The Ulster Unionist Party’s sports spokesperson, , has rejected Sinn Fein
calls for the Irish Football Association to cancel its
International friendly with Israel, scheduled to be played in
Belfast in September.
said:
"I completely reject Sinn Fein’s efforts to apply political
pressure on the IFA regarding September’s planned friendly match
with Israel.
“Today it was reported that Sinn Fein MLA Sinead Ennis met with
IFA officials and asked the Association to ‘reconsider’ the
friendly international match.
“Normally Sinn Fein representatives are incapable of joining the
words Northern and Ireland in the same sentence, and
traditionally their only interest in the Northern Ireland
International side is to call for its disbandment. Therefore,
they will have to forgive Northern Ireland fans like myself for
treating anything they have to say about the team with a fair
degree of scepticism.
“Quite simply, Sinn Fein is once again trying to inject politics
into sport. They may not like the fact that Northern Ireland
exists and has an International football team. They may also not
like the fact that Israel exists and also has an International
football team.
“But no matter what they do or do not like, they have no right to
seek to interfere with the IFA’s independence and freedom to
decide who it can and cannot play in friendly international
matches.
“While Sinn Fein may have a veto over the restoration of
Stormont, they need to realise that they do not get to pick and
choose who the Northern Ireland football team can or cannot
play.”
