Spain mixes politics with Sports yet again and blocks Gibraltar entry to FIRA-AER members in Stockholm
Once again the Bullying country called Spain bullies its way to ensure that Gibraltar's entry is refused!
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http://au.eurosport.com/rugby/gibraltar-dejected-after-spain-blocks-membership-bid_sto3831546/story.shtml
The Gibraltar Rugby Football Union has expressed bitter disappointment after the tiny British overseas territory's bid to join the European Rugby Association was blocked by Spain on Saturday.
Gibraltar's rugby players were trying to emulate their soccer counterparts, who were accepted as members of governing body UEFA in May in the teeth of Spanish objections, but were denied in a vote of FIRA-AER members in Stockholm.
Chad Thomson, GRFU general secretary, said the organisation had failed to win the necessary two-thirds majority "despite meeting all the criteria" for membership.Jose Maria Epalza, a Spaniard who is the FIRA-AER general treasurer, had been allowed to make a speech against Gibraltar's membership bid despite it not being on the assembly's official agenda, Thomson said.
"Rugby lost and politics won today," he said.
"We are a new union with some good players and this will stop the growth of the rugby family.
"Rugby likes to distinguish itself from other sports in terms of fair play but that wasn't the case here."
Spain still claims sovereignty over Gibraltar after it was ceded to Britain under the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht.
An edict from the nation's sports council (CSD) to sports federations instructs them to block any membership application from organisations in Gibraltar.
CSD president Miguel Cardenal, a state secretary, welcomed the outcome of Saturday's vote and said it was positive that "sport and politics had not been allowed to mix".
"The Spanish rugby federation (FER) must be congratulated, their president Javier Gonzalez Cancho, as well as Jose Maria Epalza...for the way they defended their position," Cardenal was quoted as saying in local media.
"And it must be reiterated that sport and politics, as we have made clear in similar situations, must follow different paths."
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The Spanish treasurer made a speech against
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Once again we have the true colours of what SPAIN is - a BULLY! Shame on all the other countries who succumbed to the bullying tactics!
Spain again is Goliath and Gibraltar is David - we will not give up!
But big mistake has been made by Spain - who chose to bully us and they should have learnt by now - over 300 years we have survived and no matter what they have done - we the people have not only got stronger but BOLDER and BRAVER!
Madrid beware - the people of Gibraltar love to take on the challenge ahead just like we did with our Football we will accomplish with our RUGBY! YOu are no-one to stop our progress as a country or as a people!
Take note Spain - your government is wasting their time and energy in trying to stop us as a people! This is the 21st Century and we will not accept the bullying from a bigger country!
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Sports as a Political Weapon
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1 hour ago
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Rugby
was being played in Gibraltar in 1913 - and where? Precisely on the very
spot, give or take a few metres, of the new air terminal
The Editor,
Vox.
8th July 2013.
I am sure all sport loving Gibraltarians will now mend their ways and not mix sports with politics and to have to thank the Spaniards for this hurts even more.
What a load of codswallop, a Nation that instructs all of its sporting organisations to block each and every application by Gibraltar and now portrays to the outside world that Gibraltar only intent in gaining membership of sporting bodies is to use it as a political weapon.
Rugby was being played in Gibraltar in 1913 - and where? Precisely on the very spot, give or take a few metres, of the new air terminal - and no protest ever madethat the area was not included in Utrecht. Whereas in Spain it did not catch up until 1923, once again Gibraltar led in this field, and as a matter of interest it was called ‘ el juego del melon’.
The only useful outcome is that here you have a European Sporting Body who requires a 2/3 majority in its voting system. Whereas we the people of Gibraltar were landed with a New Non-Colonial Constitution on a simple majority - admittedly none of the two main opposition parties pressed hard for a different voting result, I wonder why?
Yours faithfully,
W.L.Chamberland.
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Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
– Dale Carnegie************
There is a Japanese Proverb:
“Fall seven times, stand up eight.”
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“The difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is how you use them.”
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So to the bully that Spain is we state - we will continue to stand up to you! No matter what you try or do or plan against us we will continue to rise up and be stronger for it!
To all those countries who voted against us I ask you this - why? Why did you succumb to SPAIN? Read about Gibraltar and its people!
Learn how we have to fight daily against hte bullying from a bigger country - who is in Europe with us, Part of Nato, Our Neighbour and look how they treat us!
They do incursions in our Sea, our air and now continue to stop us trying to grow and prosper in our own right!
We have a VOICE - We have a CHOICE and we have our RIGHTS!
We ask you spread the word and name and shame SPAIN for mixing sports in the politics run by their country and the bullying their country does to us!
They attack our sport - our people at sea on a jetski, our people and visitors by creating border queues of over 2 hours!
join us and help stand in our fight for our rights!
Anne-Marie Struggles
Anne-Marie, do you know which countries voted against you joining?...Ian...
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