NF Board: world cup for non-FIFA countries

[Gerrit]

The NF Board is the alternative to FIFA, grouping all countries that have difficulties in enroling to FIFA, or that just don't feel ready to join FIFA. The NF Board organises its first world cup this summer in Northern Cyprus.



Most members are countries that are rejected by FIFA for political reasons: Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, Euzkadi, Sapmi/Lapland, Northern Cyprus, Kosovo, Tibet, Western Sahara, ... One of NF Board's goals is to put them in attention in order to put the political barrier under FIFA's spotlight.

Other member countries include countries that will join FIFA soon (Greenland - joins FIFA when stadium is ready, Vatican City and Tuvalu - both very likely to join as well), and a few countries that just don't feel like FIFA football yet (Monaco for example)



I for one will watch the NF Board's alternative world cup and not the official FIFA tournament. The NF Board not only includes some teams I heavily support (mainly Greenland, but also Lapland and Falklands) and I find it much more fascinating to discover all those new teams, much more interesting than another Brazil-France. I am very excited about this new tournament and hope it will become a big success and a first step for the politically-barriered countries to get FIFA attention.
Finally, I hope Greenland wins it of course.

I am lucky as well to know a guy within the NF Board committee, which is handy to get first-hand information. Website is www.nf-board.com (mind though that because of works on the site it may be off-line for a short while)

[gustavo]

oooh arent you alternative! no i think ill stick with the regular world cup

[Gerrit]

I couldn't care less if people label me alternative or whatever. The 'official' world cup just doesn't have the teams I like in its line-up, none of those qualified, so it just offers the same old big teams who don't do the trick anymore for me. The NF Board's tournament features a few teams that I follow and heavily sympathise with, and gives the chance to discover new teams. What's wrong with that?!

On-topic: probably Zanzibar will also be in the line-up. Their FIFA application was rejected, so there's no reason for them not to enter a team.

[Raheny Red]

Who are the favourites for this world cup??

[gustavo]

The point of the World Cup is to have the best teams in the world so i dont see a point in time when it ever would have interested you

[sligoman]

I'll be rooting for Gibraltar. It's a nice "country":).

[Snoop Drog]

it just offers the same old big teams who don't do the trick anymore for me.


Well I hope Lapland does "the trick" for you instead :rolleyes:

I here that veteran of Lapland football, S Claus, is still their big centre half :D

[Gerrit]

The point of the World Cup is to have the best teams in the world so i dont see a point in time when it ever would have interested you

That ain't true. It's a global celebration of football, not just a matter of jamming together all best teams. What's the point in that? (unless you're a gloryhunter who only cares about who's the best, of course)

Lapland does 'the trick' more than Brazil: I enjoy it more to discover new teams than to always see the same ones over and over again, and I have a very strong fascination for the Arctic while I couldn't care less about most nations that enter a team in the regular World Cup. I just have not the slightest feelings of affection for those countries present at the FIFA WC, while some of the countries I always dreamed of (Greenland mainly) are in the alternative World Cup, then the choice for me is easily made. Rather an amateur game where I have emotions for a team and support a team with passion, than a pro game of two teams that leave me indifferent.



I think that Northern Cyprus will be the favourite. They have a good side that already booked some good results in friendlies and other tournaments, and they have home advantage.

Of course, and that's what makes it all so fascinating, every single team entering the competition will be a new discovery. So it's very hard to predict the results, certainly because most countries never played each other before. But that's what makes it interesting, exciting and unpredictable. Every team entering (except for the truely smallest associations like the Falklands) have a decent chance of booking good results, and the fact that it's being played and that these teams can finally show themselves to the world makes everyone a winner. The atmosphere of all teams fighting political prejudices from FIFA, will be unique.

[Poor Student]

The Vatican is likely to join FIFA!? You must be joking!

[Gerrit]

They are. They showed very big interest already, and meet all criteria. They already played Monaco in a recent past (games are being played in the Stadio Pio XII in Rome, so on Italian soil) and are likely to enter the alternative World Cup. The Vatican not only has its own FA and national side, they also have a domestic league (games are being played in Rome though because there is no ground on Vatican soil)

[Thunderblaster]

Surely, you can put your house on Zamunda. Akeem will be the lean striker, Semmi is the midfield general while Oha will be the big, fat centre half. Jaffe Jophur is the man primed to lead his Kingdom to glory!!:D :D

[Snoop Drog]

They are. They showed very big interest already, and meet all criteria. They already played Monaco in a recent past (games are being played in the Stadio Pio XII in Rome, so on Italian soil) and are likely to enter the alternative World Cup. The Vatican not only has its own FA and national side, they also have a domestic league (games are being played in Rome though because there is no ground on Vatican soil)

Yep, Vatican have a great side:

Matthew; Mark; Luke; John; Simon; Andrew; Bartholomew; Thaddeus; James; Philip; Thomas.

Sub- Judas (Not Used)

[twoenz]

That ain't true. It's a global celebration of football, not just a matter of jamming together all best teams. What's the point in that? (unless you're a gloryhunter who only cares about who's the best, of course)




Surely the World Cup is a global celebration of football.

The World Cup Finals is the end of this celebration.

[Gerrit]

FFS lads, if you don't care about countries that are less big and glorious than Brazil and Argentina, please make your own thread instead of ridiculising the ones (like me) that are genuinely interested in this alternative WC.



And to stop the mockery on Vatican City: here's the line-ups of their team: http://pub43.bravenet.com/forum/3654457278/show/493932
No popes, holy people or devils involved. A normal, regular team like any other team.

[Risteard]

Seems like they're a load of italians.
Thought it'd be a load of student priests from all over the world.
Are Greenland gonna compete in the North American federation or what?
I presume there was no qualifiers for this.

[mypost]

oooh arent you alternative! no i think ill stick with the regular world cup


Surely the World Cup is a global celebration of football.

Leave him alone. This is the kind of tripe from Gerrit, which I ran out of patience with ages ago. He doesn't even support his own country, so who is he to say what other national teams should/n't do?? We should leave him to debate his own WC to himself. There's a better place for barmy views like that though, i.e. the ignore list.

[Gerrit]

So just because I support another team than the country I was born in (which I emotionally never considered as "my" country) I lose the right to express an honest opinion?

Secondly, where am I saying what other people or teams or FAs should do? I do support this new federation, as I have a deep interest in some of the teams and as I believe there is a need for something like the NF Board. I do not oblige people to share my interest, nor do I tell them they should even care. But opening a topic just to let the world show NF Board exists, and to offer fellow interested people a place to exchange views ; what is wrong with that?

I'm sorry, but your comment sound a bit like "just walk in the line" to me. Just following the mass and judging anything outside of that mass. Well, I don't care, because this initiative is something I (and more fellow football fans than you'd think) believe in. Maybe if you'd look a bit deeper than the surface you'd see that this organisation is a whole group of people who all share the same views and promote the 'football for all' ideology without interference of political bias. Just tell m what is wrong with our own place in the shadow of the big World Cup, and why we would not be allowed to discuss it? No one forces you to join the debate, no one forces you to care about the NF Board, the least one can expect though is a bit of respect for those who do.

And please don't counter this thread with nonsense about my preference for Norway as a football team, because this only proves my point of following the mass without second thought: "I am born in that little piece of ground surrounded by imaginary lines, so I have to just accept is as 'my' country and support everything that comes from it, regardless of how corrupt the FA is". Sorry, that has first of all nothing to do with this thread, secondly I think it makes no sense (but let's just say the latter is a different opinion we have)

[Snoop Drog]

BTW- How do you qualify to play for the Vatican? Do you have to be born there?:D

What's the chances that Bishop Casey's young fella will lead them to full World Cup glory in about 15 years???!!!

[Poor Student]

Leave him alone. This is the kind of tripe from Gerrit, which I ran out of patience with ages ago. He doesn't even support his own country, so who is he to say what other national teams should/n't do?? We should leave him to debate his own WC to himself. There's a better place for barmy views like that though, i.e. the ignore list.

You're out of line mypost. Show more tolerance to other people's views in this forum.



What's the chances that Bishop Casey's young fella will lead them to full World Cup glory in about 15 years???!!!

Less of that Snoop Drog, this is not the place whether you're having the craic or not.

[hamish]

I love to hear about ALL footie, whether it's the big guns or in places where people struggle to keep the game alive.

Let's face it, it must be a helluva task to run and fund football competitions in places like The Shetlands, Greenland etc and even run international competitions for the smaller nations.

Where do they get the money to do it???

Way to go Gerrit. There's room for all parts of the game to be discussed.:)

Remember lads, I remember attending Irish matches when 6,000 turned up (Ireland v Czechoslovakia in the 60s)and when the game here was totally invisible and nobody gave a sh!t about our national side.

Those of us old fcukers who worked to promote the game here in the post 1966 World Cup boom, fighting general (and press) apathy and raw bigotry and ignorance know exactly what the good folks in the small countries are going through.

Here's one example, in the early 1970s there were FIVE second level schools in ONE Irish nationwide schools competition. Now, there are hundreds of Primary and second level schools involved with loads of (national and local) competitions with thousands of teams involved.

[Gerrit]

Exactly. Brazil and Italy didn't build their empire in one or two years. These things take time, but allowing new countries to play and gain experience is their only chance to grow. By only always returning to established top teams and meanwhile laughing away initiatives such as NF Board, the situation in these countries cannot improve either. There's no reason why people that are passionate about football but have the tough luck of living in a country with political enemies, have no right to play football.

I mean, whenever politics get too far involved in sports (remember the Celtic-Rangers debates) everyone is the first to express their disapproval. When someone however tries to do something about the situation, like the NF Board does, then suddenly we don't care because it's not established or professional? Where are our ideas then that politics and football should not mix, when we laugh away an organisation that actually tries to help those blocked from playing because of political reasons?

And even then, even if it wasn't for politics. It's each to his own. Who is someone to say someone else should not have interest in a more amateur-esque tournament and should just join the mass and watch the big teams? There's no need to laugh away those who care about less obvious/succesful teams.



Hamish, I was in touch with the Greenlandic FA, and it is very hard to organise the game. The national sportscentre doesn't even have a stand (though in order to meet FIFA requirements, a proper ground in Nuuk is being constructed and will hopefully be finished in the very near future) and far distances between villages with only air transport don't help the situation either.
But the Greenlandic are very passionate about football. In towns with 500 people you have 2 or 3 clubs, and sometimes half a village travels to away games. So they are definitely very fanatic about football, and I'm sure some progress will be made once they are inside FIFA.



As for Vatican City: people with dual nationality can play for the Vatican team. Swiss Guard staff that adopted the local citizenship, or Italians/others that gained Vatican nationality. In less official games they may field some non-naturalised people who are strongly connected to the Vatican (students, staffmembers, etc) but for official games they'd just use people who gained Vatican nationality.
No need to mock with their side, I have all the respect for their FA as it must be very hard to organise football in that tiny country. The Vatican also has its own amateur league, and the stadium used for the national games is the Stadio Pio XII in Rome.



PS: I am still continuing work on my website about amateur football worldwide, I hope to launch it the coming weeks. Busy writing articles for it. Those who have ideas or information useful for an article may always PM, but please only serious messages and no mockeries if possible.

[hamish]

Actually Gerrit one regret I do have from my footie days is not getting around to organising a festival here in Beeslow involving Celtic countries - Isle of Man, Scotland, Norn Iron, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany.
It was one ambition I had. I hoped to make it a kind of seven a side thing for men, women, boys and girls plus other festivities like music and cultural events etc.
It would be a great boost to local tourism too.
If I ever get any way well and mobile again, I intend to have a go. It's the only thing in footie I've never got around to that I wanted to do.
We have had various international footie events here with the Liberty Cup etc (we had US teams etc) so we're well capable of doing it. We certainly have all the facilities.
This is the kind of thing ideal for smallish towns. It wouoldn't really work in big urban centres as it would be kinda lost.

[Snoop Drog]

I believe the new pope has a couple of caps for the Vatican City: A big pointy one that he wears on official occassions and a little round skull cap that he wears around the house...


I dunno, I struggle with the notion of Vatican being a real country in football terms. No one but clerics live there and I doubt that there is anyone with a Vatican passport (I take it there is such a thing??) who doesn't have dual nationality. It seems to me like an alternative for Italians who can't make the national team, unlike "English-Irish" players who at least have genuine Irish heritage (Ok Cascarino, you are an obvious exception- you could probably make the Vatican team with a surname like that though...).

IMO Greenland is a bit different and I think there is a valid case for them being FIFA members (would they be part of UEFA or North America??)

[Hibs4Ever]

I believe the new pope has a couple of caps for the Vatican City: A big pointy one that he wears on official occassions and a little round skull cap that he wears around the house...


I dunno, I struggle with the notion of Vatican being a real country in football terms. No one but clerics live there and I doubt that there is anyone with a Vatican passport (I take it there is such a thing??) who doesn't have dual nationality. It seems to me like an alternative for Italians who can't make the national team, unlike "English-Irish" players who at least have genuine Irish heritage (Ok Cascarino, you are an obvious exception- you could probably make the Vatican team with a surname like that though...).

IMO Greenland is a bit different and I think there is a valid case for them being FIFA members (would they be part of UEFA or North America??)


I'd assume UEFA since they're under Danish rule:confused:

[Bluebeard]

Fair play to you Gerrit for bringing it up, many football fans will be happy to watch any football festival if they can. I know that the alternative world cup final (between FIFA's two lowest ranked teams) has become a bit of an event in recent years, especially for the independent Adventure traveller types, and it's something I'd like to see one day.

Incidentally, wouldn't it be Las Isles Malvinas, rather than the Falkland Islands that are participating (please do not take this as a cue for vehemnt discussion of that particular war / dispute).

Also, it might be remembered that less than 100 years ago, applications to FIFA from Ireland, Wales and Scotland were turned down as we were all considered to be part of one country:eek:

Come on Western Sahara!

[Poor Student]

Incidentally, wouldn't it be Las Isles Malvinas, rather than the Falkland Islands that are participating (please do not take this as a cue for vehemnt discussion of that particular war / dispute).


Why? Wouldn't it be a team made up of locals and aren't Falkland natives at British as can be?

[Kerry Blue]

Actually Gerrit one regret I do have from my footie days is not getting around to organising a festival here in Beeslow involving Celtic countries - Isle of Man, Scotland, Norn Iron, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany.
It was one ambition I had. I hoped to make it a kind of seven a side thing for men, women, boys and girls plus other festivities like music and cultural events etc.
It would be a great boost to local tourism too.
If I ever get any way well and mobile again, I intend to have a go. It's the only thing in footie I've never got around to that I wanted to do.
We have had various international footie events here with the Liberty Cup etc (we had US teams etc) so we're well capable of doing it. We certainly have all the facilities.
This is the kind of thing ideal for smallish towns. It wouoldn't really work in big urban centres as it would be kinda lost.
Why not get involved with Pan Celtic about organising that. It sounds a great idea. It used to be held regularly in Tralee a few years ago and was a good festival. It's in Letterkenny this year and I bet football would be a nice addition.
Check it out here:
http://homepage.eircom.net/~panceltic2002/

[Gerrit]

Yeah, I wanted to watch Bhutan-Montserrat instead of Brazil-France, unfortunately no TV station broadcasted it live so I had to please myself with some images broadcasted in delay. But still, must be ace to attend such a game, my heart was in Bhutan more than in Paris that day.

Greenland has the choice between CONCACAF and UEFA, but given the fact that they're culturally more Danish than North American these days (definitely their FA is) I think they'll go for UEFA.

The Falkland Islands compete under their English name. The FA, the clubs in their league, and their players, are all British organisations/clubs/citizens legally and culturally, so they use the English name for tournaments. No Argentina-minded player would want to play for them, because by doing so he'd agree with the islands' special statute seperate from Argentina. The Falklands football team is definitely British.

[mypost]

You're out of line mypost. Show more tolerance to other people's views in this forum.

Imo, I did nothing wrong. International football suffers from bad PR as it is when the top countries play, so why cheapen it further by having a "World Cup" made up of non-entities. I'm sure that will go down well with the G-14. :rolleyes: Football is a much loved sport, so even considering the idea that weaker nations should be rewarded for being weak (i.e Gerrit's idea) is both preposterous and unpalatable to many people. There is an elite standard for a reason. The World Cup Finals is made up of 32 nations, some world-class, some thereabouts, some average, and some no-hopers. That's football. 20 years ago, Greece, Turkey, Norway, Ireland, USA were all extremely poor sides, who had next to no hope of doing anything in International football. Today, the USA are 10th in the world, Ireland have been to 3 World Cups, Turkey finished 3rd in the last World Cup, and Greece are European Champions. So teams can reach a decent standard. Under Gerrit's idea, the rest could afford to swim in mediocrity, and have no ambition, knowing that they have their own World Cup to look forward to.

I know I'll be told the usual, that what I have said is rubbish, but if it's so rubbish, why don't TPTB consider Gerrit's idea? Because it's no more than fantasy.

[Gerrit]

USA, Ireland, Norway etc could grow to their current standards, but they had no one telling them they weren't allowed to play.

What do average people in Northern Cyprus or the Sahara do wrong, or what have they got to do with the doubtful politics of their government? Still, these people are blocked from playing and thus have no chance of improving (like Ireland, Norway, USA) because of politics. That is an injustice, and that's something the NF Board tries to fight. What would you say if Ireland were blocked by FIFA because of political reasons, knowing well that none of the players have anything to do with it, but still seeing their chance of further improvement and (which is even worse) participation being taken away?




Also, your idea will make football an elite game, where only the gifted and skilled ones can perform their beloved sport, whereas who is less lucky in terms of football skills just has to step aside, give up his sport and watch the more fortunate play.

You say "International football suffers from bad PR as it is when the top countries play, so why cheapen it further by having a "World Cup" made up of non-entities".
First of all, by mentionning PR you approach football as a business instead of a sport. Business includes 'only the strong survive', while the basic idea of sport is socialising, bringing people together. This means that PR should never be an issue, but that the issue should be: involving as many people as possible in the event and make it a social celebration.
Your idea will take away the social power of sports, and instead turn it into an emotionless business thing where only the elite is invited. That approach is completely the opposite of what sports should be about.

I do not reward players for being weak. I do want everyone who loves football to have a chance to play. If there chances are blocked by whatever reason (for example political reasons beyond their control, or because organisations and federations only care about glory and how to turn glory into financial rewards), then it's time for the blocked ones to form a group and fight the injustice that stops them from playing.

This does not mean you cannot enjoy your powerful glorious players (who are paid way too much for practising a hobby, these wages being another negative point of your football-is-business approach), all we (myself and other fans of the amateur game) want is to have a chance of participating as well, in the shadow of the big teams.
Tell me please what is wrong with that? Tell me please in what way we do the big teams and their fans harm? Tell me, is it that bad that Ronaldo and Beckham will only make 800000 euro/week instead of a million, because some tiny bit of media attention may go to the less glorious teams and tournaments?

I'd say: wake up and smell the coffee, and learn to look below the surface, because you're missing out on a great amount of football pleasure that approaches football as it should be approached: a social event that brings people together, united by love for the game.



I rest my case.

[Aberdonian Stu]

Yeah, I wanted to watch Bhutan-Montserrat instead of Brazil-France, unfortunately no TV station broadcasted it live so I had to please myself with some images broadcasted in delay. But still, must be ace to attend such a game, my heart was in Bhutan more than in Paris that day.

Eh wasn't that game held during 2002, and would thus been a few hours before the Brazil-Germany final in Yokohama?

[Gerrit]

My mistake, I was mixing up France and Japan, was thinking France's WC was in 2002. Stupid mistake which will haunt my "football data machine" image for the rest of my days :eek:

[lopez]

Spain's a top gaff for all these alternative 'countries'. Just around Christmas there were around seven teams playing FIFA nations. Galicia played its first game since the 20s and beat Uruguay 3-2. Frankly, it's great letting in the cr*p countries, but if you let Euzkadi, Catalunya, Galicia, and Andalucia into the EC/WC along with Bavaria, Prussia, Lombardy and Piedmont, you can forget about ever seeing another major tournament with Ireland in it.

[sylvo]

Are The peoples Republic of Cork in this new World Cup.

[hamish]

The new edition (March) of World Soccer Magazine has a good article on the New Federation Board - Greenland etc are featured. It's part of a series which will be continued in coming editions.

Fascinating article. Greenland has 4,000 registered players.:eek:

Gerrit will absolutely love this - maybe he wrote it!!:D Actually someone called Steve Menary did.

[CollegeTillIDie]

Actually Gerrit one regret I do have from my footie days is not getting around to organising a festival here in Beeslow involving Celtic countries - Isle of Man, Scotland, Norn Iron, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany.
It was one ambition I had. I hoped to make it a kind of seven a side thing for men, women, boys and girls plus other festivities like music and cultural events etc.
It would be a great boost to local tourism too.
If I ever get any way well and mobile again, I intend to have a go. It's the only thing in footie I've never got around to that I wanted to do.
We have had various international footie events here with the Liberty Cup etc (we had US teams etc) so we're well capable of doing it. We certainly have all the facilities.
This is the kind of thing ideal for smallish towns. It wouoldn't really work in big urban centres as it would be kinda lost.

sir hamish

Do you remember the Pan-Celtic Folk Music Festivals of the 1970's where Alan Stivell became Famous? If they were still being held you could organise a footie tournament in tandem with it.

I'd personally like to see defunct countries taking part in a football tournament sometime... an ex-Yugoslavia Selection and ex-USSR selection and an East Germany and ex-Czechoslovakia selection:)

[hamish]

sir hamish

Do you remember the Pan-Celtic Folk Music Festivals of the 1970's where Alan Stivell became Famous? If they were still being held you could organise a footie tournament in tandem with it.

I'd personally like to see defunct countries taking part in a football tournament sometime... an ex-Yugoslavia Selection and ex-USSR selection and an East Germany and ex-Czechoslovakia selection

"Hamish" will do BTW CTID - the "sir" bit was brought back on 'cos a real Hamish had already nabbed it for his email address.

Yep. I do indeed. Thought you'd be too young to remember that era.:eek: Alan Stivell was all the rage when Celtic rock/Horslips etc was at its zenith. RTE used to show him a lot. Must dig out the old LPs I have of him.
Glad to see a Folk revival underway (as if it ever went away) - lots of it every weekend on BBC 3 or BBC 4 these days.

That was the idea I had/have alright. Beeslow FC hosted the Liberty Cup a few years ago with US teams etc involved and I think such a tournament would be great for a small town.
Yep, you'd need the cultural side too with music, parades, dance and so on to go with the football to attract people who might not be totally into football. It would have to be a Summer event. The Horse Fair in October is always a rainy cold affair and too crowded anyway to have a footie event in tandem.
Such a tournament would get lots of media attention and be a welcome boost to this hard hit town.
I'd go for Irish/Norn Iron/Scottish/Isle of Man/Welsh/Cornish/Breton/US teams - maybe expand it to include Irish clubs from abroad - Argentina/Finland/Germany etc in later years. We would have womens events too plus underage if successful.

Before I forget, CTID, the lads in the club told me (at the Galway v Bohs game here last week) that they're very keen to enter the EL u-21 league next season or the season after, if allowed. They're planning to build another stand running the length of the pitch with seats and have terrific floodlights and other facilities too.
Big problem is - and, Jesus, I've told them a 1000 times - they just have to improve the pitch to EL standards. It's not that it's a mud heap or anything but it needs improving.

When Athlone get promoted this season, you'll be over here the season after and I'll take you on a tour of the ground if you've time - that's unless you get relegated.:p :D

That "ex-Commie" event you suggested? Do you think there'd be interest in it? Seriously??LOL

[CollegeTillIDie]

Well I have a grá for Horslips and am adding their CD's to my collection to replace the Vinyl LP's I got of theirs in the late 1970's and early 1980's. I am also converting my Czech girlfriend into a Horslips fan quite successfully too :D


That "ex-Commie" event you suggested? Do you think there'd be interest in it? Seriously??LOL

Well if it was over 35's selections of former greats I think it would draw crowds for sure!

[CollegeTillIDie]

World Soccer .... the greatest English language football magazine!

[twoenz]

Some of the best football writing among those pages.

I thought that the article was good on the NF Board, even though I don't quite agree with having national federations when they're not quite sovereign states.

[hamish]

World Soccer .... the greatest English language football magazine!

I have issues going back to the early 1980s!! Glad to see those two old cranky gits near the front of the magazine - Glanville and Gardner. For a while Glanville was pushed near the back cover.
I recall an article Glanville wrote about the extra football on telly and why he was worried about this development. Written in the mid 80s and still as relevant today.
He's a bit obsessed by that referee scandal in Italy back in the 60s or 70s - wish he'd let it go.
Is France Football printed in English??

[hamish]

Well I have a grá for Horslips and am adding their CD's to my collection to replace the Vinyl LP's I got of theirs in the late 1970's and early 1980's. I am also converting my Czech girlfriend into a Horslips fan quite successfully too :D


Well if it was over 35's selections of former greats I think it would draw crowds for sure!

I'd hold onto those CDs.CTID - see where the chemicals in the cardboard packing is deteriorating the sound quality on the CDs? NO joke. Honest.
I keep both TBH - I really do think that the sound is not as compressed on a record and bass can be richer too. Trouble is it's impossible to get a decent anti-skate device for records now.:mad:

I was thinking of a tournament of say 7 a side teams so that Beeslow's 4 pitches could be used for 8 matches a time.

My big worry about all these tournaments is the insurance issue. Nearby Ahascragh United (yeah THAT Ahascragh) used to have a massive such tournament with teams from all over the country at all ages. Huge crowds and every hotel and guest house for miles booked a year in advance. Had to keep it to club teams after some hassle but appeared to have solved it now.
Insurance, from experience, is always my number one worry.

You want a good Celtic Festival? Cambridge Folk Festival is awesome. Loads of folk music from all over the world, blues etc etc etc. Plenty of Irish, Welsh, Scottish and Cornish bands too.

[lopez]

I have issues going back to the early 1980s!! Glad to see those two old cranky gits near the front of the magazine - Glanville and Gardner. For a while Glanville was pushed near the back cover.
I recall an article Glanville wrote about the extra football on telly and why he was worried about this development. Written in the mid 80s and still as relevant today.
He's a bit obsessed by that referee scandal in Italy back in the 60s or 70s - wish he'd let it go.
Is France Football printed in English??Me too. Used to be THE top magazine then which I turned to when I found Shoot! and Match Weekly too immature for a fourteen year old. Great articles. I remember a picture in Nigeria of a ref being chased around the pitch by some angry players.

I have a hate-hate relationship with Glanville but still think he's good. He's quarter Irish (by religion he's Jewish) and said before one of the Ireland v England games that he was torn between which side to support. However, he goes off on one too many times, and the scandal you mention is the one thing he keeps bringing up (Juventus v Derby County? I dunno, got bored of it years ago I've tried to block it all out). And I saw him once at the press conference following the 3-1 defeat to Spain. He was a rude, neurotic, b*stard aswell. The FAI got in an Irish woman to interpret Clemente's comments, and he kept shouting out 'That's not what she said!':rolleyes:

[Raheny Red]

Has anyone seen or heard of Gerrit lately - or has he finally made his dream move to the Northern ice cap :confused: :eek:

[CollegeTillIDie]

You want a good Celtic Festival? Cambridge Folk Festival is awesome. Loads of folk music from all over the world, blues etc etc etc. Plenty of Irish, Welsh, Scottish and Cornish bands too.

A former work colleague brings his guitar and plays at informal sessions off stage over there as well as attending the Festival proper... has been his annual summer holiday for the past 15 or so years.

[hamish]

A former work colleague brings his guitar and plays at informal sessions off stage over there as well as attending the Festival proper... has been his annual summer holiday for the past 15 or so years.

Yeah CTID - went every year from 1996 to 1999. Due to my present situation I can't go sadly but I miss awfully. Never enjoyed myself so much - even more than football:eek: Going in 2007 though, all being well.

Creac is mighty - plenty of drink but you never see anyone footless. Cops in Cambridge told me that there's a queue every year to police it - never any hassle.

Loads of smashing food there too and it's a very clean festival - Friends of the Earth are on duty keeping things tidy and TBH most revellers are tidy too.

There's even nice totty for OUR age group too CTID:p :D

Needless to say, music is terrific. You have everything from Blues to diddley eye stuff to Russian music to African/Asian and so on. Even the late Joe Strummer played there - not long before he died, in fact.

[hamish]

Me too. Used to be THE top magazine then which I turned to when I found Shoot! and Match Weekly too immature for a fourteen year old. Great articles. I remember a picture in Nigeria of a ref being chased around the pitch by some angry players.

I have a hate-hate relationship with Glanville but still think he's good. He's quarter Irish (by religion he's Jewish) and said before one of the Ireland v England games that he was torn between which side to support. However, he goes off on one too many times, and the scandal you mention is the one thing he keeps bringing up (Juventus v Derby County? I dunno, got bored of it years ago I've tried to block it all out). And I saw him once at the press conference following the 3-1 defeat to Spain. He was a rude, neurotic, b*stard aswell. The FAI got in an Irish woman to interpret Clemente's comments, and he kept shouting out 'That's not what she said!':rolleyes:

Yeah, he's a cantankerous old git alright.:D

Whenever any footballer dies - Glanville does the reviews in the Guardian.

I thin he's still involved with Old Carthusians FC or some old club like that?????

Even if one doesn't agree with him - he's an interesting read - if only he'd get over that LoBello affair.

Remember Goal? That became Shoot. I think Goal was a better read and I remember getting a massive poster of Bobby Moore in it. Still have it in fact. You got a piece every week and joined them together to make a poster.

Goal even had a totty section - they had a weekly bikini'd lass as their sort of playmate of the week (tame by today's standards) and Alan Ball's missus was a regular feature. LOL

[Block G Raptor]

I love to hear about ALL footie, whether it's the big guns or in places where people struggle to keep the game alive.

Let's face it, it must be a helluva task to run and fund football competitions in places like The Shetlands, Greenland etc and even run international competitions for the smaller nations.

Where do they get the money to do it???

Way to go Gerrit. There's room for all parts of the game to be discussed.:)

Remember lads, I remember attending Irish matches when 6,000 turned up (Ireland v Czechoslovakia in the 60s)and when the game here was totally invisible and nobody gave a sh!t about our national side.

Those of us old fcukers who worked to promote the game here in the post 1966 World Cup boom, fighting general (and press) apathy and raw bigotry and ignorance know exactly what the good folks in the small countries are going through.

Here's one example, in the early 1970s there were FIVE second level schools in ONE Irish nationwide schools competition. Now, there are hundreds of Primary and second level schools involved with loads of (national and local) competitions with thousands of teams involved.
Well Said Hamish
the eL are not exactly world beaters (though some people on here tend to forget this). Gerrit when you say you'll be watching ths alt wc is it on T.V.?
would have liked to see the homeless WC on T.V. last year !
Football is Football lads and us here in Little old Ireland can hardly afford to slag off small leagues/countries while our domestic football is in such a state

[hamish]

Well Said Hamish
the eL are not exactly world beaters (though some people on here tend to forget this). Gerrit when you say you'll be watching ths alt wc is it on T.V.?
would have liked to see the homeless WC on T.V. last year !
Football is Football lads and us here in Little old Ireland can hardly afford to slag off small leagues/countries while our domestic football is in such a state

Y'know, BGR, that match between Bohs and Galway here a fortnight ago brought up a lot of good vibes in old Hamish. We had two El clubs, a nice local set up and positive vibes all round. I think football has made great progress in Ireland in the past 30 years and the EL is poised to have a "boom" period within the next 5 or 6 years.

It must be an awesome job to run footie in Greenland - they play their entire championship in ONE WEEK there 'cos of the weather and travel distances.:eek: