisy (and related paranoia) I can't stand.....


they really are so thick over there.what i can't get my head around is people like gr eg nb who associate with these sorts by posting on that forum. and then we all wonder when we see them in landsdowne singing racist vile drivel.

Certainly they compare favourably with 'Augher Star'. But that's not saying much.
Someone needs to tell AS & their kind, the activities of the FAI/IFA are not related to those of dissident republicans. Or the more low-level, but more frequent, activity of their loyalist, erm, 'equivalents'.

It's even more fanciful of some of their bizarre nonsense on politics.ie .....


No, I just decided to refrain from posting for a short while to allow tensions to ease; particularly between myself and one of the moderators. That short while then became a longer while, during which my subcription lapsed. It's only recently that I have begun to revisit the site.

After the resolution of the player eligibility case with the CAS, there was an understandable deflation, and increased sensitivity, amongst many of the OWC members. IIRC, it was during this time that Predator received a ban, and I received the tribute of my very own thread, entitled "The Fly Educates Da North". This honour was bestowed upon me by 'fhtb'; the moderator in question, and was quickly followed by a warning which ran as follows:

"trolling - and finally admits he doesn't support NI. No reason to humour him any longer then. If he starts gurning I support kicking him out completely - give back what's left of his sub if needs be."

The part emboldened above suggested to me that perhaps the 'lunatics had taken over the asylum', and it was best to withdraw.

Somewhat ironic they have barred you & Predator;so much for a willingness to debate?? Is Danny I on there I wonder, or CDG ??
Unsurprisingly I was banned, but hear all the important gossip via GR! :eek:

Even more ironic though, is that it was our old 'friend' from here, 'fhtb' (I would suggest an alternative meaning to his handle but won't repeat here!), acting as 'moderator', FFS.

More that of the fire-and-brimstone type from the more extreme versions of the Church of Scotland, perchance?? Than any degree of objectivity.....

[Predator]

The part emboldened above suggested to me that perhaps the 'lunatics had taken over the asylum', and it was best to withdraw.Excellent turn of phrase!


Yes thats true, but from what Ive seen of it before, it doesn't get challenged. These kinda people you just cant educate there is no point telling them, so why bother trying? And if you're not trying then why would you bother even associating/speaking with them - unless you aren't actually trying to educate them?I don't invest much faith in the education of those who currently expound these type of views. Most of them are stubborn and irreconcilable.


Ryan Brobbel, formerly of our U17's! Those player stealing Dastards!!!!:eek::mad:
http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=100655:ireland-under-17-squad-named-for-double-header-against-hungary&catid=6:under-17&Itemid=17This is a definite case of poaching. They've obviously made an underhanded approach for this player, offering him incentives to 'jump ship' to 'The Dark Side'. CAS, anyone?


Somewhat ironic they have barred you & Predator;so much for a willingness to debate?? Is Danny I on there I wonder, or CDG ??Danny wasn't banned outright, but received a suspension lasting eight years or so when he challenged a certain poster's sneaky, but ultimately flimsy and ludicrous argument that, in choosing northern borns, the FAI was infringing on their identity...

[ArdeeBhoy]

An 8 yr. suspension??
What is wrong with them??

[geysir]

Somewhat ironic they have barred you & Predator;so much for a willingness to debate?? Is Danny I on there I wonder, or CDG ??
Unsurprisingly I was banned, but hear all the important gossip via GR! :eek:

I would be surprised if you lasted longer than Paul Butler did :)

[DannyInvincible]

Somewhat ironic they have barred you & Predator;so much for a willingness to debate?? Is Danny I on there I wonder, or CDG ??
Unsurprisingly I was banned, but hear all the important gossip via GR! :eek:

Ah yes, as Predator confirms, I suffered the ignominy of being banned for eight years without notice or warning in March of last year. I had to e-mail a moderator myself for answers but my enquiries didn't really bear much fruit other than an eventual strange and blunt accusation from a moderator, who would clearly rather have been swatting a fly, that I was also in the possession of a second and more abusive original account. Possessing two accounts at once is against forum rules, as is being abusive, naturally. However, the problem was that this other mystery account was total news to me. I first posted on OWC in 2007 when the Darron Gibson "tug-of-war" was at the top of the agenda but the account was only suspended in 2010 when I returned with a better understanding of the eligibility issue in general to offer a clearly unpopular argument against the user who'd set up the bizarre, twisted and disingenuous Facebook campaign, "Protect Northern Ireland players' identity rights" (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=393311351424). If I had been accessing the site under some other alias then I ought to have been banned when I first set up the supposed second account in 2007, surely? It just didn't add up.

Anyway, just under seven more years to wait now before I can rejoin the lively and probing debate again...

http://www.visualphotos.com/photo/2x2702711/tally_count_marks_on_wall_cb0629286.jpg


NIIRC, it was during this time that Predator received a ban, and I received the tribute of my very own thread, entitled "The Fly Educates Da North". This honour was bestowed upon me by 'fhtb'; the moderator in question, and was quickly followed by a warning which ran as follows:

"trolling - and finally admits he doesn't support NI. No reason to humour him any longer then. If he starts gurning I support kicking him out completely - give back what's left of his sub if needs be."

The part emboldened above suggested to me that perhaps the 'lunatics had taken over the asylum', and it was best to withdraw.

Indeed, the site defines itself in the header at the top of the forum as "a Northern Ireland fans' website" but I'm sure the mods don't boot off supporters of upcoming opposition and the like. Really, it's just a convenient brush to tar posters with whom the mods disagree.

Anyway, I came across this copied from the FAI website and posted on a "certain other forum" - there are ways - a while ago: http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=101678:fai-history-chapter-6--fifa-rules-on-irish-issue&catid=75:about-fai&Itemid=139


FAI History Chapter 6 – FIFA rules on Irish issue

The decade of the 1950s marked the resolution of the thorny issue of dual qualification of players born on the island of Ireland and also the intervention of FIFA to apply an official designation to the two associations governing football on the island.

The Irish Football Association in Belfast continued to select players from the south for their international teams in the years after the War, a policy that was not shared by the football authorities in Dublin with just one exception.

The Football Association in Dublin selected four Northern Ireland players in a squad that travelled to play Portugal and Spain in the Summer of 1946 in Ireland's first two international matches after the War.

The reasons why they departed from their stated policy of confining selection to those players born in the Republic have never been satisfactorily explained but the licence to look beyond the political boundary separating the North from the Republic for team selections was revoked in 1950.

What does that mean exactly? It's all rather vague. Is it alluding to some sort of "gentlemen's agreement", of which CAS dismissed notions in the recent Kearns judgment? Not that I'm saying such a "policy", if it did exist then, would be in any way relevant to how the rules are read today or anything, but it's something I hadn't encountered before.

[Charlie Darwin]

I first posted on OWC in 2007 when the Darron Gibson "tug-of-war" was at the top of the agenda but the account was only suspended in 2010 when I returned with a better understanding of the eligibility issue in general to offer a clearly unpopular argument against the user who'd set up the bizarre, twisted and disingenuous Facebook campaign, "Protect Northern Ireland players' identity rights" (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=393311351424).
That is tragic. Don't any of these people have wives or girlfriends?

[geysir]

What does that mean exactly? It's all rather vague. Is it alluding to some sort of "gentlemen's agreement", of which CAS dismissed notions in the recent Kearns judgment? Not that I'm saying such a "policy", if it did exist then, would be in any way relevant to how the rules are read today or anything, but it's something I hadn't encountered before.

It's saying that the IFA had a policy of selecting players from the Free State. After the Republic was declared 1949, FIFA wrote a letter to the IFA telling them to stop selecting citizens of "Eire". That's my best guess as to what is meant by 'licence revoked'.

see also page 13 and 14 of the Daniel Kearns CAS judgement for more info

[DannyInvincible]

It's saying that the IFA had a policy of selecting players from the Free State. After the Republic was declared 1949, FIFA wrote a letter to the IFA telling them to stop selecting citizens of "Eire". That's my best guess as to what is meant by 'licence revoked'.

see also page 13 and 14 of the Daniel Kearns CAS judgement for more info

I see where my confusion arose now. I'd been aware of all that but, the way it was worded, I mistook "they" to be referring to the "Football Association in Dublin" as that's who the immediately preceding paragraph had been referring to.

[ArdeeBhoy]

I would be surprised if you lasted longer than Paul Butler did :)

To be fair lurked on there for a while, but blew my cover in Sept. '07 with the thread,
'Puppets 1, Muppets 0' !

You'd have thought they'd have at least been happy enough to see the funny side for that one??


I first posted on OWC in 2007 when the Darron Gibson "tug-of-war" was at the top of the agenda but the account was only suspended in 2010 when I returned with a better understanding of the eligibility issue in general to offer a clearly unpopular argument against the user who'd set up the bizarre, twisted and disingenuous Facebook campaign, "Protect Northern Ireland players' identity rights" (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=393311351424). If I had been accessing the site under some other alias then I ought to have been banned when I first set up the supposed second account in 2007, surely? It just didn't add up.

Anyway, just under seven more years to wait now before I can rejoin the lively and probing debate again...

http://www.visualphotos.com/photo/2x2702711/tally_count_marks_on_wall_cb0629286.jpg

The founder of the FB group, judging by his correspondence to the BT & other Northern media , seems to have set him set himself up against their ultimate uber-nemesis of OWB, a Mr. Tony Fearon, I believe of Portadown.
(His colleague (who founded OWB), judging by certain e-mail exchanges we had beyond MB's, seemed then to be a deeply unpleasant and paranoid man.)

Certain members of that board even accused me of being the aforementioned Mr.Fearon.
But yer man is in a league of his own. That said, would stand him a scoop or two if our paths ever crossed.

And DI, yeah the image is just about right.
Can't believe that my own 'sentence' is about 5 years less.....Though don't think I'll bother to try to engage with them again.

[ifk101]

What does that mean exactly? It's all rather vague. Is it alluding to some sort of "gentlemen's agreement", of which CAS dismissed notions in the recent Kearns judgment? Not that I'm saying such a "policy", if it did exist then, would be in any way relevant to how the rules are read today or anything, but it's something I hadn't encountered before.

Vague isn't the word I'd use but very odd passage nonetheless. It should be understood that the FAI's establishment was not a split from the IFA but an attempt to replace it. Wider political events helped ease the establishment of the FAI and the FAI was subsequently admitted to FIFA in 1923 as the FAIFS (Football Association of the Irish Free State). From this point it confined its selection policies to the Irish Free State. However wider political changes in the mid-1930's saw the FAI revert back to its original name and re-adopt its original "agenda" to replace the IFA as the governing footballing body on the island of Ireland. Therefore it no longer confined its selection policies to the Irish Free State. After WW2 and the admittance of the IFA to FIFA, there were two FIFA members competing as "Ireland" and acting as the footballing association of the island. Intervention by FIFA was needed as both associations were essentially picking from the same player pool as certain players were lining out for both associations. This intervention ultimately led to the IFA being confined to NI, the end of players lining out for both associations and the introduction of the modern day team names of the ROI and NI.

[gspain]

It's saying that the IFA had a policy of selecting players from the Free State. After the Republic was declared 1949, FIFA wrote a letter to the IFA telling them to stop selecting citizens of "Eire". That's my best guess as to what is meant by 'licence revoked'.

see also page 13 and 14 of the Daniel Kearns CAS judgement for more info

It was nothing to do with the declaration of the Republic in 1948. FIFA's rules on playing for more than one country remained lax for years afterwards. They do appear to have clamped down on playing in the same world cup qualifying campaign at that time though.

The FAI put pressure on English clubs not to release players for NI. It is documented in Peter Byrne's official history of the FAI. Con Martin was told by Aston Villa he wouldn't be released again to the IFA for games. Others were tolod likewise. The Home Championship match at Wrexham in March 1950 was the last official All Ireland side.

[ifk101]

It was nothing to do with the declaration of the Republic in 1948. FIFA's rules on playing for more than one country remained lax for years afterwards. They do appear to have clamped down on playing in the same world cup qualifying campaign at that time though.

Edit. Prior to the IFA joining FIFA after WW2 the British Home Championship was not regulated by FIFA. It was assumed by the IFA that therefore FIFA regulation did not apply to the Home Championship once the IFA joined FIFA. However the Home Championship was now also doubling as a WC qualifier group. Therefore the FAI put pressure on clubs not to release "their" players for the IFA's team in the Home Championship. The IFA subsequently went to FIFA to complain about this pressure the FAI was placing on players to which FIFA ruled that the IFA was no longer permitted to pick players falling under the FAI jurisdiction for WC qualifer matches.

[geysir]

It was nothing to do with the declaration of the Republic in 1948. FIFA's rules on playing for more than one country remained lax for years afterwards. They do appear to have clamped down on playing in the same world cup qualifying campaign at that time though.

The FAI put pressure on English clubs not to release players for NI. It is documented in Peter Byrne's official history of the FAI. Con Martin was told by Aston Villa he wouldn't be released again to the IFA for games. Others were tolod likewise. The Home Championship match at Wrexham in March 1950 was the last official All Ireland side.

DI was asking about the reference in the FAI's history page about the IFA's "license" to pick players born in the Republic being "revoked". The corresponding historical timeline justification for using the term "license revoked" is the FIFA letter of April 1951 saying in effect that another Association could not select "Eire" citizens/players.
'On the other hand, the Executive Committee consider it inadmissible to select players, being citizens of Eire, for the representative teams of a country other than Eire. An exception from this rule is only allowable in respect of the international matches between the four British Associations if those countries agree and the F.A. of Ireland do not object, but not for matches played in Jules Rimet Cup”.

Whether the declaration of a Republic had effect here is not of real importance, it is part of the timeline. I think my answer to DI was clear and satisfactory.

That is how FIFA tried to regulate the Associations before they wrote the criteria into the statute books.
The statutes and clearer eligibility regulations were a slow work in progress and the pace of that progress was regular part of the growth of a global association like FIFA

[gspain]

Vague isn't the word I'd use but very odd passage nonetheless. It should be understood that the FAI's establishment was not a split from the IFA but an attempt to replace it. Wider political events helped ease the establishment of the FAI and the FAI was subsequently admitted to FIFA in 1923 as the FAIFS (Football Association of the Irish Free State). From this point it confined its selection policies to the Irish Free State. However wider political changes in the mid-1930's saw the FAI revert back to its original name and re-adopt its original "agenda" to replace the IFA as the governing footballing body on the island of Ireland. Therefore it no longer confined its selection policies to the Irish Free State. After WW2 and the admittance of the IFA to FIFA, there were two FIFA members competing as "Ireland" and acting as the footballing association of the island. Intervention by FIFA was needed as both associations were essentially picking from the same player pool as certain players were lining out for both associations. This intervention ultimately led to the IFA being confined to NI, the end of players lining out for both associations and the introduction of the modern day team names of the ROI and NI.

What is your source for the FAI attempting to repalce the IFA in the 20's & 30's? I haven't heard that claim before.

Both associations were not really picking form the same pool. The FAI picked some northern born players in the 30's who never played for the IFA. In some cases at least they were playing in the league of Ireland. Apart from the Iberian tour of 1946 when 4 NI players were picked only 2 other northern born players played for both associations - Harry Chatton who did so after moving to play for Shels and Cork and Jackie Brown. Brown played for the IFA before and after his 2 appearances for the FAI in 37.

Relations were extremely frosty for much of the 1930s. Inter-league games stopped in 1930 and didn't restart until 1938. Games between clubs in the 2 associaitions were also banned for most of the 1930's. I'm pretty sure we didn't award caps for the underage meetings for many years afterwards. Although I see some players have retrospectively got caps from the FAI.

[ifk101]

What is your source for the FAI attempting to repalce the IFA in the 20's & 30's? I haven't heard that claim before.

The motivation behind the formation of the FAI was to replace the IFA. This is generally understood - for example the FAI state on their webpage that;

"The clubs and associations who attended the meeting voted to establish the Football Association of Ireland to develop and administer the game throughout the 32 Counties of Ireland."

http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=222&Itemid=226

[gspain]

The motivation behind the formation of the FAI was to replace the IFA. This is generally understood - for example the FAI state on their webpage that;

"The clubs and associations who attended the meeting voted to establish the Football Association of Ireland to develop and administer the game throughout the 32 Counties of Ireland."

http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=222&Itemid=226

Interesting. Thanks. I must read Peter Byrne's early account again tonight. I suspect the history pages are based on his book.

On second thoughts your claim does make sense as Alton United (Belfast) played in and won the FAI Cup in 1923.

The IFA certainly saw itself as the de facto governing body for football on this island up until 1950.

I actually did some research years ago and can't find it but it seemed to indicate during the early 30's that the FAI did not pick players
who played for the IFA. Jimmy Dunne is one who springs to mind who went from 1930-1936 between caps. He was good enough for an
All Ireland team at the time and won the elague and charity shield with Arsenal. There are other examples but I can't find evidence of players
being forced to choose one or the other except of course when games clashed.