The Irish Soccer Split

The Irish Football Association (IFA) was founded in Belfast in 1880. It was the governing body for soccer for the whole of the island of Ireland. Soccer in Ireland was united for over forty years. It was, though, an uneasy alliance. Many in the south believed that the governing body was heavily biased towards Ulster. Most internationals were played in Belfast, most players selected were from the North-East. With the country moving politically towards partition, soccer in Ireland was arguabl...