Analysis: There is no necessary requirement that international soccer teams correspond to an internationally recognised state
31 years ago, an infamous wet and windy night in Windsor Park saw Alan McLoughlin's equaliser send Jack Charlton's Republic of Ireland to the 1994 World Cup. This week, another historic night in Irish soccer is on the cards in the South Belfast stadium. The recently redeveloped stadium will see NIFL Premiership champions Larne FC host reigning League of Ireland Premier Division champions Shamrock Rovers in a group match of the Europa Conference League on Thursday night.
This will be the first time that two Irish teams will meet in the group stages of a UEFA competition. While clubs from the two different associations have fleetingly met in the past 67 years of the European game (four times in the European Cup/Champions League and most recently Cork City's 2016 victory over Linfield in the Europa League), this is still a significant milestone.
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From RTÉ Sport, a look back at the infamous Ireland vs Northern Ireland World Cup qualifying clash at Windsor Park in 1993
This noteworthy fixture is testament to both quality and quantity. In contrast to the recent fortunes of the national sides, the leagues have seen steady growth in the last decade in attendances, revenues and losses. These trends have only accelerated since the pandemic for both leagues. The UEFA’s latest expansion of European competitions has been crucial, as it now guarantees more games and more teams from more associations at the continental level. In fact, this is the first time that a team from the NIFL Premiership has reached the group stages.
There is, of course, always a political context when it comes to sport. In 1993 in the context of the Troubles, there were no away fans or away anthems at the Dublin and Belfast fixtures. The upcoming fixture is the first meeting of sides from the two leagues since the pandemic, the collapse of the Champions Cup and the securing of rights to co-host Euro 2028 (along with the FA, Scottish FA and Football Association of Wales) with the subsequent saga over the redevelopment of Casement Park. Crucially, it is the first such match since Brexit came into effect and the increasing recent speculation concerning a united Ireland.
The natural assumption here is to think that a united Ireland would simply entail a single international soccer team given how intimately connected statehood is with international soccer. When asked for its view on a united Ireland, the satirical twitter account of the Irish Border memorably answered, "they should play 3-5-2, use wing backs and try not to be so defensively minded."
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From RTÉ 1's Claire Byrne Live in 2021, what would a united Ireland look like if it came to exist?
Arguably no sporting associations are more entwined and representative of the states created by partition than the soccer teams. One only has to think about the songs for the teams which explicitly name the state. It’s "Ireland, Ireland Republic of Ireland" and "We are not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland" after all.
But just because politicians are talking about it happening or not "in their lifetime" does not mean it is going to happen. The "how" of any united Ireland soccer team would necessarily be messy. Apart from the wider significant symbolic cultural matters, such as flags and anthems, the following soccer matters would have to be considered. Could it be a merger of equals? Would the IFA absorb its breakaway FAI brother? Where should its headquarters be? Could the new association maintain the IFA's privileged role on the International Football Association Board? Would some sort of transitional team like the post-soviet CIS, which competed at the 1992 Olympics and Euros, be required? Which teams’ records would the new team use?
From the Velvet Divorce to the break-up of the Soviet Union and, most famously, Yugoslavia, unification is not the normal direction that international football goes. The limited precedence of international teams merging makes it clear that at least one, if not both, associations would necessarily have to relinquish some power. For example, the unification of the two Yemen teams in 1990 was a merger from the North. Despite winning the war, North Vietnam was incorporated into the South Vietnam national team as the latter had been already internationally recognised. Despite much lobbying, the Zanzibar national team remains swallowed by Tanganyika under the name Tanzania.
From DW, why reunification failed soccer in Germany
As with the clause included in the Brexit agreement which provides for automatic EU membership for a united Ireland, the precedence of Germany would likely be the main reference when it comes to soccer. In moving from three international teams - namely, West Germany (DFB), East Germany (DFV) and Saarland (SFV) - to one, Germay achieved unification by absorption to the West at significant cost to the clubs and fan memory and identity of the former East. A repeat of the experience of alienating loss and "decline and sell-out" experienced in East Germany is a real prospect when such changes are made. West Germany may have won the World Cup in 1974 but the only team to beat them along the way was East Germany and that rightly matters to fans.
The memory of "having a Macedonia", David Healy's heroics, Amber Barrett’s goal vs Scotland and "Will Grigg’s on Fire" cannot be easily accommodated in the narrative of a united team. As the fans of Dundalk FC and Hong Kong know, the prospect of losing your team is dreadful. When the object of the fans original loyalty is existentially changed, many will understandably feel left behind.
Before such a scenario, it is worth asking if a single international team is even the correct question. What if instead the question was "could a united Ireland retain its two international teams?" In principle, apart from participation in the Olympics, there is no necessary requirement that international soccer teams correspond to an internationally recognised state.
Norhern Ireland fans saluting Will Griggs at Euro 2016 in Paris
There are numerous examples of such teams affiliated to FIFA, including the four UK nations, three teams representing the Kingdom of Denmark and numerous overseas British, Dutch, French and American territories. In all such cases it is clear that some sort of regional autonomy is required and this would depend on the shape that any united Ireland would take.
In contrast to the singular and unofficial united Ireland international against Brazil in 1973 under the name Shamrock Rovers XI, there has been a series of moderately successful, but ultimately doomed, cross border soccer cup competitions including the Texaco Cup, Blaxnit Cup and Setanta Cup since the partition of Irish club soccer in 1921 with the establishment of the breakaway FAI in Dublin from the IFA in Belfast. The last of these, the Champions Cup managed only one edition in 2009. It is worth noting that a cross-border cup, the All-Island Cup, was inaugurated in the women's game last year and looks set to continue.
However, as all fans know, cups are all well and good, but the league is the true measure in the game. and there have been no cross-border leagues to date. The most recent significant proposal by Kieran Lucid and the All-Island League Advocacy Group tried to square the circle of the inevitable loss of European places with a split season format. While supported by many clubs, it was essentially scuttled by the IFA in 2021.
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From RTÉ 2fm's Game On in 2019, soccer journalist Shane Keegan discusses the All-Island League proposal with Marie Crowe and Donncha O'Callaghan
Unlike the recently revealed and ill-judged British plan to create a Belfast United, it is not farfetched see such a proposal come to fruition in the future if the financial, infrastructure and sporting conditions were more favourable and the focus of support from governments through supports such as the Shared Ireland Initiative.
Elsewhere, in Europe, there are frequent proposals for combined leagues between the Baltic countries and Belgium and the Netherlands. Indeed, a combined BeNe League even ran for three years in the women’s game. UEFA, who eventually accommodated Derry playing in a different league, have effectively said that they would not block such mergers.
In 2014, Lyra McKee hauntingly wrote "I don't want a United Ireland or a stronger Union. I just want a better life." As talk of reunification proceeds, it is worth remembering that some fans on either side of the border will just want to keep their own team. In contrast to a united team, the beauty of a combined league is that no one has to lose their team.
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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
