Gibraltar Football Faces Decline in Home Grown Player Numbers

This week, the debate over Home Grown Player (HGP) requirements on the field emerged as one of the central issues discussed by representatives of Gibraltar Football League clubs. Calls were made to reduce the current HGP number from four to three—a return to previous levels that were met with considerable criticism by local supporters, as teams increasingly relied on foreign-based players. At that time, this trend reduced the pool of players available for national team selection, with many local players not receiving enough playing time to be considered for the squad.
According to sources close to Gibraltar’s football league clubs, the issue was discussed behind closed doors during a meeting held this week, following renewed calls from various clubs to lower the HGP numbers once again. Last season already saw a reduction from five to four HGPs, and the re-emergence of this debate has sparked criticism regarding the potential negative impact on the national team and the prospects for young local players breaking into the game.
The debate also brought up other concerns, such as the eligibility criteria for national squad selection. Specifically, there is growing unease over British players arriving from the UK who become eligible to play for Gibraltar after just a set number of seasons on the Rock. This has raised worries that more players might be attracted to the league solely to qualify for the national team, thereby increasing competition for local players. With a further reduced HGP limit, these local players risk losing valuable playing time and opportunities to develop.
In steep contrast the debate over the professionalisation of women’s football has seen the debate over home grown player numbers heading in a different direction with greater support now being seen for the sport to open the doors to more foreign players in order to allow for greater competitiveness.
With some clubs already eyeing up the opportunities which could be presented if Gibraltar entered clubs into the Women’s Champions League, those watching closely have raised concerns that not enough players would be available to make the league competitive. Especially with the continued migration of top talents into the Spanish regional leagues searching for more competitive football.
Although the league presently has only four teams playing, there are expectations that a change in policy which would allow teams to qualify for European football would see some of the major clubs in men’s football look towards investing into women’s football.
Whilst the financial benefits are not seen as significant as in men’s football at the moment, there is an emerging belief that women’s football could develop faster and potentially more financially beneficial for clubs investing from the beginning into the game.
However, with a small pool of players, concerns have been raised that for the league to become competitive, and to provide an appropriate level of quality for any team to play in European football, the league would need to become more competitive. Thus opening the doors for a return of some of the players who have recently migrated into Spanish leagues, and at the same time attracting some of the already existing talens in the Spanish regional leagues with the possibility of playing Champions League football becoming a key attractor.
Gibraltar has for now remained outside of European club competition football in the women’s game, although it is understood the pathway into European club competition football is open with the final decision being only that of the Gibraltar FA on whether it wish to proceed and make the necessary changes to enter teams.
The latest move by the Gibraltar FA to start providing licences for teams playing in the women’s league is seen as a significant step forward towards establishing the expectations and infrastcruture which would be required for women’s football to enter European club competition football.