It's an attractive idea on the surface but it would be extremely difficult in reality.
Let's not forget that the reason the FAI split away in the first place was because they felt that the IFA was not administering the sport in the interests of the whole island. There is very little about the current state of the IFA that suggests to me that all the same issues and tensions would not reemerge in the event of a merger.
In the event of a merger you can expect FAI and IFA execs to insist on keeping their jobs, leading to a bloated organisation with lots of corporate waste and duplication. You can also expect divisive and dysfunctional internal politics with the former IFA clubs pushing back against genuine integration and trying to protect their distinct status.
In terms of the national team, you can expect lots of clunky compromises around flags and anthems. Fans on both sides may feel that this "new" team does not represent their country as they see it. Certain regressive elements of the NI fan base would likely make a sectarian culture war issue out of the whole thing.
If we're serious about cross-border integration of Irish football, we should start with something less emotive than the national teams, like an all-island academy structure or coach development programme, to help build the relationships and show that it works.
The IFA would never allow it. On a club basis you would get less European spots meaning the big clubs like Linfield and Glentoran would have less of a chance making Europe meaning less money in.
It would mean us not flying the tricolour or playing the anthem, so basically stripping our national identity to appease to people that wouldn’t be happy anyway. So no, the island would need to be united first
The orange on the flag is for the Protestants. The whole point of the tricolour is to bring the two tribes together. Peace between catholics (green) and Protestants (orange) with white in the middle signifying peace. If it doesn’t represent that to Protestants then I would have no problem changing it.
They don't look at the orange part and think of the peace between the two sides. For them, the flag represents the opposite. When they see that flag, they immediately associate it with Irish republicanism and terrorism.
Well it does represent peace between the two sides, but they don't look at the flag that way. For them, it represents republicanism and terrorism. As for just green, they would argue for just orange. A variation of whst we have would have to be used. Some sort of variation with agreed symbols, like the harp, on it.
>Just green
Our flag would join the ranks of Saudi Arabia and Libya especially as "almost entirely or totally green" in that cash.
I'd maybe come up with a different one lol
Protestants aren’t the problem, it’s loyalists. Donegal, Monaghan, Cavan and many more border counties are full of prods that are happy out living under the tricolour. You can get Republican Protestants the same way you can get loyalist catholics so they can’t all be tarnished with the same brush.
It would be their is strong resistance to it.
A process needs to start though. Special status is required from UEFA to allow us to merge the leagues while having separate FAs and national teams, I think this is a necessary first major step. UEFA have indicated they are open to such endeavours particularly ones that would reduce the UKs ludicrous position of having 4 national teams for 1 nation state.
The Lucid proposal from a few years ago had broad support north and south but didn't have the critical FA backing it needed.
The Setanta Cup existed and was fairly successful without the outbreak of literal civil war that some seem to think will happen if games are played between north and south clubs.
I don't have faith in the people running soccer in Ireland to manage the day to day running of clubs/FA let alone a large scale structural project like this. They won't even attempt it so basically we need better people involved than we currently have.
A lot of the opposition to merging the leagues/national teams is just a load of bollix that is far easier solved than most here will ever accept.
Not really ludicrous when they invented international football. The separate UK teams will be here to stay as they’ll never accept otherwise, they’re not unique either. But I agree, a league is the best bet. I think some of the ‘other side’ would even be open to it, ironically cliftonville were the only northern side to be opposed to talks last time.
There were talks in the 70s and early 80s and I think there was a chance back then but I think the modern lot up there would never accept a national team playing in Dublin. Shame as we see how successful we are United in Rugby, Cricket, Hockey and other sports without any issues, players and fans from both communities.
An all island league would be good but were never going to have a unified team.
There was never 2 separate Rugby teams for a start. Most people in the north who would be so inclined to want a unified team probably already support Ireland over Northern Ireland. Northern Irelands fan base would never support it.
Happened before with the Setanta cup even previous cups.
Think it was league winners, national cup winners and teams in 2nd in the leagues.
A bigger cup competition would be cool though
Onus would be on IFA to incorporate FAI as it was the FAI who decided to break away from IFA. so good luck with that 😂 I don’t see FAI giving up their jobs
Football on this island is poorly funded and managed, in both the north and south. Not sure how merging them makes us more competitive in that regard. Would be cool to have an all island league but I don't see it magically fixing decades of no investment if facilities and academy infrastructure
We need this to happen, fuck unionism we need one team. It is what we are missing, it we can build one team we can create a strong league with lots of top players and team to literally compete at the game. Ireland will unite soon enough I believe, it will catch us by surprise because a border poll will happen at time nobody expects in the next while. In the current, It’s just the unionists in the IFA that are stopping this from happening, and this is really not helpful.
It's an attractive idea on the surface but it would be extremely difficult in reality. Let's not forget that the reason the FAI split away in the first place was because they felt that the IFA was not administering the sport in the interests of the whole island. There is very little about the current state of the IFA that suggests to me that all the same issues and tensions would not reemerge in the event of a merger. In the event of a merger you can expect FAI and IFA execs to insist on keeping their jobs, leading to a bloated organisation with lots of corporate waste and duplication. You can also expect divisive and dysfunctional internal politics with the former IFA clubs pushing back against genuine integration and trying to protect their distinct status. In terms of the national team, you can expect lots of clunky compromises around flags and anthems. Fans on both sides may feel that this "new" team does not represent their country as they see it. Certain regressive elements of the NI fan base would likely make a sectarian culture war issue out of the whole thing. If we're serious about cross-border integration of Irish football, we should start with something less emotive than the national teams, like an all-island academy structure or coach development programme, to help build the relationships and show that it works.
Great post
The IFA would never allow it. On a club basis you would get less European spots meaning the big clubs like Linfield and Glentoran would have less of a chance making Europe meaning less money in.
That's a fair point
It would mean us not flying the tricolour or playing the anthem, so basically stripping our national identity to appease to people that wouldn’t be happy anyway. So no, the island would need to be united first
The orange on the flag is for the Protestants. The whole point of the tricolour is to bring the two tribes together. Peace between catholics (green) and Protestants (orange) with white in the middle signifying peace. If it doesn’t represent that to Protestants then I would have no problem changing it.
They don't look at the orange part and think of the peace between the two sides. For them, the flag represents the opposite. When they see that flag, they immediately associate it with Irish republicanism and terrorism.
Exactly. If it doesn’t represent peace between the two sides then it should be scrapped. Just green would probably be more agreeable
Well it does represent peace between the two sides, but they don't look at the flag that way. For them, it represents republicanism and terrorism. As for just green, they would argue for just orange. A variation of whst we have would have to be used. Some sort of variation with agreed symbols, like the harp, on it.
>Just green Our flag would join the ranks of Saudi Arabia and Libya especially as "almost entirely or totally green" in that cash. I'd maybe come up with a different one lol
Protestants aren’t the problem, it’s loyalists. Donegal, Monaghan, Cavan and many more border counties are full of prods that are happy out living under the tricolour. You can get Republican Protestants the same way you can get loyalist catholics so they can’t all be tarnished with the same brush.
It would be their is strong resistance to it. A process needs to start though. Special status is required from UEFA to allow us to merge the leagues while having separate FAs and national teams, I think this is a necessary first major step. UEFA have indicated they are open to such endeavours particularly ones that would reduce the UKs ludicrous position of having 4 national teams for 1 nation state. The Lucid proposal from a few years ago had broad support north and south but didn't have the critical FA backing it needed. The Setanta Cup existed and was fairly successful without the outbreak of literal civil war that some seem to think will happen if games are played between north and south clubs. I don't have faith in the people running soccer in Ireland to manage the day to day running of clubs/FA let alone a large scale structural project like this. They won't even attempt it so basically we need better people involved than we currently have. A lot of the opposition to merging the leagues/national teams is just a load of bollix that is far easier solved than most here will ever accept.
Not really ludicrous when they invented international football. The separate UK teams will be here to stay as they’ll never accept otherwise, they’re not unique either. But I agree, a league is the best bet. I think some of the ‘other side’ would even be open to it, ironically cliftonville were the only northern side to be opposed to talks last time. There were talks in the 70s and early 80s and I think there was a chance back then but I think the modern lot up there would never accept a national team playing in Dublin. Shame as we see how successful we are United in Rugby, Cricket, Hockey and other sports without any issues, players and fans from both communities.
An all island league would be good but were never going to have a unified team. There was never 2 separate Rugby teams for a start. Most people in the north who would be so inclined to want a unified team probably already support Ireland over Northern Ireland. Northern Irelands fan base would never support it.
I'd like to see an All Ireland cup though. That'd be cool
Happened before with the Setanta cup even previous cups. Think it was league winners, national cup winners and teams in 2nd in the leagues. A bigger cup competition would be cool though
Conor Conor Conor Bradley!!!!
Too much bitterness and stubbornness to make this ever happen outside of a United Ireland scenario.
Onus would be on IFA to incorporate FAI as it was the FAI who decided to break away from IFA. so good luck with that 😂 I don’t see FAI giving up their jobs
Football on this island is poorly funded and managed, in both the north and south. Not sure how merging them makes us more competitive in that regard. Would be cool to have an all island league but I don't see it magically fixing decades of no investment if facilities and academy infrastructure
We need this to happen, fuck unionism we need one team. It is what we are missing, it we can build one team we can create a strong league with lots of top players and team to literally compete at the game. Ireland will unite soon enough I believe, it will catch us by surprise because a border poll will happen at time nobody expects in the next while. In the current, It’s just the unionists in the IFA that are stopping this from happening, and this is really not helpful.
The misery and failure can bring us together
Yea not happening