View Full Version : What country represents the UK in Olympic football?
Artillero
01 Aug 2004, 11:26 PM
I checked some stats only to find out, than the last british team that participated in the Olympic finals happened back in 1960.
Do they still participate? And if they do it, do they form an unified brit team (english, scots, welsh, N-irish) or one country represents the kingdom?
I checked some stats only to find out, than the last british team that participated in the Olympic finals happened back in 1960.
Do they still participate? And if they do it, do they form an unified brit team (english, scots, welsh, N-irish) or one country represents the kingdom?
A combined British amateur team participated in the Olympics until '68 - failing to qualify in '64 and '68. When England abolished the distinction between amateurs and professionals in '70 (?), English players became ineligible for the supposedly amateur Olympics and the participation of a combined British team halted. Since the Olympics allowed in professional players, no British team has participated nor is one likely to: the FAs see it as a slippery sloe towards a combined British team in general.
El Ardillo
02 Aug 2004, 12:14 AM
isnt it that when england plays they have to have a unified team representing Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Whales...
the whole united kingdom idea....
but as far as them not playing, they can, its just they havent been able to qualify recently. a pity.
Artillero
02 Aug 2004, 12:49 AM
I really ignore British Olympic officials chose not to participate.
What if either an english or scottish city gets to organize to OG, since being part of Great Britain, a football team sould be expected to participate representing the kingdom, any idea on how would this problem would be solved?
Playing a four nation tournament and the winner goes to the OG or forming a unified national team?
ERIMUS
02 Aug 2004, 04:51 AM
They do not enter a Great British team because they fear Fifa will say that they have to enter this time for the World Cup and European Championship qualifying. However it looks likely that if we get the olympics in 2012 that a GB Football team will be in it
beachesl
02 Aug 2004, 06:08 PM
They do not enter a Great British team because they fear Fifa will say that they have to enter this time for the World Cup and European Championship qualifying. However it looks likely that if we get the olympics in 2012 that a GB Football team will be in it
I could be wrong, but I think i read that the UK Sports Minister had to (at least for practcial reasons) get a letter from the 4 "home" Associations assuring cooperation between the Associations in getting together a Great Britain team if London is chosen as the venue in 2012, as part of the bid package.
ERIMUS
03 Aug 2004, 07:43 PM
To be honest even if we had a team in this olympics, the premier league teams wouldnt allow there top youngsters to go. Rooney would miss it because of injury.
When we had the u-20 world cup.......our team wasnt made up of the top youngsters
MathisGetsPie
04 Aug 2004, 06:58 PM
To be honest even if we had a team in this olympics, the premier league teams wouldnt allow there top youngsters to go. Rooney would miss it because of injury.
When we had the u-20 world cup.......our team wasnt made up of the top youngsters
It is a FIFA sanctioned event. If the nation wants the players, even Rooney, to go, they have to go. That's why Fergie is upset with Heinze and Crissy Ronaldo, they both have been called up by their nation's, but unfortunately they cannot withdraw themselves.
Artillero
04 Aug 2004, 10:31 PM
It is a FIFA sanctioned event. If the nation wants the players, even Rooney, to go, they have to go. That's why Fergie is upset with Heinze and Crissy Ronaldo, they both have been called up by their nation's, but unfortunately they cannot withdraw themselves.
Actually, they can! But they don't do it because they don't want to, especially in Heinze's case, he prbably wants to secure a starter place in Argentina's NaT.
Gordon EF
04 Aug 2004, 10:42 PM
This is how I understand it.....
For a UK team to be eligible to play, Scotland, England, N.Ireland and Wales would all have to make the Q.Finals of the Euro u-21 Championship. And since this is highly unlikely, a UK team will never make the Olympics.
But most people are right, nobody in the Uk really wants a 'Team GB' football side. And it's nothing to do with some bunch of twats forcing us to combine. :D
MathisGetsPie
04 Aug 2004, 10:47 PM
Actually, they can! But they don't do it because they don't want to, especially in Heinze's case, he prbably wants to secure a starter place in Argentina's NaT.
The players can decline the invitation to play, but their club has no control over their choice.
Artillero
04 Aug 2004, 10:54 PM
This is how I understand it.....
For a UK team to be eligible to play, Scotland, England, N.Ireland and Wales would all have to make the Q.Finals of the Euro u-21 Championship. And since this is highly unlikely, a UK team will never make the Olympics.
But most people are right, nobody in the Uk really wants a 'Team GB' football side. And it's nothing to do with some bunch of twats forcing us to combine. :D
Interesting...
A "Team GB" could be like a yugoslavian team in 1991. But British when players participate, especially in both english and scottish teams, they seem to get along well, why something like this couldn't happen in a theorical "Team GB"?
Artillero
04 Aug 2004, 10:56 PM
The players can decline the invitation to play, but their club has no control over their choice.
Absolutely right!
ERIMUS
05 Aug 2004, 06:03 AM
The players can decline the invitation to play, but their club has no control over their choice.
ha
this has happened before when clubs have banned there players from going to play for there country
Andy TAUS
05 Aug 2004, 06:21 AM
The players can decline the invitation to play, but their club has no control over their choice.Yes but, since the Olympics is one of the FIFA-sanctioned tournaments, the player's National FA can have FIFA ban the player from playing for his club during the lead up to and the period of the tournament. It'd be a bit counter-productive of any recalcitrant club &/or player who thought they could beat the system.
Just depends on how tough a national FA wants to play hard-ball with such players &/or clubs.
It's happened.
It would never happen with the English FA, as they've not got the bottle to stand up for themselves in this kind of scenario.
Gordon EF
05 Aug 2004, 10:44 AM
Interesting...
A "Team GB" could be like a yugoslavian team in 1991. But British when players participate, especially in both english and scottish teams, they seem to get along well, why something like this couldn't happen in a theorical "Team GB"?
It's not like Scottish and English players couldn't stand each other, we're not at war or anything, but all the UK countries have strong national identities, especially when it comes to football, nobody would have any interest in a GB team.
Andy TAUS
10 Aug 2004, 03:40 AM
I checked some stats only to find out, than the last british team that participated in the Olympic finals happened back in 1960.
Do they still participate? And if they do it, do they form an unified brit team (english, scots, welsh, N-irish) or one country represents the kingdom?Artillero,
Check this thread out:
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2881158#post2881158
Cheers.
Artillero
10 Aug 2004, 07:18 PM
Artillero,
Check this thread out:
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2881158#post2881158
Cheers.
Very enlightening. Then its just pure country pride what prevents them from becoming a more competitive team.
Although, I still think that they enjoy a very anomalous privilege, when allowed to participate as 4 different entities.
Thanx for the input.
Gordon EF
10 Aug 2004, 07:53 PM
Although, I still think that they enjoy a very anomalous privilege, when allowed to participate as 4 different entities.
How is it a privilege? Nobody "allowed" us to compete as 4 different teams. Football, domestic and international, in Britain preceeds FIFA and every other FA in the world.England and Scotland played international football before everyone else, the English FA was the first in the world and the Scottish FA would have been second, I presume.
I think after, well over 100 years of international football, it would be stupid and disrespectfull of FIFA or anyone else to ask the 4 UK countries to combine.
It would also mean combining the 4 Leagues in each country. That would be a farcical idea.
Dosen't a representitive of Scotland, England, Wales and N.Ireland always sit on the decision making board of FIFA anyway, like the 4 permanent members of the UN Security Council?