Gibraltar football scores 'goal' against Spain

The Gibraltar Football Association has scored a 'goal' against the Spanish Government, which had objected to the British dependent territory off the coast of Spain joining European football's governing body UEFA.

A ruling by the International Court of Arbitration for Sport has declared "that neither Spanish objections to the GFA's application nor the intention to change UEFA's or FIFA's statutes were legitimate reasons for refusing to consider the GFA's application in September 2001."

When the GFA made its application, UEFA's rules allowed membership to non-independent countries, such as Gibraltar. But after Gibraltar made its application, the rules were changed to make membership available only to sovereign independent countries.

This change, said the GFA, was made as a result of Spanish objections about Gibraltar joining.

Details of the ruling, made public here Thursday, also said GFA's application must be considered as the statutes of UEFA stood when it first made its application in 1999, and therefore amendments passed subsequently to the UEFA rules (which would have prevented the Gibraltar application) cannot be applied retrospectively.

GFA, which was established in 1895, said there was "no reason whatsoever" as to why provisional membership should not be granted immediately. "We are now a step nearer our goal of UEFA membership," said a GFA spokesman.

Meanwhile, a statement by the Gibraltar government said that the decision "removes the obstacle, placed after the event, under political pressure from Spain."

The statement added the ruling was important for all Gibraltar sport because "the concept of nation or country in the sports environment must not necessarily be understood within its common political meaning of sovereign independent statehood."

Spain ceded Gibraltar to Britain under the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, but wants it back. The 30,000 people here want to remain linked to Britain, as shown by a referendum last November when 99 percent rejected the idea of joint sovereignty with Spain.

In connection to its sovereignty claim, the Spanish Government objects to Gibraltar sport being members of international sporting bodies.

"Gibraltar is one of the most sporting nations in the world per head of population with 37 sporting associations registered with the sports department," said a spokesman at the Gibraltar sports department.