Should Team GB continue after London 2012?

[just some bloke]

So, should the Great Britain football team continue to compete at future Olympics, or is this a one-off for a home Olympics?

My sense is that it should continue. Why not? We've every chance of winning a major tournament, which makes for a very pleasant change to the biennial Euro / World Cup disappointments.

Or maybe there's a compromise option at the table and keep it going for the women's game? Or promise the Scottish, Welsh, Irish FA that there won't be any friendlies within 6 months of an Olympics.

But then again, we'd have to Qualify which means putting a team together at least 18 months in advance and battling it out through the qualifiers.

What do Nobbers think?

[ZacNaloen]

With the Welsh midfielders we'd stand a better chance at tournaments as we'd keep the ball better.

I dunno, I don't like change.

[cmonurz]

I don’t think it would work – Europe uses the European Under-21 Championship to determine its Olympic entrants, so we would have to enter a Team GB into that (would we be able to, even if the individual nations wanted to, which they wouldn’t?).

[Alexander Litvinenko]

This is (we're told) a one-off.

Continue with TeamGB and almost certainly many countries would say that each of the FAs of England, Wales, Scotland & NI should amalgamate into one single FA - it's only historical accident that makes them separate ones.

But many across the world hate that we have 4 FAs (4 votes at FIFA, 4 votes & UEFA, and 50% of the 8 votes on IFAB, the body that makes the laws) and this would just play into their hands.

In any case, TeamGB as it is doesn't include Scotland or NI, since they were worried about their existence if this set a precedent.

[TBM]

It wouldn't work off the pitch

[Wax Jacket]

With the Welsh midfielders we'd stand a better chance at tournaments as we'd keep the ball better.

I dunno, I don't like change.

let's just hope we start developing players who can play properly

[Hoop Blah]

I can't a repeat of Team GB in the near future because it would be a logistical nightmare to make happen, let alone the political implications for the home nation FA's.

In any case, TeamGB as it is doesn't include Scotland or NI, since they were worried about their existence if this set a precedent.

That's not quite true though is it Dirk? The reason there are no representatives from Scotland and NI is that they weren't good enough. The FAW were opposed to their players representing Team GB in the same way as Scotland and NI, but their players were still selected.

[Wax Jacket]

it's not really 'political implications' is it - it's more that the people who run these FAs can't bear the thought of their chances of the corporate jollies across the globe disappearing. Scottish, Welsh and NI football ahve offered very little to world football in the last 20 years and with the exception of welsh football, all are in decline.

[Alexander Litvinenko]

Maybe with NI, but I think considerable pressure was put onto Scottish players not be be available. There were a couple in Pearce's initially-named 35 but there's a hole lot of politicking gone on over this - attitudes in the Scottish FA are much harder than in the FAW.

[who are ya?]

Hopefully not.

[Hoop Blah]

it's not really 'political implications' is it - it's more that the people who run these FAs can't bear the thought of their chances of the corporate jollies across the globe disappearing. Scottish, Welsh and NI football ahve offered very little to world football in the last 20 years and with the exception of welsh football, all are in decline.

As Dirk says, it's a lot about the risk of losing votes and power (with the added extras that obviously go with that in FIFA) so yeah I'd say it's political, especially as it doesn't matter what they do on the pitch in terms of those votes.

It's all about their place at the top in FIFA and independence.

[Hoop Blah]

Maybe with NI, but I think considerable pressure was put onto Scottish players not be be available. There were a couple in Pearce's initially-named 35 but there's a hole lot of politicking gone on over this - attitudes in the Scottish FA are much harder than in the FAW.

It seems as though those Scottish players were still available for selection though. They couldn't stop them playing in the same way as the FAW, who opening discouraged it as well, couldn't stop their players.

The Scottish had the advantage that their players weren't really that likely to be involved so could probably afford to be a bit more vocal about it without ending up with 5 or 6 players involved and a heap load of egg on their face (not that I don't doubt the Jocks are harder in their views than FAW).

[Alexander Litvinenko]

And especially IFAB - the 4 home FAs have 1 vote each, FIFA has 4 votes -and a majority is needed to change any law.

Lose that and god knows what will happen to the game that we invented.

[Wax Jacket]

And especially IFAB - the 4 home FAs have 1 vote each, FIFA has 4 votes -and a majority is needed to change any law.

Lose that and god knows what will happen to the game that we invented.

for better or for worse?

[Alexander Litvinenko]

And especially IFAB - the 4 home FAs have 1 vote each, FIFA has 4 votes -and a majority is needed to change any law.

Lose that and god knows what will happen to the game that we invented.

for better or for worse?

This is Sepp Blatter we're talking about ....

[Wax Jacket]

chuckle

I take your point

[Fox Talbot]

No.

There is no 'Great Britain' football for it to represent and in an era of devolution / possible indepence it would be a ludicrous step.

This idea might have worked in 1882 before the Scottish FA was set up.

[ZacNaloen]

No.

There is no 'Great Britain' football for it to represent and in an era of devolution / possible indepence it would be a ludicrous step.

This idea might have worked in 1882 before the Scottish FA was set up.

This is a good point, Scotland is holding a referendum next year on devolution and I wouldn't be surprised if one followed for Wales soon after.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

This is (we're told) a one-off.

Continue with TeamGB and almost certainly many countries would say that each of the FAs of England, Wales, Scotland & NI should amalgamate into one single FA - it's only historical accident that makes them separate ones.

But many across the world hate that we have 4 FAs (4 votes at FIFA, 4 votes & UEFA, and 50% of the 8 votes on IFAB, the body that makes the laws) and this would just play into their hands.

In any case, TeamGB as it is doesn't include Scotland or NI, since they were worried about their existence if this set a precedent.

^^Is this seperate from the women then? Only there's a jock in that team isnt there?

[Alexander Litvinenko]

That's where it all gets lost in an epic mess of football politics, contradictions and historical precedents.... FIFA (in fact Blatter himself) promised that there'd be no pressure to merge if this went ahead, but many didn't and still don't trust him.