Graham Watson and European Liberals and Democrats to play Gibraltar Football Association in football match

12.23.00pm GMT Wed 12th Nov 2008

Graham Watson the Liberal Democrat MEP for the South West and Gibraltar will be joining with fellow Liberal and Democrat Members of the European Parliament to play football on Thursday against a team representing the Gibraltar Football Association (GFA) at the Victoria Stadium in Gibraltar.

The aim of the match is to drive home the point that the MEPs are more than happy to play against the GFA even though Europe's governing body of football UEFA continues to ban Gibraltar's participation in European competition.

On instructions from the Spanish Government, the Spanish Football Federation has opposed the GFA's application to join UEFA. Moreover, UEFA rules were changed after the GFA applied to join to ensure that only sovereign independent states could be admitted as members.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has already ruled in two separate cases that the GFA's application must be considered in the context of what UEFA rules were at the time the application was made, that under the said rules the GFA is entitled to membership of UEFA and that the Executive Committee of UEFA had not acted in accordance with its rules in dealing with the GFA's application.

Graham Watson MEP, the Leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), has made strong representations to UEFA urging them to accept the GFA as members. Mr Watson is a UK Liberal Democrat MEP for the South West of England and Gibraltar and is leading the delegation of 14 MEPs from 13 different countries that is currently in Gibraltar.

The MEPs have had football kits printed specially for the event.

The football match will take place at 6.00pm Thursday 13 November at the Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar.