I'm not too bothered by what Wales do either, but they're far from alone in this regard, and it's something we're going to see more of in future
Nah, I think for lots of youngsters, it's very grey. But once you accept a call-up, or declare yourself available, for me it is then black and white.
The system allows ample time underage, the players are wealthy young men who can ask just about anyone for advice etc. They are not orphaned waifs we're taking in. That's my stance. And if a guy travels with our squad for a vital qualifier he has to be committed. For me, then it gets simple.
Before, and I mentioned the future with all our future Nigerian, Brazilian, Polish, Lithuanian, Romanian, etc kids, it will be very grey....
But I look forward to that.
I'm not looking forward to the first high profile defection. It's early doors, in particular for those of Nigerian heritage. So I hope that Obafemi has started a trend.
Of course, it's completely the lads' prerogative but I'm being a selfish supporter.
I personally think you should have two grandparents, one parent or be born in the country yourself. Or else, have moved over at a young age and come up through that country’s system.
I don’t like the fact that a player can possible play for 5 different countries if he has 4 grandparents from different places and was born in another place.
I don’t for a second think that Robinson or Scott Hogan grew up feeling Irish.
But I accept it far more than the rugby residency rule which I think has made a mockery of international rugby.
Are the FIFA rules in correlation with general international rules of citizenship?
Scott Hogan has got your required two Irish grandparents though.
I wouldn't doubt Robinson for a second. He declared for Ireland at 22, made the initial contact himself and spoke very eloquently about his decision that he'd been thinking about it for a number of years – and about the relationship he had with his mother and the importance of the decision to him and his family. If he had held out for another 3-4 years, you could argue that but i would take him at face value.
The FIFA rules were directly correlated to international citizenship, so if you're a citizen you can play for the country but then a load of countries started abusing it, so then they made a rule that there had to be 'a clear connection' to a country – which people began to abuse as well, at first slightly, like Poland who gave Roger Gurreiro Polish citizenship after living there for just 21 months, so that he could play in Euro 2008. Soon you had one of the arab countries giving passports to load of young brazilians who had just arrived there and calling them up to the national team, their connection being that they lived there. Or certain situations regarding great great grandparents.
So then FIFA made the criteria one of these 4: 1) residency a 5-year minimum 2) parents born there 3) or grandparents or 4) individual born there. I think you have to be a citizen as well as meeting those criteria, so that's why Lido Lotefa wasn't eligible to play for the Irish youth sides because he was in direct provision in Mosney and not yet eligible for a passport. It's also why a child born in Ireland could theoretically not be eligible, for example if the parents were in Ireland on student visas (thanks to Michael McDowell and those who voted for the 27th amendment of the constitution)...
We also have the phenomenon of having many players not caring a fig about Ireland....until coming to play for us. Then some have become our most committed. (Or manage us: J. Charlton for instance)
So, for me it'll always be a case by case basis with the scientific data from Stuttgart88s' gut test as the thing which helps make the final decision. (Did the patent for that come through yet?)
This is true.
Matt Holland and Andy Townsend spring to mind.
I didn’t know that about Robinson or Hogan so that’s my bad.
Clinton Morrison another one who bided his time but when he decided to commit he was a great servant to be fair. And unlucky not to get more caps under Stan.
Robinson and McGoldrick have spoken about having a long-held desire to play for us. Whether that's genuine or not, they have demonstrated serious commitment in the last year or so. Hard to know if the cart or the horse came first on that one though.
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