World governing body Fifa has suggested that players born in Northern Ireland should be allowed to opt to play for the Republic of Ireland. A question for all you blog-ites out there... should the world governing body FIFA allow Northern Ireland born players to opt for the 26 counties in the Republic of Ireland?
Puzzled? Ok, I'll answer it for you. They shouldn't. End of. Here's why...
The Irish FA is the 3rd oldest association in the world - who once officially ran the all-Ireland team for its first few decades - and they are clearly NOT the partitionists on this issue.
Of course the Brits could be accused of being partitionists in the political sense (ooh controversial!) but in all fairness this is FOOTBALL we're talking about and the Republic's football association should really reap what they sowed in the 1920's when they took their ball and killed off the islands all-Irish side. Lets not forget the fact that up until the partition of Ireland in 1921 the IFA governed football across the entire island but a decision by the Dublin clubs to form their own association led to the formation of the FAI (Football Association of Ireland).
What this breakaway association (the FAI) is doing is essentially sectarian, as players from nationalist/catholic areas such as Darron Gibson will form a generation of Irish catholics on their team (ROI) and we'll have a team full of Ulster protestants (NI).
The door will then be shut firm on the chris bairds, martin o'neills, gerry armstrongs, damien johnsons of days of old and partition in Ireland in footballing terms will be even greater.
So come on FIFA, in a time when Northern Ireland is beginning to achieve the cross-community support of old with the various campaigns run by the IFA, please dont make partition between our two countries even greater as we may potentially end up with 'Catholic Ireland' and 'Protestant Ireland' - sad, but a real possibility should they rule in favour of the breakaway association - the FAI.
