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Minister's UK soccer team goal



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Published Date: 15 June 2008
By Eddie Barnes
Political Editor
SPORTS Minister Andy Burnham has backed plans to create a British football team at the 2012 London Olympics.
Burnham said that just as the four Home Nations rugby teams competed together as the British Lions, the country's football nations should come together for a one-off when the games go to London in four years.

The move has been opposed by the Scot
tish FA, which fears the move would trigger calls from other smaller nations for Scotland to lose its status as a separate association.

Fifa, football's world governing body, has issued written guarantees declaring this would not happen, but football chiefs in Scotland are still wary.

Burnham said that while he understood people's sentiments about a united squad, there was strength in the argument for it to be a one-off when the event was held on British soil

He added: "We should all celebrate each other. There are occasions when we compete as Britain. In Rugby Union, it's Lions. In the Olympics, we compete as Britain. I think you could find a solution that preserves that individual identity and doesn't compromise the individual identify of the nations."

Officials at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have begun talks with the FA and the British Olympic Association to create a British football team.

Burnham – an avid Everton fan – backed Scot David Moyes to be the manager of the team.

Asked whether Sir Alex Ferguson should be in charge, he said: "I am perfectly comfortable with a Scotsman but I would say Moyes is your man."



The full article contains 262 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 14 June 2008 7:15 PM
  • Source: Scotland On Sunday
  • Location: Scotland
  • Related Topics: London Olympics 2012
 
1

Highland Mighty,

15/06/2008 00:54:49
"The move has been opposed by the ScotADVERTISEMENTtish FA, which fears the move would trigger calls from other smaller nations for Scotland to lose its status as a separate association."

And then in the next paragraph:

"Fifa, football's world governing body, has issued written guarantees declaring this would not happen, but football chiefs in Scotland are still wary."

This is a non-issue with no threat whatsoever to the home nations' individual teams. The only outcome will be that we will not have any players in the Olympic team.
2

ThomasP,

15/06/2008 00:59:00
Quite insulting to the Nationalists, South and North of the Border.

I can understand that there are benefits which would allow us to compete easily as one country but would this 'British' team just be England, however renamed?

Also, you can not force 'British' on to those who are against Britain and the Union.

I am a Scottish Nationalist and would never support Britain during a sporting match.

The Union Jack is simply not my flag and would never support something that represents something I want rid of.
3

tartan army 2222,

15/06/2008 01:08:26
It's never going to happen. No real fans want it - only those unionists sitting on the sidelines (so to speak) who have no real interest in football.

If we need proof of why this is such a bad idea then this little piece is taken from a Scotsman article of 9 March 2008 - the 'guarantees' (can't recall ever hearing that they were written before) were given well before this piece:

*****FIFA boss, Sepp Blatter, has warned Scotland not to take part in any proposed British team at the 2012 Olympics in London.
The supremo of football's world governing body suggested that any such move could leave the door open for calls for a UK united side in major soccer tournaments, such as the World Cup and European Championships.*****

Still not a threat Highland Mighty? I suppose the only benefit of a permanent UK team would be that it would be the final nail in the coffin of the union.
4

ThomasP,

15/06/2008 01:11:18
I have an idea.

We should have a Scottish-only team and no others.

If the country can back a British team then they can back a Scottish team.
5

a proud doonhamer,

Dumfries 15/06/2008 01:38:33
perhaps we can take turns with each home nation represented at subsequent Games. In the spirit of internationalism, Scotland could represent the UK in the London Games.

I am confident all our unionist friends will support this action.
6

ThomasP,

15/06/2008 01:41:02
a proud doonhamer.

It should be up to the teams and those who represent the teams if they should be under Britain or as individual countries.

Politics should be seperate
7

frank mcbride,

lusitania 15/06/2008 02:13:20
Andy Burnham is so au fait with sport - he is the UK Sports Minister, isn't he, that he is unaware that the Lions are, now, correctly known as The BRITISH & IRISH LIONS.

They are not the UK LIONS, as they include players from Scotland, Wales, England and Ireland.

Another attempt to homogenise that is bound to fail.
8

Watson,

Irvine 15/06/2008 05:33:52
I still can't understand why the Olympic team is called Great Britain and yet they all fly the flag of the United Kingdom. Have the English got something about the "Great" bit? Does anyone know?
9

Roy,

15/06/2008 11:13:16
No, No, No, No, No...

Be ready to repel Andy Burnham from high Dunsinane Hill (with apologies to Wullie Shakespeare)
10

Bridged and tunnelled,

15/06/2008 11:45:49
Watson - the team is called GB and NI, but almost no-one in the media (or anywhere else) refers to it by its full name. It's understandable that they don't, but must be irksome to people in NI.

Re wider debate - why not run the Home Championships again, on a quadrennial basis, and the winner represents competition GB and NI in the Olympics?
11

ThomasP,

Scotland, Aberdeen 15/06/2008 12:51:55
"Fifa, football's world governing body, has issued written guarantees declaring this would not happen, but football chiefs in Scotland are still wary."

Of course. If Britain can put forward one team for this event then there should be no reason why Britain can not put forward one team for other events.

How low can the Government become attempting to force the country together?
12

donald,

glasgow 15/06/2008 13:19:37
No. Only Labour anti Scottish traitors would support a British/English team.
13

Clydesdale,

Lanarkshire 15/06/2008 13:26:32
Highland Mighty - you completely underestimate the politics within FIFA. Sepp Blatter said at the recent IFAB Meeting at Gleneagles that a British team should not happen as it would lead to pressure on the four Home Nations losing their independent status. The position of the British Vice Presidency within FIFA, currently a guaranteed placement, is already under threat with influential people like FIFA Vice President Jack Warner stating that they want the post abolished. Written guarantees can easily be torn up if they are voted down.
14

Mr. Lachie Todd,

Edinburgh 15/06/2008 14:14:58
Why doesn't the UK government stop interfering in this matter which is for the Home Nations football
associations and Football authorities like FIFA and UEFA to find a solution satisfactory to ALL?

There is no such thing as a recognised national Great Britain vis-a-vis United Kingdom football team? It does not exist!

The London Olympics are a long way off but IF a self-styled U.K. association football team ever takes the field then you can kiss goodbye to the Celtic Nations unique and separate articles of affiliation to FIFA!

The Football Association of England has remained strangely silent about this proposal and there can be no doubt that they have already been approached by the B.O.A. at the behest of the UK Government to participate?

The national sport in Scotland is fitba'( association football) and IF this hamfisted proposal becomes reality then I suspect a storm of protest here, and in Northern Ireland and Wales, who will also see this as
a threat to their continuing existence as separate footballing bodies!

The Home Nations are the oldest national footballing
associations in the world! Yet, for the sake of alleged national pride, underhanded moves are being made to destroy them!

15

Eve,

Scotland 15/06/2008 18:30:11
It's such a bad idea.
The thought makes me gringe slightly.

I remeber the Lions tour of New Zeland in 2005. There was only 3 Scots in team (1 or 0 on the pitch at anytime during the games) and when they were playing the All Blacks they weren't on the pitch apart from the last 15min on the 3rd game when there was one put on.
Totaly unfair, Scotland was so not repersent well at all in thoes games. Made me want the All Blacks to win.

A good Idea would be to have a Scottish Olympics team, so I and other Scots would have team to suport have a team to support.
16

I should be studying,

Edinburgh 15/06/2008 20:01:00
What a bunch of childish, miserable lot you are. You can already support the British Olympic team - there are many Scots in the squad - as well as Northern Irish and Welsh. Some of you really are too narrow minded to be of any use to an Independent Scotland. Whilst Scotland remains in the Union, why don't you just try to support the sportsmen and women from across these Islands that women who train hard to compete in these events. And I am sure if there was a British football team at the 2012 Olympics it will I am certain, contain talented Scots players. Would you be so petty to sneer at them and accuse them to be traitors?! Shame on you all.
17

A Better Way,

Edinburgh 15/06/2008 20:03:23
It would be funny watching the Rangers and Celtic Boards trying to escape the mob. They are the biggest two clubs that could quite willingly betray Scotland. They control the hangers on at the SFA. If this ever happened there would be riots in the streets. I would lay down and die rather than support a British Team. If Rangers or Celtic even try to do this planning permission for their grounds should be removed and the places raised to the ground.
18

ThomasP,

15/06/2008 20:40:42
16 I should be studying,Edinburgh.

"Would you be so petty to sneer at them and accuse them to be traitors?!"

No.

But I choose who I want to win the Oylmpics and I will not support Britain or a flag that represents something I am strongly against.
19

democracy,

Scottish Borders 15/06/2008 22:32:46
OH, wonderful, lets have a British team with nothing but English players in it, the same ENGLAND who have won nothing for 42years, GREAT!!!
OR, at best, as England has 10 times the population of Scotland and to be fair, lets have 10 English players and the 11th place can be rotated from the other 3 countries, WOW,Fab!!
20

democracy,

Scottish Borders 15/06/2008 22:43:00
#16 "I should be studying".
Try studying a little harder, all I have to say is, grow up and live in the 21st century real world!!
21

Lianachan,

Highlands 14/08/2008 12:45:30
How many more "stories" about this subject are going to appear here? The SFA don't want it, the Welsh FA don't want it, the people of both of those countries don't want it.... it shouldn't happen. I'm not going to change my mind because the Scotsman keep banging on about it.
22

Media 1,

cape town 24/08/2008 16:57:15
Thomas P

You say you are a Scottish nationalist and thus could not support a British football team.
What a shame it must be for you to live in such a secluded little world.
I can see you now when the British Lions are playing Australia, you will cheer for the Aussies because that would be better in your eyes than cheering on but one Englishman.
Pathetic

 

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