26 August 2008

Footie politics

All this talk of a GB football team for the London Olympics seems a bit pointless. It is not as though Jim Baxter, Denis Law and Kenny Dalgleish were still in their pomp. I struggle to think of any current Scottish players who would merit inclusion in a GB squad. Barry Ferguson against Gerrard, Lampard, Cole, Hargreaves et al? McManus against Ferdinand, Terry and co? I suppose Craig Gordon might be in with a shout.

The present English team might not be world-beaters, but it is difficult to see that a leavening of Scottish (or Welsh or Northern Irish) players would effect any improvement. Which is not the point of course. But why play an essentially English team under a GB flag?

On a point of historical interest, there was indeed a GB football team which used to play in the Olympics in, I think, the 1950s. It was composed entirely of amateurs, as in those days professionals (in all sports) were excluded from the Olympics. (How quaint, I hear you respond.) But I think I am correct in asserting that the GB team included Davie Holt, the Hearts full back of that era, who remained an amateur during his time at Tynecastle.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This whole issue is easily resolved. FIFA should be asked for a categorical gaurantee that entering a UK Team in the 2012 Olympics will not jeopardise the individual status of the home nation teams (and of course the SFA's junketing rights on the International Board). If anything less than a cast-iron guarantee is forthcoming, then the idea should be dropped.