Latest Press Release from NoTeamGB.com - No Medals For This TeamGB
No Medals For This TeamGB
Scotland and Northern Ireland fans joined in their praise of the Olympians in Beijing ahead of their friendly match at Hampden, but quickly condemned the repeated attempts by Lords Moynihan & Coe to gain support for a TeamGB football team to participate in the London 2012 Olympics.
At a fans get together ahead of the Hampden clash, they united in voicing their concerns.
Tam Ferry of the Association of Tartan Army Clubs (ATAC) said “ The official fans groups of Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales are firmly against the false creation of a British football team, it threatens the independent position of our national game – we wish the Olympians well, but this is one medal we can do without”.
ATAC’s position is supported by Gordon Smith, Chief Executive of the Scottish Football Association who has previously advised the British Olympic Committee that Scotland have no interest in supporting this team.
Thousands of Northern Ireland fans are arriving in Glasgow for the match with Scotland. Gary McAllister of the Amalgamation of Official NI Supporters Clubs said, “The vast majority of Northern Ireland fans are totally opposed to a ‘Team GB’ football team competing in the 2012 games.
We are deeply concerned that the four British Associations’ right to compete separately in international competition could be undermined by the participation of a unified UK team in the Olympic tournament and we feel that, without proper guarantees, this is a risk which cannot be taken,
We look forward to continuing to highlight our concerns alongside our friends from Scotland, England and Wales. The stakes are simply too high to allow this issue to go unchallenged.””
FIFA supremo Sepp Blatter stated in March this year that entering a TeamGB football team will “….put into question all the privileges that the British associations have”.
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