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Strachan has picked an attacking line-up.

 

Marshall, Hutton, Robertson, R. Martin, Hanley, Maloney, Morrison, Brown ©, S. Fletcher, Naismith, Anya.

 

Subs: Gordon, C. Martin, Reynolds, Whittaker, Bannan, Burke, D. Fletcher, G. Dorrans, Gilks, May.

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decent 3 points I suppose considering ROI had to score a last minute winner to beat them. It was probably the most comfortable 1-0 I've seen in ages (apart from that shot they missed from 12 yards).

Poland beating Germany 2-0 now screws the group up big time, we're going to need to win every home game, take 4 points from Poland and ROI away and also beat Gibraltar and Georgia away. I can't see that happening, I think we'll be lucky to see 1 point from Poland and ROI away to be honest.

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Gibralter along with all the other non countries should not be allowed in. What next? Vatican City, Isle of Man. Thw 24 team format is farcical enough

 

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory. It is part of England's South West region in European elections. It does seem strange that UEFA recognised it as a separate country.

 

The Isle of Man competed in the Commonwealth Games and IMO would have a legitimate claim to enter a team if it wanted to. It is a self-governing Crown dependency and has never been part of the UK. It's population is more than double that of Liechtenstein and San Marino.

 

San Marino is a sovereign country and a member of the United Nations so its right to enter a team is clear.

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decent 3 points I suppose considering ROI had to score a last minute winner to beat them. It was probably the most comfortable 1-0 I've seen in ages (apart from that shot they missed from 12 yards).

Poland beating Germany 2-0 now screws the group up big time, we're going to need to win every home game, take 4 points from Poland and ROI away and also beat Gibraltar and Georgia away. I can't see that happening, I think we'll be lucky to see 1 point from Poland and ROI away to be honest.

 

Or match Poland and beat Germany at Hampden/Ibrox/Parkhead/Murryfield or wherever the game is played.

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Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory. It is part of England's South West region in European elections. It does seem strange that UEFA recognised it as a separate country.

 

The Isle of Man competed in the Commonwealth Games and IMO would have a legitimate claim to enter a team if it wanted to. It is a self-governing Crown dependency and has never been part of the UK. It's population is more than double that of Liechtenstein and San Marino.

 

San Marino is a sovereign country and a member of the United Nations so its right to enter a team is clear.

 

Interesting. Scotland is neither a fully self-governing nor a sovereign country, and yet it is still allowed to enter a "national" team in football and rugby championships, but not for the Olympics. I think it would be difficult to defend our position if it were ever to be seriously challenged, especially in view of the referendum result.

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A German friend of mine (who isn't particularly into football) recently asked me how many times we had won the world cup. After figuring out he wasn't taking the piss, and then figuring out he meant England, he was astonished to find out Scotland, Wales and NI had their own football teams.

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Interesting. Scotland is neither a fully self-governing nor a sovereign country, and yet it is still allowed to enter a "national" team in football and rugby championships, but not for the Olympics. I think it would be difficult to defend our position if it were ever to be seriously challenged, especially in view of the referendum result.

I think it might be written in to the FIFA constitution for the home nations to have separate teams

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I think it might be written in to the FIFA constitution for the home nations to have separate teams

 

Could well be but I can mind many years ago there was real worry that Fifa might scrap that. We also at one point were technically only allowed one representative nation in the finals of the World Cup and/or the Euros. That's when the home nations were placed in a single qualifying section. Fairly sure that occurred on more than one occasion.

I think the break up of the Eastern Bloc and the emergence of so many "new" nations may have taken much off any pressure to force thru a UK side. The fear tho' was still there re that Olympic nonsense recently.

As an aside I don't think Northern Ireland compete internationally, excluding Commonwealth Games, in many sports. The norm being "All Ireland" teams.

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A German friend of mine (who isn't particularly into football) recently asked me how many times we had won the world cup. After figuring out he wasn't taking the piss, and then figuring out he meant England, he was astonished to find out Scotland, Wales and NI had their own football teams.

Obviously he isn't into football at all if he didn't know this

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