National Organiser
Ógra Shinn Féin
Ireland should have one united soccer team.
BBC Spotlight (Tues 29 Feb) has hopefully re-ignited this important sporting issue. I hope common sense prevails and football fans across Ireland realise that the best way forward for international soccer in Ireland is to have one national team.
This has been a long running debate, one which many footballing greats have opined on, including George Best who supported the creation of an All Ireland team.
Other sports have shown maturity and rationale, and created truly national teams, including Rugby, Cricket, and International Rules.
Ireland is a small nation, and in order to truly compete in an international arena, they must utilise a full pool of talented players.
A coming together of the 2 current partitioned teams will ensure a more competitive team and undoubtedly silverware for Irish soccer and more joy for the fans.
The programme also touched on the possibility of an All Ireland soccer league, with the general point being made that the majority of teams North and South would actually support this idea.
An All Ireland Soccer team is something which Ógra Shinn Féin has continually called for since its formation.
In the spirit of national reconciliation and the need for Irish soccer to compete on an International stage, we would urge everyone across Ireland to support the call for a 32 County National Team.
14 comments:
Intresting Mr McColgan. However, I dont agree with you making the point about rugby being "mature" about its all Ireland approach. An "All Ireland" team, without a flag, or national anthem?
One step at a time bassman. Also Barry, you had a good article in the Irish News today about this issue. Having a sport that is not partitioned helps break down the us and them mind set. Just wondering what do people think about soccer and rugby being played in Croke Park? EC
this writter obviously knows nothing about sport....
tyrone were never much good at any sports anyway!
The concept of an All-Ireland Football team is not going to happen,firstly there are a wide range of political issues preventing it which is what we're opposed to. "This is sport, not politics!" ...And then the majority of people in Northern Ireland are opposed to this anyway,including some Nationalists who have grew to love this we football team,even though many wont recognize its existence as a seperate entity politically,some still like to see NI do well as a sporting Nation...
Historically the IFA is the first Football association in the island of Ireland and, we don't intend on sacraficing all that we have achieved in 128 long years, especially not the heroics of the last few years ,which have seen us leap up the World rankings and ahead of the Republic of Ireland (who are considered the stronger side) We have also beat many of the Worlds top Nations,including Spain,England,Sweeden,Denmark,and had draws against other top sides. It's results and achievments such as these that make us proud to follow "Our wee Country"....
I do not agree on your theory that an All-island team would bring about silverware and success,for a Country of Northern Ireland's size we have had our fair share of success (and indeed silverware,as we were the last team to win the Home Nations Cup), and have done just as good as the Republic of Ireland, having reached Three World Cups and having got to the QF in 1982,the spirit of 82 still lives on in the heart of many NI fans.
Northern Ireland has produced many great players such as George Best ,regarded as the best in the World,Harry Gregg, who was also regarded as the best goalkeeper in the World at that time,others such as Norman Whiteside,David Healy & Danny Blanchflower to name but a few. These players and indeed the present NI team, deserve the recognition they deserve as Northern Irish players, rather than be politicized and lumped together with an All-Ireland team that stinks of Irish Nationalism.
If this same logic of combining the Two orginizing bodies of this small island applied to England ,Scotland & Wales of the island of Great Britain,then who is to say that they wouldn't be World beaters? the fact of the matter is they exist as seperate sporting Nations in their own right, just as NI and the ROI do,and every other sporting Nation around the World. We are opposed to politicizing the sport to suit Nationalistic ideas and aspirations.
We have seen in Rugby the political arguments that have transpired in the past over flags & emblems, and of the course the National Anthem of Northern Ireland,we don't want this problem with our football team,as it is,we have achieved a great lot,our fans have won the Brussels International Supporter Award,we have produced many fine players who have entered the hall of fame for the English League,which is considered to be the best league in the World. In the North West, Northern Ireland hosts One of the most prestigious youth tournaments in Europe,the Milk Cup,many top youth teams from around the Globe come to compete. I think we have done very well ?
All we wish for is to be recognized as a seperate sporting Nation rather than be politicized for the gain of Irish Nationalism.
Good article, an important issue that needs to be resolved.
One nation, one team.
Norn Iron fans can waffle all they want, the reality is, a 32 County Team makes sense.
Lets hope the next time where supporting Ireland in the world cup, its a competitive national team.
Cant agree with this at all! sorry!
well written as it is Barry.
Bassman is right.
can you really see this happening?
i mean really how many people here now still actully follow the rugby for example...its a joke. a team which doesnt play their own countrys national anthem? i know i dont.
think of these issues with a 32 county football team..flags emblems..national anthem? i mean are people on both sides nationalist..unionist watever going to give up signing 'Amhran na bhFiann' or 'God save the queen'.
It would all be too big a step.A small minority of people on both sides might agree with it, but overall i dont think there will be many who will.
Firstly, the IFA stands for the IRISH Football Assoc. Not northern Irish FA. 128 years of history?? Our island was split in 2by a forgein govt. in 1921 only 87 years ago!!
Secondly, there is no politics involved in the northern Ireland football team! Are yo for real? Billy Bingham springs to mind! Need I say more.
I find it very hard to believe your fickle argument that nationalist follow northern Ireland in the way you say. A 'country' that has no sense of it own identity. It has not got a national anthem or even its own flag!
And as for 'Our we country' producing all these great players only one really deserves a mention George Best. Who as a matter of fact never played at a world cup!And in my eyes there was many better players than him. In act up the road in Scotland James Johnstone was one.
As for the argument that you have acheived alot I would disagree who heartedly. This is an island, a seperate entity to England, Scotland and Wales. We as a nation of Irish people have every right to stand togeher as one and watch our own team play, IRELAND!
The only reason the the northern Ireland fans don want an all Ireland team is for the simple reason only about 2 from the north would start!
And finally I remember some years ago in 1993 in a world cup qualifier. The game was being played in that non political haven that is Windsor Park. northern Ireland v's Rep. of Ireland. And the northern fans were singing........ oh what was it again. Ah got it.
"Theres only one team in Iron, one team in Iron" I took a step back and sai I agree there should be only one team in Iron!
That response to my comments is disgusting,no sense of identity? C'mon! How does such rabble like that get approved on this blog? It does nothing for the credibility of your youth party.
The fact of the matter is that N.I like every other entity in the world,is a sporting Nation in its own right,just like England, Scotland and Wales and will continue to be so.
George Best was regarded as the best player in the World,even Pele agreed! He might not have been to a World Cup but he won Man Utd a European Cup almost single handedly,his goal scoring record for a winger has not been broke in decades,(Although Ronaldo will break it this year),He was a Northern Irish player,he will be recognized as such,just like every other player who pulls on that jersey will be so long as N.I remain a seperate entity,both sporting and politically.
I won't get drawn into a political or constitutional debate here with some intolerant bigot,this is football! I can't speak for every fan at Windsor but yes,some see NI as a sporting and political nation,many are Unionist and there are some Nationalists,but,they go to watch football!
And as a purley sporting bit of banter here,you say only Two from N.I would start,well,what's it like being below N.I in the World rankings ? :P
Rugby where mature in deciding to have a National Team.
The issue of flags and emblems is something which I think needs to be reversed and something young republicans need to campaign on.
But I do believe that rugby and cricket are good examples to use considering they are 'foreign' games and one's favoured by the unionist community. I mean if its good enough for those 2 sports then why not soccer??
And I really must disagree with E Ni L, who says,
"It would all be too big a step.A small minority of people on both sides might agree with it, but overall i dont think there will be many who will."
With that attitude will we just forget about a United Ireland?
Of course not we are repblicans and we need to pursue the all ireland agenda on all fronts.
Good article Barry!
Gemma
Listen up and listen good. The nI team is a joke. Lets get this right, either team will never win a world cup or a european title in the near future. But the chances of bringing success to this island, would increase if both football teams imaligamted. Its is simple fact. There can be no logical argument against this.
And just as a point of information I see you forgot to reply to my comments about Billy Bingham. or 1993!! Here is another one for your list, the booing of Neil Lennon simply because he was a Glasgow Celtic player. And dont give me the drivle that it wasnt the majority of fans! For thats bullshit. It was!!!
Ps. dont insult my intelligence by calling me a biggot. I'm no biggot my friend.
I await your reply!!
aha
gemma says...
With that attitude will we just forget about a United Ireland?
Sorry i missed the part where i said lets forget about a united ireland. All im saying is that at the minute i dont see a 32county football team!
I mean we are unfortunately still not a 'united ireland' but isnt that what we are fighting for?So Tiocfaidh ár lá,yes our day will come! Then maybe we will get back to talking about a 32 county football team.
At the end of the day its just 'My' opinion.
E.Ni Loingsigh
What happened with Neil Lennon was regrettable,he was booed by a section of the crowd which I assume were Glasgow Rangers fans,I was certainly One of the fans who was embarrased by such booing,I was also One of the fans who sang Neil Lennons praise in order to drown out these people who were bringing club footballs rivalries into the international game.
The same thing happens in England,for instance Gary Neville and David Beckham have been booed at Anfield while playing for England..Sunderland and Newcastle fans even rioted at an England internatonal. so this thing goes on around the sporting world it's not just confined to N.I
The game aginst the ROI was in 1993 and obviously a very sensitive time in our history,it was during the troubles after all,and is all was sung was a bit of sporting banter such as "there's only One team in Ireland" and other so -called party songs by a tiny minority of the crowd,then that would be hailed as a sucessfull outcome wouldn't you agree?
Billy Bingham said himself that he only wanted to create an atmosphere. Jack Charlton wouldn't even shake his hand?....
It's possible that if joined we would be a better team,but so would the island of Great Britain if joined also,but this won't happen as they are sporting Nations,you say Ireland is one entity,that is only your opinion,in reality it's not.
N.I have done well in World cups before,they have reached Two QFs,teams like Brazil,Germany,England,Argentina find it a struggle to win a World cup so I think the NI team have done fantasticly well for a Country of our size,I fear that the real reason behind the uniting of the teams is a political agenda rather than a sporting One!
Cricket, Rugby, Soccer, Polo, Crocket!!! ALL colonial sports! Get a grip with this bullshit ideal of forgein sports!!! One of Armaghs most famous son played a forgein game and was loved for it! That type of an attitude will slow down the acheiveing a united Ireland, not the view of E Ni L.
Get a grip and look at the biger picture.
I found many of the comments very interesting and at times amusing. Could the NI Fan please tell me when NI became a country? It is even regarded by the british government as a mere statelet. It can not substain itself and recieves 5 billion pounds from england each year. ( and rightly so if they are going to continue to unlawfully occupy the 6 counties).So your notions of "our wee country" does not exist.
What does exist however is a 32 county country which is whithout a full football representation. We should like Barry has called for be lobbying for all- Ireland team. I am sorry but i reject the cliam that it is too big a step. We have to be taking these steps NOW after all we aren't just going to wake up one day and the Island be united gain, we have to work for it!
Gemma Mc
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