New territory for Gibraltar

Lisbon – A red British post box was erected in the tiny enclave to mark its huge achievement, summed up in the inscription: “Gibraltar Football Association – 54th member of Uefa, 24th May, 2013”.

Now, after defying Spain to become the smallest member of the official European football family, the rocky territory’s 30 000-strong population is excited at their fi rst full international against Slovakia on Tuesday.

“I will be very emotional and nervous. It’s a dream come true, one I’ve had ever since I can remember: to see my flag flying out there on the pitch, at the highest level,” said Dennis Beiso, the chief executive of the Gibraltar FA.

Delving into history books will help grasp why the GFA only became a full Uefa member almost 120 years after being formed.

Tuesday’s match is not their first international: they have been playing for years, and once drew a match with Real Madrid in 1929. More recently their opponents have been the likes of Greenland, Jersey and the Isle of Man.

Their tougher battle was a bitter 14-year court marathon against Spain’s objections to their football ambitions as a national side.

Gibraltar’s northern neighbour disputes its sovereignty, ceded to Britain “in perpetuity” under the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht as spoils of the War of the Spanish Succession.

Back then, muskets and cannons were fired to settle the argument, pitting an alliance of English, Dutch and Austrians against Spain and France.

This time, however, Gibraltar’s battle was won in the diplomatic corridors and ultimately, in the courtroom.

“It’s been a very long process since the mid-1990s. We had to go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport ( Cas) three times,” Beiso said.

“In the end they ruled very strongly in our favour, saying we had to join immediately.”

Cas ruled that, under Uefa statutes at the time of Gibraltar’s application, the concept of “nation” or “country” in sports should not be confused with its wider political meaning.

It likened the territory to members like Scotland, Wales and the Faroe Islands which do not enjoy full independent statehood but have their own national teams.

Gibraltar is an economically self-reliant, and mostly self-governing British Overseas Territory. –