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.
Sir Bobby, 1966 England World Cup hero and one of Manchester United’s famous ‘Busby Babes’, speaking at the Laureus World Sport Awards, dropped very strong hints that this is a possibility, saying that Lord Coe, the chairman of the London Olympics, had asked him to help turn the dream into a reality. He added that, although, competing as a unified team might mean the home countries lose their individual passion and pride, he thought that they might be able to pull it off.
Previous efforts to create a unified team have met with resistance from all of the other home nations except England, because their national football federations have been worried that a joint team would weaken their position as individual nations, at least in the eyes of the governing body, FIFA. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said in the past that it would welcome a Great Britain football team.
The home nations used to compete in a series called the Home International Championship until 1983-4. This has been revived as a one-off for 2011, the Carling Nations Cup, with all home countries except England represented.