IFA wait on crucial CAS ruling
Darren Gibson
Thursday July 29 2010
The Court of Arbitration for Sport will on Friday announce their ruling in a case which Northern Irish football chiefs hope will prevent players switching to play for the Republic of Ireland.
The Irish Football Association launched their case against the Football Association of Ireland, young player Daniel Kearns and FIFA which was heard by CAS earlier this month.
Kearns, 18, represented Northern Ireland at under-17 level but switched to play for the Republic this year and played in two European Under-19 Championship matches.
Under the Good Friday Agreement, Irish passports can be held by Irish citizens born on either side of the border, however the IFA are determined 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.
