Eligibility Rules, Okay

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Originally Posted by Predator

Here's an idea: The football association of the north east of Ireland could accept the situation, shut up and get on with things. Is it possible that the IFA would face a significant political and social backlash as a result of the pursuit of what NB has described? You'd have to think so.

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It would be to expose as a sham their recent taking of the mature and responsible approach wherein they finally acknowledged the legitimate identity of Irish nationals born north of the border and accepted to take matters into their own hands like adults by working with that socio-political reality and recognising the onus was on them to convince rather than coerce nationalists to take an interest in them. After Kearns and everything, it's an insult that there appear to be some within the IFA still thinking along these outmoded lines.

Edit: Which pursuit are you referring to, by the way? The declaration proposal or the possible lobbying to FIFA to have Irish nationality regarded as a shared nationality? I was referring to the latter.

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Originally Posted by ifk101

But by switching to Ireland, the player makes his honourable choice by seeking to represent the association true to his beliefs. By subsequently returning to the Northern Ireland FA fold after failing to make the grade, is the player not "dishonest" to himself? Should the player not continue to endeavour for the rest of his playing career to make the Ireland team, rather than falling back on the Northern Ireland FA who are not true to his beliefs?

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I'll rather have a player who chased his dream with the south and failed, than a player who didn't chase his dream to represent the Football Association of the Republic Of Ireland until after he had represented the Irish Football Association at Under 19 and above.

I believe there is a difference between those players who make choices for fooballing reasons alone, and those who make choices based on "political" reasons.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

How does one prove they're engaging in the malign or proscribed form of discrimination where the players' (non-)selections are based on something beyond just the abilities of the players concerned? Could NB's proposal be interpreted as engaging in this malign form of discrimination?

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Good luck in proving "malign discrimination" against an Association that selects it's players based, as far as possible, on those expressing a desire to represent them at senior International level - and helps players who have ambitions elsewhere to realise them.

You'd be wasting your time.

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Originally Posted by Predator

Here's an idea: The football association of the north east of Ireland could accept the situation, shut up and get on with things. Is it possible that the IFA would face a significant political and social backlash as a result of the pursuit of what NB has described? You'd have to think so.

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A "significant political and social backlash" for having a selection policy centred on players with ambitions to represent the Association at senior International level, and that proactively assists players with ambitions of representing the south in realising their ambitions?

That's funny - I'd welcome that "backlash".:D

Some of you seem to be unable to accept that the IFA can select who they want, providing they are not in breach of FIFA Statutes in doing so.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

It would be to expose as a sham their recent taking of the mature and responsible approach wherein they finally acknowledged the legitimate identity of Irish nationals born north of the border and accepted to take matters into their own hands like adults by working with that socio-political reality and recognising the onus was on them to convince rather than coerce nationalists to take an interest in them.

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My proposal fully recognises "the legitimate identity of" Republic Of Ireland "nationals born north of the border".

It allows for the IFA having scope to persuade nationalists to take an interest in them, and would dispel any coercion.

In fact, my proposals involve the IFA actively assisting Nationalists born in Northern Ireland to realise their international footballing ambitions upon reaching adulthood - and wishing them well - whilst leaving a return door open.

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Originally Posted by Predator

You doubt the possibility or you doubt that there will be political/social backlash against the IFA? I think it's possible.

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Both, specifically the latter.

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Originally Posted by Not Brazil

Some of you seem to be unable to accept that the IFA can select who they want, providing they are not in breach of FIFA Statutes in doing so.

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Like who exactly...

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Originally Posted by Not Brazil

I believe there is a difference between those players who make choices for fooballing reasons alone, and those who make choices based on "political" reasons.

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You prefer them to make them for what you perceive as "political" reasons (like George, presumably) rather than for what you perceive to be footballing reasons (like Bruce, presumably)?

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Good luck in proving "malign discrimination" against an Association that selects it's players based, as far as possible, on those expressing a desire to represent them at senior International level - and helps players who have ambitions elsewhere to realise them.

You'd be wasting your time.

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I'm not saying it would fall under any of the proscribed forms of discrimination. Even if I was able to prove your proposal as amounting to malign discrimination, I wouldn't bother wasting the time as I have no issue with it in the first place. Personally, I still think your proposal would work, anti-discrimination statutes or not.

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Originally Posted by Not Brazil

My proposal fully recognises "the legitimate identity of" Republic Of Ireland "nationals born north of the border".

It allows for the IFA having scope to persuade nationalists to take an interest in them, and would dispel any coercion.

In fact, my proposals involve the IFA actively assisting Nationalists born in Northern Ireland to realise their international footballing ambitions upon reaching adulthood - and wishing them well - whilst leaving a return door open.

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Don't have any problem with that. Might have been my misunderstanding, sorry; I thought Predator was referring to your mentioning of figures within the IFA considering lobbying FIFA to regard Irish nationality as a shared nationality. I know that's not something you advocate. Your personal declaration proposal is fine, as far as I'm concerned.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Edit: Which pursuit are you referring to, by the way? The declaration proposal or the possible lobbying to FIFA to have Irish nationality regarded as a shared nationality? I was referring to the latter.

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I was referring to the former.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

You prefer them to make them for what you perceive as "political" reasons (like George, presumably) rather than for what you perceive to be footballing reasons (like Bruce, presumably)?

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I'd simply want the IFA to select and develop players from Under 19 and above who have a desire to represent the Association at Senior International level - whether that be for footballing and/or political reasons.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

I thought Predator was referring to your mentioning of figures within the IFA considering lobbying FIFA to regard Irish nationality as a shared nationality.

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As I said, that is just a whisper I heard recently - could be some substance to it, could be idle talk.

I'll hopefully get a detailed and balanced insight into current IFA strategy on the issue when I'm in the Ukraine at the end of next month.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Edit: Which pursuit are you referring to, by the way? The declaration proposal or the possible lobbying to FIFA to have Irish nationality regarded as a shared nationality? I was referring to the latter.

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Originally Posted by The Fly

I was referring to the former.

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Forgive my lack of clarity. I was referring to the latter.
That said, I'm still undecided on the former.

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Originally Posted by Not Brazil

I'll hopefully get a detailed and balanced insight into current IFA strategy on the issue when I'm in the Ukraine at the end of next month.

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its Ukraine. no "the".
in the interests of respecting nationality and all that

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Originally Posted by Not Brazil

I'd simply want the IFA to select and develop players from Under 19 and above who have a desire to represent the Association at Senior International level - whether that be for footballing and/or political reasons.

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Originally Posted by Not Brazil

The very nature of nationalism/republicanism is that it wants to see Northern Ireland no longer exist.

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The decision to play for Ireland represents an exercising of "political" reasons to switch from the Northern Ireland FA. To use your quote and a previous quote attributable to you, this "political" decision to switch, is of a nationalism/ republicanism nature - player is "against" the existence of Northern Ireland. Given the nature of this political decision to switch, a subsequent switch back for footballing reasons and the player's acceptance back into the fold would appear at odds. Why would you want players that have switched and switched back to represent the Northern Ireland FA? Because if they are true to their beliefs, they do not want the team they are representing to exist. Shouldn't said players be honest with themselves? Surely these shysters can't have any genuine desire to represent the Northern Ireland FA and you can't have any genuine desire to see them taking the place of players that are true to their beliefs?

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Neither in theory nor in practice. They are allocated independently of one another by two separate, distinct and sovereign bodies of nationality law. One is not dependent on the other and one need not necessarily be held simultaneously with the other. A NI-born dual British and Irish citizen can renounce his British citizenship but that has no bearing on his Irish citizenship, for example.

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The fundamental tenet of FIFA Eligibility Rules is Article 5.

How on earth did FIFA think their proposal was going to work within the framework of Article 5?

I don't think they thought that one through.

That said, if Citizenship of the Republic Of Ireland was enough to make a player eligible for the Irish Football Association, then Article 6, by the letter of the (FIFA) law, would have to apply.

A daft proposal by FIFA really.

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Originally Posted by Not Brazil

The fundamental tenet of FIFA Eligibility Rules is Article 5.

How on earth did FIFA think their proposal was going to work within the framework of Article 5?

I don't think they thought that one through.

That said, if Citizenship of the Republic Of Ireland was enough to make a player eligible for the Irish Football Association, then Article 6, by the letter of the (FIFA) law, would have to apply.

A daft proposal by FIFA really.

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The logical inference of making such a proposal follows that FIFA would have passed further legislation to render what they were proposing exempt from the application of article 6.

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Originally Posted by ifk101

The decision to play for Ireland represents an exercising of "political" reasons to switch from the Northern Ireland FA. To use your quote and a previous quote attributable to you, this "political" decision to switch, is of a nationalism/ republicanism nature - player is "against" the existence of Northern Ireland. Given the nature of this political decision to switch, a subsequent switch back for footballing reasons and the player's acceptance back into the fold would appear at odds. Why would you want players that have switched and switched back to represent the Northern Ireland FA? Because if they are true to their beliefs, they do not want the team they are representing to exist. Shouldn't said players be honest with themselves? Surely these shysters can't have any genuine desire to represent the Northern Ireland FA and you can't have any genuine desire to see them taking the place of players that are true to their beliefs?

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Of course, the IFA is under absolutely no obligation to select anyone expressing a desire to switch to them. You'll note that Mr Bruce has not been selected, inspite of his "enthusiasm" to switch.

The reasons why a nationalist/republican would want to switch from the south to the Irish Football Association would not be for me to understand or explain - but, if they did, I'll cheer them on all the same.

If they had played for the Irish Football Association at Under 19 and above, switched to the south, and wanted to switch back (if they could?), I wouldn't select them, going forward.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

The logical inference of making such a proposal follows that FIFA would have passed further legislation to render what they were proposing exempt from the application of article 6.

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Large can of worms.

In such a scenario, it would be one rule for the Irish, and another rule for everyone else.

Problematic.

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Originally Posted by Not Brazil

Large can of worms.

In such a scenario, it would be one rule for the Irish, and another rule for everyone else.

Problematic.

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It would certainly have created an anomaly whereby just the IFA were treated differently to all other associations in that citizens of an external jurisdiction would have become eligible to play for the IFA on account of their external citizenship that bore no logical relationship to the IFA - nothing would have changed with regard to eligibility to play for the FAI in that Irish citizens born north of the border already were eligible to play for the FAI on account of their Irish citizenship - but it appears FIFA were prepared to go ahead with it for no other rational reason than to placate the IFA's protests.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

but it appears FIFA were prepared to go ahead with it for no other rational reason than to placate the IFA's protests.

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It appears to who?

I don't really see how it would have placated their protests, if it had immediately been followed by a change in regulations rendering it meaningless.

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Originally Posted by osarusan

It appears to who?

I don't really see how it would have placated their protests, if it had immediately been followed by a change in regulations rendering it meaningless.

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FIFA obviously proposed it in the hope it would satisfy the IFA. It would have been followed by a change in regulations to render it meaningful.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

FIFA obviously proposed it in the hope it would satisfy the IFA. It would have been followed by a change in regulations to render it meaningful.

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If, as you say, it would have necessitated an extra piece of legislation to ensure that NI-born players were exempt from Article 6 and could play for the ROI, then in what way would it have been meaningful? It would basically give the IFA nothing, wouldn't it? Perhaps I've picked you up wrong.

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Originally Posted by osarusan

In what way would it have been meaningful? Perhaps I've picked you up wrong.

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Without a necessary amendment to article 6 (what was then article 16) or some additional legislation marking out the proposal as being exempt from the application of said article, FIFA's 2007 proposal aimed at solving the dispute between the IFA and FAI would otherwise have fallen foul of article 6 as Irish nationality would have subsequently been regarded as a shared nationality. Thus, without also intending to make some additional legislative change, such a proposal would have been meaningless and would not have made logical sense. In other words, in order for it to have been meaningful, it would have logically necessitated further legislative change.

We're back to my original question - in what way does the proposal, including the necessary exemption, placate the IFA? How does it offer consolation, or benefit?

Without any exemption, it would have been incredibly meaningful for the IFA indeed, but I agree that this was never going to be the case.

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Originally Posted by osarusan

We're back to my original question - in what way does the proposal, including the necessary exemption, placate the IFA? How does it offer consolation, or benefit?

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FIFA proposed it under the mistaken belief or hope that it might satisfy them as it would have permitted Irish nationals born south of the border to play for NI by sole virtue of their Irish nationality. At the time, FIFA obviously believed that this was a good way of balancing what the IFA, and possibly FIFA themselves, perceived to be a lack of equilibrium or a "one-way situation". Whilst the FAI had no problem with the proposal, the IFA rejected it, obviously seeing little consolation or merit in it.

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Originally Posted by osarusan

We're back to my original question - in what way does the proposal, including the necessary exemption, placate the IFA? How does it offer consolation, or benefit?

Without any exemption, it would have been incredibly meaningful for the IFA indeed, but I agree that this was never going to be the case.

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It would of meant anyone " born on the territory of the Republic of Ireland and holding the Irish nationality could either play for the [FAI] or the [IFA]"
Which wouldn't of been much benefit. Because I'd guess if you went around to every 19 year old in Ireland, who couldn't previously play for NI before this amendment, which national team would you like to play for, my suspicion is:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tv/assets...x333-77027.jpg
Northern Ireland would be a pointless answer.

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Originally Posted by joe_denilson

It would of meant anyone " born on the territory of the Republic of Ireland and holding the Irish nationality could either play for the [FAI] or the [IFA]"

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Which would have meant Article 6 kicking in, unless exception was made for Republic Of Ireland Nationals.

Such an exception being legislated for would have opened a huge can of worms for FIFA.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Whilst not breaching any of the specific eligibility statutes, what you say is probably true. However, as you highlight, actually proving discrimination would be nigh impossible, especially if the association's strategy was informal and confidential. Then, would NB's proposal actually be discriminatory? Certainly, to use the word in its most neutral sense, selecting players and not selecting others is, by definition, discriminatory. But associations are entitled to select who they wish, or to engage in that form of discrimination, if you will. How does one prove they're engaging in the malign or proscribed form of discrimination where the players' (non-)selections are based on something beyond just the abilities of the players concerned? Could NB's proposal be interpreted as engaging in this malign form of discrimination?

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I have absolutely no idea on the matter if a policy of discriminating with available young talent based on loyalty aspiration, which is nationality based, could be proven to conflict with anything in article 3. Never thought about that. Most probably it does not conflict with the statute right of the dual national player to chose because the player can change at any time, as long as he willing to endure his new assumed status - a lying sectarian bigot (a case for which is constructed afterwards by a selective process of cynical interpretation :)).
Any conflict with Football for All which aspires to create the conditions that players would chose to want to play for the IFA of their own volition?

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There are many people in Derry who perceive an anti-Derry bias within the IFA. That's a bit unfair on the IFA, however; what they're also failing to highlight are the other anti-Derry biases within the FAI, UEFA, FIFA, the Stormont government, the UK government and the EU. :p

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As I wrote, there are a number of factors, perceptions of bias, a history of institutionalised discrimination, the incompetence of the IFA - including the self righteous haughty incompetence that can be found throughout, then you have a selection process mixed in with a Football for All campaign.
All sounds very harmonious :)

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Originally Posted by geysir

Any conflict with Football for All which aspires to create the conditions that players would chose to want to play for the IFA of their own volition?

...then you have a selection process mixed in with a Football for All campaign.

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I think you misunderstand what "Football For All" is about - it's not all about Nationalists and their particular sensitivities.

It most definately is not about pleading with players who don't want to play for Northern Ireland.

"Concentrate on players who want to play for Northern Ireland" we were told.

Absolutely bang on the money.

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Originally Posted by Not Brazil

Which would have meant Article 6 kicking in, unless exception was made for Republic Of Ireland Nationals.

Such an exception being legislated for would have opened a huge can of worms for FIFA.

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I'm suprised at you NB. You just can't seem to see our point of view. We don't think Article 6 would of come into play as FIFA were suggesting a "specific and unique agreement". You don't bring in a rule saying everyone in Ireland can play for NI, if the net effect is that the only Irish people who could, would be the ones born(parents and grandparents) in the 6 counties, effectively the same people who already qualify.

Here's the full proposal

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“The current situation is such that, for the Irish Football Association, players can choose also to play for the representative teams of the Football Association of Ireland but the vice-versa is not possible.
With the objective, as always, to find an amicable solution which is acceptable for both member associations concerned as well as for FIFA, the FIFA Legal Committee has now made the following new proposal: any player holding the nationality of the Republic of Ireland and consequently, in principle, being eligible to play for the representative teams of the Football Association of Ireland, that was born on the territory of the Republic of Ireland, would, by agreement between the two associations, also be eligible for the representative teams of the Irish Football Association.
In other words, every player born on the territory of Northern Ireland, holding the UK nationality and being entitled to a passport of the Republic of Ireland or born on the territory of the Republic of Ireland and holding the Irish nationality could either play for the Football Association of Ireland or the Irish Football Association, under the condition that all other relevant prerequisites pertaining to a player’s eligibility for a specific association team (see FIFA Statutes – Art. 15 of the Regulations governing the FIFA Statutes are fulfilled.

FIFA has informed the Irish Football Association and the Football Association of Ireland today (November 6) about this proposal and asked both associations for a feedback.
Ultimately, it will be up to the FIFA Executive Committee to take a decision.”

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So according to the proposal, you only had to be born in ROI and satisfy Article 15 in order to represent NI. No mention of Article 16, it was a unique solution.

Edit, you did mention the exception. Apologies.

I think it's safe to say that if NI did try to accept that proposal now, nearly 5 years later, with the hope of it impacting Article 6(as it is now), they are hopelessly deluded.

Indeed, CAS described it as a "specific and unique agreement" in paragraph 44 of Kearns. This indicates that it would have transcended the pre-existing eligibility rules.

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Originally Posted by joe_denilson

I think it's safe to say that if NI did try to accept that proposal now, nearly 5 years later, with the hope of it impacting Article 6(as it is now), they are hopelessly deluded.

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That's not exactly what NB is suggesting the IFA are contemplating doing though. NB has suggested that the IFA are not interested in accepting the 2007 proposal, but are instead contemplating lobbying FIFA to regard Irish nationality as shared nationality with article 6 still applying, thus rendering Irish nationals born north of the border ineligible for the FAI.

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Originally Posted by joe_denilson

So according to the proposal, you only had to be born in ROI and satisfy Article 15 in order to represent NI. No mention of Article 16, it was a unique solution.

Edit, you did mention the exception. Apologies.

I think it's safe to say that if NI did try to accept that proposal now, nearly 5 years later, with the hope of it impacting Article 6(as it is now), they are hopelessly deluded.

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Articles 15 & 16 (now Articles 5 & 6) are inextricably linked.

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Originally Posted by Not Brazil

If the IFA went back to FIFA to lobby to have their (FIFA's) previous suggestion to allow Citizens of the Republic Of Ireland to play for Northern Ireland put in place - and were successful - that would bring Article 6 of the FIFA Eligibility Statutes into play.

I'm hearing whispers of such an approach being considered.

Not in favour myself.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Indeed, CAS described it as a "specific and unique agreement" in paragraph 44 of Kearns. This indicates that it would have transcended the pre-existing eligibility rules.



That's not exactly what NB is suggesting the IFA are contemplating doing though.

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I think that is exactly what NB suggested the IFA are contemplating doing though.

Anyway, it was a non sensical proposal and I don't know why the FAI would of accepted it, other than being magnanimous, in the first place.

Why should I, who's hardly ever set foot in Northern Ireland, be eligible for their football team, any more than I should be for any other country. That's the other reason NI revisiting the proposal is ridiculous. They turned it down in the first place for the right reasons. If you're not happy with lads from NI, who don't want to play for you, putting on the NI jersey, how would you feel about some Cork lad with a Dublin persecution complex, lining up in Windsor Park.

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Originally Posted by joe_denilson

I think that is exactly what NB suggested the IFA are contemplating doing though.

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The pre-existing statutes wouldn't have applied to the specific and unique 2007 arrangement as the proposal wouldn't have made sense otherwise given how FIFA worded it. The proposal would have been exempt from their application.

From what NB has said in relation to current IFA thinking, however, I understand the IFA may now seek to have FIFA apply article 6 to Irish nationality (which the IFA will attempt to argue is a nationality shared by both the FAI and IFA) in order to render Irish nationals born north of the border ineligible for the FAI and eligible only for the IFA. Maybe he can clarify?

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

From what NB has said in relation to current IFA thinking, however, I understand the IFA may now seek to have FIFA apply article 6 to Irish nationality (which the IFA will attempt to argue is a nationality shared by both the FAI and IFA) in order to render Irish nationals born north of the border ineligible for the FAI and eligible only for the IFA. Maybe he can clarify?

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I'm not in a position to clarify anything in that regard - I heard a whisper that the IFA were considering re-visiting the issue, centred on Citizenship of the Republic Of Ireland being suffice to be eligible for Northern Ireland.

We all know from pre Kearns ruling times that the "prize" the IFA sought was for Article 16 to be applicable to Northern Irish born players wanting to play for the Republic Of Ireland.

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Originally Posted by Not Brazil

We all know from pre Kearns ruling times that the "prize" the IFA sought was for Article 16 to be applicable to Northern Irish born players wanting to play for the Republic Of Ireland.

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Indeed, which is why they rejected the 2007 proposal as it clearly wouldn't have rendered Irish nationals born north of the border ineligible to play for the FAI.

A possible return to their former mode of thinking - attempting to have northern-born Irish nationals rendered ineligible to play for the FAI - would be:

1. bizarre, deluded and ill-advised in that this specific line of reasoning would be doomed to inevitable failure due to the fact there is no logical, legal or factual basis to the claim that Irish nationality is a nationality of the IFA. How could an association possess two nationalities; one of them being the nationality of the association of an external jurisdiction?
2. diplomatically contentious and provocative in that it would amount to an attempt to claim a sovereign, independent and unrelated body of nationality law - that being the nationality law of the state of Ireland - as being somehow relevant to the IFA, or as being a nationality of the IFA, in other words. If the IFA went ahead with this, I'd envisage not just the two associations, but also foreign ministers and the like, getting embroiled in a very heated and politicised debate.
3. insulting to Irish nationals born north of the border, the valid identity of whom the IFA had since Kearns apparently come to acknowledge, accept and work with. Just like dragging Kearns off to CAS, this would, once again, make the IFA look like stubborn unionists hell-bent on depriving nationalist footballers of their right to declare for the association, the FAI, that represents their country, Ireland. As a second attempt, this would be even worse. They might have been able to plead that the first attempt to stifle nationalist footballers' rights was tinged with a degree of ignorance, but not this time; this strategy would be much more contrived and devious.

It would be a disastrous idea for the IFA to pursue all round.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

It would be a disastrous idea for the IFA to pursue all round.

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I agree, but if Citizenship of the Republic Of Ireland qualified a player in FIFA's eyes to play for more than one Association - namely the FAI & IFA - Article 6 would need amending, given the current wording of Articles 5 and 6. If amended to cater solely for Republic Of Ireland Citizens, it would potentially create a huge headache for FIFA.

For example, what about a young Northern Irish lad with no blood ties to England - but for footballing reasons wants to play for them?

Why should a Republic Of Ireland Citizen from Cork, with no blood ties to Northern Ireland, be allowed to play for Northern Ireland - but a young British Citizen from Northern Ireland, with no blood ties to England, is not allowed to play for them?

That's not equality.

Anyway, I want the IFA to work within the rules as they are - and feel that my proposals to concentrate on players who want to play for Northern Ireland is a sound basis for progress going forward, and to the mutual benefit of all parties.

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Originally Posted by Not Brazil

I agree, but if Citizenship of the Republic Of Ireland qualified a player in FIFA's eyes to play for more than one Association - namely the FAI & IFA - Article 6 would need amending, given the current wording of Articles 5 and 6.

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It depends on what the aim of making Irish nationality a shared nationality would be. It would have required amending under the 2007 proposal (or some addendum could have been passed stating that the specific situation transcended the pre-existing regulatory framework) as the aim of FIFA then was to enable Irish nationals born both north and south of the border to play for both the FAI and IFA on account of what would have become a shared nationality, but I don't think it would require amending if FIFA were to accept this possible new IFA proposal as the aim of the IFA would be to deprive Irish nationals born north of the border of eligibility to represent the FAI due to the intended continued application of article 6.

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Why should a Republic Of Ireland Citizen from Cork, with no blood ties to Northern Ireland, be allowed to play for Northern Ireland - but a young British Citizen from Northern Ireland, with no blood ties to England, is not allowed to play for them?

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Indeed. The proposal clearly wasn't rooted in any concern for logic or equality, even if FIFA did mistakenly believe the proposal would balance what they formerly perceived to be a lack of equilibrium, or a "one-way situation", as it was described at the time. Its rationale was rooted solely in a misguided attempt to reach a unique and specific settlement in order to placate the IFA's protestations.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

It depends on what the aim of making Irish nationality a shared nationality would be. It would have required amending under the 2007 proposal (or some addendum could have been passed stating that the specific situation transcended the pre-existing regulatory framework) as the aim of FIFA then was to enable Irish nationals born both north and south of the border to play for both the FAI and IFA on account of what would have become a shared nationality, but I don't think it would require amending if FIFA were to accept this possible new IFA proposal as the aim of the IFA would be to deprive Irish nationals born north of the border of eligibility to represent the FAI due to the intended continued application of article 6.

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If - as they seemingly were prepared to do - FIFA were to allow a player from Cork, for example, with only Republic of Ireland Citizenship to be eligible for Northern Ireland:

In the context of the guiding principle of eligibility, Article 5, what Nationality would be then permitting that player to represent Northern Ireland?

A: Citizenship of the Republic Of Ireland.

Would Citizenship of the Republic Of Ireland alone alllow you to play for more that one Association, as dealt with by current Article 6?

A: Yes - two Associations ie. the FAI & IFA


Here's what FIFA submitted to CAS during the Kearns case (Para 22):

"Regarding the eligibility of players to be selected for a representative team,
FIFA implemented a set of rules, which are clear and apply uniformly to
each of its 208 member associations. Those rules are global and were not
designed for the purpose of a single situation, i.e. not specifically for the
Republic of Ireland / Northern Ireland situation"

On close inspection of Article 5 - the fundamental tenet of eligibility - were FIFA telling us they were going to re-write the script? Because, be absoltely clear, they would have had to.

Were FIFA going to open up a potentially much bigger headache for themselves, just to deal with Irish Nationality, and angry Irish Nationalists?

A: I doubt it very much - I suspect they'd have expected their "global" eligibility rules to apply, when the dust settled.

Were FIFA talking out of their hoop when making their ill thought out nonsensical suggestion of a solution?

A: Yes. I suspect they wanted to be seen to be "helpful".

At the time of the compromise in 2007, the eligibility rules were scattered around various pages and maybe it was possible to make a separate agreement and have it annexed to the statutes.
In 2008 came a shift in FIFA's approach and every eligibility rule was incorporated into the statutes.
Maybe what was possible to do in 2007 is not possible since then.

There is not a snowball in hells chance of an agreement being imposed on an association without their volition and the FAI are not going to settle for less than basic article 5 eligibility for all players born on the island and all first generation born anywhere.