BOA no moral authority over Team GB – NoTeamGB Press Release

Written by Smithy on March 11th, 2009

JOINT STATEMENT FROM:-

The Association of Tartan Army clubs (ATAC - Scotland)
Football Supporters Federation (FSF - England)
Football Supporters Federation Cymru (FSF Cymru - Wales)
Amalgamation of Official NI Supporters Clubs (AONISC - NorthernIreland)

The BOA and UK Government were today accused of acting like schoolkids in a playground after yesterdays revelation that a GB football team will be entered in the 2012 Olympics, against the express wishes of the IFA, SFA and FAW. The statement from government minister Gerry Sutcliffe MP was branded as a childish, "we're taking our ball back" stance, in expressing the intent of entering a GB football team, regardless of the views of the football fans and the other Football Associations.

NoTeamGB.com Spokesperson, Tam Ferry said:-

"The BOA have no moral authority to enter a GB football Team into the 2012 Olympics, against the expressed wishes of the SFA, IFA and FAW.  Reassurances from any FIFA individual, namely Mr Blatter and Mr Valcke are meaningless. No individual can make any reassurances on the future existence of our home nations teams, as its the entire FIFA membership, not any individual that would decide the future of our national Teams."

He continued:-

"The FA, SFA, FAW and IFA have a special privileged position within FIFA which is looked on with envious eyes by many FA's worldwide. All this talk of Team GB simply highlights our special membership of FIFA despite the membership criteria being "......an independent state recognised by the international community." (FIFA Statutes 2008, Article 10.1)

A GB Football team manufactured solely for the purpose of winning medals and boosting attendances at the 2012 Olympics flies in the face of the Olympic creed.  A GB (professional U23 with 3 overage players) football team does not exist.

FACT.

GB Football Team has no players, no fans, no home, no strip, and no history.

FACT.

The BOA are going about this the wrong way if all they want is Team England disguised as Team GB to compete at the Olympics. Instead of the BOA asking FIFA for reassurances that cannot be guaranteed, the BOA should be asking the IOC for special dispensation for Team England, Team Scotland, Team Wales and Team NI to participate in the Olympic football. 

If the BOA are intent on bending the eligibility rules to enable participation in any event, then they should bend their own Olympic rules and allow extra teams instead of breaking the rules of an unrelated organisation and endangering the very existence of 4 other unrelated organisations.

With this compromise the stadiums would be full, medal chances would be increased but most importantly, there would be no dangerous precedent set which could threaten the very existence of our international football teams."

The football fans of all 4 home nations are united and will continue to fight under the NoTeamGB.com Campaign.

ENDS

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