Team GB. Only half the story again

Here we go again with the British media reports on the propossed mens GB team for the 2012 Olympics

The BBC report that....

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.

One wonders who persuaded Ramsey and Bale to do this . I suspect a media set up.

This News coincided with a report that

David Beckham has reiterated his interest in playing for the Great Britain football team at the London Olympics and insists he can still perform at the top level.
The 36-year-old's deal with current club the Los Angeles Galaxy is about to run out and he admits there has been interest from Barclays Premier League clubs as well as Ligue 1 side Paris St Germain.

There are also  claims..

"The former England skipper has been linked with the team for next year's Games and of the possibility of being involved, Beckham told BBC Sport: "We all dream about it and we all think about it. If it happens, I'll be honoured.",

But Beckham would be an unlikely squad member given the ruling that only three over 23-year-olds are permitted in Olympic squads.He will be 37 by then

The reason for this is The World Cup is the major competition and the Olympics cannot be seen as runing a secondary comeitition hence the under 23's where there is no equivalent FIFA one.

But not all the media point this out and there is no mention of this by the BBC or when they reported the Beckham.

The rules state:

“All players participating in the preliminary and final competitions of the Tournament shall be born on or after 1 January 1989. However, a maximum of three male players who do not meet this age limit may also be included in the official list of players for the final competition.

The inclusion of a 37as part of the three overage whose inclusion will be seen as many as merely to publicize the event would surely show this for the sham it is..

The London Media and (the Welsh Media) for that matter should stop giving the impression that this is a full blown international tournament. It is not and they should say so

Another Sport that could cause a problem is Ruby 7's

On 13 August 2009 it was announced that the IOC executive board was recommending rugby sevens for inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games and on 9 October 2009 the full IOC, at its 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen, voted to include Rugby Sevens in the 2016 games.

This came after the IRB announced that they would drop the Rugby World Cup Sevens in order to improve the chances of the sport being included. The benefit of this move would be to make the Olympics the premier event in international rugby sevens.

Therer would appear at  first to be less controversy in this as there is no threat to the Identity of English,Scottish and Welsh sides but I can see a problem when it comes to Northern Ireland players.


Will the GB side contain players from Northern Ireland or if will players from the six counties be only eligible for an all Ireland side whether they field a side or not?

Ireland  do not regularly play 7 tournaments.

There is a precedent for this. I understand that Boxing like Ruby Union is an all Ireland sport and those from Northern Ireland Box in the Olympics for Ireland not GB. 

I imagine when this potential problem is realised we might have even greater controversy than that over a minor football competition.