I'm all for diversity and I like to see the players of different nationalities within ALL our teams. By playing with our players they improve our skills. Unfortunately when they multiply to the point of preventing our players getting a game, then they begin to destroy our game.
At the moment we operate a kind of rich man's charter. An EU national has a right to come here and play, an International with a certain amount of full caps from a top-ranked nation has a right to come, a transfer fee over a certain amount also confers that right to come here. Is that right Matt?
I think football needs to re-negotiate with the Government over who can have a work permit. I'd increase diversity by allowing anyone with five international caps from any country ranked within the top 125 by FIFA to get a work permit UNDER THE AGE OF 28 only. (We get far too many fading stars. If they come at 26 and get a five-year contract that's fine.) The size of the transfer fee would have nothing to do with it, that only inflates values and attracts money-launderers. I would also allow any player UNDER 21 who has five age groups caps U-17 upwards for a nation in the top 125 to get a work permit to play here. I would also operate a quota system for the match day squads from Premier to League Two - of the 18 players selected 6 would HAVE to be qualified for and available for England selection and within that 18 at least three would have to be 21 or under. If people want to opt to play for a country they've never visited because their gran came from there ........ then there's price, they can't be one of the six Englishmen guaranteed a place.
At the moment we operate a kind of rich man's charter. An EU national has a right to come here and play, an International with a certain amount of full caps from a top-ranked nation has a right to come, a transfer fee over a certain amount also confers that right to come here. Is that right Matt?
I think football needs to re-negotiate with the Government over who can have a work permit. I'd increase diversity by allowing anyone with five international caps from any country ranked within the top 125 by FIFA to get a work permit UNDER THE AGE OF 28 only. (We get far too many fading stars. If they come at 26 and get a five-year contract that's fine.) The size of the transfer fee would have nothing to do with it, that only inflates values and attracts money-launderers. I would also allow any player UNDER 21 who has five age groups caps U-17 upwards for a nation in the top 125 to get a work permit to play here. I would also operate a quota system for the match day squads from Premier to League Two - of the 18 players selected 6 would HAVE to be qualified for and available for England selection and within that 18 at least three would have to be 21 or under. If people want to opt to play for a country they've never visited because their gran came from there ........ then there's price, they can't be one of the six Englishmen guaranteed a place.