Celtic Cup Agreed In Principle

[NorthernLights24]

Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have agreed "in principle" to play a series of three biennial "Celtic Cup" tournaments.

 

An agreement signed on Monday commits the countries to arranging the tournaments on a league basis.

 

Home and away games will be rotated from one tournament to the next with each team playing three matches in each of the competitions.

 

Last week England distanced themselves from involvement in the tournament.

 

Commercial arrangements and fixture dates are now being finalised.

 

The old Home Championship, which included England but not the Republic of Ireland, was staged every year until 1984.

 

But matches between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were eventually scrapped because of increasing fixture congestion.

 

Last week Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he would welcome the revival of home internationals to ease the pain of Euro 2008 misery for the four home nations.

 

England's defeat by Croatia, following the failures of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales triggered calls for the sides to face each other in 2008.

 

It is the first time since 1994 that no home nations have qualified for a major tournament.

 

The Republic of Ireland did qualify for the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

 

Scotland battled valiantly but finished third in a group including Italy and France, while Northern Ireland's fate was sealed when they were beaten in Spain on Wednesday.

 

Wales's campaign was in tatters after a string of early defeats.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/i...als/7114148.stm

[K-9]

Just read that on BBC site - certainly better than playing likes of South Africa in friendlies.

[dave_min]

Good news!

 

Iceland & Norway look far too expensive to get to. Nobody seems to want to come to Macedonia with me

[Sheep#1]

Good news!

 

Iceland & Norway look far too expensive to get to. Nobody seems to want to come to Macedonia with me

 

Norway isn't that expensive to get to, when I went across for the game in 2005 we flew into Gothenburg and got the train up to Oslo (took about 4 hours) and that cost just over a ton all in all.

 

Macedonia will be expensive to get too though...

[The Oxford Don]

Complete bloody waste of time if England aren't involved, IMHO.

[baku-red]

Complete bloody waste of time if England aren't involved, IMHO.

 

agreed

[MMG]

Complete bloody waste of time if England aren't involved, IMHO.

 

Can see what you mean but i'd be pretty confident of pretty much full attendances at all the games plus sky would buy the rights i'd imagine...

 

And i still think England will eventually agree to partake.

[The Oxford Don]

Can see what you mean but i'd be pretty confident of pretty much full attendances at all the games plus sky would buy the rights i'd imagine...

 

And i still think England will eventually agree to partake.

 

Maybe, but the chat now is that they'd rather go off and tour the States after the season finishes, playing a series of exhibition matches to try and bring some 'wow' factor to American 'soccer' (and of course it would mean that Posh Spice wouldn't suffer from jet-lag... )

[MMG]

Maybe, but the chat now is that they'd rather go off and tour the States after the season finishes, playing a series of exhibition matches to try and bring some 'wow' factor to American 'soccer' (and of course it would mean that Posh Spice wouldn't suffer from jet-lag... )

 

Financially thats what the FA wants, but like i said in another thread, every England supporter wants to play in this Celtic Cup thing and i don't think the English FA would dare try and piss their supporters off any more than they currently are. Hell, talksport have started a petition to get the English FA to enter it...

[dave_min]

Norway isn't that expensive to get to, when I went across for the game in 2005 we flew into Gothenburg and got the train up to Oslo (took about 4 hours) and that cost just over a ton all in all.

 

Macedonia will be expensive to get too though...

 

I was looking at Ferries assuming they'd be the cheapest way to Norway, but your plan is awesome, i'd thank yo uwith a pint in Oslo, but that's where it seems MEGA expensive.

 

Macedonia is pretty cheap to get to, Aberdeen-Luton is

[Jute]

I was looking at Ferries assuming they'd be the cheapest way to Norway, but your plan is awesome, i'd thank yo uwith a pint in Oslo, but that's where it seems MEGA expensive.

 

Macedonia is pretty cheap to get to, Aberdeen-Luton is