tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2623721153002721356.post4600220801327333075..comments2024-03-28T17:49:01.125+00:00Comments on Three Thousand Versts of Loneliness: A refresher for the IFA on what the laws are and how interpretation matters (not that I have very little faith or anything).Owen Polleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00567787385096905811noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2623721153002721356.post-84326345045064814512010-02-26T16:57:58.699+00:002010-02-26T16:57:58.699+00:00Exactly!
I've been banging this drum for a ye...Exactly!<br /><br />I've been banging this drum for a year or more now and no-one has listened to me.<br /><br />The FIFA provision that covers British (and Danish, French, etc) nationality is that if your nationality qualifies you to play for more than one team, then you must be born in the territory of a particular association, or have a parent/grandparent born there, or have lived there for two years.<br /><br />If Irish nationality (along with a NI connection) qualifies players to play for NI, as FIFA appears to have conceded it does, then the IFA have a very strong case to make. (and quite a 'nationalist' one!). Irish nationality qualifies a player to play for either RoI or NI, therefore the conditions above apply. Whereas if only British nationality does (a 'unionist' counter-argument the FAI could use!) then these conditions don't apply.<br /><br />FIFA has made a ruling, and many people would like to regard that as case closed - but has the IFA actually made the above argument at any point??Mikenoreply@blogger.com