ROCKIN ALL OVER THE WORLD / UEFA MEMBER STATES

Gibraltar played their first ever UEFA sanctioned game, becoming the newest and smallest member of the association. Amazingly, they played out a 0-0 with Slovakia with a man of the match performance from Danny Higginbotham! The sports news media took to this story like a macaque monkey to the rocky peninsular, comparing them to fellow 'minnows' San Marino, chirping on about how you could fit the whole of Gibraltar's population in a fleet of Mini Metros and drive them to Tbilisi and back for 2 hours of Gareth Bale's wage etc etc.

At some point after hearing this story though, were you asked (or did you ask) "Is Gibraltar a country? All the other people in UEFA are countries, isn't Gibraltar that bit of Spain at the end which we won't give back?"? What follows is a full answer, which you may wish to abridge for your friends (or just don't tell them, keep it bottled up and never let any one know, just accept Gibraltar as it is, its better that way...)

Gibraltar was ceded to Britain in the early 1700's after the Treaties of Utrecht, and despite a few attempts from Phillip V to Franco to regain control, the colony or British Overseas Territory has remained in the state of pseudo sovereignty others like it do. Those who live their are defiantly Gibraltan with a defiantly British language and identity. They have voted in a number of referendums to stay as such. Spain has disputed the validity of Britain's claim since the colony was established, and have recently revived their interest. The UK is keen to keep hold of the tax haven and international gambling center.

Alledgedly apolitical UEFA seem fine with granting the colony equal country status along with the rest of its members. Whilst I do not mind more teams joining in, even if they might struggle to compete, a body which is politically averse should perhaps not be bestowing nationhood on controversial lands, unless of course it is not averse and in fact just willfully ignorant of the political issues it chooses to acknowledge. Granted, it is unlikely to lead to armed conflict  though this story shows how political economic issues permeate even the simplest of football good luck stories.

Gibraltar have some form here too. Ever since 1993, they have been competing in the Island Games. Do not worry if you do not see what scandalous deceit this, they have had the wool over the organisers eyes for 2 decades. At last! They are exposed by this simple map!