NI boss targets Republic's Gibson

[Absinthe]

wow. Is gibson really that big a deal? >_>

No he isnt. This is about the future.

Would you be happy if for example Scotland, claimed that it was entitled to pick anyone who was born in the Republic of Ireland because they all support Celtic?

[Absinthe]

No shít, we have a smug map reader who has a turn at reading FIFA minds.
FIFA's rules on eligibility are very player's rights orientated. They have been quite happy to allow Bruce and O'Connor declare for Ireland. FIFA's legal department were fully satisfied that the FIFA rules were being fully complied with.
The FIFA legal department were fully satisfied that a NI born Irish citizen was 100% Irish and entitled to play for Ireland.
In October 2006 FIFA Legal head confirmed this.
What's your point? The IFA have appealed for the 2nd or 3rd time. We are waiting for the decision.

Im happy to wait for the ruling, and I am still very confident that the ruling will be in the IFA's favour.

The key post that swings it, was the guy explaining that he considered himself Irish and only Irish. That is his right, as is enshrined in the GFA. Legally however, he is entitled to Dual Citizenship, and is therefore British & Irish by default as there is nothing to stop him claiming citizenship.

In a FIFA context he is eligible from birth, for 2 or more countries, and therefore the additional annexe (grandmother or residence) should apply.

[Blanchflower]

No shít, we have a smug map reader who has a turn at reading FIFA minds.
FIFA's rules on eligibility are very player's rights orientated. They have been quite happy to allow Bruce and O'Connor declare for Ireland. FIFA's legal department were fully satisfied that the FIFA rules were being fully complied with.
The FIFA legal department were fully satisfied that a NI born Irish citizen was 100% Irish and entitled to play for Ireland.
In October 2006 FIFA Legal head confirmed this.
What's your point? The IFA have appealed for the 2nd or 3rd time. We are waiting for the decision.

Um, my point is that the considerations of a random person in Co. Armagh is unlikely to weigh heavily in the minds of FIFA's rule-makers. Wasn't that clear?

If FIFA does rule that people in NI are eligible to play for the South (as I think they will) it won't be because of our Co. Armagh friend's feelings.

And our Co. Armagh friend's feelings do not alter the fact that Co. Armagh is in Northern Ireland, and, if he was born there, then he was not born in the Republic, which is what he claimed.

[Blanchflower]

In a FIFA context he is eligible from birth, for 2 or more countries, and therefore the additional annexe (grandmother or residence) should apply.

That annex only applies if your nationality (singular) qualifies you for more than one country (e.g. British qualifies for England, Scotland, NI, Wales; Danish for Faroes and Denmark, etc.)

The likes of Gibson has dual nationality, which is different.

[Absinthe]

That annex only applies if your nationality (singular) qualifies you for more than one country (e.g. British qualifies for England, Scotland, NI, Wales; Danish for Faroes and Denmark, etc.)

The likes of Gibson has dual nationality, which is different.

But, if FIFA rule that an Irish Passport is enough to represent the ROI, then their Nationality would qualify them to play for two countries. As an Irish passport is also enough to play for Northern Ireland. As in, you dont need a British passport to play for Northern Ireland. (This is already a rule).

[paul_oshea]

HERE LADS:

Story Tools:

Print Email

Share Previous


Ireland under-23 manager Pat Fenlon has become the first boss to fall foul of UEFA's blocking of Northern players representing the Republic.

Fenlon wanted to bring Ruairdhi Higgins into his squad to play Slovakia next month.

However, UEFA refused to sanction the move as the Derry City midfielder has no connections with the Republic.



From breakingnews

[Absinthe]

HERE LADS:

Story Tools:

Print Email

Share Previous


Ireland under-23 manager Pat Fenlon has become the first boss to fall foul of UEFA's blocking of Northern players representing the Republic.

Fenlon wanted to bring Ruairdhi Higgins into his squad to play Slovakia next month.

However, UEFA refused to sanction the move as the Derry City midfielder has no connections with the Republic.



From breakingnews

Im still waiting for the ruling though. Maybe he doesnt have an Irish Passport for example, i.e. he could be a special case.

Although as mentioned before I am confident this will be the ruling that is made. And I am extremely confident the FAI will not be able to overturn the decision through any method. i.e. the courts, or political lobbying

[as_i_say]

I'd say a lad who is called Ruaidhri instead of Rory is going to love belting out GSTQ at Barbara Windsor park alright.

Absolute farce these lads not being able to play for us.

[Blanchflower]

But, if FIFA rule that an Irish Passport is enough to represent the ROI, then their Nationality would qualify them to play for two countries. As an Irish passport is also enough to play for Northern Ireland. As in, you dont need a British passport to play for Northern Ireland. (This is already a rule).

An ROI passport isn't enough to play for NI. You have to be a UK citizen to play for NI. (You may also be an ROI citizen, and therefore have an ROI passport, but that is irrelevant in terms of eligibility.) FIFA, though, has allowed NI players to use ROI passports as a means of identification.

I'd say a lad who is called Ruaidhri instead of Rory is going to love belting out GSTQ at Barbara Windsor park alright.

Absolute farce these lads not being able to play for us.

Surely more of a farce for people with no connection to the Republic to be playing for the Republic, than for people born and bred in NI to be playing from NI?

[co. down green]

HERE LADS:

Story Tools:

Print Email

Share Previous


Ireland under-23 manager Pat Fenlon has become the first boss to fall foul of UEFA's blocking of Northern players representing the Republic.

Fenlon wanted to bring Ruairdhi Higgins into his squad to play Slovakia next month.

However, UEFA refused to sanction the move as the Derry City midfielder has no connections with the Republic.



From breakingnews

Not so sure about this, Kevin Deery is in the squad.

Kevin is a born & bred Derry lad who has represented Ireland at u19, u21 & at 'b' international level.

[stiofain]

can you believe this thread has made 1000 posts?

Surely i'm entilted to a prize for starting it?

[paul_oshea]

Not so sure about this, Kevin Deery is in the squad.

Kevin is a born & bred Derry lad who has represented Ireland at u19, u21 & at 'b' international level.

Loads of Deerys from inishowen and stuff all round that way, so perhaps a chance parents and grandparents from Donegal.

[jmurphyc]

Surely more of a farce for people with no connection to the Republic to be playing for the Republic, than for people born and bred in NI to be playing from NI?

This has been said numerous times and it's really ****ing me off. You're just saying idiotic things like this to rouse people. These people with no 'connection' to the Republic are nationalists. FIFA currently feels they do have a connection with the Republic so that completely nullifies your argument. Even if FIFA were to rule otherwise, the Good Friday Agreement also states otherwise, and I'd pay much more attention to these than to you.

[osarusan]

what it boils down to is that an Irishman wants to play football for Ireland. It is a breach of a person's human rights to stop them doing so - and try arguing against that. It's not what you want or what you people think, it's about the individual's beliefs.

According to Uefa (apparently), he's Northern Irish, not from the Republic.

He is fully free to play for Northern Ireland, should he wish to.

It's not a breach of human rights to stop somebody from playing for a country they are not allowed to play for (which may or may not be the case).

It is not about the individuals beliefs, it is about Uefa's rules as long as they dont contravene any laws (which they might).

[Absinthe]

If this is true . . . and if I was Higgins, I would be getting myself the finest lawyer in the land. UEFA don't have a leg to stand on. And for all the whinging from other people on here what it boils down to is that an Irishman wants to play football for Ireland. It is a breach of a person's human rights to stop them doing so - and try arguing against that. It's not what you want or what you people think, it's about the individual's beliefs.

Why dont UEFA have a leg to stand on? I think they understand the law considerably better than you do. And again, there is virtually nothing a court can do.

Not so sure about this, Kevin Deery is in the squad.

Kevin is a born & bred Derry lad who has represented Ireland at u19, u21 & at 'b' international level.

I would hazard a guess that he has played at U21 Level and is now over 21? This would ensure that he was absolutely tied to the Republic. Also, I wouldnt think the rules will be applied retrospectively, so as long as he played in a 'official' (i.e. qualifying match) for the U21's he would also be tied to the ROI.

Im guessing Harkin, has not played for the ROI U21's at that level, so therefore wouldnt be bound.

[Absinthe]

This has been said numerous times and it's really ****ing me off. You're just saying idiotic things like this to rouse people. These people with no 'connection' to the Republic are nationalists. FIFA currently feels they do have a connection with the Republic so that completely nullifies your argument. Even if FIFA were to rule otherwise, the Good Friday Agreement also states otherwise, and I'd pay much more attention to these than to you.

Get back to us in a few days on that one. UEFA will be making this ruling based on what FIFA will have told them.

FIFA arent one of the signatories of the Good Friday Agreement. So they arent bound by it.

[jmurphyc]

Get back to us in a few days on that one. UEFA will be making this ruling based on what FIFA will have told them.

FIFA arent one of the signatories of the Good Friday Agreement. So they arent bound by it.

I never said FIFA were bound to the Good Friday Agreement. All I'm saying is that whatever happens in the next while I would still pay much more attention to the GFA than to what FIFA decide.

[Absinthe]

I never said FIFA were bound to the Good Friday Agreement. All I'm saying is that whatever happens in the next while I would still pay much more attention to the GFA than to what FIFA decide.

Thats very good. The GFA doesnt govern world football.

p.s. This ruling doesnt mean you can pick and indeed play people from Northern Ireland. What it does mean is that if you do, you will lose the game 3-0.

[Cymro]

If this is true . . . and if I was Higgins, I would be getting myself the finest lawyer in the land. UEFA don't have a leg to stand on. And for all the whinging from other people on here what it boils down to is that an Irishman wants to play football for Ireland. It is a breach of a person's human rights to stop them doing so - and try arguing against that. It's not what you want or what you people think, it's about the individual's beliefs.

Can't you see how ridiculous that is? By those standards English people with no connections could start declaring for Mozambique tomorrow. Or how about a Brazilian guy declaring for Saudi Arabia? Ridiculous, of course, but if an 'individual's beliefs' (and for that read: I want to get international football on my CV) dictated things then you'd have loads of those scenarios.

Of course, I'm not doubting there are some Northern Irish-born players who genuinely do want to play for the Republic. But they have no legal right in football terms (Ireland is a complicated anomaly, usually you can't have the passport from another country unless you've served a term of residency, or been born there and spent your childhood there) so allowing these players to play for the ROI would set a dangerous precedent. And the above scenario something I passionately don't want to see.

The whole point of international football is that you play for a country with which you have genuine family ties or in which you were born. Under your ridiculously selfish ideals we could well have plenty of Welsh players declaring for England in future because of their 'beliefs' i.e. playing for England will get me into more tournaments, so stuff the fact I've no ties there whatsoever, I'll play for them over my true country!

The point is, the Republic of Ireland shouldn't get special treatment just because of a political ruling that has absolutely nothing to do with football. As Absinthe's just pointed out, the Good Friday Agreement is an entirely political agreement between two governments which has no relevance whatsoever to football.

Personally I think Northern Ireland are getting well and truely screwed over by this rule and it's high time FIFA stepped in and put an end to this loophole.

[jmurphyc]

Thats very good. The GFA doesnt govern world football.

p.s. This ruling doesnt mean you can pick and indeed play people from Northern Ireland. What it does mean is that if you do, you will lose the game 3-0.

Did you honestly think that's what I'm trying to say? All I'm saying is that FIFA is a FOOTBALL organisation, so whatever happens I personally (and a lot of other people) will value the GFA over FIFA's ruling in regards to whether someone has the right to be Irish.

As for the 2nd paragraph, I didn't realise that FIFA had ruled yet so why are you talking about what may or may not happen.