42 replies to this topic

[Kvaratschelia]

Here's one:

Robert Erskine Wade Crawford, born 5 September 1852 in Jersey, died 23 May 1894 in Hendon, Middlesex.

He not only played in the very first Scotland team, against England in the unofficial international of 1870, he scored our goal.

He came from a Scottish family, it just happened his father (General Robert Fitzgerald Crawford of the Royal Regiment of Artillery) was stationed in Elizabeth Castle garrison on Jersey when the boy was born. His mother Jean came from Dunbar, and the boy was brought up in Edinburgh before going south for a gentleman's education at Harrow.

See this link: England v Scotland 1870 match report on the Lord Kinnaird website.

[Grim Jim]

See this link: England v Scotland 1870 match report on the Lord Kinnaird website.

Oh ffs, I hope Bzzzz doesn't get to hear about our replacement goalie

[pumpedagain]

More ridiculous pish. The SCOTLAND team should ONLY have SCOTS in it, if yer no a SCOT then play fer yer ain blinkin country, it IS that blinking simple.

Both my kids born in Guernsey,They would never consider themselves anything other than Scottish. I have never seen you make a valid arguement regarding parentige basicaly if you were'nt born here the F off your gay blah blah blinkin blah BORING.

[Bzzzz]

Both my kids born in Guernsey,They would never consider themselves anything other than Scottish. I have never seen you make a valid arguement regarding parentige basicaly if you were'nt born here the F off your gay blah blah blinkin blah BORING.

you must be thinking of someone else fella!

[Rich NATA]

Not sure that's actually true, tbh - the Southampton Echo ran something debunking this shortly before Matty gained his first cap (I was living in Soton at the time).

In Le God's autobiography he states, "Because I was from the Channel Islands I was eligible to play for any of the home countries and because all my previous caps had been in friendlies, I could still opt for Northen Ireland, Scotland or Wales. My dream had always been to play for England, though that didn't stop the Wales manager Bobby Gould trying to pick me".

Tiss also mention's the France prospect... "Michel Plantini and his assistant Gerard Houlier kept ringing" But any French ancestry was a long, long, way back in the past.

[Bzzzz]

A man with a bit of dignity and honesty, unlike some!

Hmm...

[GHfaeGTA]

Guernsey & Jersey do play in the Island games, in effect an Olympics for (small) islands held every 2 years. Includes Isle of Man , Shetlands, Orkney, Rhodes, Bermuda, Faroes (although not the Faroes real team)

Also recently announced that a small island tournament will be held from next year now that these "nations" have accepted FIFA will not admit them.

Perhaps more interestingly a team called Guernsey FC (in effect an Island select) look like playing in the English non-leagues from next season. They will likely start in 6th league below League 2, where the reincarnated AFC Wimbledon started 8 yeras ago and are now on verge of getting back into the League proper. I doubt whether Guernsey will get there but certainly good for the young lads coming through to get regular football against non-league sides and get into FA Cup and have a chnace to play at higher level.

THe standard is probably a bit better than Marky makes out although I do agree generally standards have droped a bit over the years. Guernsey did win the FA Inter-regions cup last year and qualified for Europe representaing England. A cup for English counties and the only restriction is that anyone who has had a professional contract at any time was not able to play.

[Bristolhibby]

Why don't Monaco have a team? Or the Vatican city. Surely there is no way UEFA could stop them.

Also what are the Channel Islands legally? I know that they are not part of the UK, so what are that. Can they not just declare independence, then field a team?

J

FIFA don't set the membership rules - its the confederations hence the inconsistences, such as French "regions" such as New Caledonia and Tahiti being members of Oceania but wouldn't be allowed if in UEFA
what the catalyst for UEFA was though was the application from Gibraltar, basically the Spanish were not too happy about it and UEFA changed the rules to stop non-soverign countries that weren't already members becoming members.

BTW Andorra, San Marino and the Russian states would still be admitted today if they weren't already members as they are soverign states with UN recognition. Faroes, Scotland, England, Wales & Northern Ireland wouldn't

[Grim Jim]

Also what are the Channel Islands legally?

Bailiwicks

[Flure]

Bailiwicks

No need for that! He was only asking!!

[thewolf_1980]

Why don't Monaco have a team? Or the Vatican city. Surely there is no way UEFA could stop them.

Also what are the Channel Islands legally? I know that they are not part of the UK, so what are that. Can they not just declare independence, then field a team?

J

Here's a link to a blog from the author of the book I referred to earlier in this thread - "Outcasts! The Lands That FIFA Forgot". A very good read and answers your question. I bought it quite cheaply a year or two ago from Amazon.

Linky

The author of the book and this blog, Steve Menary, is a very keen investigative journalist on this subject and the book's a cracking read and shows FIFA up for the hypocrits that we all know they are.

Edit: to say that countries require to have a football federation prior to being allowed to join FIFA. Neither Monaco nor Vatican City have one, as far as I am aware.

Edited by thewolf_1980, 13 December 2010 - 10:27 AM.

[JohnW]

Perhaps more interestingly a team called Guernsey FC (in effect an Island select) look like playing in the English non-leagues from next season. They will likely start in 6th league below League 2, where the reincarnated AFC Wimbledon started 8 yeras ago and are now on verge of getting back into the League proper. I doubt whether Guernsey will get there but certainly good for the young lads coming through to get regular football against non-league sides and get into FA Cup and have a chnace to play at higher level.

Be interesting to see how you get on with that, Shetland wanted to enter cup competitions in Scotland but we couldn't as the Shetland team wasn't a 'Club' as such and the powers that be wouldn't let us compete, although they have no problem with friendlies.
On the other hand Scottish Women's Football have no problem with us competing in the Scottish Cup and they've offered us a place in the Scottish League should we want it.

[Dangerous Dave]

Why don't Monaco have a team? Or the Vatican city. Surely there is no way UEFA could stop them.

Also what are the Channel Islands legally? I know that they are not part of the UK, so what are that. Can they not just declare independence, then field a team?

J

Vatican City aren't a member of the UN so under UEFA rules wouldn't qualify - Don't know about Monaco they are a member of the UN and I know there is a national team that has played in one of the non-FIFA world cups