Celtic Cup thread

**Lionel Ritchie** · 11/01/2011, 8:52 AM

Genuinely surprised the English are interested in this.

Maybe they're looking to compete for a trophy they might actually win and against opposition they could concievably beat?
But I've said before if I were an England manager I'd see little percentage in participating in this and, if it were within my negotiating power, I'd want it written into my contract that I could not be sacked after a game in this sort-of-not-quite competition.

**ArdeeBhoy** · 11/01/2011, 9:03 AM

As a one-off it's just about bearable to decide "Champions of Mediocrity", locally.

The 'Ingerland' factor just opens up the other can of worms again about a large no. of their more undesirable citizens potentially travelling to Dublin to pick a fight with locals.
Not to mention the fact, they hardly raise the bar to the level of 'glamour friendly', that Ireland, Scotland & Wales should be aiming for?

**passinginterest** · 11/01/2011, 9:14 AM

Henry Winter: the return of the Home Internationals would be about as welcome as the return of hooliganism

This morning at Wembley, venue for those pitch-invading Scots in 1977, the Football Association will reveal that it has been discussing the possibility of relaunching the four-way British rollerball. Welcome back to the dark ages.

I think it's fair to see he doesn't see any benefit to the revival of the competition.

**gastric** · 11/01/2011, 9:50 AM

It seems we would be invited to compete. Do we really want to though!

http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...s-2491018.html

**shakermaker1982** · 11/01/2011, 9:50 AM

I think ING GER LAND are starting to consider this more seriously because of the WC bidding disaster. A bit of a **** you to FIFA and other nations who let them down.

**paul_oshea** · 11/01/2011, 10:43 AM

Ya and possibly expand it in the future

**The Fly** · 11/01/2011, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by Gather round

Who said there was a problem? You might find that R.E.M. and U2 merging into one team is more likely.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_Baby

**jbyrne** · 11/01/2011, 10:58 AM

would be very interested in the expanded tournament. tired of attending friendlies where nothing happens and we learn nothing. add a bit of cometition to it and we might actually learn something about possible new players. i am not a big believer in the thought that we have to play against differant styles of football to learn something about our players. far more interested in how our prospective players will get on in a quicker more competitive game.

**Dodge** · 11/01/2011, 11:39 AM

The FA have announced they're hoping to organise a one off tournament in 2013 to celebrate their anniversary. They stressed one off.

The FAI have confirmed that the Celtic Cup is contracted for only one year

**ArdeeBhoy** · 11/01/2011, 12:01 PM

Amen to that.

**Murfinator** · 11/01/2011, 2:08 PM

Who would want to watch a tournament consisting of 5 shambolic counter teams who can't pass a ball to save their lives. The Six Nations is interesting because it matches countries of differing styles and all of whom are near the pinnacle of their sport making it a significant competition. This is just a handful of nothing teams most of whom don't qualify for competitions and those that do are early round fodder.

I don't think there'd be trouble at these, I think people genuinely won't care and stadia won't be filled. I can't think of anything less appealing than playing the 4 british sides, I really can't.

**EalingGreen** · 11/01/2011, 3:30 PM

Originally Posted by Cuyahoga

Northern Ireland and the Republic should join together for this tournament if it happens so there would be four teams in it then, Ireland, Scotland and England and Wales. Easy, problem solved.

AMAZING!!!

Even the mathematics are impeccable.

Why has no-one thought of this before?

**EalingGreen** · 11/01/2011, 4:06 PM

Originally Posted by ifk101

Considering that the fourth team in the competition was called Ireland all but for a handful of tournaments, it's not necessarily the case that room needs to be made for the ROI to compete. As an avid fan of said "real" Championship, surely you'd welcome the return of Ireland to the competition and the fielding of a team that fully represents Ireland?

The competition - the oldest international football competition in the world, btw - was originally devised, and competed for, by the representative teams of the four "Home" Associations: FA, IFA, SFA and FAW.

As such, the IFA representative team was called "Ireland" almost until the end of the competition, the IFA voluntarily deciding to switch to the name "Northern Ireland" for their team sometime around 1970.

Assuming that the four original Associations decide to compete once more in 2013 and the FAI is also invited to enter a team to represent them, then it will mean the tournament will consist of five teams. Among the consequences will be that whatever else, the FAI team will NOT be permitted to call itself "Ireland" and on the basis that the IFA will not enforce its own continuing right to use the name, then the two Irish international teams will inevitably be called "Northern Ireland" and "Republic of Ireland". Which is as it should be (imo).

Originally Posted by ifk101

After all it wouldn't be the "real" Championship without Ireland.

It wouldn't be the "real" Championship without the trophy, either. I wonder where that got to?

P.S. Don't you mean the "British Championship", btw?

**Dodge** · 11/01/2011, 4:13 PM

Originally Posted by EalingGreen

the IFA voluntarily deciding to switch to the name "Northern Ireland" for their team sometime around 1970

Martyrs

**ArdeeBhoy** · 12/01/2011, 2:27 AM

Given the latest postal shenanigans, you'd have to wonder if certain of the Paranoid Fraternity would have anything more dramatic in mind between Feb and the end of May.....

**ifk101** · 12/01/2011, 7:50 AM

Originally Posted by EalingGreen

P.S. Don't you mean the "British Championship", btw?

The British Home Championship actually if we are going to take the pedantic route. But revealing that you would highlight that.

**Gather round** · 12/01/2011, 8:11 AM

Originally Posted by The Fly

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_Baby

Touche. I must have missed the fan club invite to that gig

**third policeman** · 12/01/2011, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by EalingGreen

AMAZING!!!

Even the mathematics are impeccable.

Why has no-one thought of this before?

Actually for a one off competition it sounds like a good idea. The original Home Internationals featured a single "Ireland" team, so it would be a fitting way of honouring the common footballing heritage of the IFA and FAI. So long as there is no suggestion or expectation that this would be a harbinger of merger, I cannot honestly see your problem EG (or GR). Personally I would love to see all the people of Ireland and for that matter all the people of Northern Ireland being given a one off opportunity to get behind the same football team.

**ArdeeBhoy** · 12/01/2011, 11:05 AM

Good shout TP.

But what about the "Never, never...." constituency though....

**Not Brazil** · 12/01/2011, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy

Good shout TP.

But what about the "Never, never...." constituency though....

That'll be a polite "No Thank You" from the vast majority of the Northern Ireland fanbase :-)

Now...if the breakaway Association wishes to participate, in addition to the original Irish Football Association, I'm sure it would add to the spectacle.