   #copyright

United Kingdom national football team

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Sports teams

   CAPTION: United Kingdom

   Shirt badge/Association crest
   Nickname Team GB
   Association British Olympic Association
   Head coach Not yet appointed
   Captain Not yet appointed
   Most caps ???
   Top scorer ???
   FIFA code N/A
   FIFA ranking N/A


   Team colours Team colours Team colours
   Team colours
   Team colours
   　
   Home kit

                                         Team colours Team colours Team colours
                                         Team colours
                                         Team colours
                                         　
                                         Away kit
   First international
   United Kingdom UK 12 - 1 Sweden Sweden
   (London, UK; 20 October 1908)
   Largest win
   United Kingdom UK 12 - 1 Sweden Sweden
   (London, UK; 20 October 1908)
   Worst defeat
   Bulgaria Bulgaria 6 - 1 UK United Kingdom
   (Melbourne, Australia; 30 November 1956)
   Olympic Games
   Appearances 8 (First in 1908)
   Best result Gold, 1908 and 1912

   The United Kingdom national football team (often known as the Great
   Britain and Northern Ireland national football team or the Great
   Britain national football team) represents the United Kingdom (UK) in
   football (soccer) at the Olympic Games. Separate teams for each Home
   Nation ( England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) compete in all
   other international competitions, including the World Cup and European
   Championships.

   The United Kingdom team is currently not active, but will be reforming
   to compete in the Olympics in London in 2012. Previously, the UK took
   part in the Olympic Games (as well as playing a handful of friendly
   matches) from 1908 until 1972 before disbanding.

Development

   The four separate football associations of the United Kingdom and Crown
   Dependencies
   Enlarge
   The four separate football associations of the United Kingdom and Crown
   Dependencies

   Football was codified in England, and there were representative
   international matches between England and Scotland as far back as 1872,
   before the sport spread to other parts of the world. The Home Nations'
   professional teams tended to play amongst themselves (England did not
   play opposition from outside the British Isles until 1908, nor did
   Scotland until 1929), and none of the four teams took part in a World
   Cup until 1950 (the Home Nations had withdrawn from FIFA over disputes
   regarding the payment to amateur players and did not rejoin until
   1946).

   England have been the only team to have any major success
   internationally, winning the 1966 World Cup. Scotland have never
   progressed beyond the group stage of any international tournament,
   despite competing in final tournaments of eight World Cups and two
   European Championships. Northern Ireland have not qualified for a
   finals tournament since 1986, and Wales since 1958. This is sometimes
   raised as an argument in favour of a single United Kingdom national
   team, citing the advantages of being able to call upon an extended pool
   of players.

   Based on statistical analysis of recent matches, it has been estimated
   that a United Kingdom national team would have had a one-third greater
   chance of winning the 2006 World Cup than England did at the
   tournament's outset (ultimately, England lost in the quarter-finals).
   Opponents of the plan insist that the existing footballing identities
   of the fans of the Home Nations should not be sacrificed simply to
   stand a better chance of success.

Olympic team

Original team

    Olympic medal record
       Men's Football
   Gold   1900 Paris   Team
   Gold  1908 London   Team
   Gold 1912 Stockholm Team

   In the past, there has been a United Kingdom team in the Olympic
   football tournament, although, as the UK competes under the name of '
   Great Britain and Northern Ireland' at the Olympics, the football team
   is usually known as 'Great Britain' within this context.

   The United Kingdom, then competing under the name ' The United Kingdom'
   at the 1908 Summer Olympics, won the gold medal in the first official
   football tournament at the 1908 Games, beating Sweden, the Netherlands,
   and Denmark. These teams were predominantly made up of players from the
   English national amateur team, and were organised by the English
   Football Association with the acquiesence of the other Home Nations'
   FAs. The United Kingdom has not competed in the Olympic football
   tournament since 1972, when they were knocked out in the qualifying
   rounds by Bulgaria. The last occasion on which a Great Britain and
   Northern Ireland team reached the Olympic finals was the 1960 Games.
   After the Football Association scrapped the distinction between
   professional and amateur players in 1974, no more UK Olympic teams were
   entered.

2012 Olympics

   Since 1972, Olympic rules have been relaxed to allow professionals to
   take part, but there has been no return of a UK team. However, due to
   London's successful bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics it has been
   confirmed that a UK team, controlled by the British Olympic
   Association, will compete at the 2012 Olymics. Furthermore, a women's
   team may compete as soon as the 2008 Summer Olympics.

   The proposal for a UK team was supported enthusiastically by the
   English FA and the Irish FA (Northern Ireland's football governing
   body). However, the Scottish Football Association refused even to
   attend meetings at which the Home Nations were to discuss the
   possibility. At those meetings, the Football Association of Wales
   stressed it was strongly against the proposal, and, on December 6,
   2005, it was announced that the FAW Council had voted to withdraw from
   negotiations.. It is not yet known if the Scottish or Welsh FAs will
   allow their players to be selected for the tournament or even if they
   are able to refuse.

   Despite the opposition of two of the Home Nations' FAs, public opinion
   is in favour of the creation of a team for the 2012 Olympics. A recent
   survey of Scottish football fans claims that two-thirds would support a
   unified team being entered for 2012.

Position of FIFA

   The position of FIFA, football's international governing body, in the
   debate is seen as critical. The Scottish Football Association's
   opposition to the plans are rooted primarily in the fear that the Home
   Nations would lose their special status, which is established under
   FIFA's constitution. FIFA President Sepp Blatter has given assurances
   to the Home Nations' FAs that their status would not be affected by the
   FAs fielding a combined team in 2012, stating:


   United Kingdom national football team

   We have confirmed in writing that they have to provide a Great Britain
   team for the 2012 Olympics, but the four British associations will not
            lose the rights and privileges acquired back in 1947.


   United Kingdom national football team

   Nonetheless, the SFA has made clear that its position has not changed,
   arguing that Blatter's personal opinion and permission may not matter
   once Blatter has left office, and that they do not wish to jeopardise
   Scotland's future position. The case for the UK team may be
   strengthened by the decision of the Fédération Internationale de
   Volleyball to permit a single UK volleyball team to participate at the
   2012 Games.

Other Olympics

   As no British team enters the UEFA Under-21 Championship, which
   functions as the European qualifying competition for the Olympics, it
   is thought that any team would be a one-off creation for the 2012
   Olympics. The team would qualify as of right of being the host nation.
   However, the British Olympic Association has refused to rule out the
   possibility of entry for the 2008 Games.

Friendly results


   Team colours Team colours Team colours
   Team colours
   Team colours
   　
   Great Britain (1947)

                                         Team colours Team colours Team colours
                                         Team colours
                                         Team colours
                                         　
                                         Great Britain (1955)
   The kits worn in the two past matches:
   • Scotland's blue in 1947.
   • Northern Ireland's green in 1955.

   In addition to matches at the Summer Olympics, the Home Nations have
   previously united to play two friendly internationals against 'Rest of
   Europe' representative sides. On both occasions, they included all four
   Home Nations: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Despite
   Northern Ireland's participation, both matches were played under the
   name of 'Great Britain'.
     * May 10, 1947; Hampden Park, Glasgow: Great Britain 6-1 Rest of
       Europe
     * August 13, 1955; Windsor Park, Belfast: Great Britain 1-4 Rest of
       Europe

1947: the Match of the Century

   The 1947 game, dubbed the 'Match of the Century', was played to
   celebrate the return of the Home Nations to FIFA (they had left in
   1920). For the match, played at Scotland's Hampden Park in front of
   135,000 spectators, the Great Britain side wore a navy blue strip in
   honour of the host association. The gate receipts, totally £35,000,
   helped boost the finances of FIFA, who had been damaged by the lack of
   competition during World War II. On that occasion, the Great Britain
   team consisted of:

          Frank Swift (England), George Hardwick (England), Billy Hughes
          (Wales), Archie Macaulay (Scotland), Jack Vernon (Northern
          Ireland), Ron Burgess (Wales), Stanley Matthews (England), Wilf
          Mannion (England), Tommy Lawton (England), Billy Steel
          (Scotland), Billy Liddell (Scotland).

1955: Irish FA's anniversary

   The 1955 game was played to celebrate the Irish Football Association's
   seventy-fifth anniversary. For this reason, the match was held at
   Belfast's Windsor Park, and the British team took to the field wearing
   Northern Ireland's green strip. The Great Britain team fielded
   comprised:

          Jack Kelsey (Wales), Peter Sillett (England), Joe McDonald
          (Scotland), Danny Blanchflower (Northern Ireland), John Charles
          (Wales), Bertie Peacock (Northern Ireland), Stanley Matthews
          (England), Bobby Johnstone (Scotland), Roy Bentley (England),
          Jimmy McIlroy (Northern Ireland), Billy Liddell (Scotland).

Other matches

   Two other games were played between Wales and a team representing the
   rest of the United Kingdom, with players from England, Scotland, and
   Northern Ireland. The first match, in 1955, commemorated the
   seventy-fifth anniversary of the Football Association of Wales. The
   second match, in 1969, commemorated the investiture of the Prince of
   Wales. In both cases, the united team played under the name of 'Rest of
   the United Kingdom'.
     * December 3, 1951; Ninian Park, Cardiff: Wales 3-2 Rest of the
       United Kingdom
     * July 21, 1969; Ninian Park, Cardiff: Wales 0-1 Rest of the United
       Kingdom

Future prospects

   Beyond the creation of a team to take part in the Olympics, there has
   been support, albeit rather limited, for the creation of a permanent
   British national team. Although often hypothetical in nature, such a
   proposal has been put forward by prominent government ministers,
   including the former Home Secretary, Jack Straw, and the former
   Minister for Sport, the late Tony Banks.

   Many see the chance of a permanent British national team as being
   remote, with over 100 years of history standing behind the separate
   teams of the Home Nations. As well as being opposed by the Home
   Nations' football associations, serious doubts linger as to whether
   fans of the Home Nations could be expected to put behind them the
   intense and often bitter rivalries, which have occasionally spilled
   over into hooliganism, that have long existed between them.

   In addition, a unified United Kingdom team would have repercussions on
   the continued existence of the four Home Nations' separate football
   associations, their separate league and cup competitions.

   Recent proposals to reinstate the British Home Championship have been
   accepted in principle, but rejected on the grounds of fixture
   congestion.. The lack of opposition to the re-introduction of the Home
   Internationals indicates that none of the Home Nations will be inclined
   to create a permanent unified national side in the near future.
   Retrieved from "
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_national_football_team"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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