"No, No, We're Welsh, Welsh and Welsh and even more Welsh and our association alongside Scotland and Northern Ireland's party line is that we want to keep our independence and that is so important to us."Bryan Flynn, U21 Wales Coach when asked whether he supports a Team GB for 2012.
British Olympic Association Chief Simon Clegg stated on Dragon's Eye today that politicians like Plaid's Adam Price and Labour's Lesley Griffiths were "jumping on a bandwagon, this is a sports issue not political". I have three issues with that. Firstly where was Clegg's objections when UK Minister for Sports Andy Burham says:
"I just hope we can overcome any differences and bring a strong British football team to the London Olympics."Secondly, of course this is political not a sports issue. If it was merely a sports issue the BOA would listen to British football fans and shelve the whole idea. They would listen to the Welsh, English, Scottish and Northern Irish fan Federations, all of whom are against the very notion of Team GB. Finally, seeing as how the definition of jumping on the bandwagon is following the crowd, is Simon Clegg admitting what we all know anyway, that the crowd doesn't want a Team GB?
And by the way, when Dragon's Eye tells us that the FAW's worries over losing independence exist despite Sebb Blatter giving reassurance to the contrary they're simply lying. Blatter, the President of FIFA, has made such comments in the past, 5 whole years ago, but his most recent comments on the subject is this:
"If you start to put together a combined team for the Olympics, the question will automatically come up that there are four different associations so how can they play in one team. If this is the case then why the hell do they have four associations and four votes and their own vice-presidency? This will put into question all the privileges that the British associations have been given by the Congress in 1946"Sorry BBC, but I'm not "reassured"!
6 comments:
The problem is of course how may Scot's would play how many Welsh how many Irish, when you have English players dominating Football, I suspect we'd have one Welsh player Michael Owen, one Scots player one Irish lad all subs, and the rest would be England.
To be honest I couldn't care less how many players from each country would play. While that's the issue for some, it's not for me, it's the threat to Wales' status as an international team that makes me say no, no, no.
If we were to think about a possible team though remember that only 3 players over 23 could play - so I doubt Owen would be in the mix. With our u21's doing well (even though they lost 3-2 to the English last night) I'd expect much more than 1 Welshman there.
Actually, on the basis of players of the age who'd be involved in 2012, there is a good chance that Wales would have a number of players in the team. Difficult to predict four years ahead mind you.
Adam Price's position on this must have him tied in knots. He wants more Olympic sport in Wales, but doesn't want Wales playing in the one sport currently due to be in Wales..... oh and of course he's a Welsh nationalist, so doesn't really want to be part of the host nation anyway.
As I said Nick, I have no interest in how many would play. I wouldn't object to a Team GB just because I didn't think there'd be any Welshmen good enough for it.
Labour's Lesley Griffiths spoke out against it on Dragon's Eye just as loudly, and she's certaintly not a nationalist. I think we can also be quite sure that the Welsh Fan Federation and the FAW aren't all Welsh nashies either, and certaintly the English Fan Federation aren't!
This has nothing to do with being a nationalist, it's to do with putting the security of Welsh football ahead Gordon Brown's bizzare desperation for some British love-in.
It also doesn't help when the 2012 main man tells you to fuck off either! :-D
I don't really think it has much to do with Gordon Brown, though I'm not surprised he's in favour of a GB football team.
I agree with you its not about nationalists either, though the Adam Price stance is amusing.
I think it is perfectly natural though that the Olympic association of the host nation wants to take part in every sport available.
Government ministers have been pushing hard for a Team GB football side.
It maybe true that it was natural for BOA to want a football side for 2012, but when they realised the ferocity of objections, not just from 3 out of 4 FA's but also from 2 governments and all 4 fan federations you would have assumed that they would rather put the matter to rest than stir up a hornetsnest that will only polarise fans and, if the BOA felt embarassed about not having a football side, embarass them further.
The reason they haven't taken a step back is because they are following the government's initative in trying to create a fake, unwanted, British patriotism.
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