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 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
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