New Zealand Men's U-17s

I've said it once or twice. This cycle. For U17. It was policy.  Commencing April 2014 NTC. Jose new coach. Ole players excluded from all training camps. National coach didn't visit Ole. Only with Hudson quest for players maybe, or change of coach that Ole players considered for U17. Faber doesn't count by the way as he was still doing FTC, not Ole, when he went to an initial camp. I promise you I'm not wearing a tin foil hat ;)

Anyway, cycle nearly over now. Ole lads only had one shot at a training camp. Football politics.

Got any proof, because I spoke to Jose and Fred about it directly.

Andy Hedge denied Ole players entry.

All Ole players or specific ones as that's two different things.

In the South Island and Wellington, no Ole player was able to attend any U17 trial, from early 2014. My understanding was that NZF wanted to limit U17 trials to NTC/FTC participants, at least in those regions. Nix Academy players were given an exemption even though they did not attend FTC. I can't speak for Wynrs players who presumably did trial.

Water under the bridge now Chopah. Lots of reasons for it, but at the time NZF were not looking at the widest possible selection of quality players eligible.

I've said it once or twice. This cycle. For U17. It was policy.  Commencing April 2014 NTC. Jose new coach. Ole players excluded from all training camps. National coach didn't visit Ole. Only with Hudson quest for players maybe, or change of coach that Ole players considered for U17. Faber doesn't count by the way as he was still doing FTC, not Ole, when he went to an initial camp. I promise you I'm not wearing a tin foil hat ;)

Anyway, cycle nearly over now. Ole lads only had one shot at a training camp. Football politics.

Word on the street is that there are more eligiblity problems with some of the Ole boys - bugger - just when they get a step over in the door.

Foryoursupper?

Played against Ellerslie last night? How did that go?

I've heard 2 independent rumours (one very good and one not so good) that the U17s trip to the WC is being revoked by OFC for player ineligibility. Apparently its due for release any day now.

I've heard 2 independent rumours (one very good and one not so good) that the U17s trip to the WC is being revoked by OFC for player ineligibility. Apparently its due for release any day now.

Well, at least all our age group teams are going through this

#alignment

We can't be booted out retrospectively by them... we have already qualified and being drawn. Only FIFA can make that call now.

Yes, I can't understand how OFC still have their hands in this one - surely FIFA's call now ?

I haven't looked at the rules but you can be virtually certain that if we have been proven to have cheated then we can be eliminated.

Protests from other teams might have to be put in before kick off, but that doesn't mean the rules go out the window at that point.

You know one thing i wish people would stop doing is talking about NZ Football 'cheating'. The players concerned are all legit kiwi citizens - many of whom have spent most of their lives here or at least developed most of their footballing experience here - who due to the vagaries of FIFA rules appear to have their eligibility in question. So on those technicalities they could be considered ineligible. Its a long long way from systematically poaching overseas kids into NZ in an underhand way to try and win games. these are legitimate real NZ citizens we're talking about. I'm happy to accept there have been massive errors of judgement around the eligibility rules - but lets stop talking about 'cheating'. It just demeans everyone concerned. 

Getting regulations wrong through error isn't cheating - its just a stuff up. 

You know one thing i wish people would stop doing is talking about NZ Football 'cheating'. The players concerned are all legit kiwi citizens - many of whom have spent most of their lives here or at least developed most of their footballing experience here - who due to the vagaries of FIFA rules appear to have their eligibility in question. So on those technicalities they could be considered ineligible. Its a long long way from systematically poaching overseas kids into NZ in an underhand way to try and win games. these are legitimate real NZ citizens we're talking about. I'm happy to accept there have been massive errors of judgement around the eligibility rules - but lets stop talking about 'cheating'. It just demeans everyone concerned. 

Getting regulations wrong through error isn't cheating - its just a stuff up.