UK Sport's performance director Peter Keen insists the question of whether there should be British football teams at the 2012 Olympics is a "no-brainer".
Speaking as the political wrangles continue between the national federations over the regional make-up any Team GB squad for the Games, he said: "It is our home Olympics – sorry, but it is a no-brainer to me."
The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Iris
h football associations are opposed to a joint squad in case it affects their independent national sides.
England boasts a strong women's team which reached the 2007 World Cup quarter-finals, technically meaning that they had qualified for the Beijing Olympics. But they were not allowed to represent Britain.
Mr Keen said: "For me any vision of success in London is incomplete without being able to believe that a team of women can take to the field at Wembley Stadium and win.
"I think that everybody knows where our hearts and minds are – we want teams to take the field that can win in every event, certainly in football and particularly the women.
"I would challenge anybody to say equally that would not be a good thing."
Former sports minister Richard Caborn has claimed that Britain missed out on a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics because it did not send a women's football team to the Games.
Mr Caborn spoke to Welsh, Scots and Northern Irish football bosses and FIFA president Sepp Blatter after England women reached the World Cup quarter-finals.
Last month sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe told MPs that a Great Britain football team will play at the 2012 Olympics even if it is made up entirely of English players.
The full article contains 286 words and appears in scotsman.com newspaper.
