open Democracy News Analysis - Team UK: A Political Football, Tom Griffin - Comments

Hendre on "Team UK: A Political Football"

Hendre — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:03:34 +0100

Another interesting fact ...

World football governing body FIFA has announced that its Ethics Committee, chaired by London 2012 chairman Lord Sebastian Coe, will play a central role in the bidding process to host the 2018 World Cup – a tournament England is one of the frontrunners to stage.

FIFA has declared that its independent judicial body had agreed at its plenary meeting to broaden its remit in order to fully involve itself in the bidding process ensuring that all activity is fair and above board and not hindered by political manoeuvring.

Hendre on "Team UK: A Political Football"

Hendre — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:19:42 +0100

Courtesy of Wikipedia - it might explain a thing or two ...

"Coe was appointed the first chairman of FIFA's new independent watchdog, FIFA's ethics commission. The commission will judge all cases alleging conflicts of interest and breaches of Fifa rules.[13]

FIFA president Sepp Blatter made the announcement in Zurich on 15 September 2006 and said: "It is perhaps a surprise but it has been very well received. We have found an outstanding personality in the world of sport, a great personality in the Olympic movement." His appointment makes him one of the most senior Englishmen to work for FIFA."

nezavisimost on "Team UK: A Political Football"

nezavisimost — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:18:44 +0100

http://scotsandindependent.blogspot.com/2008/08/hoy-st-by-their-own-petard.html

read this excellent post to find out why Scottish unionists are eating thier words...

nezavisimost on "Team UK: A Political Football"

nezavisimost — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:24:13 +0100

I very much echo the last point, how is it that most competing countries in the olympics are of a similar size or smaller than Scotland but manage to maintain excellent facilities, but Scottish athletes need to go to England in order to succeed?

Hendre on "Team UK: A Political Football"

Hendre — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:07:51 +0100

The BBC reported on 4th July 2006:

"Fifa has suspended European champions Greece and its member clubs from international
competition because of government interference in the sport.

World governing body Fifa said the Hellenic Football Federation had broken rules on "the independence of members and decision-making in each country".

Fifa said that it had issued several warnings to the HFF to guarantee, by a 15 July deadline, that the running of football in the country would be free from political involvement - but this had been ignored. “

The issues may be slightly different but if Fifa so abhors political involvement why is Blatter discussing the matter with British politicians when it’s a matter for the individual associations.

Team UK: A Political Football, Tom Griffin

Tom Griffin — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:47:21 +0100

Tom Griffin (London, OK): It seems the Westminster/Holyrood faultine inside the Scottish Labour Party extends to the question of whether there should be a UK football team at the 2012 Olympics.

Gordon Brown held out that prospect during his visit to Beijing at the weekend:

'I think when people are looking at the Olympics in 2012 - Britain, home of football, where football was invented, which we gave to the world - I think people would be very surprised if there is an Olympic tournament in football and we are not part of it.'

Scottish Labour leadership candidate Cathy Jamieson has proposed an alternative plan:

"One option could be a home nations football tournament with the winners representing the UK at the Olympics."

Jamieson added: "Team GB should include a football team but not at the expense of Scotland's football team. It would be wrong to gamble with the identity of Scotland's team."

According to the Daily Record, the Scottish FA remains firmly opposed to a UK team, but it's English counterpart is warming to the idea. This could lead to something along the lines canvassed by Sepp Blatter, with Britain represented by an effectively English team.

Meanwhile, the SNP Scottish Sports Minister, Stewart Maxwell, has called for a separate Scottish Olympic team:

If you look at Jamaica, a small island nation, they won gold, silver and bronze in the women's sprint, they've got world records, they've won the men's, the women's 100 and 200 metres and the relay. This is an exceptionally brilliant nation - at the same time a small nation. Scotland can compete on the world stage - we proved that in the Olympics - and a Scottish team at the Olympics is the future.”

That idea received short shrift from triple gold medal winner Chris Hoy:

There's nothing I love more than going home to Edinburgh, but I haven't lived in Scotland for nine years. There just aren't the facilities to train there – if there were, then I would live there. But like Craig MacLean and Ross Edgar – who are the other Scottish cyclists on the British team – I have to be based in Manchester.

On the face of it, Hoy's comments are a blow to the SNP. They may, however, point to deeper questions about the distribution of investment in sport that will only intensify over the next four years.