Fifa Ratifies All-english 2012 Football Team

World football governing body FIFA has ratified controversial proposals to field an all-English team to represent Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics.

Following months of negotiations, the four home nations had written to football’s governing body clarifying that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would take no part in the team – a compromise was ratified at FIFA’s executive committee meeting in Nassau.

‘I am happy, they are happy, the IOC is happy, the organising committee is happy and I hope football is happy,’ said FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

‘You have to bring a Great Britain team for the 2012 Olympics in football, and as they are four associations then take one association to be this team.’

The development ends a dispute that has raged since 2005, when London won the right to host the Games.

The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish associations had feared their independence in world football would be under threat if they united with England at the Olympics.

A document had been prepared by the Scottish Football Association and sent to the other bodies, which paved the way for England – rebadged as GB in both the men’s and women’s competitions – to represent Great Britain on a one-off basis.

This looks set to be in the form of an exclusively under-21 England side, a change FIFA is expected to make from the current under-23 – plus three over-age players – rule.

While expressing his delight about FIFA’s approval, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Andy Burnham criticised the rigid stances of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish authorities.

He commented: ‘I think it’s very disappointing and actually a bit narrow-minded in some ways that we’re just saying young talent from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can’t represent that Team GB.

‘I understand entirely if Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland don’t want to be in any way seen to support the principle of Team GB but I think it is very unfair that a young player in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland who would get a call-up to that team, would be threatened with sanctions about joining that team.

‘I just feel let’s put aside the politics, let’s just let sports people make their own decisions and let’s put the best British team on home soil.’