AN England football team is set to play as Great Britain at the London Olympics after a compromise deal was struck with the other home nations.
The agreement removes the major stumbling block to a GB football team at the 2012 Games although it still needs ratification by FIFA and the British Olympic Association.
Under the deal, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will take no part in the Olympic football tournament and only English players will be involved.
A letter to that effect, signed by all four home associations, has been received by FIFA and will be discussed at the world governing body’s congress next week, when proposals to limit the men’s Olympic tournament to players aged under 21 are also likely to go through.
Scottish Football Association head of communications, Rob Shorthouse: ‘‘The four home associations have met.
‘‘The proposal to let England go it alone has now been put forward to FIFA for their consideration and that will be discussed at the FIFA Congress next week.’’ FIFA are expected to accept the deal – their president Sepp Blatter has previously made it clear he would be happy for an England-only team to represent Britain, pointing out the Olympic curling team were all Scottish.
Shorthouse is confident FIFA will accept the proposal, adding: ‘‘They want it resolved every bit as much as we do. As far as they are concerned, it’s an ideal situation.
‘‘There will be a team and the row goes away.’’ The deal follows last-ditch talks between the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish FAs on Thursday that led to a breakthrough in the longrunning dispute that has raged since 2005, when London won the right to host the Games.
The letter to FIFA says the three home nations, other than England, have not changed their stance, but as England are hosting the Games, it is possible for them to play under their own auspices.
FIFA had set a deadline of the end of the month for the four home nations to come to an agreement over Olympic representation and the turning point came this week when the SFA board softened their stance against any move to allow an Olympic team after testing the water internationally.
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