Freedom! Should Scotland revoke the ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ limiting the eligibility of Home Nation footballers? (Part 2)

This two-part article examines the ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ entered into between the football associations of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland (the Home Nations).   The agreement adds additional restrictions to FIFA’s player eligibility regulations owing to the fact that the United Kingdom is sovereign state (with citizens sharing British nationality) yet has four distinct national teams.  Part 1 (available here) examined the evolution of the terms of the gentleman’s agreement alongside FIFA’s eligibility regulations. 

Part 2 (below) moves on to anayse the relevance and desirability of the agreement in the context of modern, globalized football and increased player migration, and asks whether there is any legitimate reason why it should not be revoked.  Specifically, it looks at:

• Examples of countries relying on players who have ‘switched’ nationality on residency 
• The reality of increased player mobility in modern global football
• How does football compare to other Home Nation sports?
• What is the reason for the Home Nations’ position?