Great Britain Olympic Team Starting 11

-----------------------Wayne Hennessey------------------
K.Walker---------Aaron Hughes--------Phil Jones-------Kieran Gibbs
------*Beckham/Naismith--------Aaron Ramsey (c)-----Jack Wilshere----Bale
-----------------Connor Wickham--------Adam Johnson--------------

I would love for Great Britain to go with a team that would rather play the ball on the floor than the odd hoof. Ramsey is in for a spectacular season I reckon and Wilshere aswell.

Obviously it looks like there is no defensive midfield...but like Barca play, the whole team defends.

*I reckon Beckham should take part too for national pride and publicity for the team...perhaps for the first sub of the match. Ramsey should captain it aswell so the over 23 players that get selected don't try to intimidate players for things like set piece, positional play, etc.

Steven Naismith is the only Scottish player that I like. He's got skill and technique about him.

I like Joe Hart, but I like the Wolves goalkeeper as well.

Wales and Scotland wont let any players be used..
Only N.I will release anyone.

There is nothing the Welsh or Scottish FA can do about it. I think Bale, Ramsey and the like will definitely go.

Just hope they get a decent manager in charge.

Count me sceptical that any non-English players will sign up for this even if their FA's can't prevent them from doing so.

Sorry mate but there is no Great Britain or UK in football. The BOA can hope, pray or intimidate all they want but at the end of the day the competition regulations don't allow for a mixed team. If the English FA uses a Welsh, Scottish or N.I player they will get DQ'ed for fielding ineligible players just as they would if they used a Nigerian, Japanese or Brazilian player.

So unless the BOA or IOC can persuade FIFA to decide on a re-write of the competition regulations (something they don't seem to be trying to do) then there won't be any Bale, Ramsey, Naismith or other non-English players in the team.


And not that it really matters (due to the above) but is Naismith really good enough to take one of the only three over age player slots???

Looks pretty set to be Pearce. If he qualifies as "decent" or not I'll leave it up to someone else to decide...

FIFA have agreed that they will allow a GB team to happen because it's a London Olympics.

Pearce is going to be coach so lets hope nobody half good bothers to go.

Euro 2012 is from 8th June until 1st July. Then the Olympic football is 25th July until 11th August. Good luck with getting the clubs to agree to letting their players to go off with 'the worst coach on the planet' with that schedule.

I agree. Can't see it happening. No way the other home FA's would want to set a precedent and give the FIFA crooks a reason to make the UK compete in the world cup as a single entity.

All talk and no action I'm afraid. The competition regulations makes it very clear that normal eligibility rules apply.

Well I'm not going to get into a row about it because I couldn't care less but they aren't going to let them attempt it, drag it out for so long and then ban them at the last minute.

Their FAs don't have a choice, it's down to the individual players now - and for many of them it's their one chance at playing in a major tournament. More to the point it's a home Olympics, they won't want to miss out. People are crazy for it and everyone will want them to go once it gets nearer the time.

Completely inaccurate.

you just have to be thankful it's not the equivalent of the England and Wales Cricket Board where they pick the sides...risk upsetting them, and good luck getting called up in the future.

The Scottish/Welsh FA's most certainly "have a choice" and their choice will be....if you play for this GB team you'll never represent Scotland/Wales ever again...

Feel free to point out where there is a provision for ignoring the normal eligibility regulations...

If you think Wales will ban the likes of Bale and Ramsey, then you really are clutching at straws.

As has already been pointed out FIFA have given the dispensation to play, therefore there is no breach of the FIFA regulations, therefore there is no breach of the Olympics regulations. But by all means keep sticking your head in the sand and repeating this nonsense.

If the team is managed by Pearce the whole exercise will be pointless anyway.

I quoted the actual competition regulations, where's the proof to back up your claims???

The Welsh will look at the big picture....they have been around for years as an independent FA and they'll be around for years after Bale, Ramsey and whoever are long gone...

It's not a question of "special dispensation" rather a question of not wanting to set a precedent and give the crooks at fifa the slightest reason for having the UK play as a single team in any and all future tournaments..playing as a unified GB team opens this door a crack and thats all fifa would need.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/4206568.stm

sorry, you're wrong. if they want to play, turn out, and get match time under their belt...FAW will certainly not be booting their golden boys (and captain elect) out of the side.

We'll see.

No, they clearly won't ban them. But they will certainly be "encouraging" their players not to participate. We'll see how it turns out, but I stick by my assertion that no Scottish or Welsh players will participate.

Really??? You are referring to Blatter as a credible source? Also that article is from 5 years before the competition regulations where decided upon, it holds no relevance at all tbh.

But I guess we'll see what happens next year. As I've said before and in other places, regardless of all talk, "historic agrements" and BOA wishes I foresee a "Team GB" consisting of English only players, English only staff and a English manager.

It will probably be an English team but not because of any ruling prohibiting a GB team. This discussion really is ridiculous.