Gibraltar gains full UEFA membership

[Guest San Don]

Decision means Gibraltar can enter UEFA Championships and club competitions. I pressume this means they can also now take part in the World Cup.

 

BBC Sport - Gibraltar given full Uefa membership at London Congress

 

Gibraltar has been accepted as a full member membership of Uefa, European football's governing body.

 

Their application was approved on a majority vote at the organisation's congress in London, with no votes against and no abstentions.

 

The British Overseas Territory off the south coast of Spain has a population of just under 30,000.

 

Gibraltar will be allowed to enter qualifying for the 2016 European Championship.

 

The territory tried to join Uefa in 2007 but their bid was controversially rejected.

 

Gibraltar's bid to become one of Uefa's associations was opposed by Spain, who threatened to boycott both club and international competitions were the British overseas territory admitted.

 

Spain continues to claim sovereignty over the territory, which has been ruled by Britain since 1713 under the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht.

 

The European Union has pressured Spain and Britain to resolve the issue of Gibraltar's status. Both sides, under the Brussels Process launched in 1984, have attempted to reach an agreement.

 

But Spain's insistence on eventually acquiring full sovereignty, and Britain's determination to retain full control of Gibraltar's military base, have been among the stumbling blocks.

 

Uefa president Michel Platini has confirmed that Gibraltar and Spain will be kept apart in qualifying groups.

 

"Gibraltar will not play qualifying matches with Spain - we also have this situation with Armenia and Azerbaijan," Platini said.

 

In 2007, only three of Uefa's 52 associations voted in favour of Gibraltar - the English, Welsh and Scottish Football Associations.

 

Previously Gibraltar, which has six top-division teams and 600 registered senior players, had been told they could not join Uefa as they were not a country recognised by the United Nations.

 

They were accepted as a provisional member of Uefa in October 2012 and that membership has now been ratified.

 

"This is a momentous occasion for football in Gibraltar. Uefa membership means that we can begin the next chapter of Gibraltarian football" the president of the Gibraltar Football Association Gareth Latin said.

 

"At last we'll be able to show the whole of Europe that we can match the best with football of a high standard and entertaining style.

 

"It will open up a whole new world of opportunities for our highly skilled young footballers.

 

"This is one of our greatest ever sporting moments and, of course, we'd like to thank everyone who helped with our bid and all those who voted for us. We couldn't have made it without you."

 

Gibraltar now becomes the smallest member in terms of population, behind San Marino (just over 32,000), Liechtenstein (approximately 37,000) and the Faroe Islands (just under 50,000).

[Jonny83]

I wonder whether it would be worth having all these micro-nations in pre-qualifying groups for the EC/WC. The winners (or top two, whatever) getting place(s) in qualifying proper. Would reduce the number of men v traffic cones types of games that happen in qualifying, and give these smaller nations a chance of winning meaningful competitive matches, with a meaningful prize at the end of it.

[Magic Sponge]

Well there's 2 minutes of my life I'm never getting back. Ever.

[Trumo]

Another team to get absolutely stuffed in the qualifiers then.

[xerxes]

The good news is that this will piss off the Spanish.

 

Beyond that I agree with the view that the weakest footballing nations, like San Marino , Liechtenstein , the Faroe Islands and Scotland should have some form of pre-qualifying competition.

[Lurtz]

What's the point under the present system? It's just another guaranteed 6 points and a goal difference of +10 for everyone else in their group.

[Ne Moe Imya]

Another team to get absolutely stuffed in the qualifiers then.

 

True. The only real question is whether they will be better or worse than San Marino.

[therevivalist]

A nation of 30, 000! Sovergeinty gone mad. Leaving the politics aside for fear of ruffling feathers, games have to be played in empty stadiums and we're going for scorelines of 20-0s which will only result in distortions of competitions like Champions League. Ridiculous.

[Megadrive Man]

True. The only real question is whether they will be better or worse than San Marino.

 

They should play San Marino in a friendly for their opening game, to give both of them a realistic chance of winning a game!

[Guest San Don]

The good news is that this will piss off the Spanish.

 

Beyond that I agree with the view that the weakest footballing nations, like San Marino , Liechtenstein , the Faroe Islands and Scotland should have some form of pre-qualifying competition.

 

Did you not see that the vote had none against and no abstentions? Surely even a dullard like you can work out which way Spain voted? Probably not, eh?

[Josef Svejk]

Pele has stated that Gibraltar will win the World Cup by the year 3000.

 

Put money on it.

[Fowlersleftfoot]

Tremendous news another weekend of no premier league football while eng-er-land play Gibraltar at Wembley!