The Northern Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Mr Michael McGimpsey, yesterday ruled out the creation of an all-Ireland soccer team.
Giving his response to the recent soccer advisory panel report, the Ulster Unionist Minister denied that the Northern Ireland team's days were numbered.
"As far as the future is concerned it doesn't seem to me that there is any constituency . . . that is pushing, in any constructive way, for an all-Ireland team . . .
"My role as Minister for Sport here is to support Northern Ireland and my role is to support Sammy McIlroy and the Northern Ireland team and that is the team I cheer for," he told the Northern Assembly. He said it was the Football Association of Ireland which broke away from the all-Ireland game after partition.
A Sinn Féin MLA, Mr John Kelly, had asked Mr McGimpsey if he would look at bringing about "an all-Ireland soccer team, just as we have an all-Ireland rugby and hockey team".
Earlier, the Minister pledged to bid for funding to implement the proposals in the report, Creating a Soccer Strategy for Northern Ireland. He said the core issue was that there should be a newly constituted governing body to combine the work of the Irish Football Association and Irish Football League.
Calling on the two organisations to make a quick response to the plans, Mr McGimpsey said: "Football's leadership now needs to provide a clear, unambiguous commitment to change the structure of the game's governance." He said if this commitment was given, he would be prepared to make a bid to the Executive for the funding to take the strategy forward.
An Alliance MLA, Mr Kieran McCarthy, said families would never be persuaded to go to local football matches until sectarian abuse that blighted some games was removed. He accused Mr McGimpsey of "living with his head in the sand" by dodging the issue of tribalism. "What consideration was given to introducing legislation similar to the Football Offences Act, 1991, into Northern Ireland?" he asked.
Mr Jim Shannon (DUP, Strangford) expressed disappointment that the Irish Football Association had seemingly failed the grasp the need for change.
He agreed that there had been a rapid decline in Northern Ireland's fortunes since Spain '82 and Mexico '86.