Tory MP wants Scotland national side disbanded after NO vote
Discussion
pcvdriver said:
I think you're right, no other party's member would be silly enough to try sound tough over sports. I don't think that the Welsh or N. Irish would relish having their teams disbanded either. We might not be keen on sharing our currency - but we'll make you share our football team......
What makes you think the english would ?I don't want a uk team quite happy as it is thanks. It's one man saying something that is said every World Cup it's something FIFA wants it's not that ' controversial' what's talking tough about it?
Why are you choosing to ignore impact on English fans too as if it's something they want to force on the poor victims of the uk. Those evil englsh supporters just want to destroy you anyway possible.
'We' won't make anybody do anything
Edited by Pesty on Monday 1st September 11:02
confused_buyer said:
It's not great timing, but historically it would probably have been better.
I don't know how seperate English/Welsh/Scotland teams for various sports came about but, maybe, if we'd started off playing as one country 150 years ago we'd have actually won more than one trophy in that time.
Too late now.
The problem is the messy constitutional arrangement that makes up the United Kingdom. When major national sports were being formally set up (between about 1860 and 1880 - it all happened at much the same time), the United Kingdom consisted ofI don't know how seperate English/Welsh/Scotland teams for various sports came about but, maybe, if we'd started off playing as one country 150 years ago we'd have actually won more than one trophy in that time.
Too late now.
England
Wales
Scotland
All of Ireland
The various governing bodies of the various sports (Soccer, Rugby, Cricket, Hockey etc) decided to set themselves up on a "individual nation" basis rather than on a pan UK basis.
It didn't really matter from an international sporting point of view as there was no international sport to speak of. The Olympics were still 30 years in the future and the World Cup was 80 years in the future. By organising the sports so that the different nations of the UK could play each other (and organise their own separate leagues), at least it allowed the "Home Countries" to play each other at Rugby, Soccer etc.
Don't forget, the UK as it was in 1860 had only been organised as late as 1801 (Ireland only "joined" the UK that year) so there was fierce nationalistic feeling within the British Isles - especially in Ireland.
By the early 1900s the Olympics were up and running and now we had a dilemma in the UK as to how they should enter their team. In the end, they decided NOT to enter a UK team but to enter two separate teams under one name - Great Britain and Ireland. After Irish partition in 1921, it became Great Britain and Northern Ireland with Eire (Later the Republic of Ireland) entering their own team.
In fact, in one pre-World War 1 Olympics, Ireland (still part of the UK at the time) actually entered their own team.
It was all very messy.
The British Isles now has a rather disjointed situation regarding what constitutes "nations" for sporting purposes.
Ireland has two national soccer teams - the Republic and Northern Ireland.
It has one cricket, rugby and hockey team
The UK has no soccer team and neither does GB. Instead, it has separate teams for England, Wales and Scotland. The world and European governing bodies for soccer (FIFA and EUFA) accept this on the basis that each of these countries have their own national Football Associations and that is the basis on which national sides are defined for soccer purposes.
Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 1st September 11:01
LotusMartin said:
He's allowed an opinion. Just goes to show every party has its share of looneys.
I'm sure the SNP will try and twist this into some hidden agenda to bolster the YES campaign. I'm beginning to think we'd be better of without them!
BEGINNING TO THINK? I am way past that point.I'm sure the SNP will try and twist this into some hidden agenda to bolster the YES campaign. I'm beginning to think we'd be better of without them!
pcvdriver said:
Just think what the rugby would be like as "The 3 Nations"......although I do believe that the current ad for the 6 nations is a bit cheeky...lol!!!
I'm not sure if serious, but just in case you are:What the MP is suggesting is rather silly of course. There will still be a national side which will be able to play against an England/Welsh/NI side, it is just the World Cup that would limit the Saltaire's use.
pcvdriver said:
At first I thought someone was joking when I got sent this link:
http://www.scotzine.com/2014/08/tory-mp-wants-scot...
I'd imagine even some patriotic No voters will be up in arms about this..... Leave football (and rugby and all other sports) out of politics please.....
Wasn't this guy speaking about the 2016 Olympics?http://www.scotzine.com/2014/08/tory-mp-wants-scot...
article said:
The Scotland national side survived the threat of the Great British Olympic football team after the 2012 London Olympics, but now it seems that a Tory MP is so aghast at rebellious Scots having their own football side that in the event of a NO vote in the Scottish referendum he wants our national side to be disbanded.
Laurence Robertson, Conservative MP for Tewkesbury said: “If there is a ‘Yes’ vote then obviously Scotland will keep their own football team and the rest of the UK will presumably continue to send individual teams.
“If it’s ‘No’, the matter comes back to the table and FIFA may well get involved. I remain convinced that there should be one football team for the UK, or for what’s left of the UK after the Scottish vote.”
The polls open on September 18th and the Scottish voters will decide the future of this country. However, it seems that in the event of a NO vote, certain MPs of a Tory persuasion want us to be punished for our rebellious ways.
Of course you can no longer be hung, drawn and quartered for rebelling, but we can be threatened with the disbandment of our national team and be subjected to a Great Britain football team – given the experiences of the men’s Great British side at the London Olympics that will be one horrific experience, worse than sitting through a Scotland match managed by Craig Levein. It will also be a team bereft of Scots, Northern Irish and Welsh also [bar Gareth Bale].
Would our football fortunes be better together?? I doubt it very much Laurence.
I know Scottish football has had a shaky few years recently, but this is beyond the pale.Laurence Robertson, Conservative MP for Tewkesbury said: “If there is a ‘Yes’ vote then obviously Scotland will keep their own football team and the rest of the UK will presumably continue to send individual teams.
“If it’s ‘No’, the matter comes back to the table and FIFA may well get involved. I remain convinced that there should be one football team for the UK, or for what’s left of the UK after the Scottish vote.”
The polls open on September 18th and the Scottish voters will decide the future of this country. However, it seems that in the event of a NO vote, certain MPs of a Tory persuasion want us to be punished for our rebellious ways.
Of course you can no longer be hung, drawn and quartered for rebelling, but we can be threatened with the disbandment of our national team and be subjected to a Great Britain football team – given the experiences of the men’s Great British side at the London Olympics that will be one horrific experience, worse than sitting through a Scotland match managed by Craig Levein. It will also be a team bereft of Scots, Northern Irish and Welsh also [bar Gareth Bale].
Would our football fortunes be better together?? I doubt it very much Laurence.
I'd imagine even some patriotic No voters will be up in arms about this..... Leave football (and rugby and all other sports) out of politics please.....
What exactly was the question he was answering in those (partial/incomplete) quotes?
el stovey said:
Saddle bum said:
This would be playing into the hands of Step Ladder and his cronies at FIFA. He has been after merging the four UK nations soccer teams for years.
The existence of a separate team for Scotland has been a source of comfort to English fans for years, likewise for Rugby etc.
Scotland is the team everyone beats on the way to the next round.
Football.The existence of a separate team for Scotland has been a source of comfort to English fans for years, likewise for Rugby etc.
Scotland is the team everyone beats on the way to the next round.
As of August 2013, the teams have played 111 matches; England have won 46, Scotland 41, and there have been 24 draws
Surprisingly poor from England actually.
66, didn't have to qualify as hosts
70, didn't have to qualify as previous winners
74, didn't qualify
78, didn't qualify
82, WooHoo, after 20 years finally made it through the qualifying stage.
If Scotland manage to qualify for 2018 they will have equalled England's record.
As for the MP t
ts spitefull suggestion it wouldn't bother me in the slightest, if it was rugby I would be a little more concerned, I do enjoy watching our gallant attemps with the oval ball.Jinx said:
150 years ago if we had a single team for the home nations there would only be one team playing the game......
Five aside, with a sub to share maybe?Total non thread by PCV, with an intentionally misleading title, who'd a thunk it!?
Edited by Axionknight on Monday 1st September 14:47
Axionknight said:
Five aside, with a sub to share maybe?
Total non thread by PCV, with an intentionally misleading title, who'd a thunk it!?
If you'd spent more time actually reading, instead of turning puce at the mere sight of my name - you would have noticed that the title is not my own, merely one borrowed from the original author. If my post offends you that much, then please feel free to report it to the mods if you must....Total non thread by PCV, with an intentionally misleading title, who'd a thunk it!?
Edited by Axionknight on Monday 1st September 14:47
pcvdriver said:
Einion Yrth said:
Because Tory.
I think you're right, no other party's member would be silly enough to try sound tough over sports. I don't think that the Welsh or N. Irish would relish having their teams disbanded either. We might not be keen on sharing our currency - but we'll make you share our football team......Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff