Gibraltar Football Association
Encyclopedia
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.
, and the association was designed to bring some form of organisation to the game there. Between the association's formation and 1907 the only football competition in Gibraltar was the Merchant's Cup. However, in 1907 the GFA established a league to complement the existing cup competition.
By 1901 the GFA had established a representative national team
, competing against British military teams. This representative team continued to play down the years, their highlight probably being a draw against Real Madrid C.F.
in 1949.
in 1909, but is currently trying to become a full member of FIFA
so that its national team is allowed to compete in more international competitions. This attempt was met with fierce opposition from the Royal Spanish Football Federation and has been unsuccessful to date.
The GFA's application for becoming a member of FIFA was filed in 1997. Two years later, FIFA confirmed the opening of the procedure and forwarded the GFA application to the appropriate continental confederation, UEFA, since according to FIFA statutes it is the responsibility of confederations to grant membership status to applicants. In 2000, a joint delegation of UEFA and FIFA conducted an inspection on the GFA's facilities and infrastructure. The Spanish Football Association strongly opposed to the GFA's application. However, in 2001, the UEFA changed its statutes so that only associations in a country "recognised by the United Nations as an independent State" could become members. On such grounds, UEFA denied the GFA's application. The GFA appealed to the world's highest sporting court, the Court of Arbitration for Sport
(CAS), which in 2003 ruled that the GFA application should be handled according to the old statute. However, the UEFA continued to refuse accepting the GFA as member.
In August 2006, the CAS ruled again 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. Current FIFA and UEFA members include several federations which cannot be said to represent independent nations, such as the UK Home Nations
(England
, Northern Ireland
, Scotland
and Wales
), 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, with 45 votes against it. Gibraltar received 3 favourable votes 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 Ángel María Villar
to vote against the inclusion of Gibraltar. Villar was quoted to have attributed Spain's opposition to the Spanish claim over Gibraltar
. He also claimed it was a political issue and referred to the Treaty of Utrecht
of 1713. This rejection of Gibraltar's membership was in direct defiance of the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
History
The GFA was formed as an increasing number of football clubs were coming into existence in GibraltarGibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, and the association was designed to bring some form of organisation to the game there. Between the association's formation and 1907 the only football competition in Gibraltar was the Merchant's Cup. However, in 1907 the GFA established a league to complement the existing cup competition.
By 1901 the GFA had established a representative national team
Gibraltar national football team
The Gibraltar official football team represents Gibraltar in football competitions and is controlled by the Gibraltar Football Association. It is not yet a member of FIFA or UEFA and is therefore not eligible to enter the World Cup or the European Championship. Gibraltar applied for UEFA...
, competing against British military teams. This representative team continued to play down the years, their highlight probably being a draw against Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
in 1949.
FIFA application
The GFA affiliated with The Football AssociationThe Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
in 1909, but is currently trying to become a full member of FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
so that its national team is allowed to compete in more international competitions. This attempt was met with fierce opposition from the Royal Spanish Football Federation and has been unsuccessful to date.
The GFA's application for becoming a member of FIFA was filed in 1997. Two years later, FIFA confirmed the opening of the procedure and forwarded the GFA application to the appropriate continental confederation, UEFA, since according to FIFA statutes it is the responsibility of confederations to grant membership status to applicants. In 2000, a joint delegation of UEFA and FIFA conducted an inspection on the GFA's facilities and infrastructure. The Spanish Football Association strongly opposed to the GFA's application. However, in 2001, the UEFA changed its statutes so that only associations in a country "recognised by the United Nations as an independent State" could become members. On such grounds, UEFA denied the GFA's application. The GFA appealed to the world's highest sporting court, the Court of Arbitration for Sport
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes related to sport. Its headquarters are in Lausanne and its courts are located in New York, Sydney and Lausanne, Switzerland...
(CAS), which in 2003 ruled that the GFA application should be handled according to the old statute. However, the UEFA continued to refuse accepting the GFA as member.
In August 2006, the CAS ruled again 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. Current FIFA and UEFA members include several federations which cannot be said to represent independent nations, such as the UK Home Nations
Home Nations
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on the context. Politically, it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom...
(England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
), Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico national football team
The Puerto Rico national football team is the national team of Puerto Rico and is controlled by Federación Puertorriqueña de Fútbol. Puerto Rico's national football team is a member of the Caribbean Football Union, part of the CONCACAF....
, Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei national football team
The Chinese Taipei national football team is the official name given by FIFA to the national association football team of the Republic of China ....
(which is only recognized by 23 countries and not by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
), the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands national football team
The Faroe Islands national football team represents the Faroe Islands in association football and is controlled by the Faroe Islands Football Association, the governing body for football in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands became a member of FIFA in 1988 and UEFA in 1990 and are the third...
, and New Caledonia
New Caledonia national football team
The New Caledonia national football team is the team of New Caledonia and is controlled by the Fédération Calédonienne de Football. Although they were only admitted to FIFA in 2004, they have been participating in the OFC Nations Cup since its inception. They have been one of this relatively small...
. French Guiana
French Guiana national football team
The French Guiana national football team is the regio team of the French overseas department and region of French Guiana and is controlled by the Ligue de Football de Guyane, local branch of Federation Francaise de Football....
, Martinique
Martinique national football team
The Martinique national football team represents the French overseas department and region of Martinique in international football. The team is controlled by the Ligue de Football de la Martinique , a local branch of French Football Federation . On 7 August 2010, the national team adopted the...
, Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe national football team
The Guadeloupe regional football team represents the French overseas department and region of Guadeloupe in international football. The team is controlled by the Ligue Guadeloupéenne de Football , a local branch of French Football Federation ....
and Saint Martin
Saint-Martin national football team
The Saint-Martin national football team is the football team of Saint-Martin, the French half of Saint Martin island which was previously part of the French overseas department of Guadeloupe and is controlled by the Comité de Football des Îles du Nord...
each have national teams which, despite not being FIFA members, are allowed to compete at the CONCACAF
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
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
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
(Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
), Gibraltar's application to become a full member of UEFA was rejected, with 45 votes against it. Gibraltar received 3 favourable votes from England
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
, Scotland
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
and Wales
Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of FIFA, UEFA and the IFAB.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
. 4 votes were undecided.
This was after intense lobbying of the member nations by the Spanish Football Federation's president Ángel María Villar
Ángel María Villar
Ángel María Villar Llona is a retired Spanish professional footballer who played as a midfielder.After having represented Athletic Bilbao during a full decade, he went on to serve an even larger stint as president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation.-Club career:Villar was born in Bilbao,...
to vote against the inclusion of Gibraltar. Villar was quoted to have attributed Spain's opposition to the Spanish claim over Gibraltar
Disputed status of Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory, near the southernmost tip of the Iberian peninsula, which is the subject of a disputed irredentist claim by Spain....
. He also claimed it was a political issue and referred to the Treaty of Utrecht
Treaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
of 1713. This rejection of Gibraltar's membership was in direct defiance of the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
See also
- Football in GibraltarFootball in GibraltarAssociation football is one of the most popular sports in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It has a strong tradition on The Rock, having first been introduced by British military personnel in the 19th century...
- Gibraltar national football teamGibraltar national football teamThe Gibraltar official football team represents Gibraltar in football competitions and is controlled by the Gibraltar Football Association. It is not yet a member of FIFA or UEFA and is therefore not eligible to enter the World Cup or the European Championship. Gibraltar applied for UEFA...
External links
- GFA Website
- Gibraltar's historic Four Nations Tournament campaign
- Website campaigning for GFA to become full UEFA and FIFA member
- Sportgibraltar with references to Herald Tribune etc.
- Sportgibraltar with references to Gibraltar Chronicle
- Spanish Football Federation interfering at UEFA
- BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
report on entry to UEFAUEFAThe Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... - BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
report on GFA's provisional status entry UEFAUEFAThe Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....