Was in work earlier when I first read Martin Samuel's codswallop, so only getting the opportunity to properly dissect it now. I don't think he has any idea what he's talking about; it's staggering he's a chief sports writer and that Sky Sports often wheel him on to their Sunday morning football discussion show. It's full of so much careless, poorly-considered, disingenuous, unfounded, contradictory, ignorant and speculative rubbish (with a few drops of xenophobia and cultural pompousness for good measure), but I suppose it perfectly encapsulates the absolutely awful misinforming rag from the gutter that is the Daily Mail.
Originally Posted by
Martin Samuel
Birmingham-born Jack Grealish qualifies for Ireland through grandparents
Yes, three out of four.
Ireland, who have a scout to find qualified players, came in for him at 17
14. (As is later stated in the article, oddly.)
UEFA should have a panel to consider the status of players who are not representing the country of their birth
That'd be the Players' Status Committee who immediately oversee eligibility matters and ensure the Regulations Governing the Statutes are being complied with and applied correctly. If the regulations are found to be overbearing or overly restrictive in their application, they may even grant exemptions. England have two members on the committee at present.
That was partly through his grandparents on his father's side and also because the Irish employ a scout called Mark O'Toole, whose job it is to sweep up the best young players qualified to play for Ireland. That's not the same as sweeping up the best young Irish players.
He has an Irish grandparent on his mother's side as well.
And as if the FA don't have scouts/contacts acting in their interests too...
The Daily Mail would have been more than keen on FA scouts "sweeping up", say, Lewis Holtby from Germany: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...g-Arsenal.html and http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...das-touch.html
"We would know all about him if the FA and Fabio Capello hadn't let him slip through the net."
"How did England miss a boy with the Midas touch?"
Ireland were into Grealish early, at 14, and since then he has represented them at Under 17, Under 18 and Under 21 levels. Recently there have been mixed messages. Receiving the award for Ireland's Under 21 player of the year — despite making only two appearances — he said 'hopefully' he would be back in the green jersey next year.
All the lad's own choice and he's been happy to represent us. If he'd wanted to act upon the FA's interest, he had plenty of opportunities to do so. In fact, he's turned down all their advances to date.
The Football Association's pursuit of Adnan Januzaj was unedifying, misguided and ended in rejection anyway. Better to have allowed the player to decide rather than make a sales pitch.
Januzaj could never have become eligible to play for England due to the British associations having replaced littera (d) of article 6 with their own requirement for 5 years of education in the relevant association's territory before the age of 18.
Grealish has until now preferred to be with the group of teenagers who have accompanied him through his formative years in international football, and if that makes him feel more Irish than English culturally, that is his choice.
I get the impression Samuel isn't too gone on respecting that choice if Jack makes the "wrong" one.
This is not about the player, then, but the process. Grealish can be Irish if he wants, the rules say so — but are the rules still relevant? Is it right that O'Toole should be able to act as a club scout in the international game, exploiting outdated regulations around nationality to sign up teenage schoolchildren for Ireland?
It's very much about the player. Grealish can be Irish because Irish nationality law entitles him to Irish citizenship. And the rules are still relevant. How can they not be? Or are we to base eligibility on Samuel's biased whim? The regulations certainly aren't out-dated and the FAI (and Grealish) have simply been using them as FIFA have intended. FIFA's intention is to enhance player choice. The rules are in recognition of the multicultural, globalised world in which we live. FIFA update/re-publish the statutes annually and have an Emergency Committee to introduce provisional/emergency legislation to swiftly deal with a pressing unintended issue if necessary before the Congress has had a chance to properly evaluate it.
Jack's father has been protecting Jack and looking out for his best interests his whole life, so to make out like the FAI are ruthlessly exploiting or preying upon impressionable and vulnerable kids is just nonsense.
The rules were intended to help those without a choice — unable to play for their country of birth, but good enough to represent that of their ancestors. Andy Townsend, born in Maidstone, wasn't regarded highly by those in charge of England but was considered good enough to play for Ireland 70 times, through his Irish grandmother. Good luck to him — England's loss was Ireland's gain.
But Grealish's situation isn't like that. The rules as applied in his case do not combat the absence of choice, they offer more choice, where none is necessary.
Grealish would have long been around the England age group teams by now. He would certainly be in next season's Under 21 team, if he wasn't already heading to the European Under 21 Championship in the summer or to the Toulon Under 20 tournament.
Erm, Grealish has rejected numerous FA advances. He'd have been in those England teams if he really wanted to have been.
The rules are there to protect players and to ensure they have a choice based on their national identity; the concept upon which international football is founded. FIFA fully acknowledge that players can have multiple national identities at once. Nothing wrong there. Who is Samuel to declare what is and isn't "necessary"? The choice is unnecessary just because the English media have an interest in Grealish all of a sudden?
I suppose he was just as agitated by Owen Hargreaves playing for England, or by Raheem Sterling or Saido Barahino at present.
So while Ireland haven't broken any rules, they are certainly making the most of them.
As is our legal right.
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