CAS rules in FAI’s favour

By Charlie Stuart

Saturday, July 31, 2010

THE FAI yesterday won a landmark victory after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland ruled that any player born on the island of Ireland can play for the Republic even though they may have previously played for Northern Ireland at schoolboy, under-age, youth and U21 level.

That could mean an opening of the floodgates for the FAI meaning that any player born in the North can now play for the Republic, providing they have an Irish passport to which they are all entitled under the Good Friday agreement.

"The historic decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport confirms FIFA and FAI practice on player eligibility,’’ said a delighted FAI Chief Executive John Delaney.

"The ruling upholds the right of individual choice on this matter for players born north of the border."

It is a crushing blow for the Belfast based Irish Football Association (IFA) in their attempts to prevent players switching to play for the Republic.

The CAS have rejected an appeal by IFA against FIFA and the FAI allowing 18-year-old Belfast-born Daniel Kearns to play for the Republic.

Kearns represented Northern Ireland at U17 level but switched to play for the Republic this year and played in two European U19 Championship matches.

A statement from the CAS said: "The CAS panel dismissed the appeal and confirmed the decision issued by the single judge of the FIFA players’ status committee, which recognised that Daniel Kearns was eligible to play for the national team of the FAI."

Under the Good Friday Agreement, Irish passports can be held by Irish citizens born on either side of the border.

However the IFA have been trying to prevent what they claimed was a talent drain of players and have been arguing that players born in Northern Ireland without family links to the south should not be allowed to play for the Republic.

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.

FIFA’s players’ status committee had ruled that Kearns fulfilled the requirements in that he had never represented Northern Ireland in an official competition at senior international level.

Had he done so, he would not have been eligible for the Republic.

IFA President Raymond Kennedy was naturally disappointed by the outcome of the decision after the meeting had taken place in Switzerland on July 19 and to rub salt in the wounds, the IFA will have to pay costs of bringing the case to the Court.

"I am disappointed by the decision but we will continue to develop our very successful and wide-range of ‘Football for All’ and community programmes in the areas of grassroots, domestic and international football to ensure that anyone available to play for Northern Ireland will want to do so," said Kennedy.

The FAI insisted that good relations with their Northern counterparts would continue.

Chief Executive Delaney was at pains to thank all those who had helped the FAI’s case.

"I would like to thank the many people from all parts of this 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. "

Meanwhile Shamrock Rovers have announced that the club will play the reserve squads of Arsenal and Manchester United in the Platinum One Challenge.

The three team tournament will take place from 15 August to 22 August at Tallaght Stadium.

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Saturday, July 31, 2010