[gm15]

Actually none of them are countries

[SusDev]

(Original post by Drewski)
Northern Ireland is something else [dukedom?].

Lmao. No it's as much a country as England is.

[Psyk]

(Original post by juicyfruit)
States are not countries though.

State is synonymous with country in some contexts.

If you want to call England, Scotland, etc. countries, they are not comparable to a sovereign state just because you call them countries. The UK is a country as the rest of the world sees it, officially anyway. The home nations don't exist as separate political entities. The political distinctions between them are only relevant to internal UK matters. It's really not all that different from the USA's states. The biggest difference is what we call them.

[gm15]

None of them are countries in the proper sense.
Susdev before Ireland was part of britian it was a possesion of the Pope/a papal state so not really a proper country then control of it was given to England (its true- read people) then gradually its was incorporated.

[SusDev]

(Original post by gm15)
None of them are countries.
Susdev before Ireland was part of britian it was a possesion of the Pope/a papal state so not really a proper country then control of it was given to England (its true- read people) then gradually its was incorporated.

I am sorry but are you trying to say that countries can not become countries? Because that is idiotic.

[Drewski]

(Original post by SusDev)
I am sorry but are you trying to say that countries can not become countries? Because that is idiotic.

What he's saying, like Psyk, is that country =/= sovereign nation state. So it would be wrong to treat England, Wales, Scotland and NI as such. We do not get 4 seats at the UN, we do not have 4 Monarchs, we do not have individual Armed Forces.

The only reason we do in football and rugby union is, as has been mentioned already, due to a historical precedent that was allowed for us. You'll note that rugby league is done as GB.

[gm15]

(Original post by SusDev)
I am sorry but are you trying to say that countries can not become countries? Because that is idiotic.

No I'm just saying that Ireland wasn't a free self-governing country before England got it.

If you mean my comment "none of them are countries" I'm right if countries A,b,c and D merge to form country e then the origional countries cease to be countries in their own right. England etc merged to form what is now called the UK. The UK is a country but its compoent parts are no longer countries

[SusDev]

(Original post by Drewski)
What he's saying, like Psyk, is that country =/= sovereign nation state. So it would be wrong to treat England, Wales, Scotland and NI as such. We do not get 4 seats at the UN, we do not have 4 Monarchs, we do not have individual Armed Forces.

The only reason we do in football and rugby union is, as has been mentioned already, due to a historical precedent that was allowed for us. You'll note that rugby league is done as GB.

I never once said that NI was a country, I said it was AS MUCH A COUNTRY as england.

I was merely saying what he was saying was irrelevant and a load of nonsense.

[gm15]

(Original post by SusDev)
I never once said that NI was a country, I said it was AS MUCH A COUNTRY as england.

I was merely saying what he was saying was irrelevant and a load of nonsense.

Actually what a said wasn't nonsense. I stated that none of the "home nations" are countries in their own right that was correct. Then as you questioned Ireland being a dukedom before the formation of GB/UK I explained what it actually had been. Again no nonsense there
2. Yes NI is as much a country as england in that neither are countries at all.

[SusDev]

(Original post by gm15)
No I'm just saying that Ireland wasn't a free self-governing country before England got it.

I don't disagree with you. Your argument is completely irrelevant though.

Sorry I don't want to argue, you just misread what I orginally said - really I should have worded myself better.

[sammy812]

To be honest, it's probably also because to most foreigners it's essentially the same thing.
People here wouldn't know what the difference between GB/UK is. Most people say England and mean the UK. Obviously they know that that is wrong essentially.
So for the media it's not really important to distinguish.

[gm15]

(Original post by SusDev)
I don't disagree with you. Your argument is completely irrelevant though.

Sorry I don't want to argue, you just misread what I orginally said - really I should have worded myself better.

It was worded strangely - I wasn't sure what you were really saying.

[lazza]

hmmmm

my mother is a scot
my father is english and german
i live in London

Thus I consider myself British (but support Scotland in football... no one on my dad's side likes football, unlike my celtic mad family in Glasgow)

Also if we were to become separate teams england would NEVER win anything in winter olympics because curling's the only medal we ever get

[Drewski]

(Original post by lazza)
Also if we were to become separate teams england would NEVER win anything in winter olympics because curling's the only medal we ever get

It's the only Gold we've had recently...

Last two Winter Olympics we've won Bronze and Silver in the women's skeleton bob. And both of them are English.

[lazza]

OK fine, only gold. Gold trumps silver and bronze though

[NDGAARONDI]

(Original post by Drewski)
It's the only Gold we've had recently...

Last two Winter Olympics we've won Bronze and Silver in the women's skeleton bob. And both of them are English.

Always felt we underachieved in the winter Olympics. Especially since two Britons in Canada invented ice hockey. Just means I have to support Canada when we get knocked out early.

[Drewski]

(Original post by NDGAARONDI)
Always felt we underachieved in the winter Olympics. Especially since two Britons in Canada invented ice hockey. Just means I have to support Canada when we get knocked out early.

Well, I don't think we do too badly considering what we've got to practise on

I don't think [barring a massive new ice age] we'll ever be able to compete with the Demarks, Germanys, Italys, etc of this world where all the kids learn to ski at the age of 2...

[NDGAARONDI]

(Original post by Drewski)
Well, I don't think we do too badly considering what we've got to practise on

I don't think [barring a massive new ice age] we'll ever be able to compete with the Demarks, Germanys, Italys, etc of this world where all the kids learn to ski at the age of 2...

I blame the Caribbean for the warm prevailing wind which heats us up by 7C more than we should. But, yeah, I think it's the lack of facilities available as well as lack of media coverage in these sports. And people don't have time to practice these sports because they are too preoccupied with passing tests in our exam culture and it can be fairly expensive. Plus we spend too much time playing sport on the games consoles too.

I'd welcome a new ice age. Would save me a trip to Baffin and Ellesmere Islands I suppose.

[Icy_Mikki]

(Original post by sammy812)
To be honest, it's probably also because to most foreigners it's essentially the same thing.
People here wouldn't know what the difference between GB/UK is. Most people say England and mean the UK. Obviously they know that that is wrong essentially.
So for the media it's not really important to distinguish.

Well if Wikipedia isn't lying in saying "Athletes from Northern Ireland can choose to compete for either Ireland or Great Britain, per an agreement between the Olympic Council of Ireland and the British Olympic Association." in the aforementioned Wikipedia link, then it makes sense for the team to be called "Team GB". The team doesn't have all athletes from Northern Ireland, so isn't really entitled to say it's representing the whole of Northern Ireland at the Olympics IMO.

[burningnun]

I would rather see a CrossFit team at the Olympics. I think they would do well, better than Team GB or any of its constituents anyway. And that would be cool, because I don't care about Team GB but I would care about Team CrossFit. Unfortunately, CrossFit isn't a country so it's not particularly likely.

I don't see how anyone expects us to be good at hockey just because we "invented" it. It's not a sport in Canada, it's a way of life. Their goalies are faster than what we would consider decent skaters.

I'd really love to see that proposed Pirate Bay island field a team at either games. I would train my balls off if it meant I had a chance of competing in any event in any games as a member of Team Knock-Off Nigel. Except distance running, which is gay.