FAI v IFA

[Boca]

This could have serious implications for the game in the North.

 

 

 

The Football Association of Ireland has confirmed that it has won the case taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) by the IFA in relation to Daniel Kearns.

 

The landmark ruling vindicates the FAI and FIFA position that players born within the island of Ireland are eligible to play for FAI international teams and provides complete and final clarity on the matter.

 

The ruling comes into force with immediate effect and under the terms of the ruling, the IFA will pay all related costs. The FAI would like to take the opportunity to highlight that it has in recent years had good relations with the IFA. Those were maintained throughout this case and will continue into the future.

 

Kearns, who was released by West Ham at the end of last season, joined the likes of Manchester United's Darron Gibson and Portsmouth's Marc Wilson in switching allegiance from Northern Ireland to the Republic.

 

 

Welcoming the ruling, FAI Chief Executive John Delaney said: 'Today's landmark decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport confirms the FIFA and FAI position on player eligibility. The ruling upholds the right of individual choice on this matter for players born north of the border.

 

'I would like to thank the many people from all parts of the island who were strongly supportive during this process, and in particular, recognise the determination of Daniel Kearns and his family to uphold his right as an Irish citizen to play for his country.'

 

 

Link

 

 

[Gunga Din]

one football team, like the rugby team. problem solved

 

 

[MFletcher]

I have concerns that the NI team will become a Unionist-only team whilst the ROI team becomes a nationalist-only team, but the criteria is 'holds a passport' and there were no grounds for stopping it really.

 

One football team wouldn't work really. The rugby team was never 'split' to begin with, so re-amalgamating the two football teams into one entity wouldn't be too well received. Could you imagine some of the NI hardcore contingent standing respectfully whilst the crowd belts out Amhran na bhFiann at Lansdowne? There would be riots.

Edited July 30, 2010 by MFletcher

[John am Rhein]

one football team, like the rugby team. problem solved

 

and, indeed, for the country in general

[Gunga Din]

I have concerns that the NI team will become a Unionist-only team whilst the ROI team becomes a nationalist-only team, but the criteria is 'holds a passport' and there were no grounds for stopping it really.

 

One football team wouldn't work really. The rugby team was never 'split' to begin with, so re-amalgamating the two football teams into one entity wouldn't be too well received. Could you imagine some of the NI hardcore contingent standing respectfully whilst the crowd belts out Amhran na bhFiann at Lansdowne? There would be riots.

 

 

plenty of rugby fans stand for the national anthem at Lansdown. and surely a simple solution would be to just use Irelands Call, and rotate the games between Belfast and Dublin.

 

the biggest obstacle will be there will only be 1 set of suits needed, so a load of hangers-on will lose their jobs, but it must tbe the only sport on the island split like that anyway. moving towards an all Ireland League would help as well. an All Ireland football team will stand a better chance of qualifying for major tournaments anyway

[Boca]

plenty of rugby fans stand for the national anthem at Lansdown. and surely a simple solution would be to just use Irelands Call, and rotate the games between Belfast and Dublin.

 

the biggest obstacle will be there will only be 1 set of suits needed, so a load of hangers-on will lose their jobs, but it must tbe the only sport on the island split like that anyway. moving towards an all Ireland League would help as well. an All Ireland football team will stand a better chance of qualifying for major tournaments anyway

 

 

There were talks about an All ireland league a couple of years back but the IFA blocked it as far as I can remember.

[Gunga Din]

There were talks about an All ireland league a couple of years back but the IFA blocked it as far as I can remember.

 

 

if Linfield and Glentoran went then the rest would follow.

[Boca]

if Linfield and Glentoran went then the rest would follow.

 

 

There's never been a better time to try it as well, what with this decision yesterday and the financial struggles of both leagues.

[Gunga Din]

There's never been a better time to try it as well, what with this decision yesterday and the financial struggles of both leagues.

 

 

they'd need BBC NI and RTE to support it though, or even get it on sky, and run the league through the summer. i'm actually surprised Newry havent joined the League of Ireland, they very nearly did when i was there. they could have a decent league there if they did it right, you'd have Linfield, Glentoran, Portadown, Derry, Cliftonville from the north at least, make a premier league with 16 teams, and then have two regional divisions feeding into it. so 16 team league, 4 relegation places, and division 1 north and south, drawing a line across from Drogheda, and having 2 promoted each

[dorgie]

they'd need BBC NI and RTE to support it though, or even get it on sky, and run the league through the summer. i'm actually surprised Newry havent joined the League of Ireland, they very nearly did when i was there. they could have a decent league there if they did it right, you'd have Linfield, Glentoran, Portadown, Derry, Cliftonville from the north at least, make a premier league with 16 teams, and then have two regional divisions feeding into it. so 16 team league, 4 relegation places, and division 1 north and south, drawing a line across from Drogheda, and having 2 promoted each

 

Chance missed. Both leagues are bankrupt. Even semi-pro has become almost unsustainable. Newry travelling to Waterford, Wexford or Cork is unsustainable and vice versa. During the boom, Shels, Shamrock Rovers, Derry and Cork (4 of the best supported teams in the league), all hit the wall.........what chance have they post-boom ? Bohs gambled over the last 3 or 4 years....the coming 12 months will be very telling for them now that they've been dismissed by TNS from Europe.

 

The FAI and the IFA both stood back and watched it happen.

[Coyler]

Sure the FAI have no interest whatsoever in the health of the club scene beyond keeping the domestic league barely alive to fulfil the FIFA regulations that would otherwise preclude them from fielding their 'national team' and all the lovely junkets that flow from that, which is their real raison d'être.

 

Oh and to bend over backwards for Rovers at every opportunity.

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

one football team, like the rugby team. problem solved

aye, but two football assoc's - therefore one of every level of staff out of a job - i.e. one president, financial director, marketing gadgy etc.

 

So unless they're forced, who'd relent?

[aka Dus]

The IFA have far too much influence, ridiculously beyond proportion, to vote themselves out of existence.

 

The only reason anyone ever says "Republic of Ireland" is as a sop to the IFA's jealous guardianship of their status.

 

The Setanta Cup hasnt proven the viability of an all Ireland league. I doubt that attendances or TV income would increase were it to happen.

[swano]

Sure the FAI have no interest whatsoever in the health of the club scene beyond keeping the domestic league barely alive to fulfil the FIFA regulations that would otherwise preclude them from fielding their 'national team' and all the lovely junkets that flow from that, which is their real raison d'être.

 

Oh and to bend over backwards for Rovers at every opportunity.

 

You're having a laugh aren't you? The FAI are a joke when it comes to the league, for all teams concerned. Didn't see them bend over backwards when Milltown was sold and they've let pretty much every team cheat the system over the years, Bohs included.

 

The whole league needs to go back to basics and realise the days of players earning 2-3k a week are gone. This won't happen unless the FAI actually grow some balls and impose sanctions on clubs who are cheating. I wouldn't be thinking about an All Ireland league until we get our own league back on track.

[Gunga Din]

The IFA have far too much influence, ridiculously beyond proportion, to vote themselves out of existence.

 

 

they wouldnt have to. the new joint FA could be the IFA, with the FAI being absorbed into the IFA, rather than the other way around, thus still maintaining their position on FIFA's top table

[aka Dus]

they wouldnt have to. the new joint FA could be the IFA, with the FAI being absorbed into the IFA, rather than the other way around, thus still maintaining their position on FIFA's top table

 

I didn't mean to suggest that the FAI would be more or less predisposed than the IFA to vote for a new one island body from an ideological point of view. But with the overall balance of power between the two national squads (including underage teams), revenue generated through sponsorships, demographic balance (let's be clear, any half decent player from a nationalist minded family in the north will be declaring for Ireland after this judgement on Kearns) then it is far more in the interests of the IFA to join forces than the FAI on pretty much every criterion except the prestige of being a home union. I don't think it's realistic either way by the by.

[jimmylibel]

plenty of rugby fans stand for the national anthem at Lansdown. and surely a simple solution would be to just use Irelands Call, and rotate the games between Belfast and Dublin.

 

That would just never happen.

[Gunga Din]

That would just never happen.

 

 

why?

[Cobs]

Savages

[Coyler]

Didn't see them bend over backwards when Milltown was sold

You seem to be confusing Wicklow Mountains-based side Shamrock Rovers, model club and proud owners of a single First Division title, whose European campaign the FAI will willingly assist by rearranging league ties at the drop of a hat despite flatly refusing to accommodate Bohs or Dundalk in previous years, with the highly successful and sorely missed Branvard franchise...

[jimmylibel]

why?

 

Doesn't happen with the rugby, the money's in Dublin, they've signed a long term deal with the IRFU on the new Aviva stadium, etc, etc.

[Gunga Din]

Doesn't happen with the rugby, the money's in Dublin, they've signed a long term deal with the IRFU on the new Aviva stadium, etc, etc.

 

 

thats because there is no suitable stadium yet in Belfast, but if they get one built then i'm sure it could be sorted.

 

and there is no money in Dublin. Dublins broke.

 

 

plus with the Rugby, they havent had tio try and heal a divide, so always playing in Dublin hasnt been a problem.

 

if the two FA's wwere to join up, then it would need to share the games around

Edited August 3, 2010 by Gunga Din

[jimmylibel]

thats because there is no suitable stadium yet in Belfast, but if they get one built then i'm sure it could be sorted.

 

and there is no money in Dublin. Dublins broke.

 

 

plus with the Rugby, they havent had tio try and heal a divide, so always playing in Dublin hasnt been a problem.

 

if the two FA's wwere to join up, then it would need to share the games around

 

Another reason why there won't be a merger then.

 

If you were pushing for games in Belfast, Cork and other cities would expect to be included too.

 

As for there being no money in Dublin, been in Dublin a lot lately for sporting occasions Wayne? All those unsold tickets suggesting there's no money about the place? Funny I could have sworn we just opened an expensive, new stadium only a matter of days ago.

 

If they got a stadium? I could have sworn the plans for the new Maze stadium have been scrapped and that the IFA is instead going to redevelop Windsor Park up to a magnificent 20,000.

[swano]

You seem to be confusing Wicklow Mountains-based side Shamrock Rovers, model club and proud owners of a single First Division title, whose European campaign the FAI will willingly assist by rearranging league ties at the drop of a hat despite flatly refusing to accommodate Bohs or Dundalk in previous years, with the highly successful and sorely missed Branvard franchise...

 

Nice response! As I said, the FAI are a joke and if they all sat down and had to make the same decision 10 times over they'd come up with different results every time. I don't think it's particularly favouring any team. WIth the Juve game there was more public attention so they just wanted to look good. The league is on it's knees and all they care about are poxy junkets.

[Gunga Din]

Another reason why there won't be a merger then.

 

If you were pushing for games in Belfast, Cork and other cities would expect to be included too.

 

As for there being no money in Dublin, been in Dublin a lot lately for sporting occasions Wayne? All those unsold tickets suggesting there's no money about the place? Funny I could have sworn we just opened an expensive, new stadium only a matter of days ago.

 

If they got a stadium? I could have sworn the plans for the new Maze stadium have been scrapped and that the IFA is instead going to redevelop Windsor Park up to a magnificent 20,000.

 

just because people go to sporting events Jimmy doesnt mean there is money about the place. the place is on its a***.

 

if there was a merger between the FA's, i'd say a new stadium would be built as a priority in Belfast. and if Galway and Cork or wherever else had a ground capable of holding a game, then why not.

 

it was about time the FAI had a football stadium, instead of leasing a rugby ground or a GAA ground