What I was thinking was it will be harder going forward to bring non-Irish EU players into the country, assuming those already here will have "settled status".

George Street-Bridge wrote:What I was thinking was it will be harder going forward to bring non-Irish EU players into the country, assuming those already here will have "settled status".

I realised that was probably what you were indicating, I was just being a pedant

However, FIFA decided Irish players should be governed by the same rules as all other EU/overseas players when it comes to transfers. They need a GBE, unless/until the UK and Irish governments come to some agreement under the Common Travel Area arrangements.

I think this article still lays out the position regarding Irish/EU/overseas players.

And the same will likely apply to Scottish players once Scotland becomes independent, whether in or out of the EU.

Thanks, that's an eye-opener.

NearlyDead wrote:

George Street-Bridge wrote:What I was thinking was it will be harder going forward to bring non-Irish EU players into the country, assuming those already here will have "settled status".

I realised that was probably what you were indicating, I was just being a pedant

However, FIFA decided Irish players should be governed by the same rules as all other EU/overseas players when it comes to transfers. They need a GBE, unless/until the UK and Irish governments come to some agreement under the Common Travel Area arrangements.

I think this article still lays out the position regarding Irish/EU/overseas players.

And the same will likely apply to Scottish players once Scotland becomes independent, whether in or out of the EU.

Although since the Good Friday Agreement the Government of Ireland Act has ceased to be in force, nonetheless the free travel area remains. Further to this so does the anomaly that whilst a British subject is not entitled to an Irish passport an Irish citizen is entitled to a British passport and thus citizenship.

As a consequence any young Irish footballer who wished can come to the UK and for any purpose under international law claim to be British. There is no need for the British and Irish governmentsto come to an agreement under the Common Travel Area, the CTE is the agreement.

Now the present situation has not been tested in the Courts and I am not infallible. However speaking as an ex immigration lawyer in my opinion the writer of this article is finding a theoretical problem where I believe no real problem exists. Any views contrary to the status taken by FIFA would if challenged likely to be struck down.