Internationals Watch

[3points]

(I'm also a bit embarrassed to see our squad allegedly made up of "Jamaican" and "Irish" players who are actually from London and the Home Counties. Makes us look like we've imported foreign talent)

I think it's an interesting point, as when people discuss the number of foreigners in the Premier League, I've always thought a lot of those who are ineligible are actually English, but decide to play for another country. I know none of of our last Premier League would have been called up by England, but a large number rule themselves out by choosing to play for other countries. I disagree with the grandparents rule. I think it should only go back as far as parents.

[leww_rfc]

Oh what England could do with a Bale or Ramsey.

I am sure we'll cope as we qualify for Euro 2016 with ease while you struggle to beat San Marino or some other such fellow mickey mouse principality.

[Sutekh]

More simply there should be none of this crap parent/grand parent, great grand parent/once visited a country cobblers, a player should have their nationality dictated by their passport so that should be the deciding factor in most cases. With a UK passport that obviously means 4 "countries" still to choose from (well until next week anyway) and therefore Pearce wouldn't qualify for ROI

That then is what FIFA/UEFA/FA should use to determine a players nationality. And so cue shouts of unfair and that we should have a UK team rather than 4 (3 next week probably) individually hopeless nations.

Although the UK passport would probably also include Gibraltar - so that'd be good for them then....

[Royal Biscuitman]

(I'm also a bit embarrassed to see our squad allegedly made up of "Jamaican" and "Irish" players who are actually from London and the Home Counties. Makes us look like we've imported foreign talent)

I think it's an interesting point, as when people discuss the number of foreigners in the Premier League, I've always thought a lot of those who are ineligible are actually English, but decide to play for another country. I know none of of our last Premier League would have been called up by England, but a large number rule themselves out by choosing to play for other countries. I disagree with the grandparents rule. I think it should only go back as far as parents.

Maybe if the FA could then class them as foreigners if they can force though a rule on number of English players in the squad, then there is no financial benefit of being Jamaican or whatever as they will be less employable to premiership teams who have a restriction on foreigners.

[melonhead]

personally i'm happy for any one to play for any nation, as long as they feel X-nation-ish
nationality is a pretty vague thing, and the rules and current state of eligibility rules reflect that pretty well.

if id been born in england to two english parents, but lived my whole life in the USA id feel american, but would also feel strong ties with england so could play for them too.
if id been born to two english parents who had scottish parents of their own, and they and that nation figured strongly in my upbringing i think its acceptable to play for them too.
if i was foreign, and moved to england a while a go, qualify by residency, and feel that this nation is now my home, i dont see a problem with playing for england.

[Old Biscuitman]

The only right and pure way is to cut through the mushy regulations.

Only way forward IMO is birth and nothing else.

[kwik-silva]

You'd deprive us of Raheem Sterling?

[Royal Ginger]

His mincing is pretty embarrassing.

[tidus_mi2]

I've got to agree with melonhead's thoughts on nationality. If you're eligible and see that nation as your home nation then I have no qualms with them playing for that nation. The only thing I hate to see is people representing a nation because they're not good enough to play for their home nation.

Restricting people to representation on where they were born would be ridiculous, my mother and father both have english parents (well my mum's dad was 50/50 English/Irish) but my mum was born in Germany while my dad was born in Singapore. They are English in every way apart from where they were born but by that logic, they'd be tied into representing Germany and Singapore despite holding no significant ties to those countries.

[melonhead]

The only right and pure way is to cut through the mushy regulations.

Only way forward IMO is birth and nothing else.

Lol! So if I'm born while parents are on a cruise ship in international waters? Can I only play for the country where that ship is registered? Bah!

[Nameless]

The only right and pure way is to cut through the mushy regulations.

Only way forward IMO is birth and nothing else.

Would seem harsh to make the qualification for the country's football team much tougher than it's nationality rules.

Rugby used to have it right, if you played for a club in a country you could play for it's national side !

[West Stand Man]

The only right and pure way is to cut through the mushy regulations.

Only way forward IMO is birth and nothing else.

Lol! So if I'm born while parents are on a cruise ship in international waters? Can I only play for the country where that ship is registered? Bah!

No, your birthright would still be British (assuming that your parents are British). eg. My daughter was born in Oslo, to 2 British parents. She is, therefore, British and was registered as such within days of birth.

However, I don't support the 'birth only' argument. There has to be some other way to get eligibility.

[Royal Biscuitman]

If your parents both have dual nationality as did their parents you were born in another country but grew up in a different country then you could make a claim to play for up to 10 countries, possibly 13 if one of those nationalities was generic British

[GH Royal]

The only right and pure way is to cut through the mushy regulations.

Only way forward IMO is birth and nothing else.

Would seem harsh to make the qualification for the country's football team much tougher than it's nationality rules.

Rugby used to have it right, if you played for a club in a country you could play for it's national side !

I have no idea how you think that would be the right way to do it... Probably the reason Rugby stopped doing it that way, it's ridiculous.

[melonhead]

The only right and pure way is to cut through the mushy regulations.

Only way forward IMO is birth and nothing else.

Lol! So if I'm born while parents are on a cruise ship in international waters? Can I only play for the country where that ship is registered? Bah!

No, your birthright would still be British (assuming that your parents are British). eg. My daughter was born in Oslo, to 2 British parents. She is, therefore, British and was registered as such within days of birth.

However, I don't support the 'birth only' argument. There has to be some other way to get eligibility.

thats not what hes saying though is it. under his rule she wouldnt qualify
thus making my point for me

[melonhead]

If your parents both have dual nationality as did their parents you were born in another country but grew up in a different country then you could make a claim to play for up to 10 countries, possibly 13 if one of those nationalities was generic British

and youd pick one of the ones that you felt the most kinship with.
thats fine by me

[SCIAG]

I think the rules are fine as they are. The only thing I'd consider changing is stopping players switching nationality after they have played at youth level. Looking at you, Alex Pearce. Or, it's complicated, but players could only switch to a country they had closer ties to (e.g. if they have an Irish grandparent they can play youth games for Ireland, then switch to England at senior level if they were born there, but not the other way around).

Ultimately I think the onus is on the players and national teams to have standards, so that people only play for teams they actually should represent. I don't mind Taylor playing for Wales if he actually feels Welsh (and he has represented them since U17 level), but we all thought Pearce was Anglo-Scottish before he suddenly got called up for Ireland, similar with HRK who was always an England youth international of Nigeria descent. Karacan playing for Turkey or England would be understandable, but if tomorrow he announced he was playing for Andorra through a grandparent after never mentioning it before then I'd be suspicious.

[SCIAG]

If your parents both have dual nationality as did their parents you were born in another country but grew up in a different country then you could make a claim to play for up to 10 countries, possibly 13 if one of those nationalities was generic British

I think you've got your Maths wrong. 2 nationalities for 7 people = 14 potential countries.

For maximum confusion, have parents/grandparents born in Turkish Cyprus, Kosovo, South Ossetia, Somililand, the Glorioso Islands, and Serranilla Bank, and be raised yourself in Jersey.

[Royal Biscuitman]

I think this could be a good quiz question, What is the theoretical maximum number of countries a player can be entitled to play for..... obviously just add in Ireland as they took Tony Cascarino as being Irish even though he didn't actually have Irish grandparents.

[Royal Biscuitman]

[quote="SCIAG"]I think you've got your Maths wrong. 2 nationalities for 7 people = 14 potential countries.[quote]Although thinking about it, the parents can only have the 4 nationalities of their two parents plus the country of their birth.... unless they were also adopted/grew up in another country/were immigrants in another country etc etc