I don't know much about football and I am only interested when my national team gets good results (which is rare ...)
Since the Icelanders defeated the English team, I keep wondering what would have happened if the team had been composed of players from the 4 nations of the UK. After all, I assume that in the Olympics (summer and winter) games, the UK has a national team for volley ball, handball, ice hockey, etc., and will have a national rugby team for Rio 2016. So why not for the football worldcup/Euro championship?
Coming from a very centralized country, I don't really get the way it works here in Britain : I've been or lived in confederations like Canada, Germany, Spain or USA, despite the fact they are composed of more or less autonomous states or provinces, they do have a one and only national football team (I guess).
Had the UK presented a national football team with the best elements of their nations, maybe the Icelanders would have gone back to their volcano island sooner...
So why no team Britain? Is it just historical or cultural, or even a political matter? Pride of the nations?
Since the Icelanders defeated the English team, I keep wondering what would have happened if the team had been composed of players from the 4 nations of the UK. After all, I assume that in the Olympics (summer and winter) games, the UK has a national team for volley ball, handball, ice hockey, etc., and will have a national rugby team for Rio 2016. So why not for the football worldcup/Euro championship?
Coming from a very centralized country, I don't really get the way it works here in Britain : I've been or lived in confederations like Canada, Germany, Spain or USA, despite the fact they are composed of more or less autonomous states or provinces, they do have a one and only national football team (I guess).
Had the UK presented a national football team with the best elements of their nations, maybe the Icelanders would have gone back to their volcano island sooner...
So why no team Britain? Is it just historical or cultural, or even a political matter? Pride of the nations?