The Olympic Association which is organising the Olympic Games which are coming to London next summer has stated that they want to see a British football team compete. Football associations from the United Kingdom, excluding England, have said that they do not wish to field a team as football at the Olympic Games would greatly overshadowed other events. Dai Greene has also agreed with the statements by the football associations, stating, “The Olympic Games doesn’t have a place for football.”
Mr Greene continued, “In football the crowning achievement is not becoming an Olympic champion but is winning a cup. Therefore there seems to be no reason for football to be involved in the Olympics. Football players do not grow up with the dream of becoming an Olympic champion, they dream of the Champions League trophy and victory in the Premiership. It seems unnecessary to me for football to form part of the Olympic Games.”
Mr Greene is a Welsh athlete, who this summer is hoping to complete his collection of medals for every one of athletics major event. This would make him the fourth British person to do this and put alongside such greats as Daley Thompson and Linford Christie. He will also be the first Olympic champion from Wales in the track and field events since Lynn Davies in 1964.
He has previously played football in Swansea for their youth team and feels that his comments against football being played at the Olympics would be welcomed by other athletes who are competing. He remarked, “Unfortunately the UK is obsessed with what goes on in football and at the games it would significantly overshadow other events.”
The London Olympics in 2012 could see an all British football team for the first time ever if Sir Bobby Charlton and Lord Coe have their way. All of the home countries compete together at the Olympic Games as Great Britain in every other sport except football.