All island team - Ireland (Merge FAI and IFA)

[EalingGreen]

well 'class politics' is the one thing that can cut across 'sectarian politics' - and that has been demonstrated on numerous occasions in the past.

Trying to deflect now

No, not deflecting, just taking the p1ss.

[EalingGreen]

I know of a fella who got talking to Aaron Hughes and Johnny Evans in Spain one summer. Asked them about an All island team, both said every player would welcome it, they referred to the rugby lads being successful but neither thought the suits would let it happen.

Both Aaron and Jonny are very easy-going, diplomatic people, so who knows, they might have said that first part.

But I simply do not believe they will have said "every (other) player" would welcome it too - unless I know some of their teammates better than they do!

[EalingGreen]

The reality is that all sport is political - it cannot be avoided.


I would argue that the push for a border poll at this stage is a dangerous development. The Catholic population of the North never accepted being forced into a Northern state controlled by the Brits - anymore than the Protestant population would accept being forced into a united Ireland.


In 1973 the British government held a border poll - 98% of the Catholic population boycotted the poll and refused to accept the result. If a border poll takes place within the next 5/10 years or so the likelihood is that the vast majority of the Protestant population in the North would boycott the poll and refuse to accept the result. The only potential alternative outcome is growing unity among the Catholic and Protestant working class around issues that directly affect them - that could potentially cut across existing sectarian divisions - and an agreement on the nature of a new unified state.

[third policeman]

What on earth has it got to do with "people in Northern Ireland", majority or not?

The NI team represents the IFA (ditto ROI/FAI). And the IFA is the representative body for football in NI. And I can guarantee you that the majority of football people in NI (players, supporters, administrators, i.e. not just the IFA itself) want nothing to do with being deprived of the team we've followed all our lives. And that applies equally towards an all-Ireland team or an all-UK team, the latter being the only such venture FIFA would ever countenance under its constitution, incidentally.

As for fans of other sports, or non-sports fans generally, it's got nothing whatever to do with them.

P.S. Why bother bringing this up now? For we all know that if/when the ROI team is doing well again, you will suddenly forget any interest in such a "merger" [sic], so why not just wait a while, eh? Will save a lot of hassle all round.

This is the most bizarre argument I have ever heard. The NI team represents Northern Ireland. The clue is in the name. When was the last time you heard a player saying how proud they were to represent their football association? Your argument is really a tacit acknowledgement that most people in NI would probably be happy with a combined team, as indeed have several high profile former NI players. To suggest that a few thousand die-hard NI supporters should have a veto is ludicrous, but then again there is a precedent for this kind of anti-democratic sentiment.

[tetsujin1979]

Lock the thread.

It isn't going to happen. There's little appetite for it to happen. None of us will see it in our lifetime.

Done.