Nations Cup (football)
Template:Future sport The 4 Associations Tournament (also called Four Associations Tournament) is a future biennial international association football tournament involving the national Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales teams. The tournament was initially proposed in 2006.[1]
It will be structured as a round robin league with home and away fixtures alternating between tournaments.[2] The Cup was initially due to be a revival of the British Home Championship, which was cancelled in 1984 because of increasing fixture congestion, but due to the lack of interest from the Football Association, the Football Association of Ireland was invited to take England's place. The Welsh FA hold out the possibility of the English joining at a later date.[3]
In April 2008, it was announced the tournament had been delayed until 2011 at the earliest due to fixture congestion.[4] Under the proposed format, matches would be played in February and May, with the location rotating on a "tournament-by-tournament basis".[5]
On 18 September 2008, it was announced that a tournament featuring Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales would be played in Dublin in 2011.[6]
List of tournaments
| Year | Location | Champions | Second | Third | Fourth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Dublin, Ireland |
References
- ^ "Sanchez wants Celtic tournament". BBC Sport. 2006-12-12. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "'Celtic Cup' set to start in 2009". BBC Sport. 2007-11-27. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Home internationals resurrection edges a step closer". guardian.co.uk. Guardian News and Media. 2007-06-22. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "'Four Nations' plan faces delay". BBC Sport. 2008-04-11. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Celtic Cup given go-ahead". FIFA.com. 2008-04-11. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Celtic nations to play 2011 event". BBC Sport. 2008-09-18. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
