Internationals Watch

[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 !

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.

Your new here aren't you ? You'll get the hang of it....

The rugby rule isn't ridiculous, the thinking was national teams were selected from members of clubs within that country. It's just different. It probably would be crazy now to try and work that way but before there was so much movement between countries it was actually quite sensible - play where you live / work.

There is no right way, and no real consistency round the world. There are bigger issues to deal with (like Blatter and his stupid ideas regarding video challenges...)

[GH Royal]

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 ![/quote]

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.[/quote]

Your new here aren't you ? You'll get the hang of it....

The rugby rule isn't ridiculous, the thinking was national teams were selected from members of clubs within that country. It's just different. It probably would be crazy now to try and work that way but before there was so much movement between countries it was actually quite sensible - play where you live / work.

There is no right way, and no real consistency round the world. There are bigger issues to deal with (like Blatter and his stupid ideas regarding video challenges...)[/quote]

I am indeed Sir! Have been scrolling through HNA for the past year or so, finally decided to create an account to join in with the ramblings.

The rule in general just seems unimaginable in football though.. It would transform the footballing world as we know it completely in terms of transfers, TV licensing, FA World Rankings etc... For example, Argentina would probably struggle against San Marino..

I personally think it is fine the way it is, if a player chooses to play for a country such as Jamaica instead of England purely because they have more chance of playing for that country then so be it, I am sure most footballers want experience at international level, just shows a lack of ambition choosing to play for the smaller side I guess.

[PistolPete]

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 !

In a way, it comes down to the Nature Vs Nurture rule + How a person feels

If your grandparents are Scottish but you grow up and learn the game in England, can you say his Scottish genes helped him? What if he has a Yorkshire accent?
...and what if a boy wears a kilt to school aged 5 because his grandfather is Scottish (his parents admired the guy so much) and all their life they listen to bagpipes, eat neeps and tatties and read Robert Burns, and all through school he's ridiculed about being so Scottish and develops a siege mentality and feels even more Scottish - should he still be told he can't play for Scotland if it's his burning desire?

Tough one!

[Royal Ginger]

How about you go with the country you've lived in for the longest by the age of 12? Covers the formative years of a person and so is going to have a major impact on their cultural person.

Tough bit will be proving it in countries that don't have very good records.

[Ian Royal]

How about just leave it alone?

[SpaghettiHoop]

How about being able to transfer a player's nationality? So the FA could buy Messi and all the others without the hassle of where was your grandfather born? etc

[Nameless]

Stand by for the Gulf States dominating international football until the oil runs out....

What's wrong with a system of picking players ? At the start of each World Cup cycle get all the footballers in the world to stand in a line and then the managers of the international teams get to pick one at a time (not sure who gets first pick - maybe do it alphabetically so we go ahead of the Germans). Once each country has a pool of say 40 players that is it for 4 years.

[tidus_mi2]

Stand by for the Gulf States dominating international football until the oil runs out....

What's wrong with a system of picking players ? At the start of each World Cup cycle get all the footballers in the world to stand in a line and then the managers of the international teams get to pick one at a time (not sure who gets first pick - maybe do it alphabetically so we go ahead of the Germans). Once each country has a pool of say 40 players that is it for 4 years.

What if the numbers are odd and then there's that poor guy at the end that no one wants?

[Nameless]

Stand by for the Gulf States dominating international football until the oil runs out....

What's wrong with a system of picking players ? At the start of each World Cup cycle get all the footballers in the world to stand in a line and then the managers of the international teams get to pick one at a time (not sure who gets first pick - maybe do it alphabetically so we go ahead of the Germans). Once each country has a pool of say 40 players that is it for 4 years.

What if the numbers are odd and then there's that poor guy at the end that no one wants?

You mean Simon Church ?

[Pseud O'Nym]

Stand by for the Gulf States dominating international football until the oil runs out....

What's wrong with a system of picking players ? At the start of each World Cup cycle get all the footballers in the world to stand in a line and then the managers of the international teams get to pick one at a time (not sure who gets first pick - maybe do it alphabetically so we go ahead of the Germans). Once each country has a pool of say 40 players that is it for 4 years.

Wouldn't put it past them to call themselves Deutschland just to get in ahead of us.

[tidus_mi2]

I think the Welsh just pipped us for most embarrassing pitch invasion! Even if Gareth Bale managed to convince them taking the lead against Andorra isn't the best reason for a pitch invasion.

[USA_Loyal_Royal]

I think the Welsh just pipped us for most embarrassing pitch invasion! Even if Gareth Bale managed to convince them taking the lead against Andorra isn't the best reason for a pitch invasion.

genuine lol at wales. the squad doesnt look to bad on paper except they have literally no good strikers and their best option is simon oxf*rd church.

also iceland look like they will be decent with some good young players coming through.

[Royal Ginger]

We all know Iceland's only good because of one reason...

[akranes]

We all know Iceland's only good because of one reason...

to reading fans maybe, however in reality that's not quite the reason

[ZacNaloen]

It's all the fit women they are chasing after in Reykjavik, gives them an edge.

[Royal Ginger]

We all know Iceland's only good because of one reason...

to reading fans maybe, however in reality that's not quite the reason

[SCIAG]

We all know Iceland's only good because of one reason...

Eiður Smári's retired now

[genome]

We all know Iceland's only good because of one reason...

I'm quite partial to their party platter. Good sausage rolls and a snip at £2.

[Pseud O'Nym]

We all know Iceland's only good because of one reason...

I'm quite partial to their party platter. Good sausage rolls and a snip at £2.

Bet most of today's fans don't even remember when it was Bejam.

[melonhead]

Big fan of their mini party desserts

But won't touch their savouries