A UNITED TEAM GB FOOTBALL TEAM AT THE OLYMPICS ??

For the last 30 years GB and Northern Ireland have had no representatives at the Olympic Football tournament as a result of the team being disbanded by the Football Association after they scrapped the distinction between Amateur and Professional players . 

Argentina, Spain and some African nations have used this tournament to give their risings stars the experience of performing in front of big crowds and getting them used to being involved in Competition life and the pressures that come with it. 
The worlds best footballer Lionel Messi and Man City's Sergio Aguero both played for Argentina in Beijing . Their full squad is here http://soccerlens.com/argentina-08-olympic-football-squad/8188/ some names may be of notice. 
Argentina have won the last 2 Olympic tournaments, Carlos Tevez top scored in 2004 with 8 goals.
I am not suggesting that without playing there that they wouldn't be the players they are today but many top "pundits" are always talking about experience and how important it is . 
Barcelona's Manager Josep Guardiola was 21 when he played in front of his country at the Barcelona Games 1n 1992 , Spain's only Olympic success in football . 
The Brazilians have always treated this tournament with the utmost respect , in 1996, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Rivaldo and Dida all played. 


For too long now our Home nations have under-achieved on the World stage and maybe if our players had had more experience of competitions like these and others then it could only help them to do well in the Euro's and World Cups of the future. 
The odd penalty shoot-out would have been handy . 
The FA have not sought to put out a combined GB side ...........

Until now ..................

Maybe because we are hosting the 2012 Games and the only way we can really get David Beckham involved in the Olympics is to have a GB team competing in a Football tournament.
Cast your mind back to the last Closing Ceremony, If you remember he was on the big red bus at the hugely successful but strange Beijing Games 4 years ago, along with Leona Lewis being drowned out by Led Zeppelin's iconic Jimmy Page.  

The hand over was complete when "Becks" launched a football from the top deck to signal that the Olympics held in the stadium known as the "Bird's Nest" were over and it was ...er ...our turn .
Despite the ticketing fiasco and spiralling costs , I am sure that the London Games will be a success and this year the national sport of Football will be of ( some ) importance to the British public at this years Olympics. 


The Football Associations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are currently unsure whether to allow their players to join up as one Team GB because they fear that there will be more calls to form a combined British Isles side in future World Cups , maybe looking after their own interests too . 
Politics as per usual .

If the team is to be made up of players from the different nations fairly equally then our chances of winning Gold might be reduced but maybe that is the diplomatic answer to appeasing those FA's .

 Welshmen Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey(with England's Jack Rodwell, above ) have underlined their determination to play by posing in the GB strip at the unveiling . The Welsh FA do not want them involved thou. 
These are the type of players who would benefit from tournament competition as i mentioned earlier. 
Wales have not qualified for one since 1958, Northern Ireland 1986 , and Scotland have failed to qualify for the last 3 World Cups.
Scotland's young players would welcome the opportunity to play too.
The FA's would be foolish to stand in their way. 

The squad can only have a total of 18 players .

The team must be made up mostly of players under the age of 23 , with only 3 over aged players being allowed in Manager Stuart Pearce's squad . 
It has not yet been agreed that players who are going to be involved with England's preparations for the 2012 Euro's will not be considered for selection and their clubs are worried that 2 International tournaments in one year will be too much .

Stuart Pearce has a great job in front of him this year thou he may still yet be told who he can play and who he can't but I for one would love to see Gareth Bale steaming up the left wing and getting on the end of one of David Beckham's trademark long range passes and crossing for a young Scottish / Irish youngster to score in the final ...............