The rules of the modern game change all the time. Wait and see how many get snapped up when the FAI have to fork out.
It wont. The rules that you can play for a team up to and including U21 and then switch is mainly for people in European countries with African parents/Grandparents playing for say France at underage level then not getting a look in at senior level. They can then play for whatever African country their parents come from. It's FIFAs way of making football in Africa stronger. Just so happens that it's working against a smaller team (NI) also. I undersatnd why it's a **** one Medro believe me but it's just the rub of the green and FIFA wont touch it with a ****ty stick. Sure Jim Boyce is VP of FIFA at the minute and nothings being done.
I had mates who played the likes of under 14's in the NI set up, then stuck on their Republic tops when they got home. They were trying to gain exposure to scouts and play at a higher level than the amateur clubs, as you would do. At the end of the day people in Northern Ireland hold dual Nationality, it's their own choice who they play for.
So you think that there is a chance that FIFA will make a rule that some pish poor African FA will have to pay the likes of France money? As I said earlier, it's just that NI have landed on the **** side of the fence on this particular issue.
Obviously not that patriotic then. There's no way I'd play for Scotland for a couple of years if there was a similar situation over here.
But Scotland and England are two different countries. James is an Irish citizen, born in Ireland with an Irish passport issued in Dublin. This is all rubber stamped by an international agreement in the vaults of the UN. If the FAI where set up in the North then he would have played under them for the underage teams. It's a strange situation I'll grant you but that's where we are.
No one is snatching anyone. No one is sneaking over the border in the dead of night. It's a sore one for NI fans I know but there's nowt they can or will be able to do. The IFA is largely made up with taxpayers money anyway, there is no chance that money will ever change hands. The FAI will not roll over as they make too much money from selling their gear up here. They have had many an email from northerners letting them know that Sean will not be buying any rigs for his 7 kids if they back down
A lot of English players do join other set ups when they can't get into their own, Tony Cascarino managed to play for Ireland because he had an Irish Grand Mother, despite the fact he was adopted
Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland might both be on the island of Ireland but are as separate as England and Scotland. If not more so, as England and Scotland are both part of the UK, whereas ROI and NI are separate entities.
No. Everyone on the island is entitled to Irish citizenship. Some chose not to and opt for British citizenship.
The fact that the citizens of the 2 nations can have joint citizenship makes no difference. Some people have joint Argentine/Italian citizenship, some have joint Brazilian/Portuguese. Doesn't mean that Argentina and Italy are related or Brazil and Portugal.
It's different. I have Irish citizenship because I was born in Belfast. Nothing to do with any family ties to the south or anything, just due to the fact that I was born here myself.
Actually the partition treaty separated the country of Ireland into two different states, not two separate countries - which is why we refer to it as a Provence.
