Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team
Encyclopedia
The Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team (also known as Team GB or prior to 1922 as Great Britain and Ireland Olympic football team) represents Great Britain and Northern Ireland
in international football
competitions in the Olympic Games
. The selection is limited to players under the age of 23, except three overage players. The team first competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics
, controlled by the English Football Association (FA) and competed in or attempted to qualify for a further ten Olympic Games, up to and including the 1972 Games. The team was controlled by the FA as an off-shoot of the English national amateur football team for this period, though occupationally players from the rest of the UK competed for the team. After the FA abolished the distinction between amateur and professional players, and thus abolished the amateur team, the Olympic side was also disbanded.
The Olympic football team has been reformed, again run by the FA, for the 2012 Olympic Games, which are to be hosted in London
, in the UK. The team's coach is Stuart Pearce
, who will be permitted to select players from across the UK. The national football associations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all oppose their players being selected for the team.
(FA), was formed in 1863, its geographical remit was not clear: there was no specification of whether it covered just England, the UK as a whole or even the entire world. The question was answered when the Scottish Football Association
(SFA) was founded in 1873. The third national football association, the Football Association of Wales
was founded in 1876 and a fourth, the Irish Football Association
, (IFA), was founded in 1880.
Football therefore developed with separate national teams representing separate associations for each of the countries of the United Kingdom
and no 'United Kingdom football association' was ever formed. When football was held as a demonstration sport
at the 1900 Olympic Games, club teams entered with Upton Park
representing the UK. Upton Park won the gold medal, which has since been retroactively awarded by the International Olympic Committee
as a full gold. For the 1908 Olympic Games in London
, the FA persuaded the IOC to include a football tournament, which they organised. A team, made up entirely of English players, was entered. Some sources continue to refer to this team as the England national amateur football team
, whilst others still simply label all participations as Great Britain. Although the team competed as the United Kingdom and are listed as such, the official match report refers to "the English team". An arrangement was reached with the other Home Nations' FAs, under which a Great Britain team consisting of amateur players organised by the FA would enter future tournaments.
The composition and of this team varied over time. Squads were predominantly made up of English players, although in some years non-English players were involved.
, which was hosted in London
. The football tournament was organised by the FA and all the matches were played at White City Stadium
. Great Britain won all three of their matches, defeating Sweden
and Netherlands
in the first two rounds. They met Denmark
in the final, defeating them 2-0 with goals from Vivian Woodward
and Frederick Chapman
.
Great Britain won again at the 1912 Games
. Repeating the 1908 tournament form, Britain won all three matches and defeated Denmark in the final, this time 4-2. Woodward, who scored in the previous final, was captain for this tournament. The team withdrew from the 1924
and 1928 Games
over disputes surrounding professionalism, which eventually led to the withdrawal of the Home Nations from FIFA
, and the creation of the FIFA World Cup
.
Following this, Great Britain competed from 1948
through to 1972
, though they failed to qualify for all Games after 1960
. Their most successful tournament came in 1948
, which was also hosted in London
. Having lost the semi-final to Yugoslavia
, Britain once again faced Denmark. This time, however, they were defeated 5-3 and missed out on a bronze medal. Wembley Stadium hosted Great Britain's final two matches, though they also played at Craven Cottage
and Highbury
.
After 1948, Great Britain were never a significant threat at the Olympics again. In 1952
they lost to Luxembourg
, whilst Great Britain's final match was a 5-0 qualifying round defeat by Bulgaria national side
in 1971 following a 1-0 victory at Wembley Stadium against the same team. After the Football Association scrapped the distinction between professional
and amateur
players in 1974, no more British Olympic teams were entered.
enters the European Under–21 Championship
, which functions as the European qualifying competition for the Olympics. This means that a Great Britain team cannot qualify, although there have been examples in the past where an individual home nation would have qualified if it had been eligible.
The British Olympic Association
initially refused to rule out the possibility of entry for the 2008 Summer Olympics
, but a team was not entered. England qualified for the Olympics by reaching the semi-finals of the 2007 Under–21 Championship
, but Italy
took their vacated place by winning a play-off match against Portugal
. The England women's team
also qualified for the 2008 Olympics, through their performance in the 2007 World Cup
. They were denied a place at the Olympics because the other three Home Nations refused to give their consent.
, the United Kingdom had the right to enter a team in the football tournament as host nation. The British Olympic Association
stated it would enter a football team, but the Scottish Football Association
refused even to attend meetings at which the Home Nations
were to discuss the possibility and the Football Association of Wales
withdrew from the negotiations. In October 2007 the Irish Football Association
(the association for Northern Ireland) also announced that they would not take part in a unified team, leaving the English FA as the only association willing to take part.
A 2005 opinion poll
published by the British Olympic Association
claimed that a majority of Scots supported the creation of a team for the 2012 Olympics. A joint statement issued by the official fan clubs of all four Home Nations voiced their opposition to the plan. Various prominent politician
s also offered their opinion as to whether there should be a British team in the 2012 Olympics. Prime Minister
Gordon Brown
stated during the 2008 Olympics that he wanted a British team and would work towards that happening, although he acknowledged that it could affect the autonomy of the Home Nations. First Minister of Scotland
Alex Salmond
then stated his opposition to a British team, arguing that Brown must be "seriously out of touch with Scotland" to support it.
The SFA's
opposition to the plans were rooted primarily in the fear that the Home Nations
would be forced to field a combined team in all competitions. This would mean the loss of the special status of the Home Nations, established under FIFA's constitution. FIFA President Sepp Blatter
had given assurances to each of the British Associations that their status would not be affected by fielding a combined team in 2012. The SFA refused to change its position, arguing that Blatter's personal opinion and permission might not matter once he has left office, and that they did not wish to jeopardise their status.
Blatter seemed to change his view in March 2008, when he stated that "they should enter only a team composed of players from England" and he suggested that the independent status of the four British associations could be harmed by a unified team. UEFA
chief executive David Taylor
, a former chief executive of the SFA
, said in August 2008 that a British Olympic team would threaten the existence of the individual home nations. Taylor also said that the unique status of the Home Nations had come under attack before from other FIFA members, and that it was "difficult to see what guarantees could be given" to protect that status. At a conference held in conjunction with the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup
in Japan, the prospect of a UK team for the 2012 Olympics was discussed by the FIFA Executive Committee, who gave their approval.
A compromise was eventually reached between the four associations, whereby a squad of English players only would represent the United Kingdom. The football associations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales sent a joint letter to FIFA stating that they would not participate, but that they would not object to England participating alone. This agreement was challenged by the British Olympic Association, who want to select players from all four countries and claimed it would be potentially discriminatory to only select English players. Jim Boyce
has commented that there is no legal restriction on players being selected by the BOA and the Scottish FA has admitted that it would have no legal grounds to prevent Scottish players from participating. The FA announced in October 2011 that Stuart Pearce
would be the head coach. The team is expected to play two friendlies in 2012, prior to the Olympic tournament.
In November 2011, world 400m hurdles champion
Dai Greene spoke in opposition to Team GB. Greene said that he felt that there should not be an Olympic football tournament because it is not the pinnacle of that sport. He also expressed fears that coverage of the football team would overshadow interest in the other competitors. Greene claimed that his attitude would be shared by most other athletes.
. These matches must not take place at venues which will be used during the Olympics tournament. Villa Park
in Birmingham
has been suggested as a likely venue, with both friendlies taking place as part of a 'double-header' with matches from the women's Olympic team
.
During the Olympic tournament, Great Britain will compete at the following times and venues:
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in international football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
competitions in the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
. The selection is limited to players under the age of 23, except three overage players. The team first competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
, controlled by the English Football Association (FA) and competed in or attempted to qualify for a further ten Olympic Games, up to and including the 1972 Games. The team was controlled by the FA as an off-shoot of the English national amateur football team for this period, though occupationally players from the rest of the UK competed for the team. After the FA abolished the distinction between amateur and professional players, and thus abolished the amateur team, the Olympic side was also disbanded.
The Olympic football team has been reformed, again run by the FA, for the 2012 Olympic Games, which are to be hosted in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, in the UK. The team's coach is Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce OBE is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the England national under-21 team and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team...
, who will be permitted to select players from across the UK. The national football associations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all oppose their players being selected for the team.
Origins and Composition
When the world's first football association, The Football AssociationThe Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
(FA), was formed in 1863, its geographical remit was not clear: there was no specification of whether it covered just England, the UK as a whole or even the entire world. The question was answered when the Scottish Football Association
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
(SFA) was founded in 1873. The third national football association, the Football Association of Wales
Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of FIFA, UEFA and the IFAB.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
was founded in 1876 and a fourth, the Irish Football Association
Irish Football Association
The Irish Football Association is the organising body for association football in Northern Ireland, and was historically the governing body for Ireland...
, (IFA), was founded in 1880.
Football therefore developed with separate national teams representing separate associations for each of the countries of the United Kingdom
Countries of the United Kingdom
Countries of the United Kingdom is a term used to describe England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. These four countries together form the sovereign state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which is also described as a country. The alternative terms, constituent...
and no 'United Kingdom football association' was ever formed. When football was held as a demonstration sport
Demonstration sport
A demonstration sport is a sport which is played to promote itself, most commonly during the Olympic Games, but also at other sporting events.Demonstration sports were officially introduced in 1912 Summer Olympics, when Sweden decided to include glima, traditional Icelandic wrestling, in the...
at the 1900 Olympic Games, club teams entered with Upton Park
Upton Park F.C.
Upton Park Football Club were an amateur football club from Upton Park, London in the late 19th and early 20th century, now defunct. As well as being one of the fifteen teams that played in the inaugural FA Cup, they also represented Great Britain at the 1900 Summer Olympics football tournament,...
representing the UK. Upton Park won the gold medal, which has since been retroactively awarded by the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
as a full gold. For the 1908 Olympic Games in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the FA persuaded the IOC to include a football tournament, which they organised. A team, made up entirely of English players, was entered. Some sources continue to refer to this team as the England national amateur football team
England national amateur football team
The England national amateur football team was the amateur representative team for England at football. It was formed in 1906, due to the growth of the professional game which meant that amateur players could no longer easily find places in the main England national team.-First match and unbeaten...
, whilst others still simply label all participations as Great Britain. Although the team competed as the United Kingdom and are listed as such, the official match report refers to "the English team". An arrangement was reached with the other Home Nations' FAs, under which a Great Britain team consisting of amateur players organised by the FA would enter future tournaments.
The composition and of this team varied over time. Squads were predominantly made up of English players, although in some years non-English players were involved.
Tournaments
Great Britain won the first Olympics football tournament in 1908Football at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Bohemia were forced to withdraw before the tournament started after losing their FIFA membership.-Semi-finals:-Bronze medal match:The French were so shocked by their humiliating 17-1 defeat against Denmark that they declined to play for the bronze medal; therefore, the Netherlands played Sweden for...
, which was hosted in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The football tournament was organised by the FA and all the matches were played at White City Stadium
White City Stadium
White City Stadium was built in White City, London, for the 1908 Summer Olympics, often seen as the precursor to the modern seater stadium and noted for hosting the finish of the first modern distance marathon. It also hosted speedway and a match at the 1966 World Cup, before the stadium was...
. Great Britain won all three of their matches, defeating Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
and Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
in the first two rounds. They met Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
in the final, defeating them 2-0 with goals from Vivian Woodward
Vivian Woodward
Vivian John Woodward was an English amateur football player who enjoyed the peak of his career in the late 1900s and early 1910s.-Club career:...
and Frederick Chapman
Frederick Chapman (footballer)
Frederick William Chapman was an English amateur footballer who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.-Club career:Chapman played for Notts Magdala, Nottingham Forest and South Nottingham...
.
Great Britain won again at the 1912 Games
1912 Summer Olympics
The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports...
. Repeating the 1908 tournament form, Britain won all three matches and defeated Denmark in the final, this time 4-2. Woodward, who scored in the previous final, was captain for this tournament. The team withdrew from the 1924
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
and 1928 Games
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
over disputes surrounding professionalism, which eventually led to the withdrawal of the Home Nations from FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
, and the creation of the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
.
Following this, Great Britain competed from 1948
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
through to 1972
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
, though they failed to qualify for all Games after 1960
Football at the 1960 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 1960 Summer Olympics was held from 26 August to 10 September in 1960 throughout Italy.-Venues:-Medalists:-Group A:---------------------Group B:---------------------Group C:--------...
. Their most successful tournament came in 1948
Football at the 1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Olympic Games title was won by Sweden, managed by Englishman George Raynor.-Summary:Sweden, whose Football Association forbade professionalism within domestic football, ran out as winners and only used 12 players throughout the entire tournament but there were exceptional performances put...
, which was also hosted in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Having lost the semi-final to Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
, Britain once again faced Denmark. This time, however, they were defeated 5-3 and missed out on a bronze medal. Wembley Stadium hosted Great Britain's final two matches, though they also played at Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage is the name of a football stadium in the Hammersmith and Fulham area that has been the home ground of the association football team Fulham F.C. since 1896....
and Highbury
Arsenal Stadium
Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006...
.
After 1948, Great Britain were never a significant threat at the Olympics again. In 1952
Football at the 1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Olympic football tournament signalled the arrival of the 'Golden Team'; the 'Magical Magyars': Hungary. Ferenc Puskás, the great Hungarian known as the 'Galloping Major' for his military title, said of the 1952 competition: "It was during the Olympics that our football first started to...
they lost to Luxembourg
Luxembourg national football team
The Luxembourg national football team is the national football team of Luxembourg, and is controlled by the Luxembourg Football Federation. The team play most of their home matches at the Stade Josy Barthel, in Luxembourg.- History :...
, whilst Great Britain's final match was a 5-0 qualifying round defeat by Bulgaria national side
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
in 1971 following a 1-0 victory at Wembley Stadium against the same team. After the Football Association scrapped the distinction between professional
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
and amateur
Amateur sports
Amateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration. Sporting amateurism was a zealously guarded ideal in the 19th century, especially among the upper classes, but faced steady erosion throughout the 20th century with the continuing growth of pro sports...
players in 1974, no more British Olympic teams were entered.
1972 to 2008
In 1972, Olympic were relaxed to allow professionals to take part, but no GB team has been entered. Each of the Home NationsHome Nations
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on the context. Politically, it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom...
enters the European Under–21 Championship
UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The European Under-21 Football Championship is a football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. It is held every two years. The competition has existed in its current form since 1978. It was preceded by the Under 23 Challenge Cup which ran from 1967 to 1970...
, which functions as the European qualifying competition for the Olympics. This means that a Great Britain team cannot qualify, although there have been examples in the past where an individual home nation would have qualified if it had been eligible.
- 1992 -
- 1996 -
- 2008 -
The British Olympic Association
British Olympic Association
The British Olympic Association is the national Olympic committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It was formed in 1905 in the House of Commons, and at that time consisted of seven national governing body members from the following sports: fencing, life-saving, cycling, skating, rowing,...
initially refused to rule out the possibility of entry for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, but a team was not entered. England qualified for the Olympics by reaching the semi-finals of the 2007 Under–21 Championship
2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 were held from 10 June 2007 to 23 June 2007. It is the 16th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship....
, but Italy
Italy national under-21 football team
The Italy national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Italy and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation.The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
took their vacated place by winning a play-off match against Portugal
Portugal national under-21 football team
The Portugal national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Portugal and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation . They are nicknamed "Esperanças." Esperança means hope, thus they are Portugal's hopes for the future...
. The England women's team
England women's national football team
The England women's national football team represents England in international women's football. The side has been quite successful of late, qualifying for three World Cups, 1995, 2007 and 2011...
also qualified for the 2008 Olympics, through their performance in the 2007 World Cup
FIFA Women's World Cup 2007
The FIFA Women's World Cup 2007 was an international association football competition for women held in China from September 10, 2007 – September 30, 2007. Originally, China was to host the 2003 Women's World Cup, but the outbreak of SARS in that country forced that event to be moved to the United...
. They were denied a place at the Olympics because the other three Home Nations refused to give their consent.
London 2012
Due to London's successful bid for the 2012 Summer OlympicsLondon 2012 Olympic bid
London 2012 was the successful bid for the 2012 Summer Games, to be held in London with most events taking place in Stratford, Newham. The British Olympic Association had been working on the bid since 1997...
, the United Kingdom had the right to enter a team in the football tournament as host nation. The British Olympic Association
British Olympic Association
The British Olympic Association is the national Olympic committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It was formed in 1905 in the House of Commons, and at that time consisted of seven national governing body members from the following sports: fencing, life-saving, cycling, skating, rowing,...
stated it would enter a football team, but the Scottish Football Association
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
refused even to attend meetings at which the Home Nations
Home Nations
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on the context. Politically, it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom...
were to discuss the possibility and the Football Association of Wales
Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of FIFA, UEFA and the IFAB.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
withdrew from the negotiations. In October 2007 the Irish Football Association
Irish Football Association
The Irish Football Association is the organising body for association football in Northern Ireland, and was historically the governing body for Ireland...
(the association for Northern Ireland) also announced that they would not take part in a unified team, leaving the English FA as the only association willing to take part.
A 2005 opinion poll
Opinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
published by the British Olympic Association
British Olympic Association
The British Olympic Association is the national Olympic committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It was formed in 1905 in the House of Commons, and at that time consisted of seven national governing body members from the following sports: fencing, life-saving, cycling, skating, rowing,...
claimed that a majority of Scots supported the creation of a team for the 2012 Olympics. A joint statement issued by the official fan clubs of all four Home Nations voiced their opposition to the plan. Various prominent politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s also offered their opinion as to whether there should be a British team in the 2012 Olympics. Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
stated during the 2008 Olympics that he wanted a British team and would work towards that happening, although he acknowledged that it could affect the autonomy of the Home Nations. First Minister of Scotland
First Minister of Scotland
The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
Alex Salmond
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and current First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party , having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon...
then stated his opposition to a British team, arguing that Brown must be "seriously out of touch with Scotland" to support it.
The SFA's
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
opposition to the plans were rooted primarily in the fear that the Home Nations
Home Nations
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on the context. Politically, it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom...
would be forced to field a combined team in all competitions. This would mean the loss of the special status of the Home Nations, established under FIFA's constitution. FIFA President Sepp Blatter
Sepp Blatter
Joseph S. Blatter , commonly known as Sepp Blatter, is a Swiss football administrator, who serves as the 8th and current President of FIFA . He was elected on 8 June 1998, succeeding João Havelange. He was re-elected as President in 2002, 2007, and 2011...
had given assurances to each of the British Associations that their status would not be affected by fielding a combined team in 2012. The SFA refused to change its position, arguing that Blatter's personal opinion and permission might not matter once he has left office, and that they did not wish to jeopardise their status.
Blatter seemed to change his view in March 2008, when he stated that "they should enter only a team composed of players from England" and he suggested that the independent status of the four British associations could be harmed by a unified team. UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
chief executive David Taylor
David Taylor (Scottish football)
David Taylor is the joint General Secretary of the UEFA.Taylor was appointed to this role on June 1, 2007 after the UEFA extraordinary congress in Zurich on May 29, 2007 voted to replace the role of Chief Executive with that of General Secretary...
, a former chief executive of the SFA
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
, said in August 2008 that a British Olympic team would threaten the existence of the individual home nations. Taylor also said that the unique status of the Home Nations had come under attack before from other FIFA members, and that it was "difficult to see what guarantees could be given" to protect that status. At a conference held in conjunction with the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup
2008 FIFA Club World Cup
-Play-off for Quarter-finals:-Quarter-finals:-----Semi-finals:-----Match for fifth place:-Match for third place:-Final:-Scorers:3 goals Wayne Rooney...
in Japan, the prospect of a UK team for the 2012 Olympics was discussed by the FIFA Executive Committee, who gave their approval.
A compromise was eventually reached between the four associations, whereby a squad of English players only would represent the United Kingdom. The football associations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales sent a joint letter to FIFA stating that they would not participate, but that they would not object to England participating alone. This agreement was challenged by the British Olympic Association, who want to select players from all four countries and claimed it would be potentially discriminatory to only select English players. Jim Boyce
Jim Boyce
Jim Boyce is the current Vice-President of FIFA. He took the role in June 2011 after the departure of Jack Warner, who resigned after allegations of corruption. He is the life president of Northern Ireland's football organising body, the IFA.Boyce played for Ballymena Cricket Club during the 1970s...
has commented that there is no legal restriction on players being selected by the BOA and the Scottish FA has admitted that it would have no legal grounds to prevent Scottish players from participating. The FA announced in October 2011 that Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce OBE is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the England national under-21 team and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team...
would be the head coach. The team is expected to play two friendlies in 2012, prior to the Olympic tournament.
In November 2011, world 400m hurdles champion
2011 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres hurdles
The Men's 400 metres hurdles event at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Daegu Stadium on August 29, 30 and September 1....
Dai Greene spoke in opposition to Team GB. Greene said that he felt that there should not be an Olympic football tournament because it is not the pinnacle of that sport. He also expressed fears that coverage of the football team would overshadow interest in the other competitors. Greene claimed that his attitude would be shared by most other athletes.
Forthcoming Fixtures
Great Britain are expected to play two friendlies prior to the 2012 Summer Olympics football tournamentFootball at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics is scheduled to be held in London and several other cities in the United Kingdom, from 25 July to 11 August. The finals will be played at Wembley Stadium. Associations affiliated with FIFA are invited to send their full women's national teams and men's U-23...
. These matches must not take place at venues which will be used during the Olympics tournament. Villa Park
Villa Park
Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
has been suggested as a likely venue, with both friendlies taking place as part of a 'double-header' with matches from the women's Olympic team
Great Britain and Northern Ireland women's Olympic football team
The Great Britain and Northern Ireland women's Olympic football team represents the United Kingdom in the women's football tournament at the Olympic Games. There is normally no team representing the United Kingdom at women's football: rather, separate teams compete for England, Scotland, Wales and...
.
During the Olympic tournament, Great Britain will compete at the following times and venues:
Olympic record, coaches and squads
| Olympics Record Football at the Summer Olympics Association football, usually known simply as football or soccer, has been included in every Olympiad except 1896 and 1932 as a men's competition sport. Women's football was added to the official programme in 1996.-Early history:... |
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| Year | Coach | Squad | Round | Position | GP | W | D | L | GS | GA |
 18961896 Summer Olympics The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Athens, Greece, from April 6 to April 15, 1896. It was the first international Olympic Games held in the Modern era... |
No football tournament | |||||||||
 1900Football at the 1900 Summer Olympics At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a football tournament was contested for the first time. Only two demonstration matches were held between the three club sides, and no medals were awarded... |
Did Not Enter: Upton Park F.C. Upton Park F.C. Upton Park Football Club were an amateur football club from Upton Park, London in the late 19th and early 20th century, now defunct. As well as being one of the fifteen teams that played in the inaugural FA Cup, they also represented Great Britain at the 1900 Summer Olympics football tournament,... represented UK |
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 1904Football at the 1904 Summer Olympics At the 1904 Summer Olympics, a football event was contested. Only three club teams competed. No medals were awarded at the time, but the IOC subsequently awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals and upgrade the status of the contests to an official event.... |
Did Not Enter | |||||||||
 1908Football at the 1908 Summer Olympics Bohemia were forced to withdraw before the tournament started after losing their FIFA membership.-Semi-finals:-Bronze medal match:The French were so shocked by their humiliating 17-1 defeat against Denmark that they declined to play for the bronze medal; therefore, the Netherlands played Sweden for... |
Alfred Davis | 1908 squad | Gold Medal | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
 1912Football at the 1912 Summer Olympics Football at the 1912 Summer Olympics was one of the 102 events at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. It was the fourth time football was on the Olympic schedule. The tournament was contested between 11 nations, all of them from Europe, with Great Britain winning the gold medals... |
Adrian Birch | 1912 squad | Gold Medal | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 |
 1920Football at the 1920 Summer Olympics The football at the 1920 Summer Olympics, was one of the 154 events at the 1920 Summer Olympics, held in Antwerp. It was the fifth time football was on the Olympic schedule. The tournament was contested by 14 teams, with host country Belgium winning the gold medals... |
George Latham | 1920 sqaud | Round 1 | |||||||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |||||
| 1924 Football at the 1924 Summer Olympics At the 1924 Summer Olympics held in Paris, Uruguay dominated the Football tournament winning the Gold.-Amateur Status:In 1921, the Belgium Football Association first allowed for payments to players for time lost from work; in the months that followed four other Associations permitted similar... |
Withdrew | |||||||||
 1928Football at the 1928 Summer Olympics Football at the 1928 Summer Olympics tournament, won by Uruguay against Argentina, would be the precursor to the first FIFA World Cup held in 1930 in Uruguay.-Medalists:-Background:... |
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| 1932 1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations... |
No football tournament | |||||||||
 1936Football at the 1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Olympic football tournament, won by Italy, has come to share an affinity with the political backdrop against which it was being played; in terms of the history of football, however, the tournament suffered as a reaction to the development of the FIFA World Cup.The introduction of the first... |
Stanley Rous Stanley Rous Sir Stanley Ford Rous, CBE was the 6th President of FIFA, serving from 1961 to 1974. He also served as secretary of the Football Association from 1934 to 1962 and was an international referee.-Early Life:... |
1936 squad | Quarter Finals | |||||||
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | |||||
| 1948 Football at the 1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Olympic Games title was won by Sweden, managed by Englishman George Raynor.-Summary:Sweden, whose Football Association forbade professionalism within domestic football, ran out as winners and only used 12 players throughout the entire tournament but there were exceptional performances put... |
Matt Busby Matt Busby Sir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby, CBE, KCSG was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season... |
1948 squad | Semi Finals | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 11 |
 1952Football at the 1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Olympic football tournament signalled the arrival of the 'Golden Team'; the 'Magical Magyars': Hungary. Ferenc Puskás, the great Hungarian known as the 'Galloping Major' for his military title, said of the 1952 competition: "It was during the Olympics that our football first started to... |
Walter Winterbottom | 1952 squad | Preliminary Round | |||||||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | |||||
 1956Football at the 1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Olympic Games football tournament with just 11 competing nations suffered from cancellations. It was an undistinguished tournament that featured mis-matches and walkovers.-Background:... |
Norman Creek Norman Creek (footballer) Frederick Norman Smith Creek MBE, MC was an English amateur footballer who was associated with the Corinthians amateur team for many years... |
1956 squad | Quarter Finals | |||||||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |||||
 1960Football at the 1960 Summer Olympics The football tournament at the 1960 Summer Olympics was held from 26 August to 10 September in 1960 throughout Italy.-Venues:-Medalists:-Group A:---------------------Group B:---------------------Group C:--------... |
1960 squad | Round 1 | ||||||||
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 | |||||
 1964Football at the 1964 Summer Olympics The football competition at the 1964 Summer Olympics started on October 11 and ended on October 23. Only one event, the men's tournament, was contested... |
Charles Hughes Charles Hughes (football coach) Charles Hughes was the director of FA coaching for the Football Association. He authored the FA's official coaching manual and was an early developer of long ball tactics.-Coaching:... |
Did Not Qualify | ||||||||
 1968Football at the 1968 Summer Olympics Final results for the football competition at the 1968 Summer Olympics.-Medalists:-Group A:-------------------------Group B:-------------------------Group C:Ghana replaced Morocco, who refused to play Israel.----... |
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 1972Football at the 1972 Summer Olympics Final results for the Football competition at the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich, Augsburg, Ingolstadt, Nürnberg, Passau, and Regensburg.-Medalists:-Group A: ---- -----------------Group B: ---- ----------------... |
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 1976Football at the 1976 Summer Olympics Final results for the Football competition at the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, and Sherbrooke. Groups A, C and D had only three teams instead of four, as Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia national teams adhered to African-led boycott of the Games against the participation of New... |
Did Not Enter | |||||||||
 1980Football at the 1980 Summer Olympics thumb|right|Official Programme of the match [[USSR]] vs [[Venezuela]]The football tournament at the 1980 Summer Olympics started on July 20 and ended on August 2. Only one event, the men's tournament, was contested... |
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| 1984 Football at the 1984 Summer Olympics The football tournament at the 1984 Summer Olympics started on July 29 and ended on August 11. It featured only a men's tournament, as women's football had yet to become an Olympic event. It was the first Olympic football competition in which professionals were allowed... |
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 1988Football at the 1988 Summer Olympics Final results for the football competition at the 1988 Summer Olympics. The tournament was held from September 17, 1988 to October 1, 1988.-Medal summary:... |
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 1992 |
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| 1996 Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics The association football competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics was held in Birmingham, Alabama; Washington, D.C; Orlando, Florida; Miami, Florida; and Athens, Georgia.... |
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| 2000 Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics The football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra... |
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 2004Football at the 2004 Summer Olympics The football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics started on 11 August, , and ended on 28 August.The men's tournament is played by U-23 national teams, with up to three over age players allowed per squad... |
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 2008Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held in Beijing and several other cities in the People's Republic of China from 6 August to 23 August. Associations affiliated with FIFA were invited to send their full women's national teams and men's U-23 teams to participate... |
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| 2012 Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics is scheduled to be held in London and several other cities in the United Kingdom, from 25 July to 11 August. The finals will be played at Wembley Stadium. Associations affiliated with FIFA are invited to send their full women's national teams and men's U-23... |
Stuart Pearce Stuart Pearce Stuart Pearce OBE is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the England national under-21 team and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team... |
Qualified | ||||||||
| Total | 9/25 | 2 Medals | 18 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 49 | 36 | ||