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London 2012: Wales' Aaron Ramsey pictured in Team GB shirt

 

Page last updated at 08:18 GMT, Thursday, 3 November 2011

 

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/56441000/jpg/_56441653_zz021111aaronramsey.jpg

 

Wales captain Aaron Ramsey has followed compatriot Gareth Bale's lead by posing in a Great Britain supporters' shirt.

 

Bale, who caused controversy by wearing the shirt, says he wants to play for Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics.

 

And 20-year-old Arsenal midfielder Ramsey has echoed Bale's sentiments, saying: "If we have the opportunity to play, why not?"

 

The Football Association of Wales [FAW] is against its players playing in the British team.

 

The FAW along with its Scottish and Northern Irish counterparts fear a British team threatens their independence as football nations.

 

Great Britain will enter a men's football team for the first time since 1960 and will be coached by England Under-21 manager Stuart Pearce at the 2012 event.

 

Pearce wants the Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh Football Associations to make their players available for the Olympics.

 

And Ramsey, who was appointed Wales skipper by Gary Speed in March, has said he would relish the chance to play at the Games.

 

"You're representing Great Britain in the Olympics. Having the chance to win a gold medal doesn't come around very often," Ramsey told Four Four Two magazine.

 

"Players, if given the opportunity, should go ahead and do it; I don't see what the problem is. I've spoken to Gareth Bale and he's up for it.

 

"I think the Welsh are fine with it. It's up to the players."

 

A Welsh fans' spokesman said Gareth Bale was "ill-advised" to be photographed posing in a British Olympic team supporters' shirt.

 

Football Supporters Federation Cymru chairman Vince Alm claimed a Great Britain team at the Games would undermine home nations' identities.

 

"The majority of Welsh supporters are against it," said Alm.

 

"You can get away with the England and Wales Cricket Board, you can get away with it with rugby, but football is totally different.

 

"This could be the end of the home unions and I think that would be sad."

 

Still going on about the "death of the home nations" bollocks I see.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well, got a few for the Semi's. :snod:

 

No idea how long it'll take before they sell out, so get 'em while they're hot. :thup:

 

Eh, there's no semis, only quarters?

 

Ah man, you're right. Oh well, should still be decent. :lol:

 

 

/didn't realise i'd be charged £6 delivery either. Cheeky cnuts.

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what are people gonna sing when supporting team GB?  `comon on england`??

 

Atmosphere could be flat, if they dont work that one out.  NOt to mention which anthem?

 

(am pro team GB btw)

 

"God save the Queen" always comes on for the medal ceremonies for GB in the Olympics/World Championships so can imagine that being the "official" anthem for team GB (which probably won't go down well with the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish FAs...).

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what are people gonna sing when supporting team GB?  `comon on england`??

 

Atmosphere could be flat, if they dont work that one out.  NOt to mention which anthem?

 

(am pro team GB btw)

 

If I had the wings of a sparrow,

and the big dirty arse of a crow,

I'd fly over Ireland tomorrow

And sh!t on the bastards below.

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what are people gonna sing when supporting team GB?  `comon on england`??

 

Atmosphere could be flat, if they dont work that one out.  NOt to mention which anthem?

 

(am pro team GB btw)

 

"God save the Queen" always comes on for the medal ceremonies for GB in the Olympics/World Championships so can imagine that being the "official" anthem for team GB (which probably won't go down well with the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish FAs...).

 

Norn Iron use it as well currently but they love owt union flavoured if they know what's right for them.

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  • 2 weeks later...
London 2012: FA targets potential Team GB Olympics footballers

 

Page last updated at 15:29 GMT, Wednesday, 14 December 2011

 

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The English Football Association will write to every potential player for the Team GB football team - from all the home nations - this week.

 

The letters will ask the players if they are prepared to represent the side at the London 2012 Olympics.

 

The English FA is responsible for picking the team, which will be managed by Stuart Pearce.

 

It has already met with resistance over picking players from the other home nations.

 

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland reacted angrily when it was first suggested that their players could represent a Great Britain football team. They feared a GB team would damage their autonomy at Fifa.

 

The Football Association of Wales says it knew letters would be sent by the FA at some stage but no specific action will be taken in regard to the issuing of the letters.

 

An FAW spokesman has reiterated its stance that they do not want Welsh players to take part but conceded it was up to the individuals who are contacted to decide what they do.

 

He said: "It's down to the individual players. We won't sanction them if they do decide to play and we won't try and stop them."

 

The Scottish Football Association has a similar stance to the FAW, with no specific action planned against letters but no change in its stance on Team GB.

 

Britain - which is also sending a women's team to London 2012 - last competed in an Olympic football event in 1960.

 

EDIT:

 

England players who take part in Euro 2012 will not be selected for Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics.

 

Head coach Stuart Pearce, who had not initially ruled anyone out, described it as "a sensible football decision".

 

"We have agreed that any player who boards the plane to the European Championship will not be considered for selection to Team GB," he said.

 

Players from the Home Nations under consideration are being contacted to see if they are prepared to play.

 

Completely fair enough like.

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what are people gonna sing when supporting team GB?  `comon on england`??

 

Atmosphere could be flat, if they dont work that one out.  NOt to mention which anthem?

 

(am pro team GB btw)

 

Well, as much as I think it's shit, God Save The Queen is the British national anthem, so that. As for songs - come on Britain, rule britania - what are the few chants at olympics?

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  • 1 month later...
London 2012: Only seven players turn down GB team request

 

Page last updated at 10:45 GMT, Tuesday, 17 January 2012

 

Only seven of the 191 players contacted about their availability for GB's Olympic football team have said no.

 

The Football Association wrote to the players to ask whether or not they would be available for the team.

 

David Beckham, 36, and Ryan Giggs, 38, were among the players who indicated they would be available.

 

There were no negative replies from those asked about the women's team and BOA spokesman Darryl Seibel described it as an "outstanding response".

 

The Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish associations are opposed to the idea of GB teams, but have said they will not stop their players from taking part.

 

Olympic football is for under-23s but Beckham and Giggs could both be included as over-age players.

 

"Players recognise how special this opportunity is," Seibel added.

 

Former England captain Beckham's availability for Olympic selection had been widely known but the fact he and Manchester United midfielder Giggs are among those sounded out by the FA indicates they are being considered for the three over-age picks the Team GB squad can include.

 

Players did not have to respond in writing to the FA's letter if they wanted to be in the Team GB player pool, from which coach Stuart Pearce will pick his squad for the Olympics, only if they did not wish to.

 

However, a large percentage of the 184 players did contact the FA to confirm their interest.

 

"This is an outstanding response and it confirms what we have believed all along, which is that there is widespread interest among players in competing for Team GB at the London 2012 Games," continued BOA communications director Seibel.

 

The seven players who have said they do not wish to be involved are reported to be from across the home nations, including at least one Englishman, and are from a variety of clubs.

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  • 3 months later...

The Olympic Football Draws are tomorrow:

 

London 2012: Team GB poised for Olympic football draws

 

    Venue: Wembley Stadium

    Date: Tuesday 24 April

    Time: 1100 BST

 

Coverage: Live on BBC Two and streamed on the BBC Sport website

 

Team GB will find out their Olympic football opponents on Tuesday with the draw for both events held at Wembley.

 

Stuart Pearce's men's side and Hope Powell's women are among the 28 teams in the draw for the tournament.

 

In the men's competition there are 16 teams, with the final place decided at a play-off on Monday between Senegal and Oman, and 12 in the women's.

 

Both British sides know the dates of their three group games, but will discover their respective opponents.

 

The first match takes place in Cardiff on 25 July, with the finals at Wembley on 9 and 11 August.

 

The draw will be hosted by Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker and will be live on the BBC Sport website.

 

During the competition, matches will be hosted at Hampden Park (Glasgow), Sports Direct Arena - to revert to St James' Park during the Games (Newcastle), Old Trafford (Manchester), the City of Coventry Stadium (otherwise known as the Ricoh Arena), the Millennium Stadium (Cardiff) and Wembley (London).

 

The 16 teams in the men's competition will be split into four groups, with the top two in each group advancing to the quarter-finals.

 

Pearce's men will begin their campaign at Old Trafford on Thursday 26 July, followed by a game at Wembley on Sunday 29 July and their final group game will be at the Millennium Stadium on Wednesday 1 August.

 

More than 50,000 tickets have been sold for the opening game at Old Trafford and a double-headed friendly featuring both the men's and women's teams will be confirmed for a date in July, with the event expected to take place in the north east.

 

Pearce is set to name his squad of 18 at the start of June, which must have 15 players born after 1 January 1989.

 

David Beckham remains in the hunt for one of the three over-age spots, while Joe Cole, Scotland's Steven Fletcher and Wales forward Craig Bellamy are also understood to be in contention.

 

The final 18 will be chosen after the England squad for Euro 2012 has been selected, with no players who make the journey to Poland and Ukraine being eligible.

 

Although representatives from all four Home Nations are in line to be selected, the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish Football Associations oppose the concept of a united Great Britain team , fearing a loss of identity in the international game.

 

Notable absentees from the men's competition are Argentina, who won the gold medal in the last two Olympics.

 

The two top teams from the 2011 Sudamericano Sub-20,  a competition for under-20 sides, qualified for the tournament and Argentina miss out on London 2012 after they finished third behind Brazil and Uruguay.

 

Great Britain automatically qualified as hosts, with the 2011 European Under-21 Championship deciding the three qualifiers from that continent (Spain, Switzerland and Belarus).

 

Similarly, qualification events were held around the world for other federations. Asia and Africa both supplied three teams, plus an extra team from a play-off between the fourth-ranked teams of each.

 

Oceania provided one team, and two teams from North and Central America complete the 16-team tournament.

 

The 12 teams in the women's competition are split into three groups, with the group winners and runners-up joined by the two best third-ranked teams in the quarter-finals.

 

Hope Powell's side will begin on Wednesday 25 July at the Millennium Stadium and will also play in Cardiff on Saturday 28 July.

 

Their final group stage match will take place on Tuesday 31 July at Wembley Stadium.

 

Powell will be without regular England captain Faye White, who announced her international retirement last week.

 

Teams qualified for men's competition:

 

Great Britain, South Korea, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Gabon, Morocco, Egypt, Mexico, Honduras, Brazil, Uruguay, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, Belarus, Oman or Senegal.

 

Gold medal winners: Men

 

    Beijing 2008: Argentina

    Athens 2004: Argentina

    Sydney 2000: Cameroon

    Atlanta 1996: Nigeria

 

Teams qualified for women's competition:

 

Great Britain, Japan, North Korea, South Africa, Cameroon, United States, Canada, Brazil, Colombia, New Zealand, Sweden, France.

 

Gold medal winners: Women

 

    Beijing 2008: United States

    Athens 2004: United States

    Sydney 2000: Norway

    Atlanta 1996: United States

 

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