No Team GB campaign call for an Ethical Decision for the 2012 London Olympics
Press Statement From No Team GB
www.NoTeamGB.com
www.twitter.com/NoTeamGB
02/06/2011
FOR IMMEDIATE USE
No Team GB campaign call for an Ethical Decision for the 2012 London Olympics
The ongoing corruption allegations against JS Blatter and his lieutenants at the very top of the FIFA tree come as no surprise to the No Team GB campaign. For the past five years we have been questioning the assurances that FIFA representatives have been making with regards to protecting the independence of the football teams of the four home nations (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales).
FIFA have flip flopped on their views towards a GB football team participating at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. In March 2008 Mr Blatter stated “If you start to put together a combined team for the Olympics, the question will automatically come up that there are four different associations so how can they play in one team”. This was then contradicted by Jerome Valcke the following year when he offered assurances that that the four home nations would have their independent identities protected. This assurance from Mr Valcke was made in spite of the fact that no individual from FIFA can make this promise on the basis that it could be altered at any future FIFA congress.
This was the same Jerome Valcke who was sensationally sacked from his Marketing position at FIFA in 2006 by Mr Blatter after he was found guilty of violating the negotiation rules with the FIFA sponsor MasterCard after going behind their back and holding concurrent discussions with VISA. Mr Valcke was then made FIFA General Secretary in 2007 in yet another flip flop decision by Mr Blatter. Perhaps Mr Valcke was party to certain information that forced Sepp’s hand to bring him back into the FIFA family?
Mr Blatter and Mr Valcke are now at the centre of allegations of cheating, unethical behaviour and corruption. They are in the dock with Jack Warner and Mohammed Bin Hamman. Meanwhile, FIFA have cleared the unethical charges against Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii who were exposed in an article in the Sunday Times of promising world cup votes for cash.
Lord Coe was the first chairman of the FIFA Ethics committee when he was appointed to the role in 2006. After the farce of England’s bid to host the 2018 FIFA world cup, it would be interesting to hear Lord Coe’s views on the FIFA ethics committee and the rules and scope which govern that committee.
In the past few years there have been a number of high profile British citizens who have been on the receiving end of FIFA surprises (Lord Triesman, Geoff Thompson, John McBeth, David Cameron, David Beckham, Lord Coe, Prince William to name a few). Quite how the British Olympic Association and the English Football Association can continue to propose that a GB Football Team participates at the 2012 London Olympics on the back of FIFA assurances beggars belief.
Tam Ferry, spokesman for No Team GB said, “All along we have said that FIFA assurances are worthless. Blatter being in denial about FIFA being in crisis is like the Iraqi Information minister denying the US troops were anywhere near Baghdad as their tanks drove behind him”
Paul Corkrey, spokesman for No Team GB is also quoted, "Its no surprise to the Welsh fans that Blatter got 186 votes in his re-election, as to vote against him would be like Turkeys voting for Christmas"
Can any assurances from FIFA be trusted?
Would you trust these people?
Posted in: NoTeamGB.com
Write something about yourself or your blog here.