Written by Smithy on March 7th, 2009
On Tuesday the 3rd March the petition opposing a Great Britian fotball team for the 2012 Olympics was presented to the Scottish Parliament Petitions committee.
A few footsoldiers were present to see Scottish democracy in action. Prior to the No Team GB petition being presented, 2 others were presented - each receiving some arguments for and against them. It was not looking good...
Thankfully the petition was presented and not one comment against it was made. Even the Labour MSP Bill Buttler commented "I do not see the need for a GB football team. One Fifa executive, like one Parliament, cannot bind another Fifa executive in the future". This was a suprising response given the previous form of Labout MP's who seem to be under pressure to keep up Gordon Browns TeamGB mantra.
MSPs agreed to seek further information from Fifa as to the status of a GB football team.
Speaking afterwards, Martin Riddell, a footsolier from Edinburgh Tartan Army commented: "Fifa just can't give any guarantees at all. It's not just the Scotland team that we are worried about – we don't want to lose an England team, we don't want to lose a Northern Ireland team and we don't want to lose a Welsh team either."
Simon Johnston, one of the NoTeamGB.com spokesmen said this about Gordon Brown: "He's putting his weight behind this because this is a big flagship for the London 2012 Olympics. They see it as a money-making exercise and they're not going to give up on it but we would like them to come out and say no, because the consequences are dire. This is a real threat to Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland international teams."
Once the Parliament receives communications from Fifa the petition wil be brought back to the committee for further consideration before being put to the entire Scottish Parliament.
Posted in: NoTeamGB.com
Written by Smithy on March 1st, 2009
A very important news report for anybody interested in the No Team GB debate. In essence FIFA have said that should a GB football team in the olympics, it will put an end to Scotland, Enlgand, Wales and Northern Ireland having seperate football associations.
Scotland could lose its footballing independence if they agree to join GB olympic team, says FIFA - The Sunday Mail
SCOTLAND have been warned by FIFA they risk losing their independence as a football nation if they agree to be part of Team GB at the 2012 Olympics .
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Blatter, along with UEFA's Michel Platini, was in Belfast yesterday for the International Football Association Board meeting that was attended by SFA chief Gordon Smith and president George Peat.
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Mailsport understands FIFA president Sepp Blatter last night told the SFA their independent place within the game will be jeopardised by co-operating with Team GB.
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Peat said: "Mr Blatter told us at an informal function held by the Irish government if we agreed to be part of Team GB our position would be in jeopardy.
Posted in: NoTeamGB.com
Written by Smithy on February 2nd, 2009
Absolute clarity from all uninterested parties!
Press Statement
30/01/2009
FOR IMMEDIATE USE
JOINT STATEMENT FROM:
The Association of Tartan Army clubs (ATAC - Scotland)
Football Supporters Federation (FSF - England)
Football Supporters Federation Cymru (FSF - Wales) and
Amalgamation of Official NI Fans Clubs (AONISC - Northern Ireland)
Absolute clarity from all uninterested parties!
The No Team GB campaign is delighted to welcome the recent joint statement from three of the four FAs who are being coerced into risking the autonomy of each Home Nation to meet the desires of the very few.
The SFA, FAW, and IFA have been clear and consistent in their views that a football Team GB has no place in the Olympics irrespective of whether it’s in London in 2012 or in any other country at any other time. Once again, in their letter to Jerome Valcke of 28th Jan 2009, they have raised concerns about the validity of football as an Olympic sport and questioned the merit in removing players from their club commitments at the beginning of domestic and European campaigns to take part in a tournament which remains a nonentity in the world of football.
With three of the four FA’s taking this opportunity to make it unequivocally clear that they will not be taking part in this politically motivated scheme, NoTeamGB.com calls upon the FA in England and the UK Government to finally accept the views of the majority and publicly drop their calls to proceed with this pointless exercise.
NoTeamGB.com spokesman Simon Johnston said “following on from the FIFA Executive meeting in Tokyo (19th December), Sepp Blatter called upon the four FA’s to get together, discuss the issue and come back with an agreed proposal for taking this forward. This latest statement from 3 of the 4 FA’s makes it clear that they have taken this on board, considered the matter and provided a clear and unequivocal response.”
“It has been said on a number of occasions (by FIFA officials, Lord Coe, the BOA and members of the UK Government) that this is an issue for the four FA’s to decide, therefore we hope that they will accept that this has now happened and that three of the four FA’s are in clear and complete agreement that there is no way forward for this proposal. For the English FA and the BOA to push ahead and insist on fielding an all England team under the guise of a TeamGB would be not only completely false, it would also be completely unrepresentative of Great Britain as a whole, completely at odds with everything the Olympics stand for and at odds with the views of the England supporters.”
As always, NoTeamGB.com is fully supportive of all the athletes and participants in the British Olympic team and wish them every success as they aim to reach the pinnacle of their chosen discipline. We’d now like to see the UK Government and the FA doing the same. Accept the decision by the majority of the FA’s and defend our professional footballer’s ambitions to play for their home countries, whether it be England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales, when they reach the pinnacle of their chosen sport, the FIFA World Cup or UEFA European Championships, for many years to come.
Posted in: NoTeamGB.com
Written by Smithy on January 31st, 2009
Mr J. Valcke,
Secretary General,
FIFA,
FIFA-Strasse 20,
PO Box 8044
Zurich,
Switzerland.
28th January, 2009
Dear Jérôme,
Further to your letter of 14th January, we would like to issue a joint statement regarding the proposal of participation in the 2012 Olympic Games under a unified banner of “Team GB”.
We are all autonomous entities within World football and each association competes in all International tournaments under our own identities of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. This applies to World Cups and European Championships at football level and of course down through the various age groups. It is our considered opinion that the Olympic Games does not give each of us, respectfully and jointly, the same rights or privileges we are presently afforded by FIFA and UEFA in respect of autonomous representation. Therefore, we cannot view the Olympic Games as being a bona fide football tournament.
In addition to the foregoing, we would like to further clarify our position regarding football in the Olympic Games:-
1. The Olympic Games involves many different events but one common factor that should prevail is that participation and success in the Games should be the pinnacle for the sport in question. This is certainly the case with track and field, gymnastics, cycling, rowing and swimming. However, in football this is certainly not the case. The World Cup and European Championships are regarded as the major tournaments. It is our opinion that football should not be an Olympic event.
2. Our contention that football is not, and should not be, considered a serious Olympic event is substantiated by the fact that it is designated as an Under 23 contest. We consider that this not only de-values the involvement of football in the Olympic Games but it also means that a discriminatory element is introduced to the event. No other sport has an age-related qualifying element. We feel that this, in itself, is an unacceptable regulatory inclusion.
3. The Olympic Games takes place in August. This appears to take no account of the fact that the football season has already begun and that clubs would be materially inconvenienced with the loss of called-up players. At this time, it is not known which players would be required. However, it is easy to anticipate the reaction there would be from club coaches who would lose players at a time when they had vital matches to fulfil. This may even include crucial European qualifying matches.
For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to take this opportunity to formally re-iterate that we will not participate in a “Team GB” in the 2012 Olympic Games. Furthermore, we categorically state that we do not think that football should be an Olympic event. However, as it is so classified, we do not believe there is a justification for there being a Great Britain team participating therein. Our common stance is unwavering. Moreover, our supporters’ organisations have all made it clear that we have their total backing in this respect.
In view of the above, we do not believe there would be any merit in a meeting to discuss this matter further.
Yours sincerely,
GEORGE W PEAT RAYMOND KENNEDY PETER REES
PRESIDENT PRESIDENT PRESIDENT
SCOTTISH FA IRISH FA WELSH FA
Posted in: NoTeamGB.com, Scottish FA
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