They will hardly get a look in with all the English born kids currently swamping the IFA teamsQuote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
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They will hardly get a look in with all the English born kids currently swamping the IFA teamsQuote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
Small update, probably of limited relevance to us.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/foot...ca/9475788.stmQuote:
Fifa will consider a proposal to relax the rules on the naturalisation of players at its annual Congress.
The Congress will also seek to give the executive committee greater powers to suspend member federations.
The main item on the Congress agenda on 1 June is the presidential election between incumbent Sepp Blatter and challenger Mohamed Bin Hammam.
The Congress will also be asked to rubber-stamp moves to tighten up on friendly internationals.
Football's governing body will consider a suggestion that a player over the age of 18 need only live in a new country for three rather than the current five years before he can play for its national team.
Fifa said the proposal, included in the Congress agenda, had been made by the United Arab Emirates Football Association.
Many feel the regulations are already too relaxed and allow players to switch nationalities too easily.
Portugal and Mexico have fielded foreign-born players with no parental connections to the country, as have a number of African countries.
Blatter once said that he feared a World Cup being played with teams full of Brazilian players who had changed nationalities.
Until 2004, a player only needed the passport of the country he wanted to represent, which many nations were happy to fast-track.
But after Qatar tried to sign up Brazilian forward Ailton, Fifa ruled that players must have lived in their country for at least two years before they could play for it.
That was later increased to five.
The Congress will also be asked to allow the executive committee to suspend a member federation for a single violation of Fifa statutes.
At the moment, it can only do this for repeated serious violations.
Fifa's executive committee announced in March it would take greater control over international friendlies.
This came after a fake Togo team played in one game in September and seven penalties were awarded in two matches in Turkey in February.
Congress has been asked to approve the new rules which include allowing Fifa to change the referee if it thinks he is not qualified for the game.
The Congress agenda said: "FIFA would like to highlight the fact that it is of vital importance to have clear provisions regarding the authorisation of international matches in order to protect the integrity of football."
I guess the Northern Irish kids who have childhood dreams of playing for the South, might have the same problem with the FAI teams.:DQuote:
Originally Posted by co. down green
Rather, Irish kids born in NI. There is no border to Irish national identity.Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
Whats happening in France is worth keeping an eye on. There's been suggestions about limiting or putting a quota on the number
of dual nationals (North African players for example) entering the academies.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/b...ace-row-french
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...egations-blanc
It still baffles me as to how Nedum Onuoha qualified to play for England at under-21 level as he's a naturalised British citizen, isn't he? I was having a look around the net but details on his eligibility appear scarce.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
Interesting last paragraph in that first piece:Quote:
Originally Posted by joe_denilson
Hmm, questionable.Quote:
Fifa rules stipulate which players countries can pick. Governments decide who can get passports. French football officials were debating whether to deliberately exclude people that both Fifa and the government allow them to pick. People in other countries often do the same. The debates about the mooted England call-up for Manuel Almunia showed that. Many fans were opposed on principle even though the government says he is entitled to citizenship, the England cricket and rugby teams would have had no qualms about selecting him if he were good enough and he has spent more time in the country than, say, Owen Hargreaves. Similarly, many Irish fans scoffed recently when Jermaine Pennant revealed that he was considering declaring for the Republic, the land of his grandfather. The reason many fans gave was that Pennant had not made his Irish roots known before and was presumably only doing so now because he had finally accepted that England were not going to give him a game. He is, therefore, an opportunist. But how could they know that? And even if they were right, so what? Is it wrong to go to the country that gives you the best opportunities? He would only be picked if he was the best man for the job. Isn't that how it should be?
Whatever about the FFF, there's absolutely no suggestion that FIFA are even contemplating introducing caps on the number of dual nationals an association may select, is there? Such would be profoundly unfair, arguably racist in sentiment, essence and effect masked by the language of officialdom, and would surely run in complete contrast to the whole idea of nationality which many hold dear as an essential aspect of their identity and cultural make-up.
The article was saying that the FFF were thinking of putting a quota on the number of dual nationals despite FIFA and the government saying that they are eligible. They were talking about about a limit of 30% or so of the academy players being dual nationals. Hasn't gone done too well.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
I don't think there is any suggestion that FIFA are getting involved. Although if France don't get a solution to losing all these players from youth squads, they may lobby FIFA for a change, although I'd say thats a long way off.
They'll have to dream into infinity, unless they are eligible to play for South Africa or South Korea....Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
Sorry AB - your, normally sharp, wit is lost on me this time.Quote:
Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy
What do you mean?
Sounds like the FFA are throwing out some red herrings to deflect from the exposure of evidence of obvious racism in their 'mission policy'.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
Can you imagine the balls-up the IFA would make if they tried something like that, to impose a divisive selection policy, filtering out kids from an early age based on identity, even though the North is supposed to be a society where a person can just identify themselves as Irish.
NB,
You need to borrow a world atlas from our mutually rotund acquaintance....
I'd like to give the IFA the benefit of the doubt, I really would, but reality dictates otherwise. With the noises that come from messageboards such as OWC, it wouldn't come as a surprise if something this ludicrous occurred.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Judging by some sounds emanating from the likes of OWC, a section of the support would not welcome such 'traitors' back. They would be judged to have 'made their bed', playing for the FAI over the IFA being one of the carnal sins, of course.Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
Cardinal sin, no? Surely? Unless they have a different slant on what 'playing for the FAI' actually entails maybe.Quote:
Originally Posted by Predator
Perhaps, although I wouldn't rule out the possibility of playing for the FAI being viewed as carnal in their fettered minds, considering all this talk of 'seedy practice', 'poaching' and making of beds.
Not to mention the most serious accusation thrown at the IFA of 'getting into bed with the FAI'.
Up North, sex must be regarded as a sinful and crude action.
We also hear noises from other messageboards querying why any "nationalist" would want to play for Northern Ireland.Quote:
Originally Posted by Predator
Never mind quotas, and such guff - if a young "nationalist" player harbours a childhood dream to play for the South, the IFA should leave him to it.
Only outside of marriage.:DQuote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Similar moral codes exist in the South, I understand.
Clearly there are no moral codes down south if our footballing apartheid policy is anything to go by.
I asked the question why would a nationalist want to play for NI when he could possibly play for the south - it is a totally valid question and one I am still waiting an answer for, you will note I never said 'nationalist background' as it is plainly nonsence as there have been plenty of players from a nationalist background who played for NI. So I will ask again why would a nationalist who by definition neither sees NI as a/their country and would never define himself as northern irish want to play for NI ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
I don't know - maybe for footballing reasons?Quote:
Originally Posted by Newryrep
Any Northern Irish born "nationalist" who wants to play for the South should just go and get on with it.
If they declare an interest in playing for Northern Ireland, not a problem.
The IFA should only ever concern themselves with those who want to play for Northern Ireland.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sp...-16001480.htmlQuote:
"Devine, however, has rejected the call-up, informing Worthington that he wants to play for the Republic instead, thus exploiting our ‘dual citizenship’ loophole by possessing an Irish passport.
Ironically, the 19-year-old played his youth football with Linfield before moving to Preston — and recently attracted interest from Scottish champions Rangers."
Ironically?
Hard to believe it's not a parody. Scandalously bad journalism, as usual.
I'll ignore the standard errors.
Funny guy.Quote:
“If you are born in the country you should be representing that country,” said Worthington.
He must have missed this.Quote:
“Until people in high places make a firm decision on the circumstances I’m afraid it’s going to continue.”
Massive discussion over on p.ie about Devine. Some Belfast Telegraph sized assumptions being bandied about. Danny, get over there and sort them out.
Can't link it just now.
Right on it. :p
I see a suggestion that Devine might be from a unionist background given he played with Linfield and was "courted" by Rangers at one point. The Belfast Telegraph also saw fit to describe his switch to us as "ironic" due to this. Of course, playing for Linfield of having Rangers interested in signing you doesn't mean you're a unionist or a Protestant; many Catholics have played for Linfield in recent years. Nor should anyone ever use the Belfast Telegraph as an authority on eligibility matters, but that's a given. I suppose if Devine did happen to be from a unionist background, at least it would knock notions of an FAI "sectarian poaching policy" out the window.
Yeah it would just a poaching policy then.
The ignorance out there is quite something.
I agree - the ignorance that would assume that a Linfield player must be from a unionist background is quite astounding. Players "from a nationalist background" play for the Club at all age levels. Indeed, the winning goal in the recent Irish Cup Final was scored by a proud Gael (handy player), and former target of Celtic.Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
We'll not mention his name though, because it might blow Ardee Bhoy's theory on indentification by name out of the water a bit.:D
We should make a Rumpil Stilskin style guessing game out of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
is he Kirk Wilson?, Wilson Kirk?, Fyffe Samuels?, Samuel Fyffe? Marshall Hamilton-Kingsley? ...or is it something a bit more "proddy" sounding? Hmmm...
How about Daniel Adam Shane Wilson- Gibson? Proddy enough?
Thankfully somebody has decided to put together a list of names of those not interested in representing the FAI.
http://www.petitiononline.co.uk/peti...sociation/2873
Signee number 153 is interesting
"190. Shane Ferguson (unverified)
Stop calling me. Please. Not interested."
209. God Almighty
I am unwilling to help you. Or save the queen. Apologies.
:-)
http://mikeely.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/lmao3.jpgQuote:
197. Shane Duffy
I will miss both the Bengal Tiger and Northern Ireland :(
201. Marc Wilson
Beautiful. I'm emotional............. Just kidding! Kthxbai.
"FIFA’s ruling has placed our country’s team at a disadvantage faced by no other, namely, every single player eligible to play for us can also be selected by the FAI. The FAI’s shameless exploitation of this rule to the detriment of Northern Ireland teams, and the public statements of its officials vowing to continue and expand this practice, makes cordial relations between the two associations impossible. Our objection is based on a matter of principle, that the selection of players who have played for Northern Ireland at every level - full international included – by the FAI is unethical, opportunistic and, by accident or design, sectarian, and must cease."
The final sentence is ridiculous. Glad to see that this farce of a petition is being lampooned.
On balance I actually think that petition is actually one of the more measured, and reasonable, responses from NI fans to the eligibility issue I've read. Problem is as soon as anyone mentions the word 'sectarian' it just undermines everything else into ridiculousness.
Yeah, sure everybody knows the FAI hates Cork people, not protestants!Quote:
Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton
Having read some of the signees of this I can only deduce that you lot are a shower of meddling hoors :DQuote:
Originally Posted by ifk101
I know they do NB. And good on them and LFC. Shame about some of their fans though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
What's your wider point though? Mark McAllister? One just hopes he doesn't have a distant 'Uncle Jim', or he now not a Unionist??
:confused:
Think you and the Beal-feirste man may have to work a lot harder on any 'comedy' routine....Quote:
Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie
;)
Concentrate on any 'face saving' petition. Wanna borrow a spade though....
:rolleyes: