[Football] FIFA considers changes to nationality rules

[BBassic]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41715159

Bloody immigrants, coming over here, playing for our national team etc etc etc

 

[Brovion]

Hmmm. Not sure I'm in favour of the rules getting relaxed. I certainly don't want to see a situation where players from poorer African countries feel pressured into switching to a European nation just because they now work in Europe. ("We'll give you a massive pay-rise if you switch to England as we don't want you pissing off to Africa every five minutes to play in the African Nations' Cup etc"). I think the rule whereby you can change country up until you've represented them in a competitive match is one of the few things FIFA have got right, and it's one of the few areas where Rugby Union can learn a thing or two.

 

[Alba Badger]

It might be the only hope Scotland has. I'm all for it.

 

[Albion my Albion]

It seems to me that you should help the nation where your parents were raised as children. If there is then a choice between parents then let the player make that choice. I don't think your grandparents should be involved in any way. That would make a lot of the choices for players. If you don't appreciate your parents' country then don't play for any country.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

It seems to me that you should help the nation where your parents were raised as children. If there is then a choice between parents then let the player make that choice. I don't think your grandparents should be involved in any way. That would make a lot of the choices for players. If you don't appreciate your parents' country then don't play for any country.

So by that reckoning, if one is born in England and is by nationality English, but the parents were born elsewhere, one should play for their country and not the country of one's birth?

 

[Albion my Albion]

So by that reckoning, if one is born in England and is by nationality English, but the parents were born elsewhere, one should play for their country and not the country of one's birth?

No, I said where the parents were raised as children, not where the parents were born. If your parents were raised in France and are culturally French then you should play for France. It's always going to be an opinion anyway.

 

[GT49er]

It seems to me that you should help the nation where your parents were raised as children. If there is then a choice between parents then let the player make that choice. I don't think your grandparents should be involved in any way. That would make a lot of the choices for players. If you don't appreciate your parents' country then don't play for any country.

I do agree that grandparents nationality shouldn't be taken into account (although that would have f***ked Jack Charlton's 'Irish' team something rotten!)

I'm not too happy at these proposals to effectively allow international transfers; changing from one international team to another should, imho, be limited to cases of refugees, or cases where a player cannot return to his own country and gets nationalised for his new country - and I think even that should be considered by a tribunal, on a case by case basis.

 

[BensGrandad]

I think they should change the rules and you become only eligible for the country in which you were born irrespective of parents or grandparents happening to be there on holiday or working or whatever. There would be a caveat for people born either on a plane or on board a ship in which case their parents could chose which country to be eligible for either departure or destination country.

 

[GT49er]

I think they should change the rules and you become only eligible for the country in which you were born irrespective of parents or grandparents happening to be there on holiday or working or whatever. There would be a caveat for people born either on a plane or on board a ship in which case their parents could chose which country to be eligible for either departure or destination country.

So a child born to English parents (with English grandparents, and an English family tree going back to the Domesday Book) on holiday in Corfu would be... ... ...Greek?

 

[BensGrandad]

If actually born in Corfu yes. If I wanted my offspring to be English I wouldnt leave the country when the birth is due, A little forward planning as a birth doesnt just happen.

 

[ManOfSussex]

What if the baby was premature or induced for medical reasons?

 

[BensGrandad]

What if the baby was premature or induced for medical reasons?

Again you have regular checks so that would be known when Mrs BG was pregnant we didnt go on holiday after she was 6 months no hardship.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

If actually born in Corfu yes. If I wanted my offspring to be English I wouldnt leave the country when the birth is due, A little forward planning as a birth doesnt just happen.

that's punishing people for decisions made by their parents. So someone who spends ONE DAY in (using the above example- Greece) but the rest of their LIFE in England has to play for Greece and has no choice in the matter?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

that's punishing people for decisions made by their parents. So someone who spends ONE DAY in (using the above example- Greece) but the rest of their LIFE in England has to play for Greece and has no choice in the matter?

A blessing in disguise.

 

[skipper734]

People from Yorkshire used to rush back to Yorkshire for the Birth of their children, if they were currently resident outside the County, to ensure their offspring could play for Yorkshire teams especially Cricket.

 

[GT49er]

If actually born in Corfu yes. If I wanted my offspring to be English I wouldnt leave the country when the birth is due, A little forward planning as a birth doesnt just happen.

Sorry, just this,

 

[Easy 10]

"it's a good time to have a look at this and see if there are solutions without hurting the integrity of the game."

Well, at least there's one thing we can all be sure of - FIFA would never do ANYTHING that hurts the integrity of the game.

 

[McTavish]

Sorry, just this,

It's OK because according to The BG Rules all you would have to do is pop the imminent mother onto a pedalo and say "head for blighty, dear" and the child would have the choice of Greece or England.

 

[Alba Badger]

Anyone know if Dunk has any Scottish Grandparents?

 

[Trufflehound]

My niece was born in Belgium to English parents, but has no automatic right to be Belgian.



And just for clarity, my sister was not on a pedalo at the time...