IFA Chief Executive Howard Wells has insisted that the RoI cannot win their player eligibility argument despite FIFA's overturning of the legal right for any player born anywhere on the island to play for north or south.
In a meeting in Tokyo on Saturday football's top dogs elected to leave the rules as they are. Amazingly, both the IFA and FAI came out claiming a victory.
"If FIFA are saying that the rules which are already in place are to be applied then they must fully enforce them," said Wells.
"If the FAI are claiming a victory because they think that they can select players who have an Irish passport they are wrong.
"The passport issue is nonsense because there is no reference to passports in the rule, it is about eligibility.
"We need clarification from FIFA and then we'll see where we stand."
The IFA have insists that the RoI have no claim to northern born players and have backed up those claims by quoting FIFA's own rulebook.
Article 15 of the FIFA Statute states that qualification to play international football depends on one of four criteria being fulfilled:
a) the player was born on the territory of the relevant Association;
b) their biological mother or biological father was born on the territory of the relevant Association;
c) their grandmother or grandfather was born on the territory of the relevant Association;
d) they have lived continuously for at least two years on the territory of the relevant Association.
The 'territory of the relevant Association' for the RoI stops at the border surely. Therefore, if FIFA now enforce those rules in order to play for the Republic, a Northern Ireland born player will have to have a parent or grandparent born in the Republic. The residency rule is unlikely to apply in this case.
This may all seem to be something that will eventually sort itself out but it is a serious issue. It should have naff all to do with either passports or the Good Friday Agreement. Basically, the FAI are saying that only British passport holders should play for the north which is nonsense. Players past and present as well as many supporters hold Irish passports because they can. If they want they can have both, providing they have had a parent or grandparent born in the RoI.
To suggest that Norn Iron should be made up of Brits and Brits only will do wonders for our Football for All initiative. |
