Football Labour Migration: An Analysis of Trends and Experiences of Northern Irish Players

Academic literature regarding football (and labour migration) to date has examined factors that influence migration trends and explanations as to why players potentially migrate (see Magee & Sugden, 2002; Elliott & Weedon, 2011). Whilst others (see Maguire & Pearton, 2000a; Elliott & Weedon, 2011) have examined player acquisition trends of clubs at specific time periods. However, there is a lack of research examining player acquisition trends over a longitudinal period thus prompting the current research and the perceived implications for indigenous home-grown players (and specifically Northern Ireland players)