Support For SAF As Manager Of Team GB Grows

Drifter

BRITISH Olympic Association chairman Lord Moynihan (pictured) has backed calls for Sir Alex Ferguson to be appointed manager of the Great Britain football team during the 2012 Games.

London 2012 Organising Committee chairman Lord Sebastian Coe is the man behind the push to persuade the Manchester United boss to pick the cream of young British talent in four years' time, when presumably the Scot will have finally stepped down from his Old Trafford post.

Lord Coe has revealed an approach has already been made to Ferguson, and Moynihan is fully behind his former Great Britain team-mate.

He said: "Seb Coe has strong views about who should be managing the men's team and I completely agree with him.

"It is an excellent idea that should be pursued and I am endorsing Sir Alex Ferguson, although I should also say that should the FA find anyone with a comparable name, I should be equally delighted."

Whether Ferguson would accept such a post remains to be seen as there is strong opposition to the idea of a Great Britain side from outside England, with the other three Home Nations fearful its creation would weaken their own claims to continue as independent footballing entities.

For that reason, there will be no Great Britain team, either in the men's or women's competition, competing in this year's Beijing Games.

Moynihan made it clear he was disappointed young athletes would miss out on the experience of competing in China but insisted Britain would be represented on home turf in 2012 come what may.

He said: "Of course I am disappointed. We at the BOA would like to see every young athlete who has the opportunity to compete at the Olympic Games at the Games.

"It would be a great opportunity for women's football to have a strong team in 2012. I'm sorry they are not in Beijing.

"However, I'm not annoyed. I understand the politics of this subject and appreciate that it is a very sensitive subject on which people have very differing views.

"But we will be sending a team in 2012 and we hope everyone in Great Britain will consider themselves eligible for selection. We would be very disappointed if any governing body didn't provide the opportunity for the youngsters to play their sport.

"Through discussion and engagement we hope there will be full commitment from the four football associations to deliver on that objective.

"I also think we will do very well and it will be a big event. It will be something that will catch the public mood and support.

"And I do believe that nobody within a governing body of sport wants to see a young talent within their sport denied an opportunity on the ultimate stage."

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co....gb_call_backed

sammsky1

Should he want to bow out at that stage, I cannot think of a more fitting end. I will be in tears, and eternally shattered, but SAF with the Olympic gold medal on would just be .... well even that thought nearly brings me to tears ... happy ones but tears nonetheless.

kristinson

[quote]"It is an excellent idea that should be pursued and I am endorsing Sir Alex Ferguson, although I should also say that should the FA find anyone with a comparable name, I should be equally delighted"[quote]

There is no body with a more comparable name!

lynchie

[quote=kristinson;4904605][quote]"It is an excellent idea that should be pursued and I am endorsing Sir Alex Ferguson, although I should also say that should the FA find anyone with a comparable name, I should be equally delighted"Darren Ferguson?

kristinson

hardy har har! but true I suppose!

Nanison

There should be a British football team. I seriously don't know why the UK always has to be different than other countries or regions.

They missed out on alot of medals and trophies with their stubborn attitude. When was the last time Britain had a football team at the olympics? 1948 i think (finishing 4th)

Same story with the world cup, england just didn't want to play in the first 3 world cups, God knows why. Well they were still great then, it might have been a different story if they played.

VoetbalWizard

what would a gb team look like in 2012?

mind you its u-23 + 3 above 23.

peterstorey

'Different from', if you don't mind.

FresnoBob

I thought the football folks in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland were the ones who were opposed to the British team because it would, most likely, end their claim as independent Associations under FIFA and UEFA, a price they aren't willing to pay for a possible piece of medal in a relatively minor tournament. If their worst fears are realized and the UK became a single association, I can only imagine the chaos of trying to incorporate teams from the other three regions into the current English structure, which is already mismanaged by the FA.

At the least, however, the English should field a team, even without representatives for the rest of the tax payers who are paying the costs of the 2012 Games. Perhaps the House of Commons could even rush through some legislation to "naturalize" a top player from each of the other regions for a bit of geographic representation.