The national football team of the United Kingdom of Great Britain (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Slagathor
- Start date
It's back:
BRITAIN TO PLAY AS ONE ON 2012 OLYMPICS
The British Olympic Association plans to enter a Great Britain football team at the 2012 London Games, it has been announced. However, the Welsh and Scottish Football Associations have expressed reservations over a combined team.
The FAs are concerned that involvement with a British Olympic team could threaten their separate status with the European and world football governing bodies.
However, Fifa president Sepp Blatter has assured them this would not be the case.
"We have confirmed that the four British associations will not lose their rights and privileges acquired back in 1947," he said.
"Great Britain will play with one team but it is up to them how they do it. It can be a mixed team, it can be from just one of the home nations, whatever they want to do."
Simon Clegg, chief executive of the BOA, said that the BOA had the option of selecting players even if the two FAs fail to agree to the concept of a combined team.
"We will be going ahead anyway and my aspiration is to field the strongest possible teams and I would hope that sports administrators would not hold back their finest footballers, men or women, from participating in this great event," he said.
"It is the BOA who selects the team to go to the games."
BRITAIN TO PLAY AS ONE ON 2012 OLYMPICS
The British Olympic Association plans to enter a Great Britain football team at the 2012 London Games, it has been announced. However, the Welsh and Scottish Football Associations have expressed reservations over a combined team.
The FAs are concerned that involvement with a British Olympic team could threaten their separate status with the European and world football governing bodies.
However, Fifa president Sepp Blatter has assured them this would not be the case.
"We have confirmed that the four British associations will not lose their rights and privileges acquired back in 1947," he said.
"Great Britain will play with one team but it is up to them how they do it. It can be a mixed team, it can be from just one of the home nations, whatever they want to do."
Simon Clegg, chief executive of the BOA, said that the BOA had the option of selecting players even if the two FAs fail to agree to the concept of a combined team.
"We will be going ahead anyway and my aspiration is to field the strongest possible teams and I would hope that sports administrators would not hold back their finest footballers, men or women, from participating in this great event," he said.
"It is the BOA who selects the team to go to the games."
Roverbhoy said:
This is a good point...wasn't it the Scottish under 19's who got to the Euro final this year against Spain...England were nowhere...10 Scots and maybe one Welshman then...?
