QuoteExcept this is a thread about eligibilty. Not overly much to do with football.Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton
But what about the ones NB mentioned up thread who he said had just Irish passports? How are they now 'British'?
Except this is a thread about eligibilty. Not overly much to do with football.
They are BOTH - Dual Nationals.But what about the ones NB mentioned up thread who he said had just Irish passports? How are they now 'British'?
They don't have to have a British passport to play for Northern Ireland - they just need to be British Citizens.
They can use their Irish passport to travel to away games with Northern Ireland
The Englishmen came over in the year 2005
But little did they know that we'd planned a wee surprise
Sir David scored the winner, and Windsor Park went wild
And this is what we sang...
Hmm, you are a British citizen without a passport??
Know of a few Brits who'd definitely dispute that....
And a few people in the North who may be 'eligible', but they've never been citizens. Of Britain, that is.
Despite that dubious birthright.
Yes - you don't need to have a British Passport to be a British Citizen.
To be "eligible" to play for Northern Ireland, you need to be a British Citizen (caveated by Article 16 of the FIFA Statutes).
Just out of curiousity, would some ROI players travel on a British Passport?
The Englishmen came over in the year 2005
But little did they know that we'd planned a wee surprise
Sir David scored the winner, and Windsor Park went wild
And this is what we sang...
The following is the written legislation on the matter, whether one would agree with it or not. Since the British Nationality Act 1981 took effect in 1983, a child born in the UK to a parent who is a British citizen or "settled" in the UK is automatically deemed a British citizen by birth. "Settled" status in this context usually means the parent is resident in the United Kingdom and has the right of abode, holds Indefinite Leave to Remain, or is the citizen of an EU/EEA country and has permanent residence. Irish citizens in the UK are also deemed settled for this purpose.
British nationality law doesn't demand its nationals possess a passport. Nationality laws of respective nations generally don't.
Unaware of that '83 Nationality Act, which to be fair would now incorporate most current players, but definitely not the case before.
And would have been around the same time that all Irish players would have to had an Irish passport, but Charlie Hurley (raised in Britain), told a supporters meeting a while back, this was 'always' the case.
DI, I guess, would give a more authoritative answer.....
It's an interesting one. Often, I see FIFA's rules misrepresented in the media somewhat as we're told that "a FIFA ruling declared that possessing an Irish passport deems one eligible to play for Ireland" or some such half-informed blather. It's not necessarily a passport that makes a person eligible, but their nationality. I suppose a passport is just the document most often cited as proof of someone's nationality. The IFA situation, where players in possession of Irish passports only can play for them, would suggest that a passport may just be for identification and travel purposes, however. If this is the case, then I can't see why an Ireland player couldn't travel on a British passport as long as he's entitled to one. How would one prove their nationality other than via a passport though? How do those NI players with only an Irish passport prove their nationality to FIFA as being that that makes one eligible to play for NI, because Irish nationality alone certainly doesn't permit it? Birth certificate and birth certificate of parents perhaps?
Last edited by DannyInvincible; 24/05/2011 at 1:23 PM.
There was a few minutes discussion about the eligibility issue on last night's MNS (approx. 10 minutes in).
http://www.rte.ie/player/#v=1099059
Short interviews with Michael O'Neill, Tony Kane and Daniel Kearns.
I'm not actually aware of what the official position of the FAI or FIFA is regarding actual passport documents beyond the nationality of a player. Maybe someone else would know?
However, I do know that when there's talk of, say, an English-born player with Irish grandparents getting called up for us, we often hear about him getting his papers and passport processed. I take this to mean he's being issued with an Irish passport. This would suggest that the FAI at least have a policy of ensuring all our players have such a passport. Maybe it's a safety-check mechanism just to ensure the Irish nationality of the player concerned is unquestionably valid and verifiable in case the FAI ever did come under scrutiny from FIFA over something "dodgy", like Tony Cascarino's eligibility maybe. Nothing authoritative from me though, unfortunately.
NI Supporters Clubs To Fifa: Waaaaah Waaaaah Waaaah
Don't really want to read it, but anyone get the Irish News today?
Ou-est le Centre George Pompidou?
Prior to 1983, British nationality law was actually less stringent. It was similar to how Irish nationality law was until 2005 after our automatic right to citizenship by birth in Ireland was removed by the twenty-seventh amendment to the constitution. Now, for Irish nationality to be conferred, at least one parent also needs to be an Irish national.
Before 1983, birth in the UK was generally sufficient in itself to confer British nationality irrespective of the status of parents.
They'd better be careful not to shout too loud about "footballing apartheid" or FIFA might actually get the wrong idea and unite the two associations as a solution, God forbid.
I think that's right DI - birth certificates.
You'll recall the furore about Northern Ireland players having to have a British Passport a few years back - it's not deemed neccessary.
I've seen Northern Ireland players travel on Irish Passports for years, on my travels.
You are so right about Nationality making a player eligible, not a passport - the kack that's printed about passports making a player eligible frustrates the life out of me.
The Englishmen came over in the year 2005
But little did they know that we'd planned a wee surprise
Sir David scored the winner, and Windsor Park went wild
And this is what we sang...
"We believe this situation to be unique in world football, whereby one national association may select two jurisdictions worth of players," he said.
I could be wrong but is there not an analogous situation in Croatia, where they are free to select Bosnian Croats?
The BBC are at it now - inaccurate reporting.
"Fifa rules include a clause allowing players to change nationality once before they play a senior competitive match if they were born on the territory of the relevant association".
In the name of Sweet Jesus.
The Englishmen came over in the year 2005
But little did they know that we'd planned a wee surprise
Sir David scored the winner, and Windsor Park went wild
And this is what we sang...
It's getting beyond a joke.The BBC are at it now - inaccurate reporting.
"Fifa rules include a clause allowing players to change nationality once before they play a senior competitive match if they were born on the territory of the relevant association".
In the name of Sweet Jesus.
That "Football Apartheid in Ireland" rubbish really kills of any sympathy I have for the NI fans. Absolute hyperbolic garbage.
For them to use the term "Apartheid"; such an emotionally charged phrase in this context, is absolutely disgraceful and again another terrible move PR wise. Its militant stances like this that will drive more young nationalist kids right into the hands of the FAI.
Presumably that only applies to those born after 1983? Because it didn't always before that date....
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