Team GB with no Scots gets green light

A BRITISH football team for the 2012 Olympic Games is expected to be confirmed as a reality today – without the involvement of the Scottish Football Association.

The board of the SFA met this week to discuss the long-running saga. The SFA has continually rejected the concept of a British team, believing it to be a threat to the identity of the Scotland national team, which exists through Fifa privilege.

But recently there have been concerns that an intransigent stance is damaging the SFA politically, and a proposal was discussed whereby a British team could be entered in the 2012 Games – provided it is all-English.

The Welsh and Northern Irish FAs are expected to adopt the same position as their Scottish counterparts.