Written by Smithy on December 18th, 2008
The NoTeamGB.com campaign is today calling on FIFA Vice-President Geoff Thompson to correctly represent the views of the majority of the UK Football Associations at the FIFA meeting in Tokyo.
The FIFA Vice Presidency is just one of the special dispensations that the UK Football Associations could lose, if any vote to allow a Team GB to compete at the 2012 Olympic games goes ahead.
Spokesman Tam Ferry continued;" Geoff Thompson was democratically elected as FIFA Vice-President by the FA, SFA, FAW and IFA to represent the views of the 4 home nations.
The majority of the Associations are against the formation of a Team GB for the London 2012 Olympics as this dangerous precedent which could lead to the extinction of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland in the world of Football.
Mr. Thompson was elected to represent the views of the UK Football Associations and any failure to represent the majority of opinion is an abuse of his elected position.
We would like to see Mr. Thompson today publically speak out against political interference from the UK Government and the BOA, and to represent the best interests of the Associations, which is preserving our footballing independence.
It's also interesting to note that, of those people most involved in pushing for the inclusion of a football Team GB in the 2012 Olympics, two of the main proponents actually sit on both FIFA and Olympic related boards! Sepp Blatter is a full Board member of the IOC and Seb Coe is head of FIFA's ethics committee.
It would be like Turkeys voting for Christmas for Mr. Thompson to back a Team GB football team. This dangerous precedent could be the catalyst which brings to the fore the question as to why England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have so much power in FIFA when they aren't 'really' independent countries, which is a requirement for every other member of FIFA. This could lead to a 2/3rds majority vote at a FIFA General meeting which would be enough to see our National Teams disappear forever.
The very existence of our International teams could lie in the hands of Mr. Thompson and we ask him to recognize this, and fight for the future our England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland by issuing a resounding 'hands off' statement to FIFA, the BOA and the UK Government.
Yours in sport
www.NoTeamGB.com
Posted in: NoTeamGB.com
Written by Smithy on December 17th, 2008
The No team GB campaign today urged the F.I.F.A. Executive Committee to make their position clear, with regards a GB football team at the 2012 Olympics and beyond at their meeting in Tokyo on 19th and 20th December. We wish them to state categorically that a GB football team at the Olympics would bring into question the status of the four home nations teams at any given time in the future. It is our view that the British Olympic Association are playing games with the future of the English, Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh International football teams for the sake of a one-off event. The Executive Committee should re-affirm the fact that F.I.F.A. remains a democracy and no individual or group within that organisation can give any assurances as to the long term future of our national teams.
No team GB spokesman Simon Johnston said "This is an ideal opportunity for F.I.F.A. to put this matter to bed. The British Olympic Association seem determined to go ahead with a GB football team at any cost and are playing a dangerous game with the long term future of the four home nations national teams. The simple fact of the matter is that a GB team would set a precedent, it could come back to bit us at anytime in the future and the F.I.F.A Executive Committee know this. Football fans throughout the UK are passionate about their national team and it would be a disaster if a one-off event were to put the four national teams status in jeopardy. We hope F.I.F.A recognise this".
Ken Malley, England regular and Football Supporters' Federation member, said: "We hope F.I.F.A. listen to fans from all four home nations, as well as the Football Associations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - Team GB is not wanted. Team GB threatens the very existence of the English, Northern Irish, Scottish, and Welsh national teams. Whatever reassurances Fifa's executive committee give at present regarding home nations sovereignty there is no guarantee it will last. Fifa is a members organisation, and those individual members could well view this as a precedent and look to enforce it in future. The Olympics is a fantastic event, and the sports involved should see it as the absolute pinnacle, the football world won't take it seriously enough."
Paul Corkery, FSF Cymru spokesman added: "FSF Cymru are not convinced Jerome Valcke's (FIFA) re- assurance that the creation of a Team GB would not jeopardise the independence of the home nations.We have not received any written guarantees. FIFA are always likely to change their opinions in the future and agreeing to a joint team now, would set a precedent that could be used one day against the four home nations".
Gary McAllister of the AONISC said "The Amalgamation of Official NISCs is opposed to the concept of a United Kingdom representative team participating in the 2012 Olympic Football Tournament. We feel that such a move would undoubtedly lead to increased lobbying for an end to the present individual representative status of the four British Associations, a scenario which International fans throughout the Home Nations would be opposed to."
Yours in sports
No Team GB
www.noteamgb.com
Posted in: NoTeamGB.com
Written by Smithy on December 15th, 2008
The No team GB campaign today welcomed former Scotland manager Craig Brown's support for a petition, headed by Christine Graham MSP, asking for the Government and British Olympic Association to end their plans to have a GB football team at the London 2012 Olympics. We share Mr Brown's concerns that such a concept would lead to the end of the 4 home nations status as Independent football nations.
No team GB Spokesman Simon Johnston said "I would urge football supporters up and down the UK to sign this petition against the formation of a GB football team in 2012. We have tried to address this matter with the BOA directly and we have not had the courtesy of a response. They seem to be determined to push ahead with this idea, at any expense. As FIFA is a democracy, no cast iron guarantees can be given and any 'assurances' should be treated with a pinch of salt. It is our view that the formation of such a team will set a dangerous precedent and could be used by other FIFA members in future to destroy the 4 home nations football teams as we know it. Football fans and authorities through out the UK should continue to campaign against a GB football team because it threatens the existence of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales".
Johnston added "We would also like to stress that this is a football matter and much as we welcome support from the political sector, we would ask politicians to leave it up to the football authorities. Michel Platini, UEFA president was quite clear that political 'Interference is unacceptable' and that UEFA would 'fight attempts by governments to influence associations'. Given his comments we would ask the British government to leave this matter to the 4 home associations, 3 of whom are dead against a Team GB".
No team GB understands that this issue will be raised at a meeting of the FIFA Executive committee on 19th and 20th December in Tokyo by FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke. We would ask FIFA in the strongest possible terms to release a statement confirming that a GB team at the 2012 would call into question the status of the 4 home nations football teams and finally put this issue to bed.
Yours in sports
No Team GB
www.noteamgb.com
Posted in: NoTeamGB.com
Written by Smithy on December 14th, 2008
Craig Brown will be launching a petition at Hampden on Sunday at 3.00pm that will go to the Scottish Parliament's petitions committee that calls on the Scottish Government to consider the impact to Scottish football as a whole and the wider Scottish economy should a GB football team be allowed to go ahead.
Last year FIFA President Sepp Blatter spelled out the consequences of participation in a GB Olympic football team: “It doesn't matter to us if they decide to enter as one team, but then they would lose all their current privileges. There would be no Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish national teams and leagues. Can you imagine what British football would look like?" - Sepp Blatter, President of FIFA, September 2007 (Source: FIFA official website)
The petition by Craig Brown, entitled "Save Scottish Football" also calls upon MSPs to assess the knock on social and economic impact north of the Border should a GB Football Team take part and FIFA move to ban Scotland from playing internationally as well as killing off the Scottish leagues.
MSP Christine Grahame, who has campaigned vigorously against the creation of a GB football team, will join Mr Brown at Hampden. Ms Grahame is also Convener of the Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee. Speaking ahead of the launch she said:
“The threat posed by the creation of a GB football team goes way beyond football and if FIFA carries out the action outlined by their President just last year then that would have a catastrophic social and economic impact in Scotland as well as killing off football in Scotland as we know it.
“No one, bar a handful of politically motivated zealots in London, wants a GB football team precisely because they recognise the huge threat this poses.
"Craig Brown’s petition is a welcome contribution and will give Scots the chance to let their voices be heard by MSPs.”
FIFA’s Executive Committee is due to meet in Tokyo next Friday (19th December) where they will consider a formal complaint made by Ms Grahame regarding alleged political interference by the British Government who are, according to Ms Grahame, conspiring to undermine the independence of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish football associations.
In a two part interview for BBC Alba to be shown this weekend Craig Brown will state “I don’t trust FIFA”, before going on to voice his opposition to a GB Olympic football team, a view echoed by Ms Grahame. She added:
“Documents I have obtained make it explicitly clear that any assurance offered by FIFA would not be binding on future members of the FIFA Executive Committee and so the threat posed by such a precedent is real and present, regardless of what FIFA announce next week. It is important that all Scots, regardless of their personal or political outlook, but who care passionately about the Scottish game make their opposition known.”
The petition will be available to sign online at the Scottish Parliament shortly, details to follow.
Posted in: NoTeamGB.com
Written by Smithy on November 26th, 2008
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)
Dear Mr Moynihan and Mr Hunt,
GB football team at London 2012
We at the No Team GB campaign are writing to ask your organisation to drop any plan(s) you have to submit a Great Britain football team at the 2012 Olympics in London.
It is our view that the formation of such a team would jeopardise the independent status of the four home nations within F.I.F.A, International footballs governing body. As you maybe aware, this view is also shared by the Football Associations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. F.I.F.A president Sepp Blatter stated in March this year that entering a Team GB football team will "....put into question all the privileges that the British associations have*. These privileges refer to an agreement that currently exists, where England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales can compete as separate nations despite the fact that they are not independent countries.
David Taylor, UEFA General Secretary recently explained that FIFA only recognise independent countries and if there were to be a Team GB at the 2012 Olympics, the privileges the home nations enjoy would once more be brought into question. He also explained that there are 208 member Associations within F.I.F.A and any assurances from any one individual within the organisation should be taken with *a pinch of salt*.
F.I.F.A. is a democracy and any agreement with regards a GB team at the 2012 Olympics could quite easily be used as a precedent in future by F.I.F.A member Associations who are determined to see an end to the four home nations competing on an individual basis.
As you will know football supporters up and down the United Kingdom are very passionate about following their respective countries and have done so for decades now. Any threat to this will be resisted in the strongest possible way.
It is our view that no *assurances* can be given by any individual or national association within F.I.F.A that a GB football team at 2012 would not affect the individual status of the four home associations. Given this we would ask you to shelve any plans you have to submit a GB football team at London 2012.
We wish you all the best with your plans for the Olympics in 2012, however, please stop medaling with future of our International football teams.
Yours in sports
No Team GB
www.noteamgb.com
Spokesman:- Simon Johnston, ATAC - 07967 102588
Other contacts:-
Malcolm Clarke, FSF - 08702 777777
Gary McAllister, AONISC - 07760 233011
Paul Corkery, FSF Cymru - 07903 619654
Posted in: NoTeamGB.com
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