Well the first international was England vs Scotland, but that was before the rest of the world knew how to play.
another POV RU -In RU Ireland play as the island of Ireland Cricket - Scotland etc only want to play as one day tournaments means there is money to be had . Olympics - is actually GB+ NI Football - it is Scotland Wales & NI who don't want a UK team as that means the end to their FA's jollies
In all seriousness I honestly don't see the point in changing it. It's only a game, but it's one where home nation rivalry has played a major part throughout its history. I wouldn't expect there to be much support for a unified team amongst fans. This is why I asked am I missing something, has there been some serious suggestion of it? To me it seems like asking Liverpool and Everton to unite and become City of Liverpool United or something. As it stands it's the tradition of football in these islands, why would we change that?
well no as a lot is historical but yes some is the money but not as you implied England freezing others out more the others not wanting to be subsumed by the English juggernaut .
I think the English fa is just as pleased they don't have to share their slush fund with Scotland and Wales and ni as they are to have their own smaller slush funds. In fairness to Scotland they have their own league and own stadium bit let's face it ni and Wales are semi pro and share grounds etc. I'm not sure what paid for ni Windsor Park update. Lottery? Anyway. I am cynical about all these things.
You are cynical in the wrong way imo as it is far more about other countries keeping their own identities and to some extent the governing bodies of those countries sports keeping their perks .
I must be getting dim in my dotage but I'm still perplexed as to why this argument even exists. The UK is not one homogeneous lump, the countries all have their own identity and it's fiercely defended by many. Why would they even consider amalgamating?
For money. That's why Olympics is like that uk and ni as solid says if you like. There's separate teams incommonwealth games though and the Welsh and Scots beat their chests with great pride... yet come the big games they all go together even though their sports are individual????
because the Olympics only have the actual states represented i.e. UK though they badge themselves as GB + NI . The commonwealth games have loads of non countries represented many being tax havens .
I'm sure the Cayman islands are well put out by your almost Russian level of disrespect for their national sovereignty
No more separate than Quebec and Canada. Catalonia, Basque and Spain. North and South Italy. Russia and Checnya, Ossetia, Crimea, etc. Etc. Etc. Etc. I get it, it's more because of historical reasons. We played separate to begin with before standards were made. If it stays how it is, it stays how it is. No biggie. I think it brings more divisions internally when we're rooting against each other. Andy Murray... He's British. Lewis Hamilton, David Coulthard... Both British. The whole country gets behind them. But Gareth Bale is Welsh. Harry Kane is English. Robertson is Scottish... At least 10% of the country is rooting against the rest at any one time. I think it destroys unity somewhat.
errrrrrrrr no. murray is a jock. he became English not british when the tennis result was good. same and the Canadian lad suddenly became British when he was briefly good (what was his name again? Coulthard was ALWAYS scottish. (cos he was crap) Bale was always welsh, robertson is always a sweaty. they are seen as different species. there is a reasonable difference between sweatyland and norf and souf italy. The jocks of their own currency and own parliament and do certain things. Italy is a disaster zone north and south In the far past in the bizantine era they are separate, in the preunification era they were separate but italy is italy and it has far more smaller political regions that just north v south. Germany is the same. you can divide it how you like, by east/west/ into the 16 regions/states etc but there's one overall Germany. really what you have is identity crises here. Wales IMO is a state that existed for many 1000s of years but was destroyed by the romans and then recreated as separate kingdoms similar to that of england and until the normans etc utterly dominated the place again. the subjection of the welsh by Edward I was so complete that they have never really come back in the way the scots have time and again. the jocks have been at it for 1000s of years and the combination of nobles and all of that is filled with rebellions and battles and such until james I sent down to london to play at being king and all sorts of deals were struck which also lead to the modern day fights in NI (implantation) they IMO have more identity and greater number sin the so far minority to have independence. Quebec is the closet equivalent in terms of being virtually 50/50 on independance.
