Great Britain team on the cards

The former head of the Irish FA believes a united Great Britain football team competing at the 2012 Olympics in London is a possibility.

Former Ireland Football Association president Jim Boyce, who is set to take over the vice-presidential reins of FIFA, believes Scotland, Ireland and Wales could join forces with England at the London games if they receive written assurances from the world governing body that their autonomy will remain intact after the tournament.So far verbal promises from FIFA president Sepp Blatter have failed to convince the nations their futures as individual nations were secure, but Boyce said the British nations needed to make the first move.”If there was a will I believe there is a way,” Boyce told the BBC. “If those four British associations wanted me to pursue my suggestion that it was written in stone by the FIFA executive committee that participating in the Olympics as a one-off would not affect their independence, I would be only too happy to take that up on their behalf.””But I think they would have to say to me that this is what they would like me to do.””I feel that the FIFA executive committee should have made a ruling and should have inserted in the statutes of FIFA that this would not in any way jeopardise the future of the four associations.” “It is all very well somebody saying something but it needs to be made clear in writing. I think Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were very fearful something might happen.”If the Great Britain team does go ahead against the wishes of the Celtic nations, they would still be powerless to stop their players from competing if selected.Wales and Tottenham star Gareth Bale is one who has indicated he would be interested in playing for Great Britain.And Boyce said it would be against their best interests to deny their players the chance to represent Great Britain.”Legally I feel if a player was picked – and I understand a couple of well-known players have made it clear they would like to be considered – I don’t think they would be stopped from playing,” Boyce said.”Quite honestly, associations like Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland need all the good quality young players they can get. I think that (sanctions against players) would be a case of cutting off your nose to spite your face.”