Irish-born players in England's Football Leagues, 1945–2010: an historical and geographical assessment

Abstract

Studies on the places of origin of Irish footballing migrants have been scarce. During the period from 1945 to 2010, 500 Republic of Ireland-born footballers and 417 players born in Northern Ireland played league football in England. This article will illustrate that while the majority of Irish footballers who migrated to England in this period were born in Dublin and Belfast, there were a number of reasons why rates of production were significantly lower outside these cities. The lack of street football in more rural areas, the role of schools, the slow establishment of local leagues and strong competition from other football codes help explain this disparity. An outline of scouting networks across Ireland will be given and the recent emergence of players from more peripheral regions will also be discussed. It will determine which English clubs were initially favoured by these players and the most significant Irish source clubs will be identified. Using interviews conducted with players and biographical information gathered, an assessment of their schoolboy-playing experiences will be offered while the migration of young players from more peripheral counties to clubs on the east coast of Ireland will also be examined.