Great British Olympic Team?
The British Olympic Association (BOA) is pressing ahead with plans to enter British men’s and women’s football teams at the 2012 Olympic Games.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has written to the BOA confirming that the host qualifying rule will apply to all team sports in London. “We will field a team,” BOA chief Simon Clegg told BBC One’s Inside Sport.”And the comfort and commitment that we’ve now got from the IOC just reinforces that aspiration.”
The BOA’s confident stance comes despite opposition from the Scottish (SFA) and Welsh (FAW) Football Associations.
They fear that involvement with a British Olympic team could threaten their separate status with the European and world football governing bodies, despite Fifa’s assurances to the contrary.
Gordon Smith, chief executive of the SFA, reiterated his organisation’s opposition to a Great Britain team.
“All the players who are registered under the association or are Scottish international players would be prohibited from playing,” said Smith. “Some individuals may want to get involved, but I don’t see it as an issue.”
But Clegg said the situation would be unfair on any Scottish or Welsh players forced to miss out: “I would be greatly disappointed if some of our most talented football players were deprived the opportunity of competing as part of a GB team because of politics or administrators and them being unable to act in the best interests of their athletes.”
Inside Sport reporter Matthew Pinsent, who spoke to Clegg and Smith, said: “In the wake of the decision in Singapore in 2005 the BOA started discussions with the Football Associations of England, Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland to find a way to put together a truly British team in both men’s and women’s competition for the Olympics.
“Whilst the English and the Northern Irish have been supportive, the FA of Wales and the Scottish FA have never even attended the meetings.” (Source: BBC Online)
It seems with the various nations in disagreement, that this is one subject that will run and run in the run up to the Olympics in 2012.
Peter,
I heard today that the Rangers manger Walter Smith was fully behind this move for a UK team, and some support from the players was receved from Celtics young midfielder Scott Brown, so who knows. My opinion, if FIFA are happy that this does not interfere with each nations status and rankings, then I, and I think most Scottish Football fans. would be behind it.
After all, it’s not like the Olympics is REAL Football….
Bobby
[...] The Scottish FA has said it believes fielding a British team would damage Scotland’s national identity, as well as their separate status as a footballing nation. If they don’t like being associated with England for football then I suggest they are kicked out of the Olympic team altogether, and we’ll see how they like that. [...]
The Great Olympic Football Debate. « Stu Robinson: Eat My Words! said this on November 1, 2007 at 5:00 pm |
Walter Smiths….BLUE ARMY..!
WE ARE THE RANGERS..we are the people..!
Why does a country like England, with 70 million people have to team up with 3 other countries to ensure they win. What is “Great Britain”? And then…who is England? New Zealand has 4 million, should we team up with the Australians? Don’t you think it’s cheating?, or are you just not good enough on your own!