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From: I.T.Marsh@man0507.wins.icl.co.uk (I.T.Marsh)
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Subject: RE: Great Britain national teams
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 14:28:25 +0000







In article <1992Dec10.093210.1654@maths.tcd.ie> ta@smith.Aus.Sun.COM
(Tim Addison) writes

->It's not as if there is a lack of interest or support for each
->national side or even a radically lower standard of football in comparison
->with the rest of the world (temporary fluctuations aside).
>Well which particular teams are you talking about here, none of 'em is over
>staffed on skilful world class players, in fact if pushed I'd struggle to
>come up with a handful of class players out of all four countries.

What does that matter? Does that mean countries which don't have class players
are not allowed to enter the world cup? I think you'd end up banning quite a
lot of countries.

->The main argument
->against it seems to be that most of the players play in the English League,
>No, the main argument is that they are politically one country, and
>everyone from the UK, travels under the same passport. Therefore it is
>only right in International competition they be represented by one team.

In fact everybody in the European Community(EC) now travels under the same
passport. Does that mean there should only be one team for the EC? I think
not. Therefore that's a load of bollocks. 
I disagree that political unity should influence football. The national
boundaries are still there and I very much doubt if they will disappear.

>When the Soviet Union was one country we didn't see representatives
          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
          and 1 football association  

>from Ukraine, Lithuania etc playing in the same WC, so likewise
>England/Scotland/Wales/N. Ireland should play as one team in World/
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
4 different countries and 4 different football associations.

>European competition. There is nothing stopping them playing as
>individual countries in friendlies and Home International type
>tournaments.

The european competitions are run by UEFA and the world competitions by FIFA.
Both of which are organisations which group together Football Associations,
not countries. 

->but that's just because it attracts the best players (and the same could be sa

->idabout the Italian League). Politics should not influence football issues and

->therefore I would argue in favour of the present situation.

>Politics define National boundaries, and in World Competition it is National
>sides that compete with each other.

The European Community has a European Parliament with elected members from
all EC countries, one team for the EC? 

Try telling the Welsh( a nation), Scots( another nation) and 
Northern Irish ( well, surprise surprise, another nation) that they should
merge their NATIONAL teams with England! I think international football would
lose a lot of fans.

>Tim

Tom.