Help Sitemap Home Skip Navigation Contact Us Disability Statement

The hunt is On.
Sponsored by
The hunt is On.
Can you track down Scotland's wildest beastie?
 
 
Friday, 5th December 2008

Haggis Hunt is now on!

Premium Article !

Your account has been frozen. For your available options click the below button.

Options

Premium Article !

To read this article in full you must have registered and have a Premium Content Subscription with the The Scotsman site.

Subscribe

Registered Article !

To read this article in full you must be registered with the site.

Sign In
Register

Forget this crazy goal



Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image

Published Date: 30 August 2008
Roy Ternent (Letters, 29 August), rugby fans, journalists and politicians who are speculating on fantasy football Team GB should recognise that when compared to the prestigious World Cup and European Championships, the Olympic football tournament is regarded as an unnecessary, third-rate competition for players under 23 and many English clubs will be reluctant to release star players for any Team GB.
However, that does not excuse Gordon Brown's politicisation of the situation, which he must know risks jeopardising Scotland's national football team and our club representation in European competitions.

Any assurances given by Fifa or Uefa cannot bind future delegates, many of whom want to see the end of the UK's guaranteed vice-presidency or right to have four international sides. Therefore, no genuine football fan in Scotland could support the concept of a football Team GB.

PAUL CAVANAGH

Southhouse Square

Edinburgh





The full article contains 147 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 29 August 2008 8:08 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Stuart W,

30/08/2008 04:32:27
Well Olympic football's an "unnecessary, third-rate competition" then I can't see either football's governing bodies or "genuine football fans in Scotland" giving a hoot about it.

The problem, of course, is that both sides of the debate are politicising it, not just Gogs Broon.
2

Martinh,

30/08/2008 08:26:52
Some of us wonder why football is in the Olympics at all and quite like to have a bit of respite from this overblown sport, which dominates so comprehensively throughout most of the year. 'Higher,faster,longer' are the Olympic ideals, and Track and Field, Cycling,Swimming, and other water Sports are what most people want to see, because there is little chance outside these major competitions. I couldn't care less who won the Olympic footy, or even tennis, which again has plenty of other coverage, where the single event is being staged. Of course Beach Volleyball should be given maximum coverage (as opposed to the participants).
3

Mr. Lachie Todd,

Edinburgh 30/08/2008 08:37:22
The Celtic Nations should continue to have nothing whatsoever to do with this ill thought out plan which will undoubtedly endanger their unique and separate articles of association with FIFA.

IF, the Football Association of England foolishly decides to field a team of under 23 players representing GB at London 2012 then that is their problem but the Celtic Nations must not become involved.

It has been suggested by many sports journalists that if FIFA ever withdrew the Home Nations separate membership, enforcing an illogical GB/UK football association, then that would also be the end of the Celtic Nations separate representation in the UEFA competitions!
4

Linda,

Edinburgh 30/08/2008 08:53:15
Stuart W. No it is Gordon Brown who is using this to promote his brand of British Nationalism which has a lot in common with the BNP.

David Taylor Scotland's man in UEFA , George Burley Scotland Football Manager, and Gordon Smith head of SFA are all opposed to Team GB. They are not politicians just realists.

5

Amanda Huginkiss,

30/08/2008 13:06:12
3# Celtic nations?
You write in English, as do 98% of the population in Scotland. It is a little lower percentage-wise in Wales and Ireland. Therefore there is no such thing as a Celtic nation nowadays.
As for a Team GB football team at 2012, every host city is contracted to participate in every sporting event during the Olympics. There will be a Team GB team.
If the SFA don't wish to allow their players to participate in the greatest show on earth, despite assurances that Scotland would still retain their own international football team, then Team GB will have to come from players from the FA.
6

Hugh V McLachlan,

Elderslie 30/08/2008 20:41:32
Mr Cavanagh's letter had already been published in the Herald:

http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/letters/display.var.2433649.0.football_fans_should_not_support_a_team_gb.php
7

Stuart W,

30/08/2008 20:52:37
4 Linda wrote:

"Stuart W. No it is Gordon Brown who is using this to promote his brand of British Nationalism which has a lot in common with the BNP."

To that extent you might as well say that the SNP has a lot in common with the BNP, but personally I don't share your view as regards either GB or the SNP, and I doubt if most reasonable people would either.



8

Hugh V McLachlan,

Elderslie 30/08/2008 22:45:18
'Any assurances given by Fifa or Uefa cannot bind future delegates, many of whom want to see the end of the UK's guaranteed vice-presidency or right to have four international sides.'

True but it is far from clear what if anything follows from this. We cannot be confident that the threats of such bureaucrats will be carried out. The risks involved might well be worth taking.


9

Hugh V McLachlan,

Elderslie 31/08/2008 08:55:15
If FIFA ever were seriously to threaten the independent status of England as a international entity, along with that of the other home countries, England could withdraw from FIFA and remove all Premiership teams and all premiership players from all competitions recognised by FIFA . FIFA would, I suggest, back down. If they did not, I am sure that a rival international football federation would soon be founded. Manchester United alone are more important to football than are FIFA. FIFA are dispensable. Manchester United are not.

10

Hugh V McLachlan,

Elderslie 31/08/2008 15:31:18
It is true that, compared to the World Cup, the Olympic Games are, in football terms, insignificant. Even more so, compared to club football, internatinal football, including the world cup is trivial.

 

Comment on this Story

 

In order to post comments you must Register or Sign In

 
 
RSS Feed of this article's comments
Delivery formats: RSS, Atom, Javascript & Email
 
  

 
 


Sister Newspapers:
Press Complaints Commission

This website and its associated newspaper adheres to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then contact the Editor by clicking here.

If you remain dissatisfied with the response provided then you can contact the PCC by clicking here.