Team GB controversy (December 01, 2011)
Er Cof / In Memoriam
Gary Speed, 1969-2011
Which is worse, ignorance or apathy? Who knows? Who cares?
 So, what's all the fuss about? A publicity photo of Gareth Bale wearing a 'Team GB' shirt released to the media by Adidas in October, was greeted by howls of protest. A few days later, they released a similar photo of Aaron Ramsey, the Wales captain. Both had previously noted their interest in representing the UK at the Olympic Games in London 2012.
Wales plays as Wales in the six nations and in the Rugby World Cup. Wales national team players also play for the British and Irish Lions. No-one ever questions it, or suggests that the Wales team should be disbanded and subsumed into a British side. But that is rugby. And even those who seem to have a decent grasp of the politics of rugby don't seem to have the faintest idea about soccer. Rugby is a minority sport, played in Great Britain, in some of our near-neighbours and in several former British colonies – each of whom understand the separate identities of the countries that form the UK. The politics of football is different. Football is played in almost every country worldwide. Many of those that do are less than enamoured with England's (or the United Kingdom's, as they see it) role in world affairs over the centuries, and would be quite happy to see England put in its place, whatever the collateral damage. Far more importantly, each of the Home Nations has a place at FIFA's top-table, another cause of simmering resentment.
Great Britain has fielded representative football teams at the Olympics before, but professional footballers were not eligible to play until 1984. The UK associations, fearing for their independence, have entered no combined UK team since then. Consequently, it hadn't caused the same level of controversy previously, as it is causing now. As FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, said in March 2008, "If you start to put together a combined team for the Olympic Games, the question will automatically come up that there are four different associations so how can they play in one team. If this is the case then why the hell do they have four associations and four votes and their own vice-presidency? This will put into question all the privileges that the British associations have been given by the Congress in 1946."
Blatter has since been reported to have given assurances that a combined UK team will not affect the independence of the England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland associations. Should we believe Blatter's word from 2008, or his word in 2011? Leaving aside whether Blatter can be thought of as trustworthy or not, he is in no position to provide any assurances. FIFA is a democracy, consisting of 208 recognised national associations. Each association has a vote. Should enough associations agree with Blatter's point made in 2008, then that would be that. No more English Football Association, no more Scottish Football Association, no more Irish Football Association and, of course no more Football Association of Wales. Well, they may still exist, but their teams would not be able to enter any FIFA sanctioned competitions. Our players (were they to be picked) would have no choice but to play for 'Team GB' (which, by the way, rather seems to exclude Northern Ireland too). In a message to Scottish players who may have been thinking of representing Team GB, the former Scotland manager Craig Brown said, "You could jeopardise your opportunity to play for Scotland. There might no longer be a Scottish team. Are you going to put other players' possibility of playing for Scotland at risk by being selfish and playing?" He added, "I would rather lose as Scotland than win as Great Britain".
Mixing sport and politics
In an excellent example of why politics (or, better still, politicians) should be kept out of sport, Dafydd Wigley, a polititian for whom I have the utmost respect, said: "The pressure on Ramsey and Bale is little short of moral blackmail." Pointing out that "Wales has a remarkable propensity for self-destruct [sic]", Wigley asked for evidence of the danger: "Who told them that Wales would lose its international soccer status if Welsh players appeared in a British Olympics team?" Well, in addition to Blatter's 2008 statement, a 1972 Uruguayan proposal to end the UK countries' associations' independence was withdrawn, after an agreement to pay FIFA some of their gate receipts. The most recent FIFA vote was in the 1980s and was defeated by three to two, but there is no guarantee another vote would fail, especially if it could be shown that the UK were able to field a combined UK team. Other reports include British delegates being warned in 1992 that voting against the back-pass rule would jeopardise their independent status.
Team GB structure
The British Olympic Association (BOA) have appointed the English FA to run Team GB's football team (as it is not supported by the other UK associations), and they have appointed England Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce as manager. The BOA announced they had reached what they called an "historic agreement" in June 2011 with the English Football Association over fielding combined Great Britain teams at the 2012 Games. An interesting statement, as the other UK associations said the BOA hadn't even discussed the matter with them, "far less [has any] historic agreement been reached". Pearce has made it known he wants the best players from all over the UK to play. Whether any of those are Scottish or Northern Irish is debatable, but Bale and Ramsey are on Pearce's wish list. Olympic football is an under-23 competition, with up to three players over that age allowed in the team too. Rumours of David Beckham and Ryan Giggs making up part of that allocation have fuelled a media party: front and back pages, and many of those in between.
The question screaming out to be asked
Why would the English FA support a combined UK team, if doing so could jeopardise their national independence? Well, what would they have to lose? Do the grey suits of 'The Football Association' (as England's football governing body humbly call themselves) really see any difference between 'England' and 'Britain'? To them the words are synonymous and, no doubt, interchangeable outside a footballing context. That the Westminster government has pushed for a unified GB team and have entrusted its management to the English FA speaks volumes for the future. Where do you think a single UK-wide football governing body would be based? My best guess is: not Belfast; not Edinburgh; and not Cardiff. You can be pretty sure that the FA's suits are certain it would be based in London too and that any personnel changes (for them) would be minimal. Neither do they suffer from the grass roots opposition to a loss of their national team that is prevalent in the Celtic nations. I well remember England supporters saying what a shame it was there was no British [sic] team, because if there were, "George Best could play for us". And I'm sure the same is said about Gareth Bale now. As Pearce says: "Look at Ryan Giggs, for example. Everyone has always speculated about: 'What if Ryan had been English and available to play for England'." Well ... he wasn't. But it tells us much about the mindset of the England block; supporters; players; and management. Has "everyone" "always speculated about" Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo or Carlos Tevez qualifying for England? The way they see it, they can have an England team and cherry-pick one or two players from the Celtic nations. You only have to look at how the 'so-called' England and Wales Cricket Board is run: they call the team England, and more of its players come from the southern hemisphere than from Wales. So, as they see it, a combined UK team provides the English FA with: more power; a greater player-base; and no perceived loss of sovereignty. What's not to like?
Aaron Ramsey - Arsenal and Wales ... and Team GB?
Football at the Olympics?
Welsh athlete, Dai Greene, while supporting players' choice to represent Team GB, opposes professional footballers playing at the Olympics at all. He maintains that only those sports whose highest level is the Olympics should be represented, and that the media circus surrounding the Team GB football team will "overshadow those people who have trained for four years to be there for that one moment." Greene, the European, Commonwealth, and World 400m hurdles champion, points out that the pinnacle of a footballer's world isn't about being Olympic champion, but about winning "Premierships, Champions League trophies and World Cup medals." He says most athletes agree with his view.
A question of timing
Pearce has said he wants Team GB to play two friendlies before the Olympics. Presumably, these will be some time in late June/early July 2012. Team GB's group games are scheduled for 26 July, 29 July and 1 August 2012. Assuming no disasters and the team qualifies for the final stages, the men's quarter finals will be played on 4 August, the semi-finals on 7 August and the final on 11 August 2012; six competitive matches in 15 days. That's a lot of football.
The Premiership 2011/12 season began on the second Saturday in August, 13 August 2011. The second Saturday in August in 2012 is 11 August 2012; the same day as the Olympic football final. The Premiership has a busy schedule, and there is no reason to suppose they will adjust their fixture list to suit a rival sporting event. The first international weekend this season was the 2nd to 5th August 2011 (Friday-Monday)
Thanks in part to the role of the late (and greatly missed) Gary Speed over the past year, Wales have a decent chance of qualifying for a major tournament for the first time in over 50 years (1958). They play the first game of their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign on 7 September 2012, at home to Belgium. Four days later, on 11 September, they are away to Serbia. Two games will be played the following month, 12 October against Scotland at home, and on 16 October away to Croatia. We would expect at least one friendly (ideally two) before the start of a qualifying campaign, plus training sessions - perhaps more, now that the players need to understand the style of play required by whomever takes over as Wales manager.
Unless Wales' players are excused from playing for their clubs for weeks at a time (highly unlikely), they will not be able to play all the international games (for Wales and Team GB) required of them. They will have to choose which is the more important to them – the possiblility of an Olympic medal, or playing in the World Cup.
The role of big business
Adidas have the contract to supply the Team GB football kit, and replica shirts to supporters. Promo photographs of three players wearing Team GB shirts were released by Adidas; two of them Welshmen. Bale's photo appeared first (28 October 2011), and Ramsey's five days later (2 November). The BOA said there was no hint or message in the choice of Bale to model the shirt. "We have maintained all along that Team GB will allow for the consideration, and possible inclusion, of players from any of the Home Nations, so it only makes sense that Gareth would appear in the photo." Yet no photos of any Scottish or Northern Irish players have been published. That the Welsh players were first out seems to be a statement of intent. In keeping with how the BOA think how much the views of the FAW matter, they announced that Team GB will play at least one, and possibly three, games at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff (way to show solidarity, WRU [Welsh Rugby Union, the Millennium Stadium's ultimate owners]). They hadn't bothered to inform, let alone consult the FAW about a football match to be played on Welsh soil.
Adidas must has have been absolutely delighted with the publicity their stunt generated. Although they may not have bargained for the 'Boycott Adidas' campaign that followed [I know I will never buy any Adidas product again - Ed.]. And it may belatedly have dawned on Ramsey that he and Bale had been used. The day before Wales beat Norway 4-1 in a friendly, Ramsey said: "I spoke to Gareth about what happened, but it wasn't just that top that we had pictures taken in that day. There were a few others. We were promoting the shirts for them [Adidas]." Strangely, none of those has seen the light of day. Five days later an image of Jack Rodwell, the only England player to be pictured so far, was released, almost as an afterthought.
Fair play to the FAW, they have taken a consistent and strong stance against a combined UK team. The very least they could have expected from the captain of their team was for him to support that stance. Instead, they were completely undermined. Being a Wales football supporter has never been a bed of roses - certainly not during my lifetime. Rugby supporters who remember the 1980s will understand. And just as we seem to have a viable sense of optimism in a team that could actually achieve that holy grail for Wales fans, qualification to a major tournament, this crap happens. OK, they are footballers, a profession not renowned for its intellect. But, Duw, they should have seen this coming. Both Bale and Ramsey subsequently said they would do nothing to jeopardise Wales' national status – Ramsey: "relax everyone, there is absolutely no way I would play in the Olympic team if it was going to affect Wales identity as an individual nation!" (4 November 2011), Bale: "The most important thing for me is Wales as a country. I'm proud to play for Wales. If there was any possibility that Wales would go then obviously I wouldn't play [at the Olympics]. Hopefully everything can get sorted and I can play if selected." (18 November 2011). Badly advised? Probably. Cynically manipulated by big business? Undoubtedly.
What the Scottish football establishment has known for years
"The FA apparently assess the risk/threat as much lower than do the other three but that is understandable – they have much less to lose if in 10 or 20 years’ time there is only one GB team in the World Cup and European Nations Championships, not to mention the potential implications at club level. The problem is that neither Blatter nor the current Fifa Council can bind their successors." He adds that Mr Blatter’s "public statements on this issue are, I understand, quite different to what he has said to [the then Chief Executive of the Scottish Football Association] David Taylor in private".
John Gilmour, head of the Sports Stewardship Unit and Delivery Branch at the Scottish Executive, April 2004
"We should not take the chance of joining a British team. There's nothing to stop an association saying 'the four British associations have played together at an Olympics so they can do at a World Cup as well' … It is more important to be in the World Cup as independent associations than in the Olympics as one. For many years there were threats to the independence and those could surface again."
David Will, former FIFA Vice-President, 30 October 2007
"It is the quickest way for Scotland to disappear off the international stage … Fifa is comprised of 208 countries and we have had situations in the past when the privileges of the British associations, one of which is to compete separately in international football tournaments, has come under attack. What I would say is that we should be very careful about that as it's difficult to see what guarantees can be given."
David Taylor, UEFA General Secretary, 27 August 2008
"As we have made clear again and again it is not the view of the current FIFA members that matters - it is the views of members in the future that will count."
Gordon Smith, Former SFA Chief Executive 4 March 2009
The late and sorely missed Gary Speed
Everyone will have heard the sad news about Gary Speed by now. He will be profoundly missed. That his death was utterly shocking is understating the case. Moreover, it seems inexplicable. He had had a fabulous playing career. From an inauspicious start less than a year ago, his international managerial career was as good as it gets in Welsh football, and his, and the Wales team's, future looked exciting and positive. He had a wonderful family, who loved him. Everyone was pleased to see him, enjoyed his company and was sorry when he left. From the outside, Speed was a man who had everything. So ... why? We'll probably never know.
The last time I saw him was in March this year, at the St David's Day parade, Cardiff, shortly after he had taken over as manager. I pleaded with him to teach his players Hen Wlad fy Nhadau and to make sure they sang it, as Gary himself had at every available opportunity. It would give them the same sort of pride in wearing the jersey, as seen in the rugby lads (picture Alun Wyn Jones). He told me it was something they were going to do. True to his word, the papers reported later that month that Courtney Hamilton (Miss Wales) was teaching the squad the words to the national anthem. The players have sung Hen Wlad fy Nhadau before each game ever since. And look at their results. Coincidence? Well, perhaps. But the difference is that that pride and the belief in their country, instilled by Gary Speed, has meant first choice players actually bothering to turn up to play international friendlies, for the first time in decades.
Two days before the 12 November 2011 Wales v Norway friendly - which Wales won 4-1, the latest of a string of wins against top-twenty opposition – Speed gathered the squad together. He restated the FAW's, and his own, opposition to Wales players playing for Team GB.
As player after player, and team after team dedicate their performances to Gary Speed's memory, how ironic would it be for Welsh players in Team GB to do the same.
Cysga'n dawel Gary. Da bo a diolch am bopeth.
I will be supporting the Welsh athletes at the London Olympics. I shout for the British and Irish Lions. And I cheered Europe on at the Ryder Cup. But I'm not sure I could bring myself to support a Team GB, who consider themselves as 'England … plus the best of the rest'. They don't represent me. And they don't represent Wales.
Dai Barnaby
1 December 2011
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