This week The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) turned down a plea from the Irish FA to amend current laws stipulating player eligibility. Whilst this was not an unexpected outcome, the decision has cast a major cloud of uncertainty over the very future of the Northern Ireland international squad. Hard to believe, you might imagine, given the current on-field success of the Northern Ireland team, beating the Englands and Spains of this world in recent years.
BY RYAN SIMPSON