Is 'three' the lowest number of English players we've ever fielded in a starting XI?

[niknokseagull]

Kuszczak Polish
Bruno Spanish
Greer Scottish
El-Abd Egyptian
Bridge English
Crofts Welsh
Noone English
Dicker Irish
Bridcutt English
Barnes Austrian
CMS Scottish

An inevitable outcome of progressing up the leagues and becoming a more attractive proposition to a wider geographic pool of footballing talent (and, ok, I know that the majority of the starting XI is 'British' and 'twas ever thus) ... but, have we ever started a competitive game with less English players in the team?

PS. And I am basing nationality on national team eligibility, hence Barnes and Austria, El Abd and Egypt, etc, etc)

PPS. Also, have we ever fielded a team with more than the eight players listed above that have, at one time, represented their country at any level?

 

[Smithy]

Don't know the answer to your question, but we could easily field a starting eleven with no English players.

Kuszczak Polish
Bruno Spanish
Greer Scottish
El-Abd Egyptian
Calderon Spanish
Crofts Welsh
LuaLua Congo DR
Dicker Irish
Vicente Spanish
Barnes Austrian
CMS Scottish

 

[TSB]

Surely Nooney is 'Scouse', rather than English? Can't seriously be part of BNP England with that accent.

 

[Plastic-Fantastic]

Surely Nooney is 'Scouse', rather than English? Can't seriously be part of BNP England with that accent.

Bridcutt is eligible to play for Scotland (I think) so one less Englishman in the ranks if you go by national team, if not El-Abd was born to an English mother and is Brighton born and bred!

 

[Plastic-Fantastic]

Not sure why I replied to you TSB, sorry . . . .

 

[TSB]

Not sure why I replied to you TSB, sorry . . . .

Is it because you love me?

 

[goldstone]

This is of course just a personal opinion, but in many ways I preferred watching the Seagulls when we had a mainly British team with the odd Russian to add interest. I related much more to fellow Brits than to all these exotic multi-nationals we now have plying their trade in the blue and white stripes.

 

[The Large One]

I think it's a bit disingenuous to refer to El-Abd, Crofts, CMS and Barnes as 'non-English', just because of their eligibility.

All four were born and raised in England (Brighton, Chatham, Watford, Somerset respectively) to, in the latter three's cases, two English parents. In fact, El-Abd is still eligible to play for England, for now.

 

[ATFC Seagull]

Welsh, Scottish and Irish players have always plied their trade in the English leagues though. So even though they are quite rightly classed as foreign players, it's not exactly a new phenomenon.

 

[Triggaaar]

I think it's a bit disingenuous to refer to El-Abd, Crofts, CMS and Barnes as 'non-English'

Exactly. If it were down to eligibility (which it shouldn't be) they were all eligible to play for England.

 

[Silent Bob]

If it were down to eligibility (which it shouldn't be)

I have no idea what this means.

 

[severnside gull]

Sorry, but having been born in England, no matter what other qualification they may have, Barnes, CMS, elAbd and Crofts are all ENGLISH

 

[The Large One]

Sorry, but having been born in England, no matter what other qualification they may have, Barnes, CMS, elAbd and Crofts are all ENGLISH

Well, not quite. I don't think you could call Cliff Richard Indian or Bradley Wiggins Belgian.

But they point still stands that they were born and raised in England to (mostly) English parents.

 

[Triggaaar]

If it were down to eligibility (which it shouldn't be)

I have no idea what this means.

The OP is saying we had only 3 English players in our starting 11. I am saying that whether or not you are English is not down to FIFA's ruling on which country you are now eligible for.

 

[severnside gull]

Well, not quite. I don't think you could call Cliff Richard Indian or Bradley Wiggins Belgian.

But they point still stands that they were born and raised in England to (mostly) English parents.

good point

 

[Pole in Goal]

Along with Crofts, Barnes and El-Abd, CMS is also English. He was born in Watford, to two English parents, but his Grand-mother is Scottish

 

[The Large One]

Along with Crofts, Barnes and El-Abd, CMS is also English. He was born in Watford, to two English parents, but his Grand-mother is Scottish

Do keep up.