st.andrew's cross - the flag of convenience?

[lane4]

How d'y'all feel about the growing number of non-Scottish swimmers taking up residency in Scotland for 6 months and then swimming for Scotland and/or breaking Scottish records? Must be a body blow if you are Scottish and hold a Scottish record but then some good foreign swimmer comes along and takes your record. Don't think I could do it myself. I would want to compete for the country of my birth or parents. But I can see the benefits of it for the swimmer (experience, personal development, financial gain etc) and of course Scotland (improved team). Just wondering what everyone else thinks about it?

[This message has been edited by lane4 (edited 12 June 2001).]

[outside smoker]

Yes - this is a major problem with the Commonwealth Games in Manchester looming - coincidence or what?
Scottish swimmers are being left not knowing what will be required as non-Scots head North to swim under this flag of convenience.
On a personal level I would not be able to do this, but clearly some feel they are just using (abusing?) the rules to their own advantage.
What do any English swimmers and coaches think about this? Some of your best young talent coming north and being lost to England for future Commonwealth Games? Or are we being too parochial and should we all be thinking GB?
On a related issue - it was interesting the HYPE that surrounded World Squash Number 1 Peter Nicol`s defection to England. With Scottish bigwigs moaning at his decision - yet nothing was said or done about the reverse happening in swimming.

[lane4]

Originally posted by outside smoker:

On a related issue - it was interesting the HYPE that surrounded World Squash Number 1 Peter Nicol`s defection to England. With Scottish bigwigs moaning at his decision - yet nothing was said or done about the reverse happening in swimming.

Yes I was just thinking exactly the same thing!

[BigFish]

On the other hand, how about athletes competing for the country where they do their training. This way, the nation which creates the best training environment (coaches, facilities, etc) would be recognised as such.

The current situation, where athletes compete for the block of land on which they were born, seems to be a fairly medieval way of doing things (IMHO).

Just something to think about.

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David Cuthbert (www.dartes.co.uk)
news@DaveC.org.uk

[Steve]

aaah, but that would probably mean that the US would (at least in the short to medium term) win just about everything in most sports as they have probably the best sporting facilities in the world (with the possible exception of swimming in Australia). Hence any such plan doesn't get my vote http://www.swimclub.co.uk/ubb/wink.gif. Mind you they're still pretty rubbish at football...

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http://www.pullbuoy.co.uk (http://www.pullbuoy.co.uk/)
the UK swimming site

[BigFish]

It wouldn't really change the situation much at all really then, would it?

On the other hand, it might just encourage a little more investment in a nation's sporting infrastructure.

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David Cuthbert (www.dartes.co.uk)
news@DaveC.org.uk

[Bazza]

I qualify to swim for Scotland due to the fact that my dad is Scottish. Though I've lived in the south of England all my life, I would consider myself more Scottish than someone who lives there for 6 months. Does this mean people who go to university in Scotland are Scottish? (I don't think so!) What do you think?

[Hogwart]

Six months seems a very short time to qualify. Once you have made an allegiance, can you switch it back six months later?

[Bazza]

An interesting question which I'm not certain of the answer to, though I get the impression that when you commit to a country, you can't change your mind.

[Hogwart]

You get asked on the form when you first join the ASA if you have more than one allegiance and if so, which you choose - though this obviously isn't a lifetime commitment at nine or 10 years of age.

I remember being delighted when my daughter (born in England and with an English mother)was asked this on signing up with our club and, with me having no knowledge of the issue and not being there, saying immediately and unprompted "Wales". She certainly wouldn't change if we ever moved to Scotland.

I'm sure the Welsh residency qualification is more stringent than just six months and they have the birth one just right in allowing it to pass just one generation - in other words, if she ever has kids they won't count as Welsh unless born there.