Player eligibility row

[Nedser]

Brian Kerr's views on this issue in today's Irish Times:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2010/0302/1224265432025.html

His logic seems quite confused and inconsistent - he seems to be saying that it's not fair to recruit NI-born players because NI don't have too many good players to start with. But recruiting Scottish born players is not so bad because they've produced "the likes of Law, Dalglish, Souness, Bremner and Jordan, in better days".

He also admits to personally "having had early discussions with Darron Gibson about a possible switch to the Republic" yet thinks it's wrong to to pursue "lads who have played for Northern Ireland at underage level". To be fair, at least he acknowledges that he could be accused of hypocrisy!

[Mr_Parker]

I've already done so.

Link? Quote?

[Mr_Parker]

Exact words from the GFA:
"The participants endorse the commitment made by the British and Irish Governments that, in a new British-Irish Agreement replacing the Anglo-Irish Agreement, they will ....

(vi) recognise the birthright of all the people of Northern Ireland to identify themselves and be accepted as Irish or British, or both, as they may so choose"

There it is in black and white. People born in the North are allowed to choose whether they are Irish, or British or both. Ergo they are not automatically British. They were automatically British in the eyes of the UK before the GFA, but not any more. This is exactly why the GFA is relevant to this issue.

"In the eyes of the British" It is "In the eyes of FIFA that what counts in this issue. The GFA has no relevance.

[Mr_Parker]

By that logic babies born in NI would have no citizenship at all, as they haven't chosen yet.


They are British and Irish from the moment of birth as a result of the GFA, are they not (as opposed to being British from birth but also entitled to get Irish citizenship if they choose)? In order to "not be" British any more, they'd actually have to go and have their citizenship rescinded, I think.

You are right to a point, but it is not as a result of the GFA. It is 'or' not 'and though and it was always the case. The GFA merely consolidated what two independent governments already recognised. No one has to rescind anything either.

[Mr_Parker]

spot on sniffer,

If you think it has run its course or it doesn't interest you, why not just ignore it.

[Mr_Parker]

This guy's a strange one.

Called up for us in January

Called up for Northern Ireland a few days later

He also qualifies for England.

[geysir]

Seriously, I give up. I reproduce an exact quote from the GFA stating that people born in NI have the right to choose whether they are Irish, or British, or both and you still argue that it says something completely different. What the GFA says is not open to debate. It does not say or even imply that people born in NI are "British and Irish from the moment of birth". As for babies - I assume their parents can choose on their behalf - that's the way it works with everything else.

You might think logic dictates that they should be both British and Irish from birth, but that's not what the GFA says.

The GFA is not and never has been any replacement for the Irish and British nationality laws.
It is the lengthy and detailed Irish and British nationality laws which determine the citizenship rights/requirements of people born in NI, not the GFA. The only change that the GFA brought into effect in this regard (citizenship), was the change to the Irish citizenship law which said that now (most) all people born on the Island are automatically Irish citizens from birth.
Do you understand that?


Next task, read this slowly from my previous post as it came to me from Moses.
"Irish nationality only qualifies you for the FAI.
An Irish national born in the North is automatically a British national even if he/she never obtains a UK passport, even if he/she only aspires to be an Irish citizen. NI born are automatic dual citizens. Only the automatic British nationality qualifies a NI born to be eligible to play for NI."

[The Bunk]

They have named they under 17 squad ..it unlcudes Ryan Brobbel who we are also in the hunt for. He is English born and on the books for Middlesboro

Do you have a source for that?

[dr_peepee]

If you think it has run its course or it doesn't interest you, why not just ignore it.

Cos' Geysir has Ealing Green on the ropes!!!

[Mr_Parker]

Do you have a source for that?

Post 255

[Reality Bites]

Brian Kerr's views on this issue in today's Irish Times:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2010/0302/1224265432025.html

His logic seems quite confused and inconsistent - he seems to be saying that it's not fair to recruit NI-born players because NI don't have too many good players to start with. But recruiting Scottish born players is not so bad because they've produced "the likes of Law, Dalglish, Souness, Bremner and Jordan, in better days".

He also admits to personally "having had early discussions with Darron Gibson about a possible switch to the Republic" yet thinks it's wrong to to pursue "lads who have played for Northern Ireland at underage level". To be fair, at least he acknowledges that he could be accused of hypocrisy!

Like everything Kerr writes in recent times it has the faint hint of bitterness

[geysir]

Faint ??

[drummerboy]

Surprised by his reasoning, especially considering his own father was a Belfast nationalist who came south and settled in Dublin.

[Mr_Parker]

Well here we have what the IFA will base their case on. Quite amazing stuff!

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sp...-14703993.html

I can't believe they cannot get their heads around 15 & 16, taken together or seperately.

[Mr_Parker]

Interview with Patrick Nelson, IFA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxwg4mD0sOg

Favourite quote in that video is; "we want Fifa to uphold their own statutes as we read them".

I'm not sure if it was you and/or others that posted a comment on youtube in response to that video but they have all been removed today. Are the IFA afraid of debate? I had read them and I didn't read anything that could be seen as breaking youtube rules.