Fifa approves Team GB compromise

[Shanked]

Fifa approves Team GB compromise


Fifa has approved a proposal to field an all-English team to represent Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics in London.
The four home nations had written to football's governing body clarifying that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would take no part in the team.
The compromise was ratified at Fifa's executive committee meeting in Nassau.
"I am happy, they are happy, the IOC is happy, the organising committee is happy and I hope football is happy," said Fifa president Sepp Blatter.
"You have to bring a Great Britain team for the 2012 Olympics in football, and as they are four associations then take one association to be this team."
The development ends a dispute that has raged since 2005, when London won the right to host the Games.
The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish associations had feared their independence in world football would be under threat if they united with England at the Olympics.
A document had been prepared by the Scottish Football Association and sent to the other bodies, which paved the way for England - rebadged as GB in both the men's and women's competitions - to represent Great Britain on a one-off basis.

MIHIR BOSE BLOG
The whole issue has been further complicated by the rise of the nationalists to power in Scotland
BBC sports editor Mihir Bose
This looks set to be in the form of an exclusively under-21 England side - a change Fifa is expected to make from the current under-23 (plus three over-age players) rule.
While expressing his delight about Fifa's approval, secretary of state for culture, media and sport Andy Burnham criticised the rigid stances of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish authorities.
"I think it's very disappointing and actually a bit narrow-minded in some ways that we're just saying young talent from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can't represent that team GB," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"I understand entirely if Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland don't want to be in any way seen to support the principle of team GB... but I think it is very unfair that a young player in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland who would get a call-up to that team, would be threatened with sanctions about joining that team.
"I just feel let's put aside the politics, let's just let sports people make their own decisions and let's put the best British team on home soil."
Fifa also approved a trial to use two extra assistant referees behind the goallines for next season's Europa League - formerly the UEFA Cup.
The idea has been championed by Uefa president Michel Platini and was tested last year in some European under-19 championship games.
"The International FA Board decided 'let's have experiments with two additional assistant referees' and we were looking where we have can such experiments," said Blatter. "Now we have found a solution together with Michel Platini and Uefa."
Blatter also announced that Wada has declared Fifa compliant with its world anti-doping code in all areas, except for one area regarding injured players and when they can resume practising with their clubs.
Blatter had previously been opposed to Wada's 'whereabouts' rule, where players have to provide details of their location for one hour every day of the year.
"I'm so happy that this WADA letter just came now," said the Swiss.

woot woot another tournament where we'll choke ah well at least we finally got a team

 

[the_crusader]

They should get SAF to be the manager

 

[Shanked]

edit: ah no he dismissed it

But Ferguson said: "I will be 70 in 2012. I've not made any commitment to anything like that.
"I would not, in any way, shape or form, try and commit myself to something that is four years ahead."

 

[the_crusader]

Then they might not choke

 

[B-Train]

F**king typical British mentality.

Don't try and win anything yourselves or correct how crap England are at everything even though they invented nearly every modern sport, instead just settle for the easiest way out possible and resort to having a Great Britain team.

Bloody poms and their perpetual losing mentality. You have to love it.

 

[Shanked]

F**king typical British mentality.

Don't try and win anything yourselves or correct how crap England are at everything even though they invented nearly every modern sport, instead just settle for the easiest way out possible and resort to having a Great Britain team.

Bloody poms and their perpetual losing mentality. You have to love it.

it's an england team ben </3 you've hurt me

 

[B-Train]

it's an england team ben </3 you've hurt me

Haha. Well I should have reads the article a bit more thoroughly.

So what the hell is happening? I'm confused.

By the way, I take back none of what I said but in no way did I mean to offend you, I love you too much for that Bobii. I love you like I love Hale and Pace. :love:

 

[Hansta]

wtffff Team GameBreaker

 

[Shanked]

Haha. Well I should have reads the article a bit more thoroughly.

So what the hell is happening? I'm confused.

By the way, I take back none of what I said but in no way did I mean to offend you, I love you too much for that Bobii. I love you like I love Hale and Pace. :love:

basically the other gb countries fear their independence in world football would be under threat if they united with England at the Olympics. which is quite rediculous. would be a decent team with gibson, evans, foster,fleck, walcot etc, then have fletcher, rooney and ferdinand as over 23.

 

[B-Train]

basically the other gb countries fear their independence in world football would be under threat if they united with England at the Olympics. which is quite rediculous. would be a decent team with gibson, evans, foster,fleck, walcot etc, then have fletcher, rooney and ferdinand as over 23.

Well yeah, I agree. Every nation should have its own team and England should look at making the most of the wealth of talent they have instead of trying to take the easy way out by having a GB team and pillaging the other nations.

A GB team would be a terrible idea IMO.

 

[Shanked]

Well yeah, I agree. Every nation should have its own team and England should look at making the most of the wealth of talent they have instead of trying to take the easy way out by having a GB team and pillaging the other nations.

A GB team would be a terrible idea IMO.

if that was the case then there should be no gb in olympics and have em as each individual country like the commonwealth games. it's not england fault, it's the olympics. they wanted to make a great britain side as that's who they're representing

 

[B-Train]

if that was the case then there should be no gb in olympics and have em as each individual country like the commonwealth games. it's not england fault, it's the olympics. they wanted to make a great britain side as that's who they're representing

Very true Bobii but once again I hark back to the pathetic English/British psyche of trying to take the easy option and strengthen themselves by using the other nations in the Olympics when they should be investing hundreds of millions into coaching, development and strategies throughout most sports in England to try and get some sort of success in sports/events they used to be very good in and should be very good in.

Instead they finish well down the ladder on the medal tally each time because the English sporting psyche is to settle for losing and mediocrity.

Nothing personal Bobii, but Cricket, Soccer, Rugby League and tonnes of other sports have all fallen away from England when they invented all of them and used to be powerhouses and still should be.

 

[Shanked]

Very true Bobii but once again I hark back to the pathetic English/British psyche of trying to take the easy option and strengthen themselves by using the other nations in the Olympics when they should be investing hundreds of millions into coaching, development and strategies throughout most sports in England to try and get some sort of success in sports/events they used to be very good in and should be very good in.

Instead they finish well down the ladder on the medal tally each time because the English sporting psyche is to settle for losing and mediocrity.

Nothing personal Bobii, but Cricket, Soccer, Rugby League and tonnes of other sports have all fallen away from England when they invented all of them and used to be powerhouses and still should be.

that's what the national lottery is for. the money spent goes into english sports. beijing was our best medal talley, and 13 of those were english contestants so we are improving. english sport is slowly getting better, won't be a quick fix but i have no doubt that it will get better

 

[K E]

Bobii, before the FA Cup, they played the English anthem, why is it they always play the short version and never the full version?

 

[Shanked]

they always play the short anthem, spose it's like the 1st verse of advance australia fair

 

[B-Train]

that's what the national lottery is for. the money spent goes into english sports. beijing was our best medal talley, and 13 of those were english contestants so we are improving. english sport is slowly getting better, won't be a quick fix but i have no doubt that it will get better

Really? I didn't know that about the lottery. Very interesting. Surely it couldn't be all of the money though because the lotteries make billions and billions every year and that much couldn't be put into sports alone could it?

It really is a mystery as to how the English have fallen off in the sports world, particularly in those sports I mentioned above. I actually would like to see them back in a position of power in sports so I could hate them. But they have been so crap for decades you can't hate them.

 

[Shanked]

Really? I didn't know that about the lottery. Very interesting. Surely it couldn't be all of the money though because the lotteries make billions and billions every year and that much couldn't be put into sports alone could it?

It really is a mystery as to how the English have fallen off in the sports world, particularly in those sports I mentioned above. I actually would like to see them back in a position of power in sports so I could hate them. But they have been so crap for decades you can't hate them.

it's probably a % of the sales or something. england soccer is improving under capello, england rugby is finally looking like it's going forward, only have concerns with cricket. like i said it will take some time before we will be up with the best again

 

[B-Train]

it's probably a % of the sales or something. england soccer is improving under capello, england rugby is finally looking like it's going forward, only have concerns with cricket. like i said it will take some time before we will be up with the best again

Cricket is a problem and League is a massive problem. But what about athletics etc? And Tennis? England haven't featured for decades in those sports.

At least you have snooker and darts.

 

[Shanked]

Cricket is a problem and League is a massive problem. But what about athletics etc? And Tennis? England haven't featured for decades in those sports.

At least you have snooker and darts.

that's cause u play em at the pub we've been fairly good at athletics, had some decent runners etc. have no idea about tennis, got a couple of nobody womens players, and only had henman and now murray. something definately has to be done with tennis. government needs to put lots of money into coaching, academies and facilities.

 

[B-Train]

Haha, very true. Well maybe they should put tennis courts, cricket ovals, footy fields and soccer pitches in pubs too and maybe that would fix things.