Spain Football Federation to Boycott UEFA if Gibraltar’s bid is accepted
European Champions Spain could be refusing to retain their European title, and gaining a EURO hat-trick, if UK overseas territory Gibraltar are granted full UEFA memebership.
Gibraltars ever tiring effort to joining UEFA is getting closer to becoming a reality. The colony numbers to only 30,000 residents, but they maintain one of the oldest leagues across the globe. They first bid in the 1990′s but have been consistently obstructed by Spain’s threat to quit any tournament which Gibraltar participate in. So if the Gibraltar bid is accepted then there will be no football for Spain in the European Championships, no FIFA World Cups as European competitors must compete under UEFA registration, and the Spanish League will no longer take part in the domestic tournaments such as the Champions League and the Europa League. Football’s highest power, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, have shown support for Gibraltar, and UEFA is agreeing to put the application to a vote at the 2013 Congress in London. Gibraltar will not be able to qualify for the 2014 World Cup as qualifiying would have already taken place, but they would be free to qualify for the 2016 Euro’s in France.
Gibraltars team coach Allen Bula says “Not getting into UEFA is not an option, there’s no other route for development.” The only international football they play is the biannual island games. Bula had persuaded football team from across England to visit the area and play friendlies against the national squad. Gibraltar beat Bury 2-1 in Januray and have also played international friendlies against Faroe Islands and England C, made of conference players. The players from ‘the rock of the med’ beat the Faroe Islanders 3-0 and also defeated England C 3-1.
This is the MOST blatant example of mixing politics with sport! It brings SHAME not only to Spain but also to all those who give in to Spain’s threats and side with it and particularly to those who lead the footballing organisations for allowing such racist and bullying behaviour to be accepted.
I always thought that blackmail was wrong and punishable by law. What are UEFA and FIFA doing about this?
Is Spain so scared of being beaten by a small but proud team of people who refuse to give in to Spanish conceit and prejudice?
UEFA should not be waiting for 2013, it should be taking the lead and expelling the Spanish Football Federation for blackmail and unsportsmanlike behaviour.
Not so long ago a team of 11 year old boys from Gibraltar entered a competition in Spain and dared to take part in the pre-march parade with all the other competitors. While all the other teams we allowed to march behind their flags the Gibraltar team had its flag confiscated. Later, when the teams were called up on stage one by one and a spare flag found and a pole lent by another embarrassed team, the Gibraltar team’s flag bearer made his way to the stage only to have his flag unceremoniously grabbed by a Spanish Football Federation representative and thrown to the ground.
If this sort of behaviour had been shown to Spain they would have been up in arms and I would have been disgusted with the perpetrators. The fact that it was done to a small country of 30000 people by a neighbouring country which fancies itself as a major player in world diplomacy as well as world football and the butt of such behaviour was an eleven year old footballer representing his tiny country is even more disgusting.
To me the choice is clear, sports is for all (yes, including Gibraltarians). Keep POLITICS out of it. Have the footballs to vote for Gibraltar to be allowed to join the great family which is UEFA!
I Agree, what happend to FIFA’s fair play regime and one of FIFA’s motto is football for all , not football for whoever says so. If you think outside the box like Calpean has , it is a case of bullying or blackmail. Malta , Fiji, New Zealand and many others are English Colonies also yet they have the right to their own Football Association under FIFA. I vote yes to Giibraltar’s application and I will even take an active role in supporting their bid. No one should be denied the right to play football.
It’s not much different to China’s attitude to Taiwan and Argentina’s attitude to the Falkland Islands (which roughly is “it shouldn’t exist and we would invade if we thought we could get away with it”) which is frankly a failure to accept geo-political realities.
My vote is to call their bluff. Let Gibraltar into UEFA. Spain will back down.
Gibraltar should be allowed to join! living here i can see it make a positive impact on the lives of our youngsters, this should have nothing to do with a spoilt child kicking and screaming – in this case spain, and instead be about the sport and the advantages it confers to ones life.
There is no doubt that Gibraltar is entitled to play. If Spain objects, it becomes their problem. They would eventually back down, of that I’m sure. We should call their bluff!! Just imagine Spain’s ego if their name was not mentioned in the footballing world. As far as Gibraltar is concerned Spain’s regime has not changed much since Franco’s time. Don’t let them get away with it, look at what happened to the world because Hilter was not stopped.
There are many smaller and less competitive countries as members of UEFA and there is no logical reason why Gibralter should not be a member. No one should be affected by bullying or threats. We live in an era where such actions should not be tolerated or be allowed to influence decisions of otheres
Si els espanyols no volen anar al europeu o al mundial,no cal preocupar-se,Catalunya te millor equip.Visca Gibraltar Lliure
Same old SHIT with Spain and there threats ,fed up of em , and i`m sure if we joined UEFA they will back down , enfin una TORTA SIN MANO , VISCA CATALUNYA Jordi
allen you getting near don't give up is a reality that on day gfa will become part of the football world spain including.
I support this bid 100% , the GFA team have been training far to long and I only hope that they are also allowed to join the UEFA . If spain wish to back out , then be it. Enough of the bullying and lets all enjoy the football !!
Gibraltar will join UEFA, that is a fact. If not in this years application then the next. The reality is that Spain will NOT pull out of any competition, it is just a threat. Lets face it, they would be removing football from their country and I am sure that if it got to the point where they had to pull out, Spain the country will not allow it nor would the players. It would be interesting to hear what the Spanish national side has to say about the idea of pulling out of major competition if Gibraltar joins UEFA. Gibraltar are a great footballing nation with amazing talent. I can wait to see them join UEFA and prove to the world that they deserve to be there. Allen, continue your hard work. THe whole of Gibraltar is behind you!
My only hope is that Gib is accepted soon enough for my brother and his team mates to still be young enough and fit enough to play at the level they deserve! They are excellent players and their chance is long long overdue….
Allen do not give. Sensational commitment by you and your organisation. I have a saying and it has always worked for me:
"Never EVER give up Never EVER stop dreaming".
Monika Newbound the Double BMW Endurance Guinness Champion of the world 2012.
Just take a look at what the Spanish did to a Gibraltar 11 year olds football team.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tgJxYxOtYY&feature=colike
After doing further research on my article, I found that Faroe Islands is a Danish Province that has been allowed to compete in all of UEFA’s competitions. Gibraltar is a British Province that has been denied to take part in their continents football for no reason.
The 11 year old were allowed to participate in the Costa Cup because they simply paid their fee’s but were also publicly embarrased in the process. In the qualifying stages of the UEFA or World cup groups and Gibraltar coincidently meet Spain, will they be humiliated again ? this time in front of both nations…
UEFA there is ONLY ever one thing to do, DO THE RIGHT THING!
If you do not stand up to discrimination you stand for it!
If you do not stand up to the bully you stand shoulder to shoulder with him!
So which is it going to be, will UEFA continue to o Spain’s bidding and discriminate against The Gibraltar Football Association for POLITICAL reasons or will it finally do the right thing and admit Gibraltar into full membership of UEFA?
Call their bluff!
The Spanish FA could not possibly afford not to participate!!!!!
AND – why is Spain allowed to mix politics with sport??????
I think that Spain should, once and for all, be told to put up or shut up!
p.s. even if Gibraltar were to loose every single game and loose 100 – nil against Spain, I can assure all readers that football fans worldwide will never have witnesed a greater party in Gibraltar – as the mere fact of participating, even against Spain, would be a victory in itself!!!!!
My best wishes to all of you!
ke wapo entramo en europa y sapin se sale couldent get any better hahaha.
Do you think that Madrid or Bacelona will accept of withdrawing from the european championship with all the money this club make.
If Spain pull out of UEFA, maybe Catalonia can replace them!
Leave your response!
I support and follow West Bromwich Albion F.C. I currently enjoy watching football and analysing the games. I like to write about different aspects of the game, which include a variety of subjects. I play for LHC FC on Saturdays with whom I am entering my fourth season in our Division 2.
bettingexpert Sports Blogs
Recent Articles
The Good Stuff
Most Commented