Am I missing something?

O'Neill has pointed out previously that controversy about a UK team for the 2012 Olympics is premature. Perhaps it is last night's attendance at Belfast Beer Festival, but I'm really struggling to understand exactly what the story is in this article from Scotland on Sunday.

FIFA has been urged to investigate allegations of "political interference" in the row over football's Team GB for the 2012 London Olympics.

If Fifa finds Scotland and the other three home associations guilty, it could suspend or even expel them from international competition until the governmental interference stops, as recently happened with the Polish FA


The most glaring error first. Poland has not been suspended or expelled from international competition. On the contrary, Poland is in Northern Ireland's World Cup Qualifying group. Admittedly its FA was threatened with expulsion due to political interference in its internal workings.

Which brings me to my second point. The regulations to which this article refers, and which the SNP seems to believe apply to home nation FAs after Jim Murphy tabled an early day motion, "welcoming assurances given (to) the Scottish Secretary, by Fifa saying that a Team GB would not undermine Scotland's ability to compete in its own right in future tournaments", prohibit direct interference by government in the working of football's national governing bodies. The Polish government was threatening to actually step in and run the Polish FA!

Seeking assurances on behalf of football associations as a means to encourage them to agree to something is AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THING! It's rather obvious that Peter Wishart MP, who made the ludicrous accusation of political interference, doesn't have a legal backround. He should stick to making awful Celtic flavoured rock.

Comments

Hernandez said…
Presumably they will also want separate cycling, swimming, clay pigeon shooting teams etc, just in case it undermines those partcular sporting disciplines? I havent heard too many complaints from the SNP regarding the British Lions. That doesn't seem to have undermined the Scottish rugby teams identity. This is the sort of nonsense I have to put up with on a daily basis from the 'Braveheart' generation.
16 November 2008 at 22:57
Owen Polley said…
Is Kate a fan of a GB team?
17 November 2008 at 09:05
Owen Polley said…
I just hope you're not preparing 'pork loin' for a beggar.
17 November 2008 at 13:47
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