[la gran siete]

The welsh scottish and NI position is entirely based on fear, paranoia veen that they might lose their separate status and be forced by FIFA to amalgamate with England.Unfounded, of course, because Fifa have intimated such a thing.There is another issue England as well as the other home nations enjoy favoured status as law makers on the game in the International Football Association Board. The other four places have to be fought by previous world cup winners with 204 other FAs. England have won a WC and have hte worlds most succesfull premier league so could argue a right ot be on that board , but what right do the other home nations have? Being a member does bring considerable privileges which no doubt they would be loathe to lose
Final point, for the likes of Gareth Bale this tournament the only chance they'll ever get of playing in major tournament.Why deny them that chance?

[Kebabhead]

Originally Posted by la gran siete

an 18 man squad could look like this
Joe Hart (England)
Club: Manchester City Age in 2012: 25
A surprising lack of decent young goalkeepers among the home nations means that we use our first wild card on England number one Hart.
Rhys Taylor (Wales)
Club: Chelsea Age: 22
Yet to make his senior debut for Chelsea, but impressed on loan at Crewe Alexandra last season.
Defenders
Kyle Walker (England)
Club: Tottenham Age: 22
One of the stars of England’s abortive under-21 campaign in Denmark. Just edges out Martin Kelly at right back.
Ashley Richards (Wales)
Club: Swansea Age: 21
Recently promoted to the Premier League with Swansea, Richards can play at right-back or in midfield.
Chris Smalling (England)
Club: Manchester United Age: 22
Could be a regular in the senior team by this time next year if he continues his excellent form at Old Trafford.
Danny Wilson (Scotland)
Club: Liverpool Age: 20
Compared to Alan Hansen at Rangers, and has broken into the Scotland side since moving to Anfield.
Phil Jones (England)
Club: Manchester United Age: 20
Possible captain. Although now he has signed for United, expect him to announce his international retirement within months.
Kieran Gibbs (England)
Club: Arsenal Age: 22
Team GB will be strong down the left, with the much-lauded Gibbs and Gareth Bale marauding up the flank.
Midfielders
Jack Wilshere (England)
Club: Arsenal Age: 20
Already one of the hottest properties in English football, and has expressed a desire to play at next year’s Olympics.
Jack Rodwell (England)
Club: Everton Age: 21
Seems to have been talked about as a bright young thing for ages, but next season could be a breakthrough year for him.
Darren Fletcher (Scotland)
Club: Manchester United Age: 28
The second wild card, and the oldest player in the squad. Needed to give the midfield some grizzled bite.
Gareth Bale (Wales)
Club: Tottenham Age: 23
Potentially one of the stars of the tournament. But which club will he be playing for by the time 2012 comes around?
Josh McEachran (England)
Club: Chelsea Age: 19
Chelsea’s Young Player of the Year. Don’t rule out full international honours by the end of the season if he continues his progress.
Aaron Ramsey (Wales)
Club: Arsenal Age: 21
Captain of the Wales side at the age of 20, and an automatic choice for Team GB after recovering from a broken leg last season.
Theo Walcott (England)
Club: Arsenal Age: 23
Part of a strong Arsenal contingent, and might make a late entry into the 100 metres if GB find themselves a bit short.
Forwards
Wayne Rooney (England)
Club: Manchester United Age: 26
The third of the wild card selections. What would he do with his gold medal? Try and eat it, probably.
Andy Carroll (England)
Club: Liverpool Age: 23
Just about sneaks in as an under-23 player, although the sight of the Olympic flame might bring back some bad memories.
Liam Boyce (Northern Ireland)
Club: Werder Bremen Age: 21

Should we not test players to see if they have german blood in them

[colin1984]

Keep it seperate....simple as.

Why has there never been any push to have a team GB at previous Olympics?

[gbcasual]

Originally Posted by colin1984

Keep it seperate....simple as.

Why has there never been any push to have a team GB at previous Olympics?

There probably has been but as we were not hosting the others the media didn't care about it that much.

[la gran siete]

Originally Posted by Kebabhead

Should we not test players to see if they have german blood in them

[la gran siete]

Originally Posted by colin1984

Keep it seperate....simple as.

Why has there never been any push to have a team GB at previous Olympics?

why not just have a GB team representing is in all major championships?Probably would have won more than one WC if we had

[travid]

Originally Posted by SBT

They Welsh are against it but dont mind Swansea and Cardiff playing in English leagues.As for the Scotts,arn't they always on about getting Rangers/celtic in the EPL?

The team would be 99% English anyway,so i wouldn't bank on winning an Olympic medal

The Welsh FA certainly do mind Swansea & Cardiff playing in the English pyramid system. The clubs are described as exiles by th WFA and would like us to go back onto their amateur league. Yes, they really are that backward!

[hdsport]

Just out of interest can the other FA's explain if this is going to eventually lead to a forced joining up of the nations into a Team GB for UEFA/FIFA tournaments why The FA (i.e. England) seemingly aren't worried about this?

Surely with their massive TV contracts (and expensive stadium to pay for) they have the a lot to lose if we start having to share everything?

[DJT75]

We've had Great Britain football teams in previous olympics so I don't see what the big fuss is all about. FIFA should keep their nose out, it's the olympics and nothing to do wiht them. Wales should stop having a paddy about it, if they really want to keep their identity they better take Cardiff, Swansea & Wrexham back to the crappy welsh leagues.

Besides, I have tickets for the final at Wembley, so (although slim) I want to see an GB side!! + of course, we don't need to qualify

It'll happen without a doubt, there was an agreement last year to allow a team and nations could decide whether or not to allow the players in.
Let the players decide - if they want to, let them be available for selection.

It's a farce anyway, Athletes change nationality quicker than Usain Bolt runs in order to improve or prolong their careers, so if Bale's not allowed to play, have him fill out a passport form & revert back to Wales after the games.

[Geege]

Both Great Britain and England/Wales/Ireland (well The Republic anyway) /Scotland are represented in Rugby League successfully so I don't see it being a problem with soccer and think it would be a good thing.

Although I can see it being a mainly English team with the odd token Scot, Welsh (Ryan Giggs) and Irish thrown in for good measure

[hdsport]

Originally Posted by DJT75

FIFA should keep their nose out, it's the olympics and nothing to do wiht them.
.

The Olympics is (as far as I'm aware) actually a FIFA-sanctioned tournament (you have to be affiliated with them to enter for a start) so it is something to do with them in that respect. In fairness to FIFA they have said having Team GB in 2012 will make no difference to the individual FA's status in other tournaments.

As I said previously England have no problem with it so they must be fairly confident that they have sufficient protection of their individual status the 'Celtic FAs' seemingly have a problem/different agenda.

Originally Posted by DJT75

Besides, I have tickets for the final at Wembley, so (although slim) I want to see an GB side!! + of course, we don't need to qualify

Same here looking forward to it

[travid]

Originally Posted by DJT75

We've had Great Britain football teams in previous olympics so I don't see what the big fuss is all about. FIFA should keep their nose out, it's the olympics and nothing to do wiht them. Wales should stop having a paddy about it, if they really want to keep their identity they better take Cardiff, Swansea & Wrexham back to the crappy welsh leagues.

Over my dead body boyo!

[la gran siete]

see Nigle Worthington the NI manager has givenm his blessing to any of his players being selected

[Sonic67]

Originally Posted by la gran siete

why not just have a GB team representing is in all major championships?Probably would have won more than one WC if we had

I imagine there is money to be made in having the home nations play each other. Also the other home nations tend to be very nationalistic. I don't think England fans would care so much, the team would be largely English anyway. Would the jocks etc support a team GB which was mainly English?

[davepuma]

....and this is why the non English supporters don't want a Team GB. I don't know of a single Scotsman that wants it. The English appear to assume a heck of a lot. The proposed team on the previous page said it all....

[hdsport]

Originally Posted by davepuma

....and this is why the non English supporters don't want a Team GB. I don't know of a single Scotsman that wants it. The English appear to assume a heck of a lot. The proposed team on the previous page said it all....

FIFA Rankings http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/ra...ank=204&page=3

England 6th
N. Ireland 65th
Scotland 66th
Wales 114th

It's not arrogant when looking at the rankings and given the fact that England are the only one of the home nations to have qualified for a major tournament this century to presume that the majority of the team would be English.

and looking at U21 level England again were the only home nation in Denmark.

[travid]

I think that DJ maybe meant that English arrogance is percieved by the assumption that they should have up to 9 players in the squad, by some commentators I might add.

Scotland and Wales are percieved as being patriotic and, Unfortunatly, England as jingoistic.