So we are playing a Gibraltar XI during the trip to Spain but the whole question of a national Gibraltar side is big issue for the Spanish FA who referred to the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 when lobbying heavily against Gibraltar's admittance to UEFA last year.
Well done Charlton I say. Sticking up for the little guy. Let's twin ourselves with the Gibraltar FA.
More info on our opponents
The Gibraltar Football Association (GFA) was formed as the Gibraltar Civilian Football Association in 1895, changing to its current name in later years. It is one of the oldest football associations in the world.
The GFA affiliated with The Football Association in 1909, but is currently trying to become a full member of UEFA so that its national team is allowed to compete in the European Football Championship and the Football World Cup. This attempt has been blocked by the fierce opposition from the Spanish Football Federation.
In August 2006, the world's highest sporting court (CAS) ruled that Gibraltar had to be allowed as a full UEFA and FIFA member. No protest was possible against this decision, which meant that Gibraltar was now likely to join UEFA. It should be noted that current FIFA and UEFA members include several federations which cannot be said to represent independent nations, such as Puerto Rico, Chinese Taipei (which is only recognized by 23 countries and not by the United Nations), the Faroe Islands, and New Caledonia. French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe and Saint Martin each have national teams which, despite not being FIFA members, are allowed to compete at the CONCACAF confederation level.
On 8 December 2006, it was announced that Gibraltar had become a provisional member of UEFA. On 26 January 2007 in the UEFA Congress held in Düsseldorf (Germany), Gibraltar's application to become a full member of UEFA was rejected, 45 votes against to 3 votes in favour. The 3 favourable votes came from England, Scotland and Wales. (4 votes were undecided)
This was after intense lobbying of the member nations by the Spanish Football Federation's president Angel Maria Villar to vote against the inclusion of Gibraltar on the grounds that the Spanish government claimed Gibraltar as part of Spain. He admitted it was a political issue and referred to the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713.
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I'm pretty sure that within 12 hours i could scramble a side together who would give the Gibralter eleven a competitive game !
Oh, hark at her!
; - )
;-)
you'd have no chance against this lot
I'm all for team building but an eight day jaunt to Spain at a time when we are cost cutting by laying off coaches and selling players is a bit out of order imo. And, to cmpound it, we arrange 1 friendly against a team that will probably be at work all day before playing us in the evening. Surely we could have stayed in the UK, played another couple of friendlies, and gone paintballing or something or a golf day. This does appear to be a jolly-up and a chance to top up the tan. BTW, has Robson actually gone ? Are the Club going to tell us ? or is it a case of wait and see what the bar bill is before we decide his fate.
Being serious, i'm sure it is not a jolly up by any means. I'm sure there are a couple of team bonding drinks up thrown in, but so there should be because those things are as vital for team morale than any training session. However, i expect the bulk of it to be hard work in a state of the art training complex.
BUT, the length of the trip seems excessive, and from excessive normally comes the word expensive, particularly given light of the fact we have no competitive fixtures arranged whatsoever.
The planning, from the outside, appears poor
Why can't this one?
There is already another thread on the trip to Spain and why it is a jolly.
Spot on in my opinion, though - if they were going to spend over a week abroad, then make d*mn sure that some decent warm-up fixtures against competitve opposition were signed and sealed before booking the trip.
They can't have it both ways. They've lobbied to stop Gibraltar becoming an independent football nation so as part of the British Commonwealth it must come under the auspices of our FA which means it is a domestic fixture and absolutely nothing to do with Spain!
It wouldn't be Charlton unless we cocked something up somewhere along the line
agree totally !!
parky
Cue the first corner by us from during the Swansea game going directly out of play...
Pardew to the wide players
Pardew: "This ball. That 'near post'. That 'far post'. You kick corner ball. Ball go past near post.
Keyy and Yassin: "it's OK boss, we both speak excellent English"
Pardew: "I know you do, I was trying to explain it to Darren"
Well said
I think the flights were rather more expensive in Jimmy Seed's day.
great credit to the Gib lads.
UEFA status for the Rock
Very good :-)