Return of Home Internationals

yeah I think it would be a great idea. Would be good for blooding new players aswell in a competitve atmosphere unlike most friendlies where you cant judge properly (eg beat sweden 3-0 and we think we're great). Would be good if england came on board aswell.

Can't see England coming on board but it'd be great to have it back, I'm old enough to remember it, they were great end of season tournaments with Eng v Scotland akin to Cup Final Day for excitment.  Success of the Setanta Cup would hopefully take some of the hate out of us playing Norn Iron, reckon it'll be a goer, with or without England.  Actually I'd prefer them not to be in it, 1995 riot and all that.

Initial plans are to hold what has been called a 'Celtic Cup' every two years with a knock-out round followed by title match and play-off.

The first semi-finals are being sketched in for August 2009 with a final and third-place play-off in February 2010.

The Scottish Football Association, the Football Association of Wales and the two Irish associations are all understood to be keen on the idea.

"Things are provisional, but if we could pull this off, the interest would be enormous," David Collins, the secretary of the FAW, told the Scotsman.

"For the fans, the TV companies and potential sponsors, a Celtic Cup tournament would be huge.

"And for the managers of the respective teams it would be an opportunity to look at players in competitive friendlies.

"We are quite positive about the whole thing, although we appreciate a huge amount of work is needed before it could get off the ground.

"But the Celtic countries have had a meeting about it and we each decided to go away and work out ways whereby the tournament could be possible."

England have not been excluded from discussions but, with the Football Association cool on the idea, the Football Association of Ireland were asked to consider participation.

Collins added: "Their reasons for ending the old Home Internationals are well known.

"On the other hand, if we can get the tournament up and running and convince England there are practical solutions to the various issues, then they might want to become involved, anyway."

Ah I know, I just have a serious problem with the scum who follow them.  Without getting on a rant, my blood boils when it's fobbed off as a minority who wade in when trouble starts.  I've seen first hand how they work in Euro 88, Italia 90 and of course Lansdowne 95 and I wasn't seeing things and I still remember the terror of the night they went on the rampage in Cologne in 88, the night AFTER we beat them in Stuttgart.  One was constantly on alert whatever bar you went in, same in fckn Cagliari/Palermo, that's why USA 94 was so memorable.  None of them bastds to worry about.  Mark my words lads, they'll misbehave if they come again.

I'll take your expierenced words wisely Mr wheeler..It's hard though to get excited about a tournament of Scotland,N Ireland and Wales...maybe we should as The Grunt wrote in the last issue, have a guest/s nation each year..if you had a France, Holland, Italy or even a weaker team it would  bring the interest way up

I dont really get the format..as it's a semi final in August 2008 and then in Feb 2009 it's the final...how does the semi-final get decided? Do all the teams not get to play each other first

problem with inviting another country on board would be the competitive nature of the games again. They might just take them as being friendly games again and it would lose its bite. Would be great if I was wrong though and visiting countries went out to win the competition and good countries looked to enter every other year.