Support for one Ireland football team

Published Saturday, 16 June 2012

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness have backed the idea of a single football team to represent the island of Ireland.

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The leaders spoke at a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council in Dublin.

Mr Kenny said he would like to see the system used by other sports such as rugby adopted by football, but cautioned that it is unwise to mix sport and politics.

"I'd be a big supporter of it," he said. "I think they could certainly qualify for World Cups, we'd have a much stronger team. But then, I'm not in control of that."

Mr McGuinness also likes the idea.

The Sinn Féin politician said: "I agree with the Taoiseach, and it's not a political point.

My attitude is if a team is playing in green, I will support them.
Martin McGuinness

"I believe on the world stage, football-wise, we would be much more effective players if we were able to choose from an island of six million people.

"I come from a part of the island where young men take decisions to play for the Republic, but also to play for NI, and it's terribly wrong for anybody to utter any world of criticism they make about their footballing careers."

However First Minister Peter Robinson was less enthusiastic.

The DUP leader said: "I think everybody knows the direction I would want to travel, but let's not make political issues about sporting matters, let's just encourage local people who are involved in sport."

The right for players to pick which country they would like to represent was enshrined in the Good Friday Agreement and has been backed by governing body Fifa.

A number of high profile players have opted to declare for the Republic in recent years, including Darron Gibson and most recently James McClean.

Northern Ireland have not qualified for a major international tournament since the World Cup in 1986, while the Republic of Ireland were knocked out of Euro 2012 on Thursday after two defeats in the group phase to Croatia and holders Spain.

Both Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness said the matter of a single team is one for the island's governing bodies - the Football Association of Ireland in the Republic and the Irish Football Association (IFA) in NI - to consider.

Comments

51 Comments

AdamB in Dublin wrote (321 days ago):

You all need to get a grip, I think Jonny is the only one with a bit of sense. As he said, our Rugby team is one of the best in the world and that is fully Irish. Im from the south and couldn't care less if we had a football flag which incorporated the union jack. We are all from the same "Island", these ideas can only be positive for bringing about peace.

pob in Belfast wrote (336 days ago):

Lets face it, 91 years ago we were all british. Including those who live in the free state. Get a grip folks. The comment about france and Germany merging being totally different is just ill informed and stupid. Fact: Northern Ireland is a different country; end of story. Why would british citizens want to support a team made up from citizens of another country? If it were ever going to happen, we would team up with Spain. At least they are a good team.

david in down wrote (338 days ago):

McClean and Gibson played a full part keepin the bench warm !! I think I would think long and hard before moving South for the big prize!!

Jonny in Newtownabbey wrote (338 days ago):

I'm a protestant and don't mind the thought of an all Ireland football team certainly if it brought greater success, then it would be a good thing. I happily support the all Ireland rugby team and personally hate the way football is segregated into an NI V Republic situation which to me just mirrors the Rangers V Celtic sectarianism. In my head one team would be a big step in cross community work allowing the integration from a young age of Catholic and Protestant kids through training schools and a national youth teams. And certainly it is at grass routes level that acceptance needs to be taught for prosperous future generations. I'm not for an all Ireland but I am for a peaceful island and think inclusion through sport is the best way to get through to the young more impressionable sections of our society. If the young footballers from both sides are training together and aiming for the same goal of coveted spot on the same national team then surely it gives them common ground from an early age. Obviously an all Ireland team would have issues such as a flag and national anthem but with the rugby I love singing Ireland's call which isn't an official anthem but gets played at every match, so i'm sure some form of alternative could be sought and agreed!

Choccy in East Belfast wrote (338 days ago):

All Ireland Dublin, there may well be members of the current ROI football team heralding from all over the island of Ireland. However, that team will never represent me and my fellow NI countrymen. Hallion, "the six counties" (that I, and the international community refer to as Northern Ireland), does have a flag, it's called the Union Flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britian and Northern Ireland. However, I do believe you are refering to the flag of Northern Ireland that was indeed decommissioned, however, that is not a loyalist or sectarian symbol in any shape or form. This only goes to show your own bigoted, sectarian hatred of everything I and everyone like me hold dear.

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