UUP Leader in Urgent Communication with FIFA President urging rejection of proposal after Assembly expresses opposition to it
Ulster Unionist Party Leader Sir Reg Empey has sent an urgent communication to FIFA President Joseph Blatter recording the UUP’s opposition to, and the Northern Ireland Assembly’s majority decision today to object to, the proposal by the FIFA legal Committee. The communication was faxed to the President’s private office at FIFA Headquarters in Switzerland shortly after the vote was taken.
Under the FIFA proposal players from Northern Ireland could chose to play for the Irish Republic team, a move which could place the very existence of the Northern Ireland squad in jeopardy.
In a statement today, UUP Deputy Leader Danny Kennedy, who proposed the motion which was amended but received support in a majority vote, said in a statement,
“The UUP believes that any change in the current arrangements would be detrimental to good relations in international soccer and the Assembly today has endorsed and supported our view.
We are respectfully requesting the President of FIFA to take on board our position and the view of the Northern Ireland Assembly and reject the proposal at the Forthcoming FIFA meeting in Tokyo.”