FIFA president Sepp Blatter is pushing forward plans to restrict Premiership sides having more than 5 foreign players in a starting line-up.

Full article on BBC website. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/football_focus/7028310.stm)

Football Focus survey. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/football_focus/7026649.stm)

I quite like the idea. A similar system is in place in Serie A and after initial protests it seems to be working fine.

Last time this was tried (for European games only, you were only allowed 4 players from outside your own country) Scottish, Welsh and both types of Irish players were in the quota. Presumably it would be the same this time (FIFA argued you couldn't have it both ways by having 4 British international sides but then trying to argue they were one country for this purpose).

Personally I don't think there should be quotas. If British players are good enough they will make the teams on merit.

I think when this was last raised it was deemed that limiting the movement of EU nationals would be a breach of European Law.

Can't see it happening, although I think some form of reduction would help the national team - there are too few English players in Premiership today and the sharp fall in their numbers over the past decade or so must be a factor in the continued decline in the competitiveness of the national team.

I think when this was last raised it was deemed that limiting the movement of EU nationals would be a breach of European Law.

They managed to pull it off in Serie A, a European league...

They managed to pull it off in Serie A, a European league...


Only until such time as any foreigner who doesn't get in the team launches a lawsuit for restraint of trade; at which point, Serie A will either be shut down completely, or forced to go back to anybody can play anybody.

Only until such time as any foreigner who doesn't get in the team launches a lawsuit for restraint of trade; at which point, Serie A will either be shut down completely, or forced to go back to anybody can play anybody.

I doubt it. When the quota was originally brought in AC Milan led a legal charge against it, and the original scheme was upheld. The argument is that football does not fall under the same working laws as normal jobs do.

I doubt it. When the quota was originally brought in AC Milan led a legal charge against it, and the original scheme was upheld. The argument is that football does not fall under the same working laws as normal jobs do.

The EU's made pretty clear that it does; that's why the old quotas got binned, and it's why any new quotas WILL get binned.

I'm in two minds about this. It would create better English players in the long term as Premiership teams would be forced to concentrate on their academies.

In the short term, we'd see the money paid for England internationals fly right off the scale, meaing only the richest teams could compete - on a grander scale than the situation we have now.

We'd see big money moves made for 12 year old wonder kids, putting massive pressure on them.

As someone mentioned though, Italy coped and has great players as a result.

A few years back - Rugby League had a 3 overseas player rule.

Hull had a Frenchman called Patrick Entat playing for them. He successfully argued that not allowing him to play was a restraint of trade.

Obviously his case was fought and paid for by Hull but there is a precedent.

"Can't see it happening, although I think some form of reduction would help the national team - there are too few English players in Premiership today and the sharp fall in their numbers over the past decade or so must be a factor in the continued decline in the competitiveness of the national team."

England didn't even qualify for the 1974 or 1978 World Cups (or the last 8 of the Euro championships in 1976) when there were no players from outside the British Isles allowed at all.

They managed to pull it off in Serie A, a European league...

And guess who won the last World Cup, Italy!! I rest my case.

And guess who won the last World Cup, Italy!! I rest my case.

Not only that, but Serie A also continued to be a good league, which is something else to think about.

It's all well and good having a brilliant national side as a result of this, but it's important that the Premiership remains a strong league too.

I hope something does I happen I prefer watching a team if they have some local lads playing obviously they need to be good enough.

The amount of foreigners needs to be restricted in some way but not to say you can only have 5 in a team including scottich, welsh, irish. To begin with it would be good to trial it by saying each team has to have 3 english players in their line up and see how it goes for a season. It would improve standards in my opinion as it would mean players like Sidwell, Walcott, Hoyte and Sinclair(at Chelsea) would get games players like them all have the potential to be England international but need Premiership games.

I prefer the way it is now and I think it would deminish the quality of teams