Eligibility Rules, Okay

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Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton

Sounds good to me DI, great post. The only thing I'd add would be to underline the continual ignorance around the eligibility issues in outlets such as the Belfast Telegraph. Maybe release some frustration on the issue - Slugger's as good a place to get a dig in as any!

And yeah it's simply a case of posting in the box underneath once you've registered.

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My post is awaiting moderation. I've added a bit about how elements within the media frustratingly reinforce the confusion through their ignorance and also mentioned the meeting in 1999 between Jim Boyce and Bernard O'Byrne where Boyce acknowledged the eligibility of northern-born Irish nationals to play for Ireland.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Danny, you should write a letter to the Belfast Telegraph for publication.

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I might just do. I'm in the mood! :mad:

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Originally Posted by BonnieShels

Wonderful post Danny.

One thing this line "There have been countless others to play for Irish teams..." This doesn't read right to me.

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I think it possibly made sense, although I've amended it anyway so it reads a bit better.

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Originally Posted by geysir

The 'id est' bit is impressive. Throwing in the bit of latin brings it onto another level.

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Haha. ;)

Cheers all.

I think I've posted this before. On a stag weekend a Liverpudlian pal of mine was chatting up a girl and dropped in a Latin phrase (can't recall which) to the conversation. The girl called him a pretentious ****. My mate responded "if knowing some Latin makes me a pretentious ****, then mea culpa". I thought it was funny...

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

I might just do. I'm in the mood! :

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Here's an idea. Danny drafts a letter to the BT. We edit it here before he sends it and whoever wants to add his name can PM Danny with his real name. Having counter-signatories will add weight.

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Originally Posted by BonnieShels

Wonderful post Danny.

One thing this line "There have been countless others to play for Irish teams..." This doesn't read right to me.

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How about - There have been countless offers made, to play for Irish teams.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Here's an idea. Danny drafts a letter to the BT. We edit it here before he sends it and whoever wants to add his name can PM Danny with his real name. Having counter-signatories will add weight.

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As long as your name isn't John Delaney.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Here's an idea. Danny drafts a letter to the BT. We edit it here before he sends it and whoever wants to add his name can PM Danny with his real name. Having counter-signatories will add weight.

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And then paste it around the nation's streets, like so:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...on_of_1916.png

:p

I'd be happy with that idea. I'll try write something up.

I hope we fare better than those lads. Where are they now?

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Danny, you should write a letter to the Belfast Telegraph for publication.

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Actually, part of me says "don't". Just let their paranoid constituency wallow in their own ignorance.

And what happens when you do? It won't be as 'DannyInvincible', but under your real, presumably, name?
Which would blow your cover for ever....
:(

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Originally Posted by BonnieShels

I hope we fare better than those lads. Where are they now?

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Well the way Ireland's going, including a few on here, you sometimes wonder if they'd existed at all....
Which might have a slight point eventually, but this was still less than a century ago.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Here's an idea. Danny drafts a letter to the BT. We edit it here before he sends it and whoever wants to add his name can PM Danny with his real name. Having counter-signatories will add weight.

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here here.

You can have mine gladly, though I suspect it might undermine his efforts.
;)

Our web anonymity is useless; now BT fame would be awesome.

I have a suggestion. Can we eschew 'Yours sincerely' when signing it off? Something like this:

*after 1,000 words of roasting*

'...only by having this misunderstanding put to bed, can our two associations and fan communities move on and work towards the greater good of football. And isn't that what we all want?

Schlap it up ye's,

The Undersigned.'

The only problem is even given the definitive proof, here and elsewhere, the 'whataboutery' :rolleyes: gene so prevalent in the unionist community (or the North's fanbase) is that it will probably generate, say of 1000 responses, only around 10 that are either remotely reasoned or accepting.

I'm trying to write up a general piece that will outline and explain the rules, cover the various issues and facts and also dispel many of the myths that seem to have arisen around the eligibility issue and prevailed, especially amongst NI fans and within the northern media. Some of the more common myths, I mean. Forgive me if I don't bother with debunking claims that Shay Given wasn't actually born in Donegal but was born north of the border. Obviously, there's a lot to cover so it might take me a bit of time, but I'll post it up here when I can and if anyone wants to include anything or feels some points might require editing, I'd be happy with that and then we could send it off to the media or maybe even try and get it published somewhere?

Disappointingly, I see that what I'd written on Slugger is still awaiting moderation, although two comments posted after mine have since appeared. Hopefully, Mick Fealty won't ignore it and is just trying to digest it for now.

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Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy

Actually, part of me says "don't". Just let their paranoid constituency wallow in their own ignorance.

And what happens when you do? It won't be as 'DannyInvincible', but under your real, presumably, name?
Which would blow your cover for ever....
:(

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I suppose I could always pretend I actually am this chap:

http://www.killiefc.com/Season%20200...nvincibile.jpg

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Originally Posted by BonnieShels

Our web anonymity is useless; now BT fame would be awesome.

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We could be famous like George Best, or the Titanic! Actually, on second thoughts...

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

We could be famous like George Best, or the Titanic! Actually, on second thoughts...

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Best not have one on the rocks so.

SvD; any idea why my Slugger post might still be awaiting moderation? Fact I'm a newly-registered user maybe? :confused:

One of the worst treatments of the situation I've read to date: http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/06/03...ed-for-change/

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Under FIFA rules a player can only play for a country if he is born in that particular nation, his parents or grandparents come from that country or if he has lived for five years continuously on the territory of the association.

There is also the provision for a player with dual nationality to switch countries once before they play a senior international. For example, players born in France to African immigrants can play for France at youth level and then their parent’s country of birth at senior level.

But another FIFA ruling allows Northern Ireland born players to play for the Republic based on the 1998 Good Friday agreement which provided NI born people the opportunity to choose British or Irish nationality.

The practical implication of this is that the Republic of Ireland are allowed to select any NI born player who holds an Irish passport, regardless of whether a player has any relation to Ireland at all.

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While I have no affiliation to either nation, on the face of it such a ruling seems fundamentally unfair. It means that one nation in the Republic of Ireland has the opportunity to choose a side with players from two different jurisdictions.

Devine is not the first player to take advantage of the loophole and play for the Republic.

In recent times Manchester United’s Darron Gibson, Stoke City defender Marc Wilson and Everton youngster Shane Duffy are among several players who have switched allegiances after playing for Northern Ireland at youth level. Admittedly, Duffy did have an Irish grandparent, so he had every right to go across, but the others had no affiliation with the Republic of Ireland.

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If Gibson and Wilson stayed with Northern Ireland they would have been first choice players in their lineup. The question needs to be asked whether these players opted to switch across simply because they thought the Republic was a stronger footballing nation with greater future prospects, instead of playing for a team that may struggle.

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FIFA needs to close this loophole and instruct the FAI to stop picking Northern Ireland born players who have no connection to the Republic so that Northern Ireland can compete on an even playing field.

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It's filled to the brim with factual errors and misconceptions. He also appears to fail to grasp that national identity is the fundamental issue here - I suppose you could expect that from a complete outsider - but my primary worry is that the miscued understanding of the Melbourne-based author ultimately leads him to adjudging the situation as being unfair on the IFA.

Clearly, the problem with letting ignorance go is that the misinformation favouring the IFA evokes sympathy for their position and makes the FAI out to be exploitative bullies taking advantage of FIFA sloppiness. If this was a propaganda war, the IFA would clearly be winning it, and it's not as if they're really doing a huge deal. Obviously, those favouring the IFA position who have something against which to protest are shouting loudest, however; the fruits they are reaping from the repetition and recycling of their misconceptions is the widespread receiving of them as fact. Whilst we know FIFA are aware of the facts of the situation, it would be in the FAI's interests to nip any potential wave of support for the IFA's position in the bud lest it actually took root in more influential circles.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

SvD; any idea why my Slugger post might still be awaiting moderation? Fact I'm a newly-registered user maybe? :confused:

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I've no idea. Especially since the last post is some raving lunatic blasting off NI nonsense. I'd be surprised, and disappointed, if it was anything other than an innocent delay - sometimes it takes ages for posts to go up, sometimes inexplicably. But if it takes much longer dropping Fealty or a mod a polite 'excuse me' email might help.

EDIT - Actually I just posted a comment and it went straight up. You did say you registered, but are you sure your post went up when you were logged-in? I think the moderation process tends to be long for non-registered users. If not, then it might be a technical snafu. Best to email in I'd say - don't lose faith Obi Wan Danny, you're our only hope.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

One of the worst treatments of the situation I've read to date: http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/06/03...ed-for-change/

It's filled to the brim with factual errors and misconceptions. He also appears to fail to grasp that national identity is the fundamental issue here - I suppose you could expect that from a complete outsider - but my primary worry is that the miscued understanding of the Melbourne-based author ultimately leads him to adjudging the situation as being unfair on the IFA.

Clearly, the problem with letting ignorance go is that the misinformation favouring the IFA evokes sympathy for their position and makes the FAI out to be exploitative bullies taking advantage of FIFA sloppiness. If this was a propaganda war, the IFA would clearly be winning it, and it's not as if they're really doing a huge deal. Obviously, those favouring the IFA position who have something against which to protest are shouting loudest, however; the fruits they are reaping from the repetition and recycling of their misconceptions is the widespread receiving of them as fact. Whilst we know FIFA are aware of the facts of the situation, it would be in the FAI's interests to nip any potential wave of support for the IFA's position in the bud lest it actually took root in more influential circles.

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Absolutely terrible that one. It gets worse, right enough. But I'm still not convinced it's indicative of anything than misguided keyboard warriors throwing more nonsense on the fire. As mentioned though, if it became a problem at FIFA, I'd expect the FAI to act.

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..regardless of whether a player has any relation to Ireland at all.

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Jesus wept emo tears and cut his wrists.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Clearly, the problem with letting ignorance go is that the misinformation favouring the IFA evokes sympathy for their position and makes the FAI out to be exploitative bullies taking advantage of FIFA sloppiness.

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Absolutely, and it's pretty much all they have going for them. Witness the petitions, open letters etc. Whether they exist or not, I've yet to read an impartial article that explores in any great detail exactly why these players are making the switch and to be fair, it could accurately be described as the crux of the matter. It would seem "FAI poaching" is the current, pi$$ poor incumbent of the space provided for answers.