Brown predicts GB team for 2012

[slick]

Chancellor Gordon Brown believes the 2012 Olympic Games will feature a Great Britain and Northern Ireland football team.

Such a move might prove unpopular with fans from across the United Kingdom with some supporters groups having already expressed strong opposition to past proposals.

But Brown told The Scotsman: "Obviously we have Scottish national teams for the European and World Cups, but right from the start of the Olympics it's been a UK team.

"I would expect there to be a UK football team."

British Olympic Association chief executive Simon Clegg announced in September that a women's team would be entered for the 2008 Games in Beijing and that men's and women's teams would compete at London 2012.

Opposition to a British football team at the Olympics is founded on fears it will lead to pressure to amalgamate the Football Association, the Football Association of Wales, the Irish Football Association and the Scottish Football Association.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has given written assurances that a British team will not threaten the individual home associations.

However fans groups from Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland have previously issued statements rejecting the BOA plans.

Although it has little cache in the UK, the Olympic men's football title is prized around the world while an Olympic gold is the highest accolade in the women's game.

An Argentina team containing Manchester United's Gabriel Heinze, Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez of West Ham and Barcelona's Javier Saviola won the men's gold medal in Athens by beating Paraguay.

The United States hold the women's title.

Hamish Husband, spokesman for the Association of Tartan Army Clubs, said: "If the GB team, with 11 Scots, were playing Brazil, then the Tartan Army would support Brazil.

"We are totally opposed to the idea and it is a view shared by our colleagues in England, Wales and Northern Ireland."
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[crowie]

Hamish is little bit radical but he gets the point across

No Team GB thank you very much.

[all_funkt_up]

Lets try and do a GB team, pretending the games were today. I will do one at lunch but I am going to struggle to fit some players from the colonies in the team. The only one (off the top of my head) that I can think of is Craig Gordan as 2nd or 3rd choice 'keeper.

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Originally Posted by all_funkt_up

Lets try and do a GB team, pretending the games were today. I will do one at lunch but I am going to struggle to fit some players from the colonies in the team. The only one (off the top of my head) that I can think of is Craig Gordan as 2nd or 3rd choice 'keeper.

I would actually rate Gordon better than that overrated cnut Robinson to be honest with you AFU.

I see your point though and i dont believe there should be a GB team as its basically going to consist of just English players anyways so whats the point?

[all_funkt_up]

Exactly Keeks. I have a Hearts supporting mate (the Jock) and he thinks Gordon is the dogs b*ll*cks.

I dont see in having a GB footy team. It will be

a) full of English and despised by all but the English

or

b) Full of token players from the Colonies, like David Healey and Barry Ferguson and therefore be a complete mockery - because its selection policy is based on quotas not skill.

[crowie]

The thing is it is 5 years away and Scotland do have an U19 side that were Euro Championship finalists last season so there might be a few better players on the horizon but as AFU says, 99% its just going to be English players, and if there is pandering to the other home countries then its just pash.

[Napoleon Solo]

While the modern game of football started with the foundation of the Football Association of England in 1863, its roots extend to opposite ends of the earth. The ancient Chinese, Greeks and Romans played a similar game, long before English kings in the 1300s and 1400s were trying to outlaw the violent sport.

While professionals are allowed in the men’s tournament, rules restrict teams to players under 23 years old with the exception of three over-age players. ’No age restrictions apply for the women’s tournament. For the Beijing 2008 Games the number of women’s teams has been increased to 12. The men’s tournament is set at 16 teams.

Taken from the IOC website.

So any Olympic team fielded by the BANI team will be made up mostly of players that are currently 18 years or younger. Gareth Bale and Theo Walcott are the only two players I can think of off the top of my head.

Who'd be the three over-age players?

And why can't we just split the colonies up and enter seperate teams instead of entering as Great Britain?

[all_funkt_up]

Originally Posted by rockin_cherub

Who'd be the three over-age players?

Gerrard, Carragher and a token cockney.

In 2012, Theo Will be an 'overage' player. The team will be made up of people that are merely foetuses at the moment.

You think, 5 years time, most of the players of the 2012 olympics are about 13 or 14 at the moment. c*nts

[crowie]

Originally Posted by all_funkt_up

Gerrard, Carragher and a token cockney.

In 2012, Theo Will be an 'overage' player. The team will be made up of people that are merely foetuses at the moment.

You think, 5 years time, most of the players of the 2012 olympics are about 13 or 14 at the moment. c*nts

Do you not mean "In 2012 Theo will be an average player"?