[RosspCfc]

DJP, on 09 December 2011 - 21:14, said:

What a joke. We can't afford to lose any players as it is, let alone narrow minded views like this. If FIFA do say it will end the Scotland team then players should say no, as should English, Welsh, N.Irish. However if FIFA/UEFA keep their promise that all 4 nations can keep their own individual status, then no harm. Let them play in it. The only people who should be bothered by team GB during the Olymipcs are the players club sides who may lose a player for a few weeks.

The whole football in the olympics is a joke, I will not be watching any games and will have no interest in how anyone does. But if a player wants to play for Great Britain in a one off event, then let him do so. I do wish Great Britain well in all events at the Olympics.

The bit in bold is a bit naïve

[Kincardine]

Supras, on 09 December 2011 - 21:26, said:

By choosing to play for Team GB they are demonstrating they couldn't give a shit about Scotlands national team - they are more than willing to risk its utter destruction.

[Supras]

RosspCfc, on 09 December 2011 - 21:39, said:

The bit in bold is a bit naïve

Of course it is, FIFA would be delighted to get rid of the IAFA and reduce European seats from 4 to 1. They'd be stupid not to.

English fans aren't concerned because the entire venture is being run by the FA, (shit) English manager, English administrators and picking players from other associations without their permission. It's grotesque and I am not at all surprised by the horrified public reaction, Scotland is one of the worlds most passionate and oldest footballing nations - of course we will oppose our utter destruction.

Also Stuart Pearce as manager and David Beckham as captain? Why would we want to associate ourselves with that trainwreck?

[MTJ]

I must be the only person who couldn't give a shit if we lost our national team. The fact its pissing off a load of hillbillies is an added bonus.

[Supras]

MTJ, on 09 December 2011 - 22:01, said:

I must be the only person who couldn't give a shit if we lost our national team. The fact its pissing off a load of hillbillies is an added bonus.

Our league would disappear as well.

[RosspCfc]

Supras, on 09 December 2011 - 22:05, said:

Our league would disappear as well.

Some people don't want any Scottish football though with a Team GB and a GB league. Ross County v Plymouth would be fun!!

[HibeeJibee]

DJP, on 09 December 2011 - 21:14, said:

What a joke. We can't afford to lose any players as it is. If FIFA do say it will end the Scotland team then players should say no, as should English, Welsh, N.Irish. However if FIFA/UEFA keep their promise that all 4 nations can keep their own individual status, then no harm. Let them play in it. The only people who should be bothered by team GB during the Olympics are the players club sides who may lose a player for a few weeks.

I don't subscribe to the 'ban them' school, and posted above my being generally comfortable with the concept. But equally: the bold is highly naieve. A promise is only kept until, well, it's not. There's no way of binding a future UEFA/FIFA congress to anything.

People concentrate on "UK national team". That's extreme, but it's also about protecting our:
* Vice-Presidency
* 4 independent votes
* IFAB seats

All of those are areas which have come under attack before, and will do so again - so there is a legimitate argument that fielding a united XI further undermines our ability to defend those entitlements.

[MTJ]

Supras, on 09 December 2011 - 22:05, said:

Our league would disappear as well.

I don't really care about that either.

[Kincardine]

Supras, on 09 December 2011 - 21:51, said:

Of course it is, FIFA would be delighted to get rid of the IAFA and reduce European seats from 4 to 1. They'd be stupid not to.

English fans aren't concerned because the entire venture is being run by the FA, (shit) English manager, English administrators and picking players from other associations without their permission. It's grotesque and I am not at all surprised by the horrified public reaction, Scotland is one of the worlds most passionate and oldest footballing nations - of course we will oppose our utter destruction.

There is a corollary to this. If Scotland loses its identity as a footballing nation as a result of a combined team for the Olympic Games then so does England. Your pathetic doomsday prediction means the end of Engurland. Maybe not such a bad thought?

[RosspCfc]

MTJ, on 09 December 2011 - 22:17, said:

I don't really care about that either.

Aye I'm really looking forward to a snowy Tuesday night away to Coleraine!

[MTJ]

Thats why you regionalise ya trumpet.

[RosspCfc]

MTJ, on 09 December 2011 - 22:23, said:

Thats why you regionalise ya trumpet.

So it would be a Scottish league anyway, so just keep it as it is . I would also rather have England doing well than there not being a Scottish National Team

[MTJ]

RosspCfc, on 09 December 2011 - 22:25, said:

So it would be a Scottish league anyway, so just keep it as it is . I would also rather have England doing well than there not being a Scottish National Team

No. If the home nations had no choice but to merge their existing league systems they would have to somehow work out a system where the smaller clubs, i.e mine, play at a regionalised level due to travelling and to sustain decent numbers of away fans at games. I'd much rather have a few novelty days out on the piss in some new towns once a season than make the trip to boring hellholes like Fife and Livingston as often as our teams currently do.

Anyway, only really Linfield and probably Glentoran could sustain the full-time setup to play at any sort of the reasonable level. The rest of the teams would probably end up playing at a terrible standard or somehow find a loop hole to continue playing in Ireland, as it would put most clubs out of business anyway due to the travelling costs.

[Jordo1872]

youngsy, on 09 December 2011 - 20:28, said:

Show one bit of evidence that states if there is a Team GB in the Olympics that this will finish the UK having four international teams. There is nothing to suggest this will happen except from the scaremongers amongst the Scottish support.

The status quo today may not be the status quo tomorrow. If you fail to understand the internal politics within FIFA then, again, there is no point trying to have a reasoned debate with you. It's such a cliched, naive attitude it's laughable.

[Supras]

MTJ, on 09 December 2011 - 22:17, said:

I don't really care about that either.

Making your presence on this site somewhat surpising.

Kincardine, on 09 December 2011 - 22:21, said:

There is a corollary to this. If Scotland loses its identity as a footballing nation as a result of a combined team for the Olympic Games then so does England. Your pathetic doomsday prediction means the end of Engurland. Maybe not such a bad thought?

I have already discussed this, England is disappearing sure, but they aren't as concerned because they knew it will (understandably) be a predominanlty English institution, Based in England, run by Englishmen, team managed by an Englishman (always) a team predominantly made of Englishmen (always). Like cricket they might as well call it England but with players from, well, anywhere you want.

And as a football fan I don't want to see the end of England, it, along with Scotland, is the oldest footballing nation on earth. It is part of the history of football and all home nations should be preserved.

[Kincardine]

Supras, on 09 December 2011 - 22:53, said:

Making your presence on this site somewhat surpising.



I have already discussed this, England is disappearing sure, but they aren't as concerned because they knew it will (understandably) be a predominanlty English institution, Based in England, run by Englishmen, team managed by an Englishman (always) a team predominantly made of Englishmen (always). Like cricket they might as well call it England but with players from, well, anywhere you want.

And as a football fan I don't want to see the end of England, it, along with Scotland, is the oldest footballing nation on earth. It is part of the history of football and all home nations should be preserved.

Two things.

If the stupid Olympic GB team means the end of Scotland as a footballing nation then it means the end of England too. This just is not going to happen.

[MTJ]

Supras, on 09 December 2011 - 22:53, said:

Making your presence on this site somewhat surpising.



I have already discussed this, England is disappearing sure, but they aren't as concerned because they knew it will (understandably) be a predominanlty English institution, Based in England, run by Englishmen, team managed by an Englishman (always) a team predominantly made of Englishmen (always). Like cricket they might as well call it England but with players from, well, anywhere you want.

And as a football fan I don't want to see the end of England, it, along with Scotland, is the oldest footballing nation on earth. It is part of the history of football and all home nations should be preserved.

I support Partick Thistle Football Club, not Scottish Football Football Club, but thanks for your concern.

[Kincardine]

Supras, on 09 December 2011 - 22:53, said:

I have already discussed this, England is disappearing sure, but they aren't as concerned because they knew it will (understandably) be a predominanlty English institution, Based in England, run by Englishmen, team managed by an Englishman (always) a team predominantly made of Englishmen (always). Like cricket they might as well call it England but with players from, well, anywhere you want.

My second point is this. England is to football like Belgium was to war; a place where other countries had their battles. The Premiership isn't English-funded; their managers aren't English and its players aren't English. All English fans have to hope for is their national team.

Do you think that some Olympic lash-up will jeapordise this?


Will a combined GB team lead to the demise of England?

[HibeeJibee]

Kincardine, on 09 December 2011 - 23:04, said:

Two things.

If the stupid Olympic GB team means the end of Scotland as a footballing nation then it means the end of England too. This just is not going to happen.

I don't think you can say that in a "100% from-hereon-constant" way. And it's not just about the "atomic" scenario, a forced UKFA - it's also about the much more realistic potential of a threat to our rights and entitlements.

Real acid test for Celtic FAs will be if Team GB proves such a success the BOA declare their intention to field a side in future Olympics (if a Home Nation gains a qualifying slot via Euro U21s).

[Kincardine]

HibeeJibee, on 09 December 2011 - 23:17, said:

I don't think you can say that in a "100% from-hereon-constant" way. And it's not just about the "atomic" scenario, a forced UKFA - it's also about the much more realistic potential of a threat to our rights and entitlements.

Real acid test for Celtic FAs will be if Team GB proves such a success the BOA declare their intention to field a side in future Olympics (if a Home Nation gains a qualifying slot via Euro U21s).

This isn't about "Celtic FAs "

If Team GB (shite) means the end of Scotland then it means, also, the end of England. IT ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN. (typing in caps means I am right)

Edited to add FACT.

This post has been edited by Kincardine: 09 December 2011 - 23:37

[Bearwithme]

HibeeJibee, on 09 December 2011 - 22:15, said:

I don't subscribe to the 'ban them' school, and posted above my being generally comfortable with the concept. But equally: the bold is highly naieve. A promise is only kept until, well, it's not. There's no way of binding a future UEFA/FIFA congress to anything.

People concentrate on "UK national team". That's extreme, but it's also about protecting our:
* Vice-Presidency
* 4 independent votes
* IFAB seats

All of those are areas which have come under attack before, and will do so again - so there is a legimitate argument that fielding a united XI further undermines our ability to defend those entitlements.

To be honest, our permanent vice-presidency and IFAB seats aren't justifiable in the modern game. As for our separate international teams, I doubt if a couple of boys potentially playing in a one-off Olympic event when the associations advise them not to will make any significant difference.

[SpoonTon]

Father Dougal McGuire, on 09 December 2011 - 14:29, said:

This debate is a lot of utter shite. How can anyone have a problem with a Scottish player representing team GB at the Olympics? People who think it would affect our international teams future are completely wrong. Over reaction central!

SFA president George Peat claims his Fifa counterpart Sepp Blatter now admits a Team GB would pose a risk.

"Mr Blatter told us at an informal function that, if we agreed to be part of Team GB, our position would be in jeopardy," said Peat

"David Will, who was Fifa vice-president for 15 years, has always told us on no account to get involved," he said.

"David Taylor says the same thing. So we're viewing this as a serious warning."

http://news.bbc.co.u...all/7917624.stm

"I said that is the best thing for you to do," said Blatter.

"If you start to put together a combined team for the Olympic Games, the question will automatically come up that there are four different associations so how can they play in one team.

"If this is the case then why the hell do they have four associations and four votes and their own vice-presidency?

"This will put into question all the privileges that the British associations have been given by the Congress in 1946."

http://news.bbc.co.u...all/7286011.stm

"Fifa would love to combine the four countries and make it a GB team.

"I have that on no less an authority than the late David Will, who was vice-president of Fifa.

"He warned me that Fifa would like to combine us, so we must retain the Scottish identity and have a Scottish international team."

http://news.bbc.co.u...nd/13878209.stm

This post has been edited by SpoonTon: 10 December 2011 - 12:28

[HibeeJibee]

Kincardine, on 09 December 2011 - 23:37, said:

This isn't about "Celtic FAs "

If Team GB (shite) means the end of Scotland then it means, also, the end of England. IT ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN. (typing in caps means I am right)

Edited to add FACT.

You need to get down off your high-horse and take a few deep breaths, frankly .

I wasn't talking particularly about the feared "merger of the 4 Home Nations into UK FA".

What I said is perfectly factual. If the BOA decides to keep entering an XI, it affects the Celtic nations far more than England. We know that in terms of the team itself, it doesn't bother the English - they'll have most of the players, will provide the managers, and the organisation, and so on. If it ever lead to a reduction in votes in FIFA IFAB etc. it wouldn't be an Englishman missing-out. That's why such a development would, as I said, be a more tangible headache for the Celtic FAs.

This post has been edited by HibeeJibee: 09 December 2011 - 23:52

[Tynieness]

Maybe Mr Salmond could use this for the independence cause.
Vote for us and we will have oor ain fitba team -

[HibeeJibee]

Bearwithme, on 09 December 2011 - 23:45, said:

To be honest, our permanent vice-presidency and IFAB seats aren't justifiable in the modern game.

Albeit, that's irrelevant to it being in our interests to try our utmost to retain them, for ourselves and for broader interests with which we are aligned.

You also neglected to address the other bullet-point, 4 memberships but 1 vote.