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Great Britain Olympic football team

The Great Britain Olympic football team (Welsh: tîm pêl-droed Olympaidd Prydain Fawr) is the men's football team that represents the United Kingdom at the Summer Olympic Games (where it competes as Great Britain, currently branded Team GB). The team is organised by the English Football Association as the men's footballing representative of the British Olympic Association. The team only competes in the Olympic Games. In other international football tournaments, the Home Nations of the United Kingdom are represented by their own national teams, a situation which pre-dated the establishment of a GB team.

Great Britain
Nickname(s)Team GB
AssociationThe Football Association (since 1907)
Most capsJim Lewis
Mike Pinner (11)[1]
Top scorerWill Campbell (10)[1]
FIFA codeGBR
First colours
Second colours
First international
 Great Britain 12–1 Sweden 
(London, Great Britain; 20 October 1908)
Biggest win
 Great Britain 12–1 Sweden 
(London, Great Britain; 20 October 1908)
Biggest defeat
 Bulgaria 6–1 Great Britain 
(Melbourne, Australia; 30 November 1956)
 Bulgaria 5–0 Great Britain 
(Sofia, Bulgaria; 5 May 1971)
Olympic Games
Appearances8[2] (first in 1900)
Best resultGold: 1900,[2]1908,[2] 1912[2]

The team first competed at the FA organised tournament for the 1908 Olympics held in London, which was the first games that featured representative teams using players selected nationally (prior games in 1900 and 1904 used club teams). This team and the two that followed in 1912 and 1920 featured only English amateur players, and is seen by some as merely an extension of the English amateur team, set up in 1906 in response to the rise of the professional game.[3] In this period the team won the gold medal at the 1908 and 1912 tournaments, although exited at Round 1 in 1920. A dispute between the FA and FIFA over the inclusion of professionals saw the FA withdraw from Olympic football in 1924 and 1928, and saw no football at the Olympics at all in 1932.[1]

After the creation of the FIFA World Cup, it was agreed that Olympic football would become exclusively amateur,[4] leading to the team competing again in the 1936 Games, this time incorporating players from other Home Nations. After the break caused by World War II, the team then competed in every games from 1948 until 1972, albeit failing to qualify for the main tournament after 1960.[1] In this period the team's best performance was fourth place in 1948 at the second Games hosted in London, under manager Matt Busby.[1]

After the FA abolished the distinction between amateur and professional players in 1974, it stopped entering a team.[3] By the 1992 Games teams could use professionals, but were restricted to players under 23 years old, with only three over-age players allowed per squad.[4] Despite this change, Great Britain did not enter a football team again until London won the right to host the 2012 Games.[5][6] The FA organised the team, with Stuart Pearce appointed manager.[7] A Great Britain women's team also competed at the 2012 and 2020 Games.

History edit

Origins edit

The FA was formed in London 1863, when thirteen teams met to draw up a shared rule list for football, in order to facilitate matches between clubs.[8] The question of the geographical remit of this organisation does not appear to have been asked, with the FA being formed before the rise of international football. The first football matches between national teams were arranged by the FA, who invited English and Scottish players to form representative teams.[8] The Scottish teams were made up almost entirely of Scottish residents in England and in order to encourage more Scottish based players to compete, an organisation in Scotland was sought to form the Scottish team.[8] For the 1872 game between Scotland and England in Glasgow, Queen's Park Football Club took on this role, and this game is now recognised as the first international match.[9] Within a year, the Scottish Football Association (SFA) was founded to facilitate these matches, and to organise football in Scotland more broadly. The third national football association, the Football Association of Wales was founded in 1876 and a fourth, the Irish Football Association, (IFA), was founded in 1880.

The practice of playing internationals between the four countries of the United Kingdom (also known as the home nations) was thus developed before football associations were developed elsewhere in the world and, no 'United Kingdom football association' was ever formed.[1] Outside of the UK, the first national associations were formed in 1889 (in Denmark and the Netherlands),[1] and these also began to pick their own national teams. When football was included at the 1900 Olympics, however, many nations were still struggling to raise a team,[1] and so club teams entered instead. Upton Park represented the UK, winning the gold medal.[3]

1908–1936: First tournaments and Olympic Gold edit

 
Great Britain squad that won the gold medal in 1908

For the 1908 Olympic Games in London, the FA persuaded the IOC to include an official football tournament, which they organised.[3] A team, made up entirely of English players, was entered.[10] Some sources continue to refer to this team as the England national amateur football team,[3] whilst others still simply label all participations as Great Britain.[11] Although the team competed as the United Kingdom and are listed as such, the official match report refers to "the English team".[12] The Scottish Football Association passed a resolution to "protest against one National body in the British Isles being termed the United Kingdom, or playing as such without the consent of the other three National Associations". The resolution was read at the next meeting of the International Football Association Board. In response, "[t]he Football Association representatives explained that this was the name given by the authorities, and that so far as the Football Association was concerned they had nothing to do with the matter. The Scottish Association were satisfied with this answer."[13]

At the 1908 Olympics, "Great Britain and Ireland" won all three of their matches, defeating Sweden and Netherlands in the first two rounds. They met Denmark in the final, defeating them 2–0 with goals from Vivian Woodward and Frederick Chapman.[14]

 
Scene of the 1912 Olympic Final match where Great Britain won its second Gold after beating Denmark 4–2

The team repeated this success at the 1912 Games.[15][16] Again, Britain won all three matches and defeated Denmark in the final, this time 4–2. Woodward, who scored in the previous final, was captain for this tournament.[17]

At the 1920 Summer Games, Britain lost in the first round in a surprise defeat to Norway.[18] Britain had played only amateur players, while other nations selected their team from all available players.[19] The tournament formed part of a rift which developed between the FA, who wanted the Olympics to remain an amateur only competition, and FIFA, who were keen on having a full football world championship.[20] This resulted in the FA leaving FIFA, as well as withdrawing from the 1924 and 1928 football tournaments.[21] Eventually, however, an agreement was reached in which the Olympic football tournament would be for amateur players only, with the FIFA World Cup created to include all players, professional and amateur.[21]

There was no football tournament at the 1932 games, so Britain's return to Olympic football came at the 1936 Summer Olympics. Great Britain were defeated in the quarter-finals, losing 5–4 to Poland.[22]

1948–1972: Post war tournaments edit

Following the Second World War, Great Britain competed in all Olympic football tournaments from 1948 through to 1972. The 1948 tournament, which was hosted in London, was the team's most successful. By this time, it was recognised that Britain's amateur players were not of the same quality as they had been in earlier years, due to the rise of the professional game.[23] By contrast, teams in nations which had not yet developed professional leagues were able to field their strongest sides.[23] Manager Matt Busby trained a squad made up of players from all of the 'home nations',[23] and Britain progressed to the semi-final with wins over the Netherlands and France. Having lost the semi-final to Yugoslavia, Britain once again faced Denmark. This time, however, they were defeated 5–3 and missed out on a bronze medal.[24] Wembley Stadium hosted Great Britain's final two matches, though they also played at Craven Cottage and Highbury.

After 1948, Great Britain were never a significant threat at the Olympics again. They were eliminated after losing their opening match to Luxembourg in 1952,[1] and qualified for the 1956 only after other teams withdrew, before being beaten by Bulgaria in the quarter-finals.[1] Their final appearance at an Olympic Games came in 1960.[25] The squad was again selected from all of the home nations, with matches between the national amateur sides being used to choose a best 19.[25] Great Britain were eliminated in the first round, losing one, drawing one and winning one of their three matches.[25] After that Great Britain failed to qualify for the next three Olympics, with their final match being a 5–0 qualifying round defeat by Bulgaria[15] in 1971 following a 1–0 victory at Wembley Stadium against the same team.[26]

In 1974, the Football Association stopped recognising a distinction between professionals and amateurs, with all player subsequently registered simply as 'players', whether paid or unpaid.[27] This ended the existence of the England amateur team, which had always been the basis for the British Olympic team. As such, the FA stopped entering a football team into Olympic competition.

1976–2008: Absence from the tournament edit

For the 1984 Summer Olympics, professional footballers were allowed to compete at the Olympics for the first time.[4][28] Initially, European and South American teams were banned from playing players who had competed in the FIFA World Cup, but from the 1992 Summer Olympics eligibility for all nations was restricted to players aged under 23, except that three players of any age are allowed in the squad.[4]

Since 1992, the UEFA European Under-21 Championship has acted as the qualifying tournament for the UEFA nations, which each of the Home Nations enter. On four occasions, teams from Great Britain have finished in the qualifying positions:

In March 1996, the Scottish National Party proposed that the Scotland U21s should compete in the 1996 Olympics football tournament, having finished fourth in the 1996 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.[29] Scotland would have qualified for the Summer Olympics football tournament twice in succession, having also finished fourth in the 1992 edition. The Scottish Football Association (SFA) opposed the idea of the Scotland team being sent to the Olympics as they would have had to participate as Great Britain, which the SFA considered would have jeopardised the independent status of Scottish national teams.[29]

The British Olympic Association initially refused to rule out the possibility of entry for the 2008 Games,[30] England would have qualified for the 2008 Olympics by reaching the semi-finals of the 2007 Under–21 Championship, but a team was not entered.[31] Italy took their vacated place by winning a play-off match against Portugal.[31] The England women's team also qualified for the 2008 Olympics, through their performance in the 2007 World Cup, but they were denied a place at the Olympics because the other three Home Nations refused to give their consent.[32]

Reformation for London 2012 edit

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The BOA released a supporters' shirt for fans of Team GB

Due to the success of the London 2012 Olympic bid, the United Kingdom gained the right to enter a team in the football tournament as host nation.[5][33] The British Olympic Association (BOA) stated it would enter a football team,[5] but the Scottish Football Association (SFA) refused even to attend meetings at which the Home Nations were to discuss the possibility[34] and the Football Association of Wales (FAW) withdrew from the negotiations.[35] The Irish Football Association (representing Northern Ireland) stated in October 2007 that they would not take part in a unified team, leaving the Football Association (England) as the only association willing to take part. The SFA's opposition to the plans were rooted primarily in the fear that the Home Nations would be forced to field a combined team in all competitions.[34] This would mean the loss of the special status of the Home Nations, established under FIFA's constitution.[36]

Various fans, politicians and sports-people all gave their opinions with regards to the creation of a team. A 2005 opinion poll published by the BOA claimed that a majority of Scots supported the creation of a British team for the 2012 Olympics.[37] A joint statement issued by the official fan clubs of all four Home Nations voiced their opposition to the plan.[38] Various prominent politicians also offered their opinion as to whether there should be a British team in the 2012 Olympics. Prime Minister Gordon Brown stated during the 2008 Olympics that he wanted a British team and would work towards that happening, although he acknowledged that it could affect the autonomy of the Home Nations.[39] First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond then stated his opposition to a British team, arguing that Brown must be "seriously out of touch with Scotland" to support it.[40]

FIFA President Sepp Blatter initially assured each of the British Associations that their status would not be affected by fielding a combined team in 2012.[41] The SFA refused to change its position, arguing that Blatter's personal opinion and permission might not matter once he has left office, and that they did not wish to jeopardise their status.[34] Blatter seemed to change his view in March 2008, when he stated that "they should enter only a team composed of players from England"[42] and he suggested that the independent status of the four British associations could be harmed by a unified team.[42] UEFA chief executive David Taylor, a former chief executive of the SFA, said in August 2008 that a British Olympic team would threaten the existence of the individual home nations.[43] Taylor also said that the unique status of the Home Nations had come under attack before from other FIFA members, and that it was "difficult to see what guarantees could be given" to protect that status.[43] At a conference held in conjunction with the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, the prospect of a UK team for the 2012 Olympics was discussed by the FIFA Executive Committee, who gave their approval.[44]

The executive committee confirmed that the participation in the 2012 London Olympic Games of a single team representing Great Britain would not affect the existing individual status of the four British football associations. For the Olympic Games, they have to play in one entity. The ball is now in their turf. We expect a solution that will be presented to us for the month of March.[44]

From the world of sport, world 400 m hurdles champion Dai Greene said that he felt that there should not be an Olympic football tournament because the Olympics is not the pinnacle of that sport.[45] He also expressed fears that coverage of the football team would overshadow interest in the other competitors.[45] Sebastian Coe, the director of the 2012 Olympics, regularly spoke out in support of the team.[46]

A compromise was eventually reached between the four associations, whereby a squad of English players only would represent the United Kingdom.[6] The football associations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales sent a joint letter to FIFA stating that they would not participate, but that they would not object to England participating alone.[6] This agreement was challenged by the BOA, who wanted to select players from all four countries and claimed it would be potentially discriminatory to only select English players.[47] Jim Boyce stated that there is no legal restriction on players being selected by the BOA[47] and the SFA admitted that it would have no legal grounds to prevent Scottish players from participating.[48] It was then confirmed that the FA intended to select players from outside England.[7] Eligible non-English players such as Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey expressed their desire to play in the squad, having posed for a photo-shoot wearing the replica shirts of the team.[49]

Pre-tournament preparations edit

The FA announced in October 2011 that Stuart Pearce would be the manager. After this announcement, Pearce drew up an initial long-list of players who he wanted to consider for the squad, and wrote to all of these players to inform them of his choice.[50] Pearce said that players who did not want to be included would be able to inform him of their wishes at that stage.[50] It was stated in December 2011 that none of the players selected for the England squad for the UEFA Euro 2012 would be selected, in order to avoid player fatigue.[51] In January 2012, it was revealed that 191 players had been contacted, with 7 declining to be considered for the team.[52] A further cut was announced in April 2012, with the shortlist of eligible players reduced to around 80.[53] The final pre-tournament cut occurred in early June, when a squad of 35 players was submitted to FIFA.[54][55]

Great Britain were placed in group A for the Olympic tournament prior to the draw.[56] The draw was held on 24 April 2012 and added Uruguay, United Arab Emirates and Senegal to Great Britain's group.[57] The final 18-man squad for the Olympic Games was announced on 2 July 2012.[58] A pre-tournament training camp was held in Marbella, Spain.[59] This included a training match against Mexico, which Mexico won 1–0. All players in the squad played for between 45 and 75 minutes.[59] The team then played one official friendly match, against Brazil at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough on 20 July,[60] which was won 2–0 by Brazil.[61]

Olympic tournament edit

 
Kick-off vs Uruguay at the Millennium Stadium

Great Britain's first match was a 1–1 draw with Senegal at Old Trafford in Manchester on 26 July. Craig Bellamy scored for Great Britain in the first half, but Pape Moussa Konaté scored the equaliser for Senegal from a counter-attack in the 82nd minute.[62] Their second match was a 3–1 win against the United Arab Emirates at Wembley. A Ryan Giggs header put Great Britain in the lead, before Ahmad Ali equalised. Scott Sinclair regained the lead with his first touch of the game after coming on as a substitute, and minutes later, fellow substitute Daniel Sturridge chipped the UAE's goalkeeper to make it 3–1.[62] Sturridge scored again in the 1–0 victory against Uruguay in their final group game.

 
Aaron Ramsey missed a penalty kick against South Korea in the 40th minute.

In the knockout stage, Great Britain played South Korea in the quarterfinal round. The match went to a penalty shoot-out after the score was 1–1, after extra time. Great Britain lost the shoot-out 4–5 after Sturridge missed Britain's fifth attempt, while the Koreans converted all five of their attempts.[63]

Future prospects edit

During the 2012 tournament some players such as Ryan Giggs[64] and some members of the British Olympic Association[65] expressed a desire to enter a football team in future Olympics. After Great Britain's elimination from the 2012 Olympics, there were no public plans to reform the team for future Olympic Games,[66] with Alex Horne, chief-executive of the FA, stating that the FA would not support a future men's football team at the Olympics.[67] The problem facing any possible future Great Britain team is that there is no mechanism for it to qualify, as the individual home nations compete in the qualifying competition.[68]

In 2015, the England under-21 coach Gareth Southgate and the FA Director of Elite Development Dan Ashworth established as FA policy that the Olympic tournament is a valuable experience for underage players.[69] The FA subsequently advised the other home nations that they intended to enter teams in 2016, if either or both of the England teams met the qualification standard.[69][70] This suggestion was opposed by the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish associations.[69][71] Jim Boyce of Northern Ireland, then a vice-president of FIFA, said that he had an assurance that any future Great Britain teams would require the consent of all home nations.[71] The FA then advised the other home nations that they would not enter teams, with the Scottish FA saying that the FA had "underestimated" opposition to the plan.[72]

After Team GB did not enter a team at the 2016 Olympics, British Olympic Association chief executive Bill Sweeney expressed his disappointment and said talks would take place to try to field teams for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.[73] British Olympic Association vice-chairman and former sports minister Sir Hugh Robertson further stated: "From the British Olympic Committee's perspective, we would love to see Team GB football", whilst new England senior team manager Sam Allardyce stated: "To turn it down is a great shame. It's something we may look at in the future and try to compete in."[73] Joint talks between all four of the home nations began in September 2016.[74] FIFA subsequently approved the idea of a Great Britain team for the 2020 games, but opposition from the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish FAs continued.[75] FA chief executive Martin Glenn established that previous concerns over the existence of a team were no longer a concern, stating: "The big fear in the past was that if we did it we would jeopardise our independent country status. But that was sorted out under [former FIFA president Sepp] Blatter actually and Gianni Infantino has reinforced it."[74] Glenn revealed that "FIFA has indicated that it's not a problem" and that "the issue is the individual interests of each home nation."[74]

An agreement was reached between the four associations for a women's team to be entered in the 2020 Summer Olympics, with qualification depending on England's performance in the 2019 World Cup, but this did not affect men's football.[76]

Following Tokyo 2020, Sky Sports reported that the British Olympic Association had hoped to have a men's team at Paris 2024.[77] However, nothing came of this as no confirmation of Great Britain either competing or not competing despite England finishing in a qualification spot at the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.[78]

Criticism edit

The official football organisation officials and some players from Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland were against the move to create a Great Britain football team for the London 2012 Olympics.[79] The FAW did not want their players involved in the GB squad for the London Olympics because they were concerned it could undermine their status as an independent footballing nation.[80] Welsh fans also unfurled a "NO TEAM GB" banner following a 4–1 win over Norway for Wales at the Cardiff city stadium.[80] Aaron Ramsey said via Twitter "'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!".[81]

Welsh broadcaster Elis James said that he "profoundly disagreed at every level" with a GB team. It has been suggested that even an occasional British team "would severely weaken our status as an independent football nation (and Scotland and Northern Ireland’s status as well). Plenty in FIFA resent our position on IFAB, and would like to see us compete as Team GB. This has been brought up since the early 1970s".[82]

Chief football writer for The Times suggested opposition to a GB team, "Anybody seriously suggesting a GB football team should just go and experience a Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland or England game. Or just flick the TV on now and listen to Wales players and fans singing".[82]

Whilst playing for a GB football team, Welsh players Ryan Giggs, Craig Bellamy, Joe Allen and Neil Taylor were criticised for not singing "God save the Queen". The manager of the team said that the Welsh players' decision not to sing the anthem is a personal decision.[83]

Colours edit

The official kit for the 2012 Olympics, designed by Stella McCartney and manufactured by Adidas, was unveiled alongside the uniform for all Team GB Olympic competitors in March.[84] The front of the shirt is modelled on the right-hand side of a union flag, with the colours consisting of white and various shades of blue in keeping with the design of the uniforms in other sports.[85] The back of the shirt is navy blue, as are the shorts and socks.[84] The kit has a red trim.[84] The change kit is pale blue and white, with varying shades displaying the same union flag design as the home kit.[86] The crest is on the left breast of the shirt, and consists of a white shield with the generic Team GB logo in blue, with the words London 2012 below it.

Players edit

Composition edit

The composition of the team has varied over time. All players in the 1908, 1912, 1920 and 1956 squads were English, while in other years players from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales were all included.[1] The 2012 squad contained 13 English and 5 Welsh players but no Scottish or Northern Irish players.[58] Jack Butland, the third choice goalkeeper for England, was the only player selected for both the Olympics and the England Euro 2012 squad.[87] Ryan Giggs, Craig Bellamy and Micah Richards were selected as the three overage players.[88] Former England captain David Beckham was shortlisted for the Olympics, but was left out of the final squad.[88]

London 2012 squad edit

The Great Britain squad for the 2012 Olympic Games was announced on 2 July 2012, with Ryan Giggs named as captain.[89]

  • The three over age players are denoted with a *
  • Clubs listed are those which held the player's registration during the Olympics
  • Players' ages are those which the player were at the day of their first game at the Olympics
No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK   Jack Butland (1993-03-10)10 March 1993 (aged 19) 5 0   Birmingham City
18 1GK   Jason Steele (1990-08-18)18 August 1990 (aged 21) 1 0   Middlesbrough
2 2DF   Neil Taylor (1989-02-07)7 February 1989 (aged 23) 5 0   Swansea City
3 2DF   Ryan Bertrand (1989-08-05)5 August 1989 (aged 22) 4 0   Chelsea
5 2DF   Steven Caulker (1991-12-29)29 December 1991 (aged 20) 5 0   Tottenham Hotspur
6 2DF   Craig Dawson (1990-05-06)6 May 1990 (aged 22) 3 0   West Bromwich Albion
12 2DF   James Tomkins (1989-03-29)29 March 1989 (aged 23) 2 0   West Ham United
14 2DF   Micah Richards* (1988-06-24)24 June 1988 (aged 24) 5 0   Manchester City
4 3MF   Danny Rose (1990-07-02)2 July 1990 (aged 22) 4 0   Tottenham Hotspur
7 3MF   Tom Cleverley (1989-08-12)12 August 1989 (aged 22) 5 0   Manchester United
8 3MF   Joe Allen (1990-03-14)14 March 1990 (aged 22) 5 0   Swansea City
11 3MF   Ryan Giggs* (captain) (1973-11-29)29 November 1973 (aged 38) 4 1   Manchester United
13 3MF   Jack Cork (1989-06-25)25 June 1989 (aged 23) 4 0   Southampton
15 3MF   Aaron Ramsey (1990-12-26)26 December 1990 (aged 21) 5 1   Arsenal
16 3MF   Scott Sinclair (1989-03-25)25 March 1989 (aged 23) 4 1   Swansea City
9 4FW   Daniel Sturridge (1989-09-01)1 September 1989 (aged 22) 5 2   Chelsea
10 4FW   Craig Bellamy* (1979-07-13)13 July 1979 (aged 33) 5 1   Liverpool
17 4FW   Marvin Sordell (1991-02-17)17 February 1991 (aged 21) 3 0   Bolton Wanderers

Records and statistics edit

Olympics record edit

Olympics record
Year Manager[90] Squad Round Position G W D L GF GA GD %
  1900 Upton Park F.C. represented GB Gold medal 1st place
  1904 did not enter
  1908   Alfred Davis 1908 squad Gold medal 1st place 3 3 0 0 18 1 +17 100.00
  1912   Adrian Birch 1912 squad Gold medal 1st place 3 3 0 0 15 2 +13 100.00
  1920   George Latham 1920 squad 1st round 1 0 0 1 1 3 −2 000.00
  1924 did not enter
  1928
  1936   William Voisey 1936 squad Quarter-finals 2 1 0 1 6 5 +1 050.00
  1948   Matt Busby 1948 squad Fourth place 4th place 4 2 0 2 9 11 −2 050.00
  1952   Walter Winterbottom 1952 squad Preliminary round 1 0 0 1 3 5 −2 000.00
  1956   Norman Creek 1956 squad Quarter-finals 2 1 0 1 10 6 +4 050.00
  1960 1960 squad 1st round 3 1 1 1 8 8 +0 033.33
  1964   Charles Hughes did not qualify
  1968
  1972
  1976 did not enter
  1980
  1984
  1988
  1992
  1996
  2000
  2004
  2008
  2012   Stuart Pearce 2012 squad Quarter-finals 4 2 2 0 6 3 +3 050.00
  2016 did not enter
  2020
Total 10/27 3 medals 23 13 3 7 76 44 +32 56.52

Olympic finals edit

1908 final edit

Great Britain  2–0  Denmark
Chapman   20'
Woodward   46'
Attendance: 8,000

1912 final edit

Great Britain  4–2  Denmark
Hoare   22', 41'
Walden   10'
Berry   43'
Olsen   27', 81'
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Christiaan Groothoff (Netherlands)

Full Olympic record edit

This is a full round-up of Great Britain's performances at the Olympic Games.[91][92]

London 1908

20 October 1908 1908 Olympics – R1/QF Great Britain   12–1   Sweden London, UK
Stapley   10'
Woodward   ?', ?'
Berry   ?'
Chapman   ?'
Purnell   ?', ?', ?', ?'
Hawkes   ?', ?'
Report Bergström   65' Stadium: White City Stadium
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: John Ibbotson (GB)
22 October 1908 1908 Olympics – SF Great Britain   4–0   Netherlands London, UK
Stapley   37', 60', 64', 75' Report Stadium: White City Stadium
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: John Howcroft (GB)
24 October 1908 1908 Olympics – Final Great Britain   2–0   Denmark London, UK
Chapman   20'
Woodward   65'
Report Stadium: White City Stadium
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: John Lewis (GB)


Stockholm 1912

30 June 1912 1912 Olympics – R2/QF Hungary   0–7   Great Britain Stockholm, Sweden
Report Walden   21', 23', 49', 55', 85'
Woodward   45', 53'
Stadium: Olympiastadion
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: Christiaan Groothoff (Sweden)
2 July 1912 1912 Olympics – SF Finland   0–4   Great Britain Stockholm, Sweden
Report Holopainen   2' (OG)
Walden   7', 77'
Woodward   82'
Stadium: Olympiastadion
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Ruben Gelbord (Sweden)
4 July 1912 1912 Olympics – Final Denmark   2–4   Great Britain Stockholm, Sweden
Olsen   27', 81' Report Walden   10'
Hoare   22', 41'
Berry   43'
Stadium: Olympiastadion
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Christiaan Groothoff (Sweden)


Antwerp 1920

28 August 1920 1920 Olympics – R1 Norway   3–1   Great Britain Antwerp, Belgium
Gundersen   13', 51'
Wilhelms   63'
Report Nicholas   25' Stadium: Olympisch Stadion
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Johannes Mutters (Netherlands)


Berlin 1936

6 August 1936 1936 Olympics – R1 China   0–2   Great Britain Berlin, Nazi Germany
Report Dodds   55'
Finch   65'
Stadium: Mommsenstadion
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: Helmut Fink (Nazi Germany)
8 August 1936 1936 Olympics – QF Poland   5–4   Great Britain Berlin, Nazi Germany
Gad   33'
Wodarz   43', 48', 53'
Piec   56'
Report Clements   26'
Shearer   71'
Joy   78', 80'
Stadium: Poststadion
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: Rudolf Eklöw (Sweden)


Note: As of 1948, many Eastern Bloc states, such as Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, played with their full national sides in the Olympics, while Britain always competed with an amateur team, as per Olympic requirements.[93][94][95]


London 1948

31 July 1948 1948 Olympics – R1 Great Britain   4–3 (a.e.t.)   Netherlands London, UK
McBain   22'
Hardisty   58'
Kelleher   77'
McIlvenny   111'
Report Appel   9', 63'
Wilkes   81'
Stadium: Highbury Stadium
Attendance: 21,000
Referee: Valdemar Laursen (Denmark)
5 August 1948 1948 Olympics – QF Great Britain   1–0   France London, UK
Hardisty   29' Report Stadium: Craven Cottage
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Karel van der Meer (Netherlands)
11 August 1948 1948 Olympics – SF Great Britain   1–3   Yugoslavia London, UK
Donovan   20' Report Bobek   19'
Wölfl   24'
Mitić   48'
Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 40,000
Referee: Karel van der Meer (Netherlands)
13 August 1948 1948 Olympics – Bronze Great Britain   3–5   Denmark London, UK
Aitken   5'
Hardisty   33'
Amor   63'
Report Præst   12', 49'
Hansen   16', 77'
Sørensen   41'
Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Karel van der Meer (Netherlands)


Helsinki 1952

16 July 1952 1952 Olympics – Prelim Luxembourg   5–3 (a.e.t.)   Great Britain Lahti, Finland
Roller   60', 95', 97'
Letsch   91'
Gales   102'
Report Robb   12'
Slater   101'
Lewis   118'
Stadium: Lahden kisapuisto
Attendance: 3,740
Referee: Vincenzo Orlandini (Italy)


Melbourne 1956

23 October 1955 1956 Olympics – Qualifying Bulgaria   2–0   Great Britain Sofia, Bulgaria
Stefanov   30'
Yanev   61'
Report Stadium: Vasil Levski National Stadium
Attendance: 45,000
Referee: Giorgio Bernardi (Italy)
12 May 1956 1956 Olympics – Qualifying Great Britain   3–3
(3–5 agg.)
  Bulgaria London, UK
Hardisty   12', 62'
Lewis   77' (pen.)
Report Milanov   28'
Prince   32' (o.g.)
Dimitrov   66'
Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Giorgio Bernardi (Italy)
Note: Britain lost 5–3 on aggregate, but earned a reprieve to compete in Melbourne[94]
26 November 1956 1956 Olympics – R1 Thailand   0–9   Great Britain Melbourne, Australia
Report Twissell   12', 20'
Lewis   21' (pen.)
Laybourne   30', 82', 85'
Bromilow   75', 78'
Topp   90'
Stadium: Olympic Park Stadium
Attendance: 3,693
Referee: Nikolay Latyshev (USSR)
30 November 1956 1956 Olympics – QF Bulgaria   6–1   Great Britain Melbourne, Australia
Dimitrov   6'
Kolev   40', 85'
Milanov   45', 75', 80'
Report Lewis   30' Stadium: Olympic Park Stadium
Attendance: 6,748
Referee: Ron Wright (Australia)


Rome 1960

21 November 1959 1960 Olympics – Qualifying Great Britain   3–2   Republic of Ireland Hove, UK
Devine   1'
Hasty   45', 80'
Report
Report
Aherne
Rice
Stadium: Goldstone Ground
Attendance: 7,800
Referee: Arthur Blavier (Belgium)
13 March 1960 1960 Olympics – Qualifying Republic of Ireland   1–3   Great Britain Dublin, Ireland
McGrath   ?' Report
Report
Coates   ?'
Brown   ?'
Harding   ?'
Stadium: Dalymount Park
Attendance: 19,000
2 April 1960 1960 Olympics – Qualifying Netherlands   1–5   Great Britain Zwolle, Netherlands
Hainje   29' Report Lewis   ?', ?', ?'
Lindsay   25'
Brown   31'
Stadium: Oosterenkstadion or at ZAC
Attendance: 9,000
13 April 1960 1960 Olympics – Qualifying Great Britain   2–2
(GB qualify)[96]
  Netherlands London, UK
Brown   ?'
Lewis   ?'
Report De Kleermaeker   ?'
Bouwman   ?'
Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 3,950


26 August 1960 1960 Olympics – Groups Brazil   4–3   Great Britain Livorno, Italy
Gérson   2'
China   61',   72'
Wanderley   64'[97]

Report
Brown   32', 87'
Lewis   47'
Stadium: Stadio di Ardenza
Attendance: 13,590
Referee: Josef Kandlbinder (FR Germany)
29 August 1960 1960 Olympics – Groups Italy   2–2   Great Britain Rome, Italy
13:00 Rossano   11', 55' Brown   23'
Hasty   75'
Referee: Lucien van Nuffel (Belgium)
1 September 1960 1960 Olympics – Groups Great Britain   3–2   Republic of China Grosseto, Italy
12:00 Lewis   35'
Brown   58'
Hasty   85'
Chuk Yin Yiu   70', 88' Stadium: Stadio Olimpico Comunale
Referee: Josef Kandlbinder (FR Germany)


London 2012

26 July 2012 2012 Olympics – Groups Great Britain   1–1   Senegal Manchester, UK
20:00 Bellamy   20' Konaté   82' Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 72,176[98]
Referee: Irmatov (Uzbekistan)
29 July 2012 2012 Olympics – Groups Great Britain   3–1   United Arab Emirates London, UK
19:45 Giggs   16'
Sinclair   73'
Sturridge   76'
Eisa   60' Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 85,137[99]
Referee: García (Mexico)
1 August 2012 2012 Olympics – Groups Great Britain   1–0   Uruguay Cardiff, UK
19:45 Sturridge   45+1' Stadium: Millennium Stadium
Attendance: 70,438[100]
Referee: Nishimura (Japan)
4 August 2012 2012 Olympics – Quarter-finals Great Britain   1–1 (a.e.t.)
(4–5 p)
  South Korea Cardiff, UK
19:30 Ramsey   36' (pen.) Ji Dong-won   29' Stadium: Millennium Stadium
Attendance: 70,171[101]
Referee: Roldán (Colombia)
Penalties

See also edit

References edit

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  2. ^ a b c d e In some years, notably 1908, 1912 and 1956, the Great Britain Olympic team was the England national amateur football team playing in the colours of the United Kingdom. Sources differ as to whether this team should be considered a GB team or an England national team
  3. ^ a b c d e Beck, Peter J. (1999). Scoring for Britain. Routledge. p. 56. ISBN 9780714648996.
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  9. ^ Paul Mitchell. "The first international football match". BBC Scotland. from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
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  12. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2007. (14.0 MB) The British Olympic Council, 1908; Accessed 10 September 2011
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  27. ^ Chapman, Mark. "About The Project". England's Amateurs. from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
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  29. ^ a b McCarthy, David (28 March 1996). "Nat on Your Life; SNP Blasted over Babes Olympic Bid". Daily Record.[dead link]
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  32. ^ "Caborn blasts women's Games snub". BBC Sport. 4 December 2007. from the original on 6 December 2007. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
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  41. ^ "Smith 'excited' by Olympic team". BBC Sport. 2 September 2005. from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
  42. ^ a b "Blatter against British 2012 team". BBC Sport. 9 March 2008. from the original on 24 December 2008. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
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  44. ^ a b "GB football team gets Fifa assent". BBC Sport. 20 December 2008. from the original on 22 February 2009. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
  45. ^ a b "Dai Greene believes football has 'no place' at Olympics". BBC Sport. 22 November 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
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  47. ^ a b "London 2012 Olympics: Gareth Bale and non-English players have 'legal right' to play for Team GB". The Telegraph. 24 March 2011. Archived from the original on 28 February 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  48. ^ "Great Britain Olympic football team agreement close". BBC Sport. 19 June 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2011.
  49. ^ "Aaron Ramsey throws his weight behind Team GB for London 2012". Press Association. 2 November 2011. from the original on 2 January 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2020 – via www.theguardian.com.
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  52. ^ "Ryan Giggs and David Beckham keen to play for Olympic football team". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. The Press Association. 17 January 2012. from the original on 13 February 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  53. ^
great, britain, olympic, football, team, welsh, tîm, pêl, droed, olympaidd, prydain, fawr, football, team, that, represents, united, kingdom, summer, olympic, games, where, competes, great, britain, currently, branded, team, team, organised, english, football,. The Great Britain Olympic football team Welsh tim pel droed Olympaidd Prydain Fawr is the men s football team that represents the United Kingdom at the Summer Olympic Games where it competes as Great Britain currently branded Team GB The team is organised by the English Football Association as the men s footballing representative of the British Olympic Association The team only competes in the Olympic Games In other international football tournaments the Home Nations of the United Kingdom are represented by their own national teams a situation which pre dated the establishment of a GB team Great BritainNickname s Team GBAssociationThe Football Association since 1907 Most capsJim Lewis Mike Pinner 11 1 Top scorerWill Campbell 10 1 FIFA codeGBRFirst coloursSecond coloursFirst international Great Britain 12 1 Sweden London Great Britain 20 October 1908 Biggest win Great Britain 12 1 Sweden London Great Britain 20 October 1908 Biggest defeat Bulgaria 6 1 Great Britain Melbourne Australia 30 November 1956 Bulgaria 5 0 Great Britain Sofia Bulgaria 5 May 1971 Olympic GamesAppearances8 2 first in 1900 Best resultGold 1900 2 1908 2 1912 2 Medal record Men s Football1900 Paris Team1908 London Team1912 Stockholm 2 TeamThe team first competed at the FA organised tournament for the 1908 Olympics held in London which was the first games that featured representative teams using players selected nationally prior games in 1900 and 1904 used club teams This team and the two that followed in 1912 and 1920 featured only English amateur players and is seen by some as merely an extension of the English amateur team set up in 1906 in response to the rise of the professional game 3 In this period the team won the gold medal at the 1908 and 1912 tournaments although exited at Round 1 in 1920 A dispute between the FA and FIFA over the inclusion of professionals saw the FA withdraw from Olympic football in 1924 and 1928 and saw no football at the Olympics at all in 1932 1 After the creation of the FIFA World Cup it was agreed that Olympic football would become exclusively amateur 4 leading to the team competing again in the 1936 Games this time incorporating players from other Home Nations After the break caused by World War II the team then competed in every games from 1948 until 1972 albeit failing to qualify for the main tournament after 1960 1 In this period the team s best performance was fourth place in 1948 at the second Games hosted in London under manager Matt Busby 1 After the FA abolished the distinction between amateur and professional players in 1974 it stopped entering a team 3 By the 1992 Games teams could use professionals but were restricted to players under 23 years old with only three over age players allowed per squad 4 Despite this change Great Britain did not enter a football team again until London won the right to host the 2012 Games 5 6 The FA organised the team with Stuart Pearce appointed manager 7 A Great Britain women s team also competed at the 2012 and 2020 Games Contents 1 History 1 1 Origins 1 2 1908 1936 First tournaments and Olympic Gold 1 3 1948 1972 Post war tournaments 1 4 1976 2008 Absence from the tournament 1 5 Reformation for London 2012 1 5 1 Pre tournament preparations 1 5 2 Olympic tournament 2 Future prospects 3 Criticism 4 Colours 5 Players 5 1 Composition 5 2 London 2012 squad 6 Records and statistics 6 1 Olympics record 6 2 Olympic finals 6 2 1 1908 final 6 2 2 1912 final 6 3 Full Olympic record 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksHistory editOrigins edit The FA was formed in London 1863 when thirteen teams met to draw up a shared rule list for football in order to facilitate matches between clubs 8 The question of the geographical remit of this organisation does not appear to have been asked with the FA being formed before the rise of international football The first football matches between national teams were arranged by the FA who invited English and Scottish players to form representative teams 8 The Scottish teams were made up almost entirely of Scottish residents in England and in order to encourage more Scottish based players to compete an organisation in Scotland was sought to form the Scottish team 8 For the 1872 game between Scotland and England in Glasgow Queen s Park Football Club took on this role and this game is now recognised as the first international match 9 Within a year the Scottish Football Association SFA was founded to facilitate these matches and to organise football in Scotland more broadly The third national football association the Football Association of Wales was founded in 1876 and a fourth the Irish Football Association IFA was founded in 1880 The practice of playing internationals between the four countries of the United Kingdom also known as the home nations was thus developed before football associations were developed elsewhere in the world and no United Kingdom football association was ever formed 1 Outside of the UK the first national associations were formed in 1889 in Denmark and the Netherlands 1 and these also began to pick their own national teams When football was included at the 1900 Olympics however many nations were still struggling to raise a team 1 and so club teams entered instead Upton Park represented the UK winning the gold medal 3 1908 1936 First tournaments and Olympic Gold edit nbsp Great Britain squad that won the gold medal in 1908For the 1908 Olympic Games in London the FA persuaded the IOC to include an official football tournament which they organised 3 A team made up entirely of English players was entered 10 Some sources continue to refer to this team as the England national amateur football team 3 whilst others still simply label all participations as Great Britain 11 Although the team competed as the United Kingdom and are listed as such the official match report refers to the English team 12 The Scottish Football Association passed a resolution to protest against one National body in the British Isles being termed the United Kingdom or playing as such without the consent of the other three National Associations The resolution was read at the next meeting of the International Football Association Board In response t he Football Association representatives explained that this was the name given by the authorities and that so far as the Football Association was concerned they had nothing to do with the matter The Scottish Association were satisfied with this answer 13 At the 1908 Olympics Great Britain and Ireland won all three of their matches defeating Sweden and Netherlands in the first two rounds They met Denmark in the final defeating them 2 0 with goals from Vivian Woodward and Frederick Chapman 14 nbsp Scene of the 1912 Olympic Final match where Great Britain won its second Gold after beating Denmark 4 2The team repeated this success at the 1912 Games 15 16 Again Britain won all three matches and defeated Denmark in the final this time 4 2 Woodward who scored in the previous final was captain for this tournament 17 At the 1920 Summer Games Britain lost in the first round in a surprise defeat to Norway 18 Britain had played only amateur players while other nations selected their team from all available players 19 The tournament formed part of a rift which developed between the FA who wanted the Olympics to remain an amateur only competition and FIFA who were keen on having a full football world championship 20 This resulted in the FA leaving FIFA as well as withdrawing from the 1924 and 1928 football tournaments 21 Eventually however an agreement was reached in which the Olympic football tournament would be for amateur players only with the FIFA World Cup created to include all players professional and amateur 21 There was no football tournament at the 1932 games so Britain s return to Olympic football came at the 1936 Summer Olympics Great Britain were defeated in the quarter finals losing 5 4 to Poland 22 1948 1972 Post war tournaments edit Following the Second World War Great Britain competed in all Olympic football tournaments from 1948 through to 1972 The 1948 tournament which was hosted in London was the team s most successful By this time it was recognised that Britain s amateur players were not of the same quality as they had been in earlier years due to the rise of the professional game 23 By contrast teams in nations which had not yet developed professional leagues were able to field their strongest sides 23 Manager Matt Busby trained a squad made up of players from all of the home nations 23 and Britain progressed to the semi final with wins over the Netherlands and France Having lost the semi final to Yugoslavia Britain once again faced Denmark This time however they were defeated 5 3 and missed out on a bronze medal 24 Wembley Stadium hosted Great Britain s final two matches though they also played at Craven Cottage and Highbury After 1948 Great Britain were never a significant threat at the Olympics again They were eliminated after losing their opening match to Luxembourg in 1952 1 and qualified for the 1956 only after other teams withdrew before being beaten by Bulgaria in the quarter finals 1 Their final appearance at an Olympic Games came in 1960 25 The squad was again selected from all of the home nations with matches between the national amateur sides being used to choose a best 19 25 Great Britain were eliminated in the first round losing one drawing one and winning one of their three matches 25 After that Great Britain failed to qualify for the next three Olympics with their final match being a 5 0 qualifying round defeat by Bulgaria 15 in 1971 following a 1 0 victory at Wembley Stadium against the same team 26 In 1974 the Football Association stopped recognising a distinction between professionals and amateurs with all player subsequently registered simply as players whether paid or unpaid 27 This ended the existence of the England amateur team which had always been the basis for the British Olympic team As such the FA stopped entering a football team into Olympic competition 1976 2008 Absence from the tournament edit For the 1984 Summer Olympics professional footballers were allowed to compete at the Olympics for the first time 4 28 Initially European and South American teams were banned from playing players who had competed in the FIFA World Cup but from the 1992 Summer Olympics eligibility for all nations was restricted to players aged under 23 except that three players of any age are allowed in the squad 4 Since 1992 the UEFA European Under 21 Championship has acted as the qualifying tournament for the UEFA nations which each of the Home Nations enter On four occasions teams from Great Britain have finished in the qualifying positions 1992 nbsp Scotland 1996 nbsp Scotland 2008 nbsp England 2024 nbsp EnglandIn March 1996 the Scottish National Party proposed that the Scotland U21s should compete in the 1996 Olympics football tournament having finished fourth in the 1996 UEFA European Under 21 Championship 29 Scotland would have qualified for the Summer Olympics football tournament twice in succession having also finished fourth in the 1992 edition The Scottish Football Association SFA opposed the idea of the Scotland team being sent to the Olympics as they would have had to participate as Great Britain which the SFA considered would have jeopardised the independent status of Scottish national teams 29 The British Olympic Association initially refused to rule out the possibility of entry for the 2008 Games 30 England would have qualified for the 2008 Olympics by reaching the semi finals of the 2007 Under 21 Championship but a team was not entered 31 Italy took their vacated place by winning a play off match against Portugal 31 The England women s team also qualified for the 2008 Olympics through their performance in the 2007 World Cup but they were denied a place at the Olympics because the other three Home Nations refused to give their consent 32 Reformation for London 2012 edit nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp The BOA released a supporters shirt for fans of Team GB Due to the success of the London 2012 Olympic bid the United Kingdom gained the right to enter a team in the football tournament as host nation 5 33 The British Olympic Association BOA stated it would enter a football team 5 but the Scottish Football Association SFA refused even to attend meetings at which the Home Nations were to discuss the possibility 34 and the Football Association of Wales FAW withdrew from the negotiations 35 The Irish Football Association representing Northern Ireland stated in October 2007 that they would not take part in a unified team leaving the Football Association England as the only association willing to take part The SFA s opposition to the plans were rooted primarily in the fear that the Home Nations would be forced to field a combined team in all competitions 34 This would mean the loss of the special status of the Home Nations established under FIFA s constitution 36 Various fans politicians and sports people all gave their opinions with regards to the creation of a team A 2005 opinion poll published by the BOA claimed that a majority of Scots supported the creation of a British team for the 2012 Olympics 37 A joint statement issued by the official fan clubs of all four Home Nations voiced their opposition to the plan 38 Various prominent politicians also offered their opinion as to whether there should be a British team in the 2012 Olympics Prime Minister Gordon Brown stated during the 2008 Olympics that he wanted a British team and would work towards that happening although he acknowledged that it could affect the autonomy of the Home Nations 39 First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond then stated his opposition to a British team arguing that Brown must be seriously out of touch with Scotland to support it 40 FIFA President Sepp Blatter initially assured each of the British Associations that their status would not be affected by fielding a combined team in 2012 41 The SFA refused to change its position arguing that Blatter s personal opinion and permission might not matter once he has left office and that they did not wish to jeopardise their status 34 Blatter seemed to change his view in March 2008 when he stated that they should enter only a team composed of players from England 42 and he suggested that the independent status of the four British associations could be harmed by a unified team 42 UEFA chief executive David Taylor a former chief executive of the SFA said in August 2008 that a British Olympic team would threaten the existence of the individual home nations 43 Taylor also said that the unique status of the Home Nations had come under attack before from other FIFA members and that it was difficult to see what guarantees could be given to protect that status 43 At a conference held in conjunction with the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan the prospect of a UK team for the 2012 Olympics was discussed by the FIFA Executive Committee who gave their approval 44 The executive committee confirmed that the participation in the 2012 London Olympic Games of a single team representing Great Britain would not affect the existing individual status of the four British football associations For the Olympic Games they have to play in one entity The ball is now in their turf We expect a solution that will be presented to us for the month of March 44 From the world of sport world 400 m hurdles champion Dai Greene said that he felt that there should not be an Olympic football tournament because the Olympics is not the pinnacle of that sport 45 He also expressed fears that coverage of the football team would overshadow interest in the other competitors 45 Sebastian Coe the director of the 2012 Olympics regularly spoke out in support of the team 46 A compromise was eventually reached between the four associations whereby a squad of English players only would represent the United Kingdom 6 The football associations of Northern Ireland Scotland and Wales sent a joint letter to FIFA stating that they would not participate but that they would not object to England participating alone 6 This agreement was challenged by the BOA who wanted to select players from all four countries and claimed it would be potentially discriminatory to only select English players 47 Jim Boyce stated that there is no legal restriction on players being selected by the BOA 47 and the SFA admitted that it would have no legal grounds to prevent Scottish players from participating 48 It was then confirmed that the FA intended to select players from outside England 7 Eligible non English players such as Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey expressed their desire to play in the squad having posed for a photo shoot wearing the replica shirts of the team 49 Pre tournament preparations edit The FA announced in October 2011 that Stuart Pearce would be the manager After this announcement Pearce drew up an initial long list of players who he wanted to consider for the squad and wrote to all of these players to inform them of his choice 50 Pearce said that players who did not want to be included would be able to inform him of their wishes at that stage 50 It was stated in December 2011 that none of the players selected for the England squad for the UEFA Euro 2012 would be selected in order to avoid player fatigue 51 In January 2012 it was revealed that 191 players had been contacted with 7 declining to be considered for the team 52 A further cut was announced in April 2012 with the shortlist of eligible players reduced to around 80 53 The final pre tournament cut occurred in early June when a squad of 35 players was submitted to FIFA 54 55 Great Britain were placed in group A for the Olympic tournament prior to the draw 56 The draw was held on 24 April 2012 and added Uruguay United Arab Emirates and Senegal to Great Britain s group 57 The final 18 man squad for the Olympic Games was announced on 2 July 2012 58 A pre tournament training camp was held in Marbella Spain 59 This included a training match against Mexico which Mexico won 1 0 All players in the squad played for between 45 and 75 minutes 59 The team then played one official friendly match against Brazil at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough on 20 July 60 which was won 2 0 by Brazil 61 Olympic tournament edit nbsp Kick off vs Uruguay at the Millennium StadiumGreat Britain s first match was a 1 1 draw with Senegal at Old Trafford in Manchester on 26 July Craig Bellamy scored for Great Britain in the first half but Pape Moussa Konate scored the equaliser for Senegal from a counter attack in the 82nd minute 62 Their second match was a 3 1 win against the United Arab Emirates at Wembley A Ryan Giggs header put Great Britain in the lead before Ahmad Ali equalised Scott Sinclair regained the lead with his first touch of the game after coming on as a substitute and minutes later fellow substitute Daniel Sturridge chipped the UAE s goalkeeper to make it 3 1 62 Sturridge scored again in the 1 0 victory against Uruguay in their final group game nbsp Aaron Ramsey missed a penalty kick against South Korea in the 40th minute In the knockout stage Great Britain played South Korea in the quarterfinal round The match went to a penalty shoot out after the score was 1 1 after extra time Great Britain lost the shoot out 4 5 after Sturridge missed Britain s fifth attempt while the Koreans converted all five of their attempts 63 Future prospects editDuring the 2012 tournament some players such as Ryan Giggs 64 and some members of the British Olympic Association 65 expressed a desire to enter a football team in future Olympics After Great Britain s elimination from the 2012 Olympics there were no public plans to reform the team for future Olympic Games 66 with Alex Horne chief executive of the FA stating that the FA would not support a future men s football team at the Olympics 67 The problem facing any possible future Great Britain team is that there is no mechanism for it to qualify as the individual home nations compete in the qualifying competition 68 In 2015 the England under 21 coach Gareth Southgate and the FA Director of Elite Development Dan Ashworth established as FA policy that the Olympic tournament is a valuable experience for underage players 69 The FA subsequently advised the other home nations that they intended to enter teams in 2016 if either or both of the England teams met the qualification standard 69 70 This suggestion was opposed by the Scottish Welsh and Northern Irish associations 69 71 Jim Boyce of Northern Ireland then a vice president of FIFA said that he had an assurance that any future Great Britain teams would require the consent of all home nations 71 The FA then advised the other home nations that they would not enter teams with the Scottish FA saying that the FA had underestimated opposition to the plan 72 After Team GB did not enter a team at the 2016 Olympics British Olympic Association chief executive Bill Sweeney expressed his disappointment and said talks would take place to try to field teams for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics 73 British Olympic Association vice chairman and former sports minister Sir Hugh Robertson further stated From the British Olympic Committee s perspective we would love to see Team GB football whilst new England senior team manager Sam Allardyce stated To turn it down is a great shame It s something we may look at in the future and try to compete in 73 Joint talks between all four of the home nations began in September 2016 74 FIFA subsequently approved the idea of a Great Britain team for the 2020 games but opposition from the Welsh Scottish and Northern Irish FAs continued 75 FA chief executive Martin Glenn established that previous concerns over the existence of a team were no longer a concern stating The big fear in the past was that if we did it we would jeopardise our independent country status But that was sorted out under former FIFA president Sepp Blatter actually and Gianni Infantino has reinforced it 74 Glenn revealed that FIFA has indicated that it s not a problem and that the issue is the individual interests of each home nation 74 An agreement was reached between the four associations for a women s team to be entered in the 2020 Summer Olympics with qualification depending on England s performance in the 2019 World Cup but this did not affect men s football 76 Following Tokyo 2020 Sky Sports reported that the British Olympic Association had hoped to have a men s team at Paris 2024 77 However nothing came of this as no confirmation of Great Britain either competing or not competing despite England finishing in a qualification spot at the 2023 UEFA European Under 21 Championship 78 Criticism editThe official football organisation officials and some players from Wales Scotland and Northern Ireland were against the move to create a Great Britain football team for the London 2012 Olympics 79 The FAW did not want their players involved in the GB squad for the London Olympics because they were concerned it could undermine their status as an independent footballing nation 80 Welsh fans also unfurled a NO TEAM GB banner following a 4 1 win over Norway for Wales at the Cardiff city stadium 80 Aaron Ramsey said via Twitter 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 81 Welsh broadcaster Elis James said that he profoundly disagreed at every level with a GB team It has been suggested that even an occasional British team would severely weaken our status as an independent football nation and Scotland and Northern Ireland s status as well Plenty in FIFA resent our position on IFAB and would like to see us compete as Team GB This has been brought up since the early 1970s 82 Chief football writer for The Times suggested opposition to a GB team Anybody seriously suggesting a GB football team should just go and experience a Wales Scotland Northern Ireland or England game Or just flick the TV on now and listen to Wales players and fans singing 82 Whilst playing for a GB football team Welsh players Ryan Giggs Craig Bellamy Joe Allen and Neil Taylor were criticised for not singing God save the Queen The manager of the team said that the Welsh players decision not to sing the anthem is a personal decision 83 Colours editThe official kit for the 2012 Olympics designed by Stella McCartney and manufactured by Adidas was unveiled alongside the uniform for all Team GB Olympic competitors in March 84 The front of the shirt is modelled on the right hand side of a union flag with the colours consisting of white and various shades of blue in keeping with the design of the uniforms in other sports 85 The back of the shirt is navy blue as are the shorts and socks 84 The kit has a red trim 84 The change kit is pale blue and white with varying shades displaying the same union flag design as the home kit 86 The crest is on the left breast of the shirt and consists of a white shield with the generic Team GB logo in blue with the words London 2012 below it Players editComposition edit The composition of the team has varied over time All players in the 1908 1912 1920 and 1956 squads were English while in other years players from Northern Ireland Scotland and Wales were all included 1 The 2012 squad contained 13 English and 5 Welsh players but no Scottish or Northern Irish players 58 Jack Butland the third choice goalkeeper for England was the only player selected for both the Olympics and the England Euro 2012 squad 87 Ryan Giggs Craig Bellamy and Micah Richards were selected as the three overage players 88 Former England captain David Beckham was shortlisted for the Olympics but was left out of the final squad 88 London 2012 squad edit The Great Britain squad for the 2012 Olympic Games was announced on 2 July 2012 with Ryan Giggs named as captain 89 The three over age players are denoted with a Clubs listed are those which held the player s registration during the Olympics Players ages are those which the player were at the day of their first game at the OlympicsNo Pos Player Date of birth age Caps Goals Club1 1 GK nbsp Jack Butland 1993 03 10 10 March 1993 aged 19 5 0 nbsp Birmingham City18 1 GK nbsp Jason Steele 1990 08 18 18 August 1990 aged 21 1 0 nbsp Middlesbrough2 2 DF nbsp Neil Taylor 1989 02 07 7 February 1989 aged 23 5 0 nbsp Swansea City3 2 DF nbsp Ryan Bertrand 1989 08 05 5 August 1989 aged 22 4 0 nbsp Chelsea5 2 DF nbsp Steven Caulker 1991 12 29 29 December 1991 aged 20 5 0 nbsp Tottenham Hotspur6 2 DF nbsp Craig Dawson 1990 05 06 6 May 1990 aged 22 3 0 nbsp West Bromwich Albion12 2 DF nbsp James Tomkins 1989 03 29 29 March 1989 aged 23 2 0 nbsp West Ham United14 2 DF nbsp Micah Richards 1988 06 24 24 June 1988 aged 24 5 0 nbsp Manchester City4 3 MF nbsp Danny Rose 1990 07 02 2 July 1990 aged 22 4 0 nbsp Tottenham Hotspur7 3 MF nbsp Tom Cleverley 1989 08 12 12 August 1989 aged 22 5 0 nbsp Manchester United8 3 MF nbsp Joe Allen 1990 03 14 14 March 1990 aged 22 5 0 nbsp Swansea City11 3 MF nbsp Ryan Giggs captain 1973 11 29 29 November 1973 aged 38 4 1 nbsp Manchester United13 3 MF nbsp Jack Cork 1989 06 25 25 June 1989 aged 23 4 0 nbsp Southampton15 3 MF nbsp Aaron Ramsey 1990 12 26 26 December 1990 aged 21 5 1 nbsp Arsenal16 3 MF nbsp Scott Sinclair 1989 03 25 25 March 1989 aged 23 4 1 nbsp Swansea City9 4 FW nbsp Daniel Sturridge 1989 09 01 1 September 1989 aged 22 5 2 nbsp Chelsea10 4 FW nbsp Craig Bellamy 1979 07 13 13 July 1979 aged 33 5 1 nbsp Liverpool17 4 FW nbsp Marvin Sordell 1991 02 17 17 February 1991 aged 21 3 0 nbsp Bolton WanderersRecords and statistics editOlympics record edit Olympics recordYear Manager 90 Squad Round Position G W D L GF GA GD nbsp 1900 Upton Park F C represented GB Gold medal 1st place nbsp 1904 did not enter nbsp 1908 nbsp Alfred Davis 1908 squad Gold medal 1st place 3 3 0 0 18 1 17 100 00 nbsp 1912 nbsp Adrian Birch 1912 squad Gold medal 1st place 3 3 0 0 15 2 13 100 00 nbsp 1920 nbsp George Latham 1920 squad 1st round 1 0 0 1 1 3 2 00 0 00 nbsp 1924 did not enter nbsp 1928 nbsp 1936 nbsp William Voisey 1936 squad Quarter finals 2 1 0 1 6 5 1 0 50 00 nbsp 1948 nbsp Matt Busby 1948 squad Fourth place 4th place 4 2 0 2 9 11 2 0 50 00 nbsp 1952 nbsp Walter Winterbottom 1952 squad Preliminary round 1 0 0 1 3 5 2 00 0 00 nbsp 1956 nbsp Norman Creek 1956 squad Quarter finals 2 1 0 1 10 6 4 0 50 00 nbsp 1960 1960 squad 1st round 3 1 1 1 8 8 0 0 33 33 nbsp 1964 nbsp Charles Hughes did not qualify nbsp 1968 nbsp 1972 nbsp 1976 did not enter nbsp 1980 nbsp 1984 nbsp 1988 nbsp 1992 nbsp 1996 nbsp 2000 nbsp 2004 nbsp 2008 nbsp 2012 nbsp Stuart Pearce 2012 squad Quarter finals 4 2 2 0 6 3 3 0 50 00 nbsp 2016 did not enter nbsp 2020Total 10 27 3 medals 23 13 3 7 76 44 32 56 52Olympic finals edit 1908 final edit 24 October 190815 00Great Britain nbsp 2 0 nbsp DenmarkChapman nbsp 20 Woodward nbsp 46 ReportWhite City LondonAttendance 8 000Referee John Lewis Great Britain 1912 final edit 4 July 191219 00Great Britain nbsp 4 2 nbsp DenmarkHoare nbsp 22 41 Walden nbsp 10 Berry nbsp 43 Report Olsen nbsp 27 81 Stockholms Stadion StockholmAttendance 25 000Referee Christiaan Groothoff Netherlands Full Olympic record edit This is a full round up of Great Britain s performances at the Olympic Games 91 92 London 1908 Great Britain nbsp v nbsp Sweden 20 October 1908 1908 Olympics R1 QFGreat Britain nbsp 12 1 nbsp SwedenLondon UKStapley nbsp 10 Woodward nbsp Berry nbsp Chapman nbsp Purnell nbsp Hawkes nbsp Report Bergstrom nbsp 65 Stadium White City Stadium Attendance 2 000Referee John Ibbotson GB Great Britain nbsp v nbsp Netherlands 22 October 1908 1908 Olympics SFGreat Britain nbsp 4 0 nbsp NetherlandsLondon UKStapley nbsp 37 60 64 75 Report Stadium White City Stadium Attendance 6 000Referee John Howcroft GB Great Britain nbsp v nbsp Denmark 24 October 1908 1908 Olympics FinalGreat Britain nbsp 2 0 nbsp DenmarkLondon UKChapman nbsp 20 Woodward nbsp 65 Report Stadium White City Stadium Attendance 6 000Referee John Lewis GB Stockholm 1912 Hungary nbsp v nbsp Great Britain 30 June 1912 1912 Olympics R2 QFHungary nbsp 0 7 nbsp Great BritainStockholm SwedenReport Walden nbsp 21 23 49 55 85 Woodward nbsp 45 53 Stadium Olympiastadion Attendance 8 000Referee Christiaan Groothoff Sweden Finland nbsp v nbsp Great Britain 2 July 1912 1912 Olympics SFFinland nbsp 0 4 nbsp Great BritainStockholm SwedenReport Holopainen nbsp 2 OG Walden nbsp 7 77 Woodward nbsp 82 Stadium Olympiastadion Attendance 4 000Referee Ruben Gelbord Sweden Denmark nbsp v nbsp Great Britain 4 July 1912 1912 Olympics FinalDenmark nbsp 2 4 nbsp Great BritainStockholm SwedenOlsen nbsp 27 81 Report Walden nbsp 10 Hoare nbsp 22 41 Berry nbsp 43 Stadium Olympiastadion Attendance 25 000Referee Christiaan Groothoff Sweden Antwerp 1920 Norway nbsp v nbsp Great Britain 28 August 1920 1920 Olympics R1Norway nbsp 3 1 nbsp Great BritainAntwerp BelgiumGundersen nbsp 13 51 Wilhelms nbsp 63 Report Nicholas nbsp 25 Stadium Olympisch Stadion Attendance 5 000Referee Johannes Mutters Netherlands Berlin 1936 China nbsp v nbsp Great Britain 6 August 1936 1936 Olympics R1China nbsp 0 2 nbsp Great BritainBerlin Nazi GermanyReport Dodds nbsp 55 Finch nbsp 65 Stadium Mommsenstadion Attendance 8 000Referee Helmut Fink Nazi Germany Poland nbsp v nbsp Great Britain 8 August 1936 1936 Olympics QFPoland nbsp 5 4 nbsp Great BritainBerlin Nazi GermanyGad nbsp 33 Wodarz nbsp 43 48 53 Piec nbsp 56 Report Clements nbsp 26 Shearer nbsp 71 Joy nbsp 78 80 Stadium Poststadion Attendance 6 000Referee Rudolf Eklow Sweden Note As of 1948 many Eastern Bloc states such as Yugoslavia and Bulgaria played with their full national sides in the Olympics while Britain always competed with an amateur team as per Olympic requirements 93 94 95 London 1948 Great Britain nbsp v nbsp Netherlands 31 July 1948 1948 Olympics R1Great Britain nbsp 4 3 a e t nbsp NetherlandsLondon UKMcBain nbsp 22 Hardisty nbsp 58 Kelleher nbsp 77 McIlvenny nbsp 111 Report Appel nbsp 9 63 Wilkes nbsp 81 Stadium Highbury Stadium Attendance 21 000Referee Valdemar Laursen Denmark Great Britain nbsp v nbsp France 5 August 1948 1948 Olympics QFGreat Britain nbsp 1 0 nbsp FranceLondon UKHardisty nbsp 29 Report Stadium Craven Cottage Attendance 25 000Referee Karel van der Meer Netherlands Great Britain nbsp v nbsp Yugoslavia 11 August 1948 1948 Olympics SFGreat Britain nbsp 1 3 nbsp YugoslaviaLondon UKDonovan nbsp 20 Report Bobek nbsp 19 Wolfl nbsp 24 Mitic nbsp 48 Stadium Wembley Stadium Attendance 40 000Referee Karel van der Meer Netherlands Great Britain nbsp v nbsp Denmark 13 August 1948 1948 Olympics BronzeGreat Britain nbsp 3 5 nbsp DenmarkLondon UKAitken nbsp 5 Hardisty nbsp 33 Amor nbsp 63 Report Praest nbsp 12 49 Hansen nbsp 16 77 Sorensen nbsp 41 Stadium Wembley Stadium Attendance 5 000Referee Karel van der Meer Netherlands Helsinki 1952 Luxembourg nbsp v nbsp Great Britain 16 July 1952 1952 Olympics PrelimLuxembourg nbsp 5 3 a e t nbsp Great BritainLahti FinlandRoller nbsp 60 95 97 Letsch nbsp 91 Gales nbsp 102 Report Robb nbsp 12 Slater nbsp 101 Lewis nbsp 118 Stadium Lahden kisapuisto Attendance 3 740Referee Vincenzo Orlandini Italy Melbourne 1956 Bulgaria nbsp v nbsp Great Britain 23 October 1955 1956 Olympics QualifyingBulgaria nbsp 2 0 nbsp Great BritainSofia BulgariaStefanov nbsp 30 Yanev nbsp 61 Report Stadium Vasil Levski National Stadium Attendance 45 000Referee Giorgio Bernardi Italy Great Britain nbsp v nbsp Bulgaria 12 May 1956 1956 Olympics QualifyingGreat Britain nbsp 3 3 3 5 agg nbsp BulgariaLondon UKHardisty nbsp 12 62 Lewis nbsp 77 pen Report Milanov nbsp 28 Prince nbsp 32 o g Dimitrov nbsp 66 Stadium Wembley Stadium Attendance 30 000Referee Giorgio Bernardi Italy Note Britain lost 5 3 on aggregate but earned a reprieve to compete in Melbourne 94 Thailand nbsp v nbsp Great Britain 26 November 1956 1956 Olympics R1Thailand nbsp 0 9 nbsp Great BritainMelbourne AustraliaReport Twissell nbsp 12 20 Lewis nbsp 21 pen Laybourne nbsp 30 82 85 Bromilow nbsp 75 78 Topp nbsp 90 Stadium Olympic Park Stadium Attendance 3 693Referee Nikolay Latyshev USSR Bulgaria nbsp v nbsp Great Britain 30 November 1956 1956 Olympics QFBulgaria nbsp 6 1 nbsp Great BritainMelbourne AustraliaDimitrov nbsp 6 Kolev nbsp 40 85 Milanov nbsp 45 75 80 Report Lewis nbsp 30 Stadium Olympic Park Stadium Attendance 6 748Referee Ron Wright Australia Rome 1960 Great Britain nbsp v nbsp Republic of Ireland 21 November 1959 1960 Olympics QualifyingGreat Britain nbsp 3 2 nbsp Republic of IrelandHove UKDevine nbsp 1 Hasty nbsp 45 80 ReportReport AherneRice Stadium Goldstone Ground Attendance 7 800Referee Arthur Blavier Belgium Republic of Ireland nbsp v nbsp Great Britain 13 March 1960 1960 Olympics QualifyingRepublic of Ireland nbsp 1 3 nbsp Great BritainDublin IrelandMcGrath nbsp ReportReport Coates nbsp Brown nbsp Harding nbsp Stadium Dalymount Park Attendance 19 000 Netherlands nbsp v nbsp Great Britain 2 April 1960 1960 Olympics QualifyingNetherlands nbsp 1 5 nbsp Great BritainZwolle NetherlandsHainje nbsp 29 Report Lewis nbsp Lindsay nbsp 25 Brown nbsp 31 Stadium Oosterenkstadion or at ZAC Attendance 9 000 Great Britain nbsp v nbsp Netherlands 13 April 1960 1960 Olympics QualifyingGreat Britain nbsp 2 2 GB qualify 96 nbsp NetherlandsLondon UKBrown nbsp Lewis nbsp Report De Kleermaeker nbsp Bouwman nbsp Stadium White Hart Lane Attendance 3 950 Brazil nbsp v nbsp Great Britain 26 August 1960 1960 Olympics GroupsBrazil nbsp 4 3 nbsp Great BritainLivorno ItalyGerson nbsp 2 China nbsp 61 nbsp 72 Wanderley nbsp 64 97 ReportReport Brown nbsp 32 87 Lewis nbsp 47 Stadium Stadio di Ardenza Attendance 13 590Referee Josef Kandlbinder FR Germany Italy nbsp v nbsp Great Britain 29 August 1960 1960 Olympics GroupsItaly nbsp 2 2 nbsp Great BritainRome Italy13 00 Rossano nbsp 11 55 Report Brown nbsp 23 Hasty nbsp 75 Referee Lucien van Nuffel Belgium Great Britain nbsp v nbsp Republic of China 1 September 1960 1960 Olympics GroupsGreat Britain nbsp 3 2 nbsp Republic of ChinaGrosseto Italy12 00 Lewis nbsp 35 Brown nbsp 58 Hasty nbsp 85 Report Chuk Yin Yiu nbsp 70 88 Stadium Stadio Olimpico Comunale Referee Josef Kandlbinder FR Germany London 2012 See also Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics Men s tournament Great Britain nbsp v nbsp Senegal 26 July 2012 2012 Olympics GroupsGreat Britain nbsp 1 1 nbsp SenegalManchester UK20 00 Bellamy nbsp 20 Report Konate nbsp 82 Stadium Old Trafford Attendance 72 176 98 Referee Irmatov Uzbekistan Great Britain nbsp v nbsp United Arab Emirates 29 July 2012 2012 Olympics GroupsGreat Britain nbsp 3 1 nbsp United Arab EmiratesLondon UK19 45 Giggs nbsp 16 Sinclair nbsp 73 Sturridge nbsp 76 Report Eisa nbsp 60 Stadium Wembley Stadium Attendance 85 137 99 Referee Garcia Mexico Great Britain nbsp v nbsp Uruguay 1 August 2012 2012 Olympics GroupsGreat Britain nbsp 1 0 nbsp UruguayCardiff UK19 45 Sturridge nbsp 45 1 Report Stadium Millennium Stadium Attendance 70 438 100 Referee Nishimura Japan Great Britain nbsp v nbsp South Korea 4 August 2012 2012 Olympics Quarter finalsGreat Britain nbsp 1 1 a e t 4 5 p nbsp South KoreaCardiff UK19 30 Ramsey nbsp 36 pen Report Ji Dong won nbsp 29 Stadium Millennium Stadium Attendance 70 171 101 Referee Roldan Colombia PenaltiesRamsey nbsp Cleverley nbsp Dawson nbsp Giggs nbsp Sturridge nbsp nbsp Koo Ja cheol nbsp Baek Sung dong nbsp Hwang Seok ho nbsp Park Jong woo nbsp Ki Sung yuengSee also editGreat Britain women s Olympic football team United Kingdom national football team List of men s national association football teams Unaffiliated United Nations statesReferences edit a b c d e f g h i j k Menary Steve 2010 GB United British Olympic Football and the End of the Amateur Dream Durington Gardners Books ISBN 978 1 905411 92 4 a b c d e In 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the original on 11 January 2012 Retrieved 19 December 2011 Ryan Giggs and David Beckham keen to play for Olympic football team The Guardian Guardian News and Media The Press Association 17 January 2012 Archived from the original on 13 February 2014 Retrieved 17 January 2012 a, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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