English Nationality

[Roger de Coverly]

The 4NCL rules are quite free with the term English Nationality for example in

Players with English nationality must have membership of the ECF valid on 31 August 2009 for registration lists submitted before that date. For later registrations, membership must be valid on the date that the registration is submitted. A player not of English nationality must be either a member of his/her own national federation or of the ECF.

Would anyone care to define what this means? To the best of my knowledge I am of British Nationality resident in England. Various sports have rules regarding eligibility to play for England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic but I don't think the ECF has anything specific.

[Simon Spivack]

It would certainly be simpler if the requirement for a British or Irish national was membership of one of the four national federations: England, Wales, Scotland or Ireland. Indeed, given that some British nationals live abroad, perhaps even membership of any FIDE recognised national federation in which territory that player is ordinarily resident.

[IM Jack Rudd]

For players already on the FIDE database, I would imagine it means players listed with ENG as their federation. For those not on the database, I imagine it means players who are going to go onto it with ENG as their federation.

[Simon Spivack]

For players already on the FIDE database, I would imagine it means players listed with ENG as their federation. For those not on the database, I imagine it means players who are going to go onto it with ENG as their federation.

I know of one chap of Scottish parentage born in England. FIDE listed him as Irish for years!

I plead guilty to not liking a definition that relies upon FIDE. It almost reads as if someone is "English" because they say he is. Terms like UK national and Irish national are well defined. One could class Channel Islanders and the like as "foreigners".

England is the most island of Ocean, and is beclipped all about by the sea, and departed from the roundness of the world, and hight sometimes Albion: and had that name of white rocks, which were seen on the sea cliffs. And by continuance of time, lords and noble men of Troy, after that Troy was destroyed, went from thence, and were accompanied with a great navy, and fortuned to the cliffs of the foresaid island, and that by revelation of their feigned goddess Pallas, as it is said, and the Trojans fought with giants long time that dwelled therein, and overcame the giants, both with craft and with strength, and conquered the island, and called the land Britain, by the name of Brute that was prince of that host: and so the island hight Britain, as it were an island conquered of Brute that time, with arms and with might. Of this Brute's offspring came most mighty kings. And who that hath liking to know their deeds, let him read the story of Brute.

And long time after, the Saxons won the island with many and divers hard battles and strong, and their offspring had possession after them of the island, and the Britons were slain or exiled, and the Saxons departed the island among them, and gave every province a name, by the property of its own name and nation, and therefore they cleped the island Anglia, by the name of Engelia the queen, the worthiest duke of Saxony's daughter, that had the island in possession after many battles. Isidore saith, that this land hight Anglia, and hath that name of Angulus, a corner, as it were land set in the end, or a corner of the world. But saint Gregory, seeing English children to sell at Rome, when they were not christened, and hearing that they were called English: according with the name of the country, he answered and said:
Truly they be English, for they shine in face right as angels: it is need to send them message, with word of salvation. For as Beda saith, the noble kind of the land shone in their faces. Isidore saith, Britain, that now hight Anglia, is an island set afore France and Spain, and containeth about 48 times 75 miles. Also therein be many rivers and great and hot wells. There is great plenty of metals, there be enough of the stones Agates, and of pearls, the ground is special good, most apt to bear corn and other good fruit. There be, namely, many sheep with good wool, there be many harts and other wild beasts; there be few wolves or none, therefore there be many sheep, and may be securely left without ward, in pasture and in fields, as Beda saith.

England is a strong land and a sturdy, and the plenteousest corner of the world, so rich a land that unneth it needeth help of any land, and every other land needeth help of England. England is full of mirth and of game, and men oft times able to mirth and game, free men of heart and with tongue, but the hand is more better and more free than the tongue.

Bartholomew Anglicus also wrote about Scotland.

[Paul McKeown]

I know of one chap of Scottish parentage born in England. FIDE listed him as Irish for years!

All the chap's own fault for playing for Na Fianna!

[Simon Spivack]

I know of one chap of Scottish parentage born in England. FIDE listed him as Irish for years!

All the chap's own fault for playing for Na Fianna!

Yes, recruitment was restricted to just Irish towns and villages: London, Blackpool, Newcastle upon Tyne and so on. The Na Fianna organisers can hardly be blamed for his living in one of them.