AIBU to wonder why the UK gets 4 teams in the World Cup, whereas France only gets one.

[TheKittenswithMittens]

Why don't we play as UK in the World Cup? Why do we get 4 teams when everyone else gets just the one? It would bring an end to anyone but England sentiment.

Done.

It is to balance out the grossly unfair situation in Eurovision where we are allowed only one entry.

I've questioned that too why is it team GB for Olympics rather than team uk

I'm assuming NI competes with GB rather than an All Ireland team.

Go tell the Basques or the Corsicans (or the Bretons for that matter). France has handled its countries in a very centralised manner.

I think it's an interesting question op. No idea why you've had so much arsiness and aggression.

As you say we have team GB for other sporting events.

So much tribalism when it comes to footie seething away in the devolved nations it seems .

Because the UN deals with topics which relate to central government. Sport has always been based on the individual home nations which generally have their own leagues etc.
In football it has not usually been an issue as only England has regularly reached the finals and is therefore visibly involved. Other sports do exist.
I am not a fan of football but I think that a lot of the ‘anyone but England’ feeling is aggravated by broadcasters speaking about England as if they are the only home nations. We and us will be used for England, them and they for the rest. Anything divisive is bad but to merge into one UK team for this would either involve setting up another governing body or have it run by the FA and being dominated by England.

France has one national league.

The UK has 4 league. And four governing football bodies.
It's historic reasons why and predates fifa who would prefer the UK to compete as one but we don't.

Except the category you claim to have competed in didn't exist. If you did that then you are quite literally nobody. There was no women's cycling in the commonwealth 1978. 😂

Next time you pretend to be 'somebody,' do your research to avoid embarrassing yourself.

The UN comparison is as stupid as the rest of the commentary, foregin policy isn't devolved so the other countries can't have their own seats. Absolute madness!

So why aren't you griping about the Commonwealth Games? Or does it suit you to have England separately when it's something you can join in with?

I agree we should have one team as the United Kingdom.

It’s cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Why?
We have 4 league set ups.
We have 4 cup set ups.

Normandy is not a separate country

It’s just a consequence of how different sports and the competitions that pertain to them have developed. A bit like NI and ROI having a combined rugby team but separate football teams.

Somebody is bored...

Sometimes I doubt my own intelligence and then I see threads like this

Many people in Northern Ireland have an Irish passport. Some have both a British and Irish passport.

Is England a country? Today is the first time it’s been suggested Wales is not a country. Very confusing… but don’t care about the football. (Soccer, not Gaelic or American) .

Many people in Scotland have Irish passports too. Brexit!

I can see why OP thinks its a little strange. After all the UK is only one team for the Olympics so why is it different for football.

This thread is a perfect example, when someone starts one of those threads saying ‘why is MN so mean these days?’. It’s this. People starting goady threads which can be sensitive to others, posting belligerent and ignorant comments with no apparent understanding of why there are sensitivities, then being shocked that people insult them back! It’s called ‘having your arse handed to you’ round here, and if you are the big ‘somebody’ that you say OP, you’ll have the grace to learn from it!

Team GB does not enter a football team in the Olympics

According to AI both England, Wales, NI and Scotland are countries. I must admit my British history knowledge is patchy (blame history lessons we barely learned about UK apart from a bit on English in Ireland, poor schools and co-op as well as Tudors) so I know only what I’ve gleaned from history books/websites since. Oliver Cromwell and Charles I blew my mind when I researched properly. Reformation very sad with them burning each other (religion). Yes France was once part of England (UK?).

As an aside there’s a great swimmer from Jersey, Filip Nowacki who’ll compete for Jersey in this year’s commonwealth games but for Great Britain in Olympics. 18 and a great talent.

And England. Loads of us have Irish heritage of some kind.

Exactly! I read this first thing on a Saturday morning brain already befuddled by sleep and I wonder what is what. Is the earth flat or round?! Joke.

Am I right in thinking the Olympics NI competes with Team GB?

Therefore it should really be called Team UK?

Btw I'm asking you as I assume you are Irish.