Fifa rule change on eligibility (1 Viewer)

[Luther Blissett]

Interesting rule change by Fifa which means that a number of players including Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble, Jamie O'Hara and Anton Ferdinand have become eligible for Ireland.

FIFA has changed its rules to allow players over the age of 21 to switch their international allegiance. Under the old rules players with dual nationality, who had already played for a country's national team at youth level, were only allowed to switch loyalties until the age of 21.


Last week a motion from the Algerian Football Association, removing the reference to the age limit, was passed by 58% of the FIFA Congress, opening the way for many players to get a second chance in international football.

The rule change does not affect any player who has played for the full national team as they are barred from switching nations.

 

[Hector Grey]

interesting.... although mark noble scored for the england u-21's last night, and he's about as irish as eel pie, in fairness. kevin nolan looks like a bogger though. come on kevin. do your ailing career a favour.

 

[Cormcolash]

Anton Ferdinand to slot in at the Upper Tier looking across the half-way line

 

[Hector Grey]

i've asked the guardian if (so many hypotheticals) anton declared, and ireland drew england in a qualifier, and both brothers were fit to play, and indeed were picked, would it be the first time that two brothers played against each other at international level?

 

[kevin gallen]

Kevin Gallen?

 

[Hector Grey]

Kevin Gallen?

he had his chance.

 

[kevin gallen]

I'd be disappointed to see any of those guys get a look in before the next qualifying campaign. Seems to be a good team spirit built up. No room for stephen ireland until the next campaign either.

good article here - http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/hunt-in-ireland-health-warning-1767772.html

Kilbane singing songs all the way home from Sofia? Guess he does not get too caught up analyzing his performance then

 

[Moods For Mallards]

I'd quietly drop Stephen Hunt forever if it meant facilitating Daddy Dick's return.

 

[Unicron]

Does anyone remember or even care what fringe players it was that got the axe from the Ireland squad when Trigger, Phil Babb and Gary Kelly came into contention for selection in the run up to USA '94 despite having not featured in qualification?

I support Ireland, not Paul McShane and Andy Keogh.

 

[Hector Grey]

Kilbane singing songs all the way home from Sofia? Guess he does not get too caught up analyzing his performance then

jesus, if kevin EVER did that, his head would explode.

 

[Cormcolash]

Does anyone remember or even care what fringe players it was that got the axe from the Ireland squad when Trigger, Phil Babb and Gary Kelly came into contention for selection in the run up to USA '94 despite having not featured in qualification?

I support Ireland, not Paul McShane and Andy Keogh.

Yeah exactly, fuck the shit players. Eddie McGoldrick my fuckin arse.

 

[cozy]

I'd rather have Irish players rather than English players with an irish mate playing for us, no offecen to those english with a strong Irish connection and feel they are a part of this country but Matt Holland? Come on..

 

[Cormcolash]

Fuck that, I hear Kaka's grandfather is Irish

 

[Richie]

I'd rather have Irish players rather than English players with an irish mate playing for us, no offecen to those english with a strong Irish connection and feel they are a part of this country but Matt Holland? Come on..

I don't know, you can argue that the likes of Matt Holland or Clinton Morrison had questionable levels of identification with Ireland initially but once they decided to play for us they gave full commitment on the pitch.. Of course if possible you want to avoid mercenary types who just want an international cap to further their career, and I'd be fairly dubious about most guys who'd played for England up to under 21 level before finally commiting to us (the sort of players this elibility change would allow to play for us). I read a story there recently that Bernie Slaven admitted in his autobiography that he half wanted Ireland to get knocked out by Romania in the 1990 World Cup so he could go home (he was sitting on the bench through the whole tournament, in fairness, but still..) Then you have the likes of Kilbane who is about as Irish-identified as an English-born person could possibly be.

 

[Unicron]

If using jonny foreigner is good enough for Italy then it's good enough for us.

 

[Franco]

I read a story there recently that Bernie Slaven admitted in his autobiography that he half wanted Ireland to get knocked out by Romania in the 1990 World Cup so he could go home (he was sitting on the bench through the whole tournament, in fairness, but still..)

Trufax: He missed his dogs and was on the phone to them every night.

 

[Luther Blissett]

I'd rather have Irish players rather than English players with an irish mate playing for us, no offecen to those english with a strong Irish connection and feel they are a part of this country but Matt Holland? Come on..

What's your definition of Irish?

 

[Richie]

If using jonny foreigner is good enough for Italy then it's good enough for us.

Good enough for Germany, France, Portugal, etc too.. Smaller countries need to use their diaspora to even things up. I definately think we should use it where the players make a firm commitment and are proud to represent us, and call it one of the fringe benefits of having exported such a large amount of our population down the decades. It'll be interesting to see if it works in reverse and any of the kids of families that have immigrated here in the last few years turn out to be good footballers.

 

[Unicron]

Good enough for Germany, France, Portugal, etc too.. Smaller countries need to use their diaspora to even things up.

Even if it were wrong I'd say it's less wrong with the likes of us because the occasional Scot aside we only get players who aren't good enough for their home nation (would have to throw the likes of Croatia and Portugal with Brazilian born Eduardo and Deco, though Pepe might make the Brazil defence). Germany and France and Holland hoover up the bet eligible players who would definitely make their country's first team.

 

[Hector Grey]

getting a bloke with an irish granny who grew up a couple of hundred miles away doens't seem so bad compared to fast tracking the naturalising of a brazilian in poland, or japan, or tunisia... it's a weird one, but look at aiden mcgeady and james mccarthy, both considered (at one stage) to be the future of scottish football, both deciding to declare for ireland. what were the fai gonna do? sorry chaps, to us, yer sassenachs, fuck off. that kind of small islan mentality is for the gaa. and what's more, the only reason we didn't have a culturally diverse team in the past, is cos we didn't have a culurally diverse nation. tony cas was exotic. in ten years time, can you image what the squad will be like? we'll have china and romainia and polan nicking OUR decent young players.

also, there are english born players who have declared for ireland..but haven't gotten a game, so it's not as if we're just gonna take them cos they play league one.

zinedine zidanes son is playing for spain.... weird.