Can Fifa yet stop Gibson playing for the Republic?

darkman2 · 24-08-2007 5:00pm #1

Thats the question. Apparently Northern Ireland are very interested in having the midfielder play for them. However he has already made a senior appearence for the Republic against Denmark. One has to wonder would a decision from Fifa to stop him playing for us actually end his international career because im sure you all remember the treatment given out to Neil Lennon up there...........imagine what they would think of Gibson!? - Of course he comes highly rated from Man U and no one could miss the fact that NI need all the talent they can get but im still perplexed that they actually think that even if FIFA agreed with the IFA and forced him not to play for the Republic that he would actually play for them? Anyway we need good players too and he decided to play for us - Case closed.....or is it? Can FIFA currently stop a player from NI playing for the Republic? Do the IFA have to grow up? I mean its only one player.:)

Vokes · 24-08-2007 5:02pm

Why would FIFA be interested in stopping him play for the Republic?

Anyway, its a moot point surely. He has an irish passport and played a senior game now.

Spud83 · 24-08-2007 5:04pm

Firstly he is a midfielder. Under current rules he is allowed play for the ROI and since he now has a senior cap he would now not be alowed to play for NOI. If FIFA decided to rule in his favour they would firstly need to change the rules regarding eligble players and secondly they would either have to change the rules or make and exemption for Gibson to play for the NOI. However neither is going to happen as the player clearly wants to play for the ROI, he meets FIFA rules so as far as they will see it there is no point changing anything.

DSB · 24-08-2007 5:07pm

Can you post a link to something about this? Haven't heard about it.

darkman2 · 24-08-2007 5:08pm

The IFA have taken some sort of complaint to FIFA who are currently looking into it. I have to say id find it unlikely given the GFA and all that that they could stop Northern players playing for the Republic but anyway.......the IFA are having a little hissy fit over this atm and new manager Nigel Worthington making noises too. Maybe however the IFA are less concerned about Gibson and more concerned about a trickle of potentially very good players playing for the Republic whilst previously playing underage for NI. There are some more promising players in the NI youth setups that could play for the Republic too.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/6953708.stm

OhNoYouDidn't · 24-08-2007 5:22pm

basically FIFA changed the rules a few years ago to stop a load of brazilians playing for quatar. having a passport no longer is enough, the rules refer to a blood relative and or having lived in the FIFA entity for 5 years as well as a passport.

Ignoring the politics of the fact he is a nationalist, the IFA may have a technical point under FIFA rules. he wasnt born in, has or has never had any family in, and has never lived in the FIFA entity he has a passport for.

FIFA have fudged this issue for years and will kick this for touch again.

Mikeyt086 · 24-08-2007 6:13pm

Agreed this is complete Moo.

Gibson is a player Ireland will need for the next 10 years. incredible potential.

yabadabado · 24-08-2007 6:28pm

i thought it was a case of being allowed to play for either team when u are born in the island of ireland.gidson was born in londonderry so has the choice of either rep or ni same as robbie keane had the choice of playing for NI?

fish fingers · 24-08-2007 7:40pm

Derry

KdjaCL · 24-08-2007 8:07pm

He can play for NI if he wants too, there have been cases of players changing, there have been no cases of FAs demanding a player play for them.

He wants to play for ireland his choice really, everyone up north is entitled to dual passport under Good friday something so they can choose nationality.

kdjac

leninbenjamin · 24-08-2007 8:38pm

this could get very messy though if the IFA try to pursue it you'd imagine, calling into question the GFA and all that.

yabadabado · 24-08-2007 8:48pm

dont think there is anything ifa can do.his choice ,and he choose the republic ,sour grapes on the ifa's behalf i think

KdjaCL · 24-08-2007 9:04pm

yabadabado wrote:

dont think there is anything ifa can do.his choice ,and he choose the republic ,sour grapes on the ifa's behalf i think

More a pre emptive strike really, he wont be the only one to do it. Mc Court can switch over too dont think he has played for full NI team yet.

kdjac

eirebhoy · 24-08-2007 10:01pm

I can't believe the IFA are pushing for this. Pathetic.

KdjaCL · 24-08-2007 10:03pm

eirebhoy wrote:

I can't believe the IFA are pushing for this. Pathetic.

How so? If keane had of declared for england as he lived there for X years would you not expect the FAI to do something similiar?

kdjac

eirebhoy · 24-08-2007 10:27pm

Don't get me started mate.

Gibson is Irish. We're lucky this whole country isn't still under British rule and if we were it wouldn't change the fact that we're Irish.

KdjaCL · 24-08-2007 10:30pm

eirebhoy wrote:

Don't get me started mate. Gibson is Irish. We're lucky this whole country isn't still under British rule and if we were it wouldn't change the fact that we're Irish.

No hes not he was born into a country called Northern Ireland which recently allowed people within that country to have dual passports which allows him Irish citizenship, he is not Irish.

Yuogoslavia would have won the 92 Euros but they didnt.

kdjac

shane86 · 24-08-2007 10:30pm

yabadabado wrote:

i thought it was a case of being allowed to play for either team when u are born in the island of ireland.gidson was born in londonderry so has the choice of either rep or ni same as robbie keane had the choice of playing for NI?

Was one of his parents/grandparents born in N.I?

Because of my mothers birthplace I could have played for Northern Ireland (the only facts hindering me was that, despite my 10.2 stone body weight Im a sh1te footballer who has drank, smoked and generally abused his body away with fast food since the dawn of time

). What is the rule exactly re playing. Most lads in their 20s/30s on this island would have at least one grandparent born before the seperation of north and south. Because until the good friday agreement we claimed N.I as our own, is anyone born there with a grandparent born pre 1921/22 eligible? If so its too bad Neil Lennon didnt come to us given the abuse he received off the nordies.

KdjaCL · 24-08-2007 10:33pm

shane86 wrote:

Was one of his parents/grandparents born in N.I?

Because of my mothers birthplace I could have played for Northern Ireland (the only facts hindering me was that, despite my 10.2 stone body weight Im a sh1te footballer who has drank, smoked and generally abused his body away with fast food since the dawn of time ). What is the rule exactly re playing. Most lads in their 20s/30s on this island would have at least one grandparent born before the seperation of north and south. Because until the good friday agreement we claimed N.I as our own, is anyone born there with a grandparent born pre 1921/22 eligible? If so its too bad Neil Lennon didnt come to us given the abuse he received off the nordies.

The good friday agreement distorts things, you can claim an irish passport if living in NI so technically Irish.

The general rule is you can play for the country of your grandfather, ahh you missed the old "who can you play for "thread.

I can only play for ireland and if england didnt rape us i would be King (gwan the ulster byrnes). Bow before me biatch

kdjac

eirebhoy · 24-08-2007 10:42pm

KdjaCL wrote:

he is not Irish.

I find it very sad that an Irishman would say that tbh.

What the IFA are doing is pathetic, that's all I'm saying. They don't want to allow a man who regards himself as Irish to play for his country.

KdjaCL · 24-08-2007 10:46pm

eirebhoy wrote:

I find it very said that an Irishman would say that tbh.

What the IFA are doing is pathetic, that's all I'm saying. They don't want to allow a man who regards himself as Irish to play for his country.

Do you hear them saying it? They choose what they want to be and thats the way it is. Acceptance Eb simple really.

kdjac

yabadabado · 24-08-2007 11:31pm

The Good Friday Agreement recognised that all people born in Northern Ireland could opt for British or Irish citizenship.so the IFA dont have a case, so its probably a case of them trying to get FIFA to get it sorted so they dont lose any other players again.gibson just happens to be the 1 caught in the middle using him to highlight their case.

OhNoYouDidn't · 25-08-2007 1:14am

yabadabado wrote:

The Good Friday Agreement recognised that all people born in Northern Ireland could opt for British or Irish citizenship.so the IFA dont have a case, so its probably a case of them trying to get FIFA to get it sorted so they dont lose any other players again.gibson just happens to be the 1 caught in the middle using him to highlight their case.

unfortunatly the IFA may well have a case.

holding citizenship is no longer sufficient to play for an assocoation, you also need one of a: being born in the country b: blood relatives from the country or c: five continious years residency.

Gibson in this case has the passport and none of the other 3 from FIFA's point of view.

If the IFA push this, the FAI are in line for a big fine. This is a cock fight between the two associations as the IFA claim an unwritten agreement not to 'poach' accross the border was broken by Kerr as youth team manager and this is the first of them to get a full cap, so in they go.

Interestingly, if he doenst hold a British passport (or rejects it lively) he is ineligble for the black north too.....

leninbenjamin · 25-08-2007 2:11am

this is an interesting wee line...

"On October 20, Fifa's Heinz Tannler, Director of Legal Division, and Corina Luck, Head of General Legal, wrote a joint letter to the IFA, which was copied to the FAI," said a FAI statement published in the Irish News.

"In it, they informed the IFA that 'the existing situation in Northern Ireland allows players to choose whether they wish to represent Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland'."

source

does this not mean in FIFA's eye's he is eligible?

Erin Go Brath · 25-08-2007 2:34am

The IFA are a complete disgrace to go down this road. They should let the young lad make his own choice and not interfere. He identifies with and supports the ROI, so let him play according to his wishes.

Legally, the IFA haven't a leg to stand on in this case anyway. If FIFA's Director of their legal Dept sent a communication to both associations that players in the 6 Counties have a right to chose which team to represent, then thats pretty conculsive. Case closed!

Time Magazine · 25-08-2007 2:40am

Skimmed through the thread and haven't seen this mentioned, but as far as I know the IFA are relying on the fact that he played for the North at underage level before ever choosing the Republic. Surely that counts against him? I seem to recall a problem with Julian Joachim a few years ago that he couldn't play for one of England or Trinidad (can't remember which) because he had played underage with the other.

The Good Friday Agreement allows anyone in the North to Irish or British citizenship, or both. As far as I know, the IFA aren't contesting that. It's the underage cap thing they're arguing against.

Edit: Wiki tells me it was St. Vincent and the Grenadines (not Trinidad and Tobago) Joachim couldn't play for, because he had nine England U-21 caps.

~Rebel~ · 25-08-2007 2:42am

people usually seem to be ok if its only under-16, i think you're fecked if you play U-18 or above though.

leninbenjamin · 25-08-2007 3:28am

i've been browsing around on the issue. what i hear is a player who is under 21 and hasn't been capped at A level can basically choose who wants. if he has played at U16 (which Darron did) and/or above or something then he has to transfer while FIFA check it all out and do the math, which was apparently done years ago in Darron's case.

what they are also saying about the whole mother/father/grandparents having to be born in said state is that it only applies to cases of naturalisation. as Darron has the right of ROI citizenship at birth, it doesn't apply to him and he can legally play for us.

can't find any official documentation on it though apart from
this (page 61) which is extremely vague(page 51)

galwayrush · 25-08-2007 9:27am

If NI win this, maybe we should look to getting Wayne Rooney for the Republic:D

Andrew 83 · 25-08-2007 11:16am

FIFA had an amnesty on players switching country having represented another at underage level a couple of years ago while Kerr was manager. As far as I remember we put a few players through at that time (Jonathan Macken for instance who played at U20 level for England) and I would say there's a good chance given the timing that Gibson and others were OKed for the change by FIFA at the time.

Can Fifa yet stop Gibson playing for the Republic?

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