I can only speak for Scotland but I can assure you that Hell will freeze over before Scots compete under a Union Jack at Olympic football. That leaves two options A) There is no team to represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the Olympics. B) A 'UK' team is made up from however many other FA's wish to compete. 9I doubt if this is even possible,)
It can. Scotland entered into the Union along with England and Wales (I'm not exactly sure about Northern Ireland but that's for a different thread) and can leave the Union if and when a referendum is taken in favour of idependence. Recent polls show that roughly 45% of Scots are in favour of independence, this figure has been rising for years. It will be interesting when polls start to show that 60% (the number needed to win a referendum) are in favour.
That's not the same at all because none of those places are actually in Portugal. Scotland, England, Wales and N.I are all in the United Kingdom.
Utter rubbish. If a coalition between the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Nationalist Party make up a coalition government proceeding the Scottish Parliamentry elections in either 2007 or 2012 (which is entirley plausible), it's likely that a referendum proposing independence will be put to the Scottish people. If the people vote for independence it will happen (without a civil war). 1) The "autonomous regions" are defined, by the UK government, as "country's" (Wales excepted). 2) Also, it's our game, we can do we want, OK?
Ask Tony ********ing Blair!! The UK governament defines Scotland, England and Northern Ireland as "countries" and Wales as a "principality". My guess is that Galicia or Flanders are not defined this way by their governments.
Oh dear. Can you explain to me why not wishing to compete as 'Great Britain and Northern Ireland' for the sake of the Olympics is spitting the dummy out. What does it matter what you think? If nobody in Britain thinks it's a good idea (apart from the Union Jack waving idiots who only appear for Wimbledon and the Olympics and who are certainly not football supporters) then surely you have to accept that it's a bad idea? I'm sure you remember my feelings on Olympic football from our previous discussions, and since, almost to a man, everyone in Britain agrees with me, where does that "cutting off their noses" come into it? It's intersting that when Olympic football is discussed everyone says, 'The Brits don't like it just becuse they can't play in it' well now we can and we still don't want to.
And I beleive you were booted straight back out conclusively (it happened a couple of times) in 1314. What has no relevance today? Scotland has never had 'it's own language'.
Which is kind of the point. The United Kingdom is nothing that can be approximated to any other country in the world. The common/garden variety definition of a "country" or "nation" can neither be applied to the UK as a whole or its independent components. In reality, it's just a cumbersome method evolved over many centuries of allowing each of the fiercely proud entities to maintain a facade of independent international standing, while cashing in on the obvious practical benefits of a unified overall government. Trying to say whether the real "country" in an international sense is Scotland or the United Kingdom is pointless, because it just comes down to semantics. As Gordon says, its really just their own government making up their own rules.
... and Russia - 89 and India - errr whatever Dear Spectreman, do you really believe that each state is as different from the other as the countries forming the UK? I don't think so... or, assuming you are right, Brooklyn and Watts and Little Rock should all play in the World Cup... that would be crazy Teams like Catalonia, Sicilia, Bavaria, Quebec (is there such?) and whatever land having separatist or snubbish moods are formed on political and publicity and money-making basis rather than on a sportive one. Anyway, the Isles is where the game's home is and it's up to the first FAs to decide things like that.
that's what I'm talking about dobre btw, what was the situation like when Yugoslavia was united? was there only one team and all the other were formed only after gaining independance?
what about Robbie and Roy Keane, Given, Harte, Fletcher, Bellamy and Earnshaw? we mustn't underestimate them in the context of the UK team. at least, Given coul have solved the goalkeeper problem we have.
Slight problem in that the Keanes, Given and Harte are from the Republic of Ireland which is not part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Bellamy - who would he play ahead of, we already have Alan Smith to fill the role of hothead. Fletcher - Ahead of who? Earnshaw - not good enough. We do not have a goalkeeping problem, Paul Robinson is decent.
BECAUSE they are Welsh, its obvious... simple fact that Scotland is a country and Wales is not proves something here. but is't not that important anyway, for every rule there are exeptions why Inter Cardiff don't play in England, then?
here's what wikipedia says: Dual monarchy, was a dualistic state (1867 –1918) in which the Kingdom of Hungary enjoyed self-government and representation in joint affairs (principally foreign relations and defence) with the western and northern lands of the Austrian Empire under the Austrian Emperors (who also reigned as Kings of Hungary) of the Habsburg dynasty.
I'm a moron, I know it seems, it's me who smokes the crack pipe mentioned above actually, I was resting in my bed when I thought: "what da hell did I write on that Ireland stuff? the lads will surely have a good laugh..." I hope you did so, it's more like British and Irish Lions of assoc you can never have enough of those!.. it's only one person. need more isn't it 44 or something? :wacko:
If I may make so bold as to quote myself, allow me to point out the one critical part of my post that actually means anything in this debate: The only definition of "Nation" that matters is FIFA's. I was simply trying to lend a little perspective on what the word means to people who actually give a damn what the word means.