"Darron has a right to play for Ireland, he is an Irish citizen and has the same rights as everyone else on the island. The IFA cannot dictate to us regarding Darron's right to play for his country. Darron has no interest in lining out for n.i and has always wanted to play for Ireland" - Spokesperson for the Gibson family, January 2007.  

Ireland u21 international Marc Wilson from aghagallon, Lurgan.

Ireland u19 international Ruairi Harkin from Derry

Nationalist anger is growing over an IFA campaign to block young Irish players from the North of Ireland representing ireland at international level.

 

Both Nationalist parties have reacted with anger over leaked press reports claiming that FIFA will no longer allow players from the North to represent Ireland at international level.

 

SDLP spokesperson on the issue Pat Ramsey MLA & Sinn Fein MLA Paul Maskey have both been in contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin, as well as contacting FIFA & the FAI for clarification on the issue. The Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern has also been in contact with FIFA this week. Mr Ahern recently said "The IFA must realise they can't change the Good Friday agreement"

 

Mr Ramsey issued the following statement today

 Statement from Pat Ramsey on status of Irish Footballers born in the north.

 

“I have written to both the minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermott Ahern, and the FIFA President Mr Blatter, in relation to football players from Northern Ireland who wish to play for the Republic rather than the north’s team.

 

“Given that many people from Northern Ireland regard the Republic of Ireland as the national team, it makes sense that they should be allowed, by FIFA, to play for the Republic.  Given the Good Friday Agreement and the Irish Constitution, there is a strong case for this. 

 

“Most people would argue that it would be in the best sporting interests to combine the talents of both parts of the island to have a single soccer team, as is the case with most other sports.  In the mean time, players born in the north should be allowed to play for the Republic’s team if they wish.

 

“I have pointed out to Mr Blatter the sensitivities of this issue, and the relevance of both teams on the island to both unionist and nationalist people in the north.  I hope the FIFA takes the view that players should be able to make a personal choice on this matter.”

 

And Sinn Fein have again made their feelings clear over the issue with a statement released this morning.

  

“Sinn Féin MLA Paul Maskey has reacted with anger over the news that FIFA, the International Football Body has ruled that the FAI will no longer allow six county footballers to play for Ireland. "Sinn Féin have received numerous calls from many constituents over this clear form of discrimination against Irish sportsmen and women in the six counties” said Paul and he continued "The Good Friday Agreement made provision that everybody born in the six counties is entitled to Irish citizenship. If FIFA have another opinion on this matter I would like to hear it as I believe this is an issue of rights”. He concluded by saying that Sinn Féin had written to both FIFA and the FAI to seek clarity on the issue”

 

Today’s Sinn Fein statement follows on from a previous statement issued in early September by Paul Butler MLA.

 

Sinn Fein has lambasted the Irish Football Association of its bullyboy tactics in attempting to jeopardise the international football career of Darron Gibson. Paul Butler MLA said 

 

Howard Wells and Nigel Worthington are playing a dangerous game in trying to demean the citizenship rights of Irish citizens residing in the north of Ireland. Their collective efforts to block Irish citizens from representing their country at international football level reveals not only an ignorance of FIFA's rulings to date on this issue, but also a political arrogance typified by anti-Agreement unionists who simply refuse to accept the equal legitimacy of the Irish nationalist tradition in the north of Ireland.

"Sinn Féin has made its position very clear to the IFA. The Good Friday Agreement very clear outlined the rights of Irish citizens: such rights will not be filtered through the unionist-minded attitude being exhibited by the Irish Football Association. The new political dispensation on this island must involve organisations like the IFA respecting the rights of Irish citizens, not attempting to ride roughshod over those righis issue for Irish citizens residing in the north of Ireland. It is time for the IFA to back hts- something Sinn Fein will not be permitting to happen.

"I welcome the unequivocal support on this matter from the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin, and we in Sinn Féin have written to FIFA underlining the importance of toff before further damage is done.

  

Pat Ramsey has been a strong supporter of Darron Gibson’s right  to represent Ireland and spoke on the issue in January 07 when the IFA’s campaign to stop Gibson representing Ireland intensified.

 

 Speaking at the time Mr Ramsey said " Darron should have the right to play for Ireland if that is his wish, it is circumstances which the IFA must accept, respect & support the right of any young person from the North Of Ireland to play for Ireland"

 

Copy of Mr Ramsey's letter to FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

 

DATE 24.10.2007

 

Mr Joseph S. Blatter

President

FIFA

FIFA-Strasse 20

P.O. Box 8044

Zurich

Switzerland

 

Dear

 

I write in relation to recent reports in relation to apparent FIFA rules that people from Northern Ireland can only play for the Northern Ireland soccer team and not for the Irish Republic. 

 

The SDLP recognises that unionist people see Northern Ireland as a country and, from their point of view, it makes logical sense for Northern Ireland to have its own team.    However, for Irish nationalists, and it is a fact, Northern Ireland is a state rather than a nation or country and therefore its football team is not seen, by Irish nationalists, as a national team.  Given the Irish constitution, which formally recognises the Irish citizenship of people born in Northern Ireland, Irish nationalists see the Republic of Ireland team as the national team and many would opt to play for the Republic’s team. 

 

Any decision by FIFA to prevent people born in Northern Ireland from playing for the Republic of Ireland would seem to ignore the Good Friday Agreement (Article 1 section vi) which recognises the right of Northern Irish people to be Irish or British or both. It would also ignore Article 2 of the Irish Constitution which says. “It is the entitlement and birthright of every person born in the island of Ireland, which includes its islands and seas, to be part of the Irish nation….”.

 

It would seem ludicrous that an Irish citizen born anywhere in the world would have an entitlement to play for the Irish team, but that a citizen from my own city of Derry could not.

 

I would therefore ask you give strong consideration to the arguments that that Irish Citizens from Northern Ireland should be allowed to play for their national team.

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

 

Pat Ramsey