British Team at the Olympics

[Guest LondonScottish]

The Britsh Olympic Association will be putting a British team into the Olympics even though the Scottish, Welsh amd Irish FA's opposed it. ***k if I want anything to do with an England team being called British. All Scottish players will be barred from taking part by the SFA.

 

If a team plays as GB, could this be the start of a slippery slope where FIFA decide eventually that the home nations must form a British team for the World Cup and European Championships??

[capitalsharpie]

I agree with the SFA standpoint on this. This could lead to an errosion of the home nations national sporting identities. If the sassenachs dont like it then ***k em. I expect there will be some bleating from lundun about parochial attitudes. Ther wouldnt be an issue if they let us compete as scotland. And yes, it will just end up as a vehicle for english players to compete. Anyway, britain doesnt exist. The United Kingdom does tho, unfortunately.

[BTR]

I doubt it unless there's a fundamental shake-up in the structure of FIFA. The FA and SFA have enormous clout (along with FAW and FAI) in FIFA and such a thing would never be allowed to happen. In any case, we'll be an independent country within 10 years so there's nothing to worry about.

[Dynamo]

If a team plays as GB, could this be the start of a slippery slope where FIFA decide eventually that the home nations must form a British team for the World Cup and European Championships??

 

I dont think that will ever happen.

[vanderark14]

I doubt it unless there's a fundamental shake-up in the structure of FIFA. The FA and SFA have enormous clout (along with FAW and FAI) in FIFA and such a thing would never be allowed to happen. In any case, we'll be an independent country within 10 years so there's nothing to worry about.

 

heres hoping

[fatshaft]

The Britsh Olympic Association will be putting a British team into the Olympics even though the Scottish, Welsh amd Irish FA's opposed it. ***k if I want anything to do with an England team being called British. All Scottish players will be barred from taking part by the SFA.

 

If a team plays as GB, could this be the start of a slippery slope where FIFA decide eventually that the home nations must form a British team for the World Cup and European Championships??

I'll be sending acomplaint to the boa@boa.org.uk Arrogant English chunts.

[mizer]

They were talking about this on inside sport on BBC1 last night, I jumped out out my bed at one point screaming "***k right off you english ***t" as one of the journalists as he was being a right arrogant twat.

 

boa@boa.org.uk

 

Email sent also

[Guest LondonScottish]

They were talking about this on inside sport on BBC1 last night, I jumped out out my bed at one point screaming "***k right off you english ***t" as one of the journalists as he was being a right arrogant twat.Email sent also

 

 

Or both!!!

[Guest redbrigade]

What's the issue here? I couldn't give a Donald Duck whether there is a "British" team in the Olympic football competition or not. No Scottish players would get picked for it anyway (sad but true).

[mizer]

Or both!!!

Correct, but I was referring to the boy on the left.

 

And Gabby Logan too , I hope Kenny kicked her right in the ***t when she got home!

[Drew Peacock]

I was listening to a discussion on this on five live last night. One "expert" who was all for the GB team idea's main argument was that "it would be a shame to deny our young footballers the right to play in the greatest sporting event in the world".

 

I was extremely close to phoning in to point out that unfortunately for him, the olympics weren't the greatest sporting event in the football world, which is what matters here (something which he failed to pick up on).

 

Agree with the SFA's stance on this 100%. As an alternative, I'd like to see these young players playing in a home nations tourney every couple of years however.

 

I'd also be happy if I never heard the whole notion of "Team GB" ever again.

[Guest redbrigade]

One "expert" who was all for the GB team idea's main argument was that "it would be a shame to deny our young footballers the right to play in the greatest sporting event in the world".

 

A perfectly reasonable statement to make.

[baldrick_sheep]

I watched the inside sport section this morning online and was raging.

 

its 3 vs 1 now the irish seem unhappy with team GB. If the IFA arent backing team GB then you know something isnt right with it.

 

They didnt even mention last night that the Scottish under 19's got to the final of the european championships last year. They only mentioned the premiership. Its all going to be about them anywhere so I dont want the SFA do have anything to do with it.

 

If they play matches at hampden who is going to support a british team? Apart from the odd dilussional hun.

[Drew Peacock]

A perfectly reasonable statement to make.

 

If doing the right thing politically and granting token gestures is what you want to achieve then yes, you're right.

 

Its a hollow argument though.

 

I cant see many young footballers whose dream is to represent the Great Britain football team at the Olympics, over representing their actual country at the World Cup Finals / european championships etc.

[Sonoftherock]

If they play matches at hampden who is going to support a british team? Apart from the odd dilussional hun.

 

I think you answered your own question there..... 50,000 rabid huns probably. Can you imagine it? They'd absolutely love it!

[mizer]

I watched the inside sport section this morning online and was raging.

 

its 3 vs 1 now the irish seem unhappy with team GB. If the IFA arent backing team GB then you know something isnt right with it.

 

They didnt even mention last night that the Scottish under 19's got to the final of the european championships last year. They only mentioned the premiership. Its all going to be about them anywhere so I dont want the SFA do have anything to do with it.

 

If they play matches at hampden who is going to support a british team? Apart from the odd dilussional hun.

 

Sorry to correct you Balders They mentioned the u-21 Euro games England played in, the never mentioned the u-19 world cup we were at.

 

 

I would go to hampden to boo the English and any sassenach hun that gets in as a token jock.

[Guest redbrigade]

If doing the right thing politically and granting token gestures is what you want to achieve then yes, you're right.

 

Its a hollow argument though.

 

I cant see many young footballers whose dream is to represent the Great Britain football team at the Olympics, over representing their actual country at the World Cup Finals / european championships etc.

 

But nobody is being forced to choose the GB team over playing for Guffland in the world cup are they?

[Guest glasgowdon]

How cute, our own little patois.

[Guest LondonScottish]

How cute, our own little patois.

 

Eh????

 

[BTR]

A perfectly reasonable statement to make.

 

Doesn't particularly apply to football though.

 

For swimmers, gymnasts, athletes etc, the Olympics are bigger than their respective sports' World Championships - maybe it's the individualistic element I don't know, but when it comes to football, there is simply no comparison between the Olympics and the World Cup. It's a very poor relation, perhaps due to the prohibitive nature of it (ie U-23s) - ie it isn't the very best players who will be playing in the competition - the World Cup is the showcase event and the Olympics will never match it.

[Guest glasgowdon]

Doesn't particularly apply to football though.

 

For swimmers, gymnasts, athletes etc, the Olympics are bigger than their respective sports' World Championships - maybe it's the individualistic element I don't know, but when it comes to football, there is simply no comparison between the Olympics and the World Cup. It's a very poor relation, perhaps due to the prohibitive nature of it (ie U-23s) - ie it isn't the very best players who will be playing in the competition - the World Cup is the showcase event and the Olympics will never match it.

 

Would have to agree with that.

 

The World Cup is the greatest show on earth!

[Guest redbrigade]

Doesn't particularly apply to football though.

 

For swimmers, gymnasts, athletes etc, the Olympics are bigger than their respective sports' World Championships - maybe it's the individualistic element I don't know, but when it comes to football, there is simply no comparison between the Olympics and the World Cup. It's a very poor relation, perhaps due to the prohibitive nature of it (ie U-23s) - ie it isn't the very best players who will be playing in the competition - the World Cup is the showcase event and the Olympics will never match it.

 

Agree.

All I'm saying is I won't lose any sleep over a bunch of guffs representing GB in the Olympics. Happens in a lot of team events in the Olympics.

[Drew Peacock]

But nobody is being forced to choose the GB team over playing for Guffland in the world cup are they?

 

I think you're missing the point.

 

What I'm saying is the people in favour of the idea are trying to build football at the olympics to be something it isn't. I doubt anyone would be worried about not getting to play at the olympics for Team GB, as the bread and butter for young professional footballers would be playing regularly for their club sides, and getting the opportunity to play for their country at international level. I'm not saying it

[Guest Willo Flood]

I won't lose any sleep over a bunch of guffs representing GB in the Olympics. Happens in a lot of team events in the Olympics.

 

 

Everyone's getting their knickers in a twist over nothing. 'Team GB' isn't a problem for an other event, so why is everyone concerned about it now that they want to enter a football team?

[Guest Willo Flood]

I would imagine that the top club sides would be reluctant to let their top youngsters go and play in what essentially to the football world, is a tournament that means sweet fook all in the grand scheme of things.

 

Not necessarily true. I remember reading a quote from Kaka recently saying that it's his dream to lift a Gold Medal for Brazil at the Olympics. Just because we don't hold football at the Olympics in high regard, doesn't mean that other nations discount it as well. It's a huge event for many nations and a dream for many players to represent their country at an Olympic games.

 

The likes of Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Mboma, Lauren, Geremi, Suffo, Wome, Luche, Puyol, Tamudo, Angulo, Tevez, Mascherano, Saviola, Heinze, Ayala, Pirlo, Gilardino, Bonera, Cahill, Appiah, Sissoko, C. Ronaldo, Boa Morte, Viana and De Rossi have played in it in the most recent past.

 

That list there is a cracking mix of talented youngsters and established players. You'll recognise every name.

 

You don't have to be under-23 to play in it either, just enter your under-23 squad.

 

[Guest redbrigade]

Where's the "couldn't care less" option?

[uni_don]

After a surprising amount of effort I managed to add a poll into this. Figured I might as well.

 

A GB team doesn't bother me - even if it's dominated by England.

 

Where's the "couldn't care less" option?

'Brown'.

[vanderark14]

definately not.

 

the olympics are boring anyway

[Guest glasgowdon]

'Brown'.

 

After a surprising amount of effort I managed to add a poll into this. Figured I might as well.

 

Brown.

[Guest Willo Flood]

Where's the "couldn't care less" option?

 

True that. Can't understand why there'd be a problem if the majority of representatives were from England as well. The best players go, and if the majority happen to be English, so be it.