Why the FAW’s plans to change eligibility criteria should be embraced

Dr Huw Evans, academic lawyer, Cardiff Metropolitan University

In this article, for reasons of inclusion, I argue that the eligibility criteria to play international football for Wales should be extended to include residency in Wales after five years.

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) recently flew a kite that was quickly grounded after it became clear that it was going nowhere. That kite was the proposal that the criteria for eligibility to play football for Wales would include a person who had played football for at least five years at a club in Wales.

The motivation for this initiative, apparently, was to recruit ex-Swansea City midfielder  Matt Grimes to the Welsh international cause.

Grimes is not currently eligible to play for Wales, but he did play for Swansea for ten years.

Wales democratic and international football eligibility criteria

At this point you may be thinking ‘So what. This is hardly in the grand scheme of things.’

But look at it another way. If you applied the current football eligibility criteria to eligibility for voting or standing as a candidate at an election in Wales (let’s call it democratic eligibility), it would mean a person could only vote or be a candidate if they were born in Wales, have a parent or grandparent born in Wales, or have had five years’ education in Wales before the age of 18.

In other words, although a person might live in Wales, and may have done so for many years as an adult, if they did not meet any of these criteria, they would be disenfranchised (let’s call this person D).

Understandably, there would be outrage if democratic eligibility criteria were framed this way. And rightfully so.

Yet when it comes to eligibility for international football, apparently, that is OK.

Criteria comparison

A response might be along the lines of ‘But you’re not comparing like with like, are you?’. And I would reply ‘Well… yes and no’.

‘Yes’, because the democratic process is fundamentally different from international football. Democratic eligibility confers a right to participate in the democratic process.

There is no comparable right to play football for Wales. If you are eligible, you can only play if you are chosen. It is a privilege. At this level, it is comparing chalk with cheese.

But ‘no’ at a deeper level. At the core of democratic eligibility is citizenship. Residence in Wales is key. Birth or bloodline is irrelevant. The right of D to take part in the democratic process is not seriously questioned because, as a resident, D has made a commitment to Wales.

There are a lot of Ds in Wales and, I suspect, in Welsh public life. Many will also regard themselves as Welsh by adoption and this extends to supporting international Welsh sporting teams.

Inclusion

Inclusion is a core value in Welsh devolution and the democratic eligibility criteria embodies inclusion. Placing this approach in a nationalist context is reflected in civic nationalism.

Apart, from recognition of five years’ schooling in Wales before the age of 18, eligibility criteria to play football for Wales is based on birth or bloodline. There is nothing wrong with birth or bloodline, but civic values tell us that the criteria should also take account of D, surely?

And the FIFA governing statutes on international eligibility do take account of D. D is normally eligible to play international football after a period of five years’ residency.

However, in the case of the four UK international football associations there is an opt-out available, and this has been taken.

If the Kite had paved the way for change, the residency criterion would have been added – and which, as mentioned, is the norm elsewhere. Viewed this way, it was not a radical proposal.

The need for five years’ residency before becoming eligible is required so that footballers do not indulge in ‘international tourism’ – that is, acquiring a nationality of a country with which they otherwise have no connection merely for the purpose of playing football for that country. The residency period ensures a player has a genuine connection with the country.

International rugby union eligibility

International rugby union eligibility includes a five years’ residency criterion – this was increased from three years. So, D can play rugby for Wales after 5 years’ residency but not football.

Ospreys full back Max Nagy has qualified to play rugby for Wales on this basis, but is not similarly entitled to play football for Wales. And although Matt Grimes is not qualified to play football for Wales, he would be for rugby.

Overview

I am not suggesting this is an issue about which a person should have sleepless nights. But there is a point worth making.

Wales has embraced its devolution path with civic inclusion values, and which are reflected in the democratic eligibility criteria. The current eligibility criteria for the Wales football team are inconsistent with civic inclusion.

Allowing eligibility after five years’ residency would remove that inconsistency – the five years’ wait is justifiable to combat ‘international tourism’.

It would also bring Wales football into line with international football teams outside the UK and rugby.

In case it might be thought I am arguing the point through vested interest, I am not a D.

I am eligible to play for Wales through my birth. Although Wales manager Craig Bellamy is never going to call me, meeting the eligibility criteria makes me feel included.  I know there are Ds who would like to feel the same way.

Finally, I don’t for one moment think that the FAW flew the kite to correct an inclusion deficit. It was probably more for the qualities that the FAW believed Matt Grimes could bring to the Wales midfield!