Whilst there is great satisfaction in Gibraltar over
the eventual success of the GFA being admitted to UEFA this is also great anger
that our rugby players have been denied membership of their European association.
Needless to say the stumbling block on both occasions has been Spain.
Indeed Spain’s sporting organizations are under orders
from Madrid to block any membership attempts by our sporting bodies to join the
associations of which they are members. It may be that some of those
organizations do not object to our associations joining but that is by the by
because the politicians have ruled that we shall not be admitted.
When it comes to mixing politics with sport, a game at
which Spain are world champions, there may be an inclination to match fire with
fire. However I would suggest extreme caution. Currently we hold the high moral
ground and as has been magnificently demonstrated by the GFA patience, a regard
for the law and sticking to sporting principles can at the end of the day make
dreams come true.
Even our rugby union managed to get a majority backing
their application to join but not a sufficient majority to make that a reality.
It is quite obvious from the actions of Spanish politicians be they actual
politicians, diplomats or administrators that they politicized an amateur
sport.
However what is significant from Sweden is that the
GRFU made friends and influenced people and the likelihood is that when their
membership comes up again for the vote they will gain acceptance or the vote
will move further in their favour.
I am of the opinion that the Spanish Government by
speaking out against the GFA’s application to join UEFA and vowing to prevent
it politically and legally were in breach of UEFA’s and FIFA’s strict rules on
the interference in sport by political bodies. Indeed Spain must not be allowed
to practice sporting apartheid in relation to Gibraltar be it our children
participating in a tournament or the blocking of our national teams.
Our response has to be sporting and legal. On no
account must we politically enter this battle because then Madrid will simply
point to the involvement of our government doing what its own government has
done for years. It is a case of two wrongs not making a right. Our arguments
have to be based on our rights as sportspeople and the legality of our
applications.
Of course it goes without saying that only in the
cases where the sporting association in question meets the criteria laid down
by the European or international body should our organization be supported. In
other words if our shove ha’penny team hasn’t a ha’penny to shove then the
world body for that pastime has ever right to tell them to shove off.
However where all the criteria are met then the
association in question should not receive political support from our
government but instead be given access to heavyweight legal advice and indeed a
legal team as was the GFA. Spain needs to be confronted in the courts of law,
being they sporting or judicial, and Madrid’s policy of apartheid and
discrimination be shown before the world for exactly what it is to that
nation’s shame.
