Crap moved here. Leave the political rubbish at home, this is a football forum.
By the people of the South, who elect parties into office whose stated aim is to annex NI, and who voted for a constitution which states:
It is the firm will of the Irish Nation, in harmony and friendship, to unite all the people who share the territory of the island of Ireland, in all the diversity of their identities and traditions, recognising that a united Ireland shall be brought about only by peaceful means with the consent of a majority of the people, democratically expressed, in both jurisdictions in the island. Until then, the laws enacted by the Parliament established by this Constitution shall have the like area and extent of application as the laws enacted by the Parliament that existed immediately before the coming into operation of this Constitution.
That's not how I'd define the word "covet" Blanchflower.
Well, article 2 of the Irish Constitution legally bestows Irish citizenship (with certain conditions) upon any individual born on the island (Ealing knows rightly the Qatari scenario is not analogous), in the exact same way that any person born in Northern Ireland is a UK/British citizen. Therefore, the IFA share a common nationality with the FAI, thus raising the question of whether the FAI -- in FIFAland -- reciprocally share that nationality with the IFA; or to put it in less obfuscatory terms, does article 16 now entitle anyone born on the island of Ireland to represent the IFA!?
The more I read articles 15 and 16, the more I'm inclined to believe that they will, indeed, apply to Ireland. For the sake of those born in NI who aspire to represent the ROI but do not meet these conditions, I hope this is not the case.
Unfortunately, you are wrong. There is no "common nationality" between NI and ROI - to play for NI you must be a UK national and to play for ROI you must be an ROI national. It doesn't matter that the ROI grants citizenship to people in NI - that citizenship only entitles them to play for the South - it does not entitle them to play for NI.
I wish you were right, I admire your adamance, but I would ask you this: how many players registered with the IFA (across all representative teams) have Irish passports (passports granted based on their inherent right to Irish citizenship/nationality)? And is it not the case that the IFA, admirably, lobbied successfully on behalf of these players' right to hold Irish passports? To my mind, these players -- and those yet to represent either association -- share a 'common nationality' with those born in the Republic.
I'm sure quite a few do. But having an ROI passport does not mean that you are not a UK citizen!
They did - for identification purposes - not eligibility.
They do indeed have the same nationality as Southerners, but they are also UK nationals and hence have dual nationality - their Southern nationality entitles them to play for the South and their UK nationality entitles them to play for NI.
We'll have to agree to differ, my reading is that it is precisely because of their 'dual' nationality status that article 16 would have to be enforced. This will only be resolved by FIFA, definitively, when the FAI select another player born in NI who does not meet the criteria set out in art. 16 and the IFA challenge that selection.
Last edited by eelmonster; 04/06/2008 at 10:36 AM.
No, mate - Article 16 doesn't deal with dual nationality - it deals with players whose nationality (singular) entitles them to play for more than 1 country, e.g. a UK national who - by nationality alone - could play for England, Scotland, Wales or NI. Or a Danish national who could play for Denmark and the Faroes.
FIFA has already spoken, mate - and "Darron" Gibson has already been capped. The new rules have changed nothing - they're just a consolidation effort.
Many of your posts are condescending trivia on political issues.
If you have opinions on citizenship laws, then take it to Other Topics.
That has no relevance here.
You are not welcome to pursue a personal political agenda on this football forum.
What is relevant on this thread, as has been stated ad nauseum by me before, is that FIFA recognise that the citizenship the Irish state bestows onto (almost) all people born on the Island, as falling under article 15 of the Eligibility Statutes.
That is indisputable.
Citizenship laws are irrelevant to a discussion about eligibility for international football (which is based primarily on citizenship)???
Are you sane?
Er, yeah, I know - that's what I've been arguing all along! Try reading my posts before you start embarrassing yourself.![]()
having surfed through many of these postings i have come to the observation that some on both sides "doth protest too much" and should get together and make beautiful music.Heres hoping that ye know who ye are
The arrogance stupidity of some sections of the northern press is dumbfounding. Again today articles in unionist papers are claiming victory Headlines such as "Dublin must play by the rules" and "Hands off NI Players, FIFA tells Republic".
Are the fools who write this able to read?
This eligibility stuff is nearly as bad as the Lisbon treaty.![]()
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