BOA still ignores everyone but the FA.

News from the BBC The British Olympic Association (BOA) is close to an agreement to enter a British football team at London 2012.

BOA chief executive Andy Hunt said he is "incredibly positive that we will get a [British] men's and women's football team" at the Olympics.

But a Scottish Football Association spokesman said: "Our position hasn't changed and, as far as we're concerned, the status quo will remain."

When the idea that Serge Blatter assured Chancellor Gordon Brown that a British side could compete in the Olympics without FIFA forcing the home nations to give up their own independent sides in competitions. Brown off course in an effort to protray himdel as a Brit and not a Scot was all in favour.

He advised that written assurances would be given that England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland could continue to field separate teams in the World Cup and European Championship after the games.

I do not know to what extent these have been given but clearly he couldn't make this indefinite even though in his megalomania he probably thinks he will go on in charge of FIFA for ever.


The BBC claim that "The BOA has left management of the GB team with the English FA and it appears likely that the bulk of the squad will be formed by the current England Under-21s."

Because of course this a under 23's competition  its not a rerun of the World Cup and I understand that  since 1992 male competitors must be under 23 years old, with three over-23 players allowed per squad.and it is typical of the London media that they are trying to give the impression we would be seeing the leading players of the day in the competition..

The London media have portrayed  the other Home Nations as being selfish in their opposition to the Olympic Under 23 Plans uit even if you acceptedthis,  it it is nothing as to the arrogance of British Olympic Associationa(BOA) and the  English FA in going through with this.

A similar situation occurred  when the English FA  attempt to postpone the election of Serge Blatter . In this they were portrayed in the London Media as campaigners for a clean up of the FIFA  and the Welsh FA as almost  treacherous  in  not backing them

But as  Welsh FA  Pritchard outlined the sequence of events which led to Wales going it alone and declining to jump into bed with England.He said....

: “England had been touting for support for a few days, but funnily enough didn’t say anything to us until the night before the vote was to take place.

“We found that strange, but it had become apparent to us by then there was little support for their stance over the election.

“When they finally had discussions with us, as part of the home nations group, they outlined how they wanted the election postponed and transparency and independence in Fifa’s ethics committee.

“We fully agreed with them on point two and gave them our 100 per cent support over that issue.

“But we could never back them on point one because the Fifa statutes are quite clear. There is no jurisdiction for postponing the presidential election. Full stop. 

“I repeat, we were fully supportive of Fifa transparency. We emphasised that stance when Uefa convened a meeting of the European countries at 7.15am on the morning of congress.

“England put their points of view across at that meeting, I put Wales’ viewpoint forward.

“But when Bernstein got up on the rostrum a few hours afterwards, he just went on about Blatter and the need to postpone the election.

“To say we were unhappy is an understatement because we wanted him to focus upon transparency.

“Suddenly, the Blatter issue became the agenda, even though there was not a shred of evidence against him.

“The facts of the matter are that Bernstein’s proposal went against the constitution of Fifa because of the reasons I have already outlined.

“We had to distance ourselves from that. So too did Northern Ireland. Like ourselves, they were doing what was best for Irish football.

“There were 206 member countries with a vote. A total of 172, including ourselves, voted against Bernstein’s proposal. In anyone’s parlance, that is a pretty overwhelming decision.

“We did not vote for Blatter, as such, I should make clear. Our vote was for the agenda to proceed, as the rules state, with a presidential election.

“Yes, as the only candidate, I suppose that duly meant a vote for Blatter. But it was the Fifa statutes and rule book we were backing, not a particular individual.”

From this a different impression of the English FA stance comes and that is one of arrogance and might well have strengthened Blatter's position.

There is a feeling amongst many FIFA members commentator that the UK and England in particular have a right to special and even a dominant role in FIFA .

In both these cases the English FA could arguably have a point but that does not give them the right to assume that they can run football in the whole of the UK.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland should be treated as equals by the English FA and any one ,for any reason should have the power to Veto the establishment of a UK (not British)  Under 23    (even selfish ones) Olympic side it is not for them nor Gordon Brown, David Cameron or Seb Coe to say so,