Beckham wants to be involved in Team GB for London 2012
September 6 – David Beckham (pictured), England’s former captain, wants to be involved in Britain’s football team for the London 2012 Olympics, he said today.
Europe
FIFA confirm they will conduct age testing at under-17 World Cup
August 31 - Bone tests will be performed on soccer players at the Under-17 World Cup in Nigeria to catch teams with over-age players, FIFA confirmed today, as first reported on insidethegames.
Hodgson keen on 2012 Olympic job
August 30 – Fulham manager Roy Hodgson (pictured) said today he would be prepared to coach Britain’s football team in the London 2012 Olympics if he was asked.
Triesman rules out Ferguson as manager of Team GB in 2012
August 28 – Sir Alex Ferguson (pictured), the manager of Manchester United, will not coach Britian’s Olympic team at London 2012 because he is not English, the chairman of the Football Association said today.
Blatter launches review into 2012 Olympic football tournament
AUGUST 4 – FIFA PRESIDENT Sepp Blatter (pictured) today announced he planned to launch a review into the Olympic 2012 football tournament as he again urged Britain to field a team of Englishman in the event to avoid the fear of the Home Countries losing their independence.
Rogge wants no change to Olympic football for London 2012
June 13 – The Olympic football tournament at London 2012 seems set to retain its current format, leaving the door open for players like Wayne Rooney (pictured) to represent Britain.
Welsh FA will regret agreeing to British football team
A Welsh politician claimed today the country’s independence to compete in events like the World Cup and European Championships could have been jeopardised by the decision to allow a British team in 2012.
Blatter backs solution to British football row
May 31 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter (pictured) tonight backed the compromise agreement that will see British football teams containing only English players competing at the 2012 Olympics in London.
Plans that could see 2012 football staged in Northern Ireland launched
MAY 30 – AN AMBITIOUS blueprint for the future of the controversial Maze Prison site in Northern Ireland, featuring a 42,000 sports stadium that officials hope will stage matches during the 2012 Olympic football tournament, will be unveiled today.
Home Countries to turn blind eye to GB football team in 2012
May 29 – A football team of only English players is set to represent Britain at the 2012 London Olympics after the other three Home Countries agreed that they would turn a “blind eye” to their participation.
Caborn ties up deal which guarantees football place in 2012
MAY 12 – RICHARD CABORN (pictured) has brokered a deal between FIFA and the World Anti-Doping Agency that should ensure football remains in the 2012 Olympics.
BOA chief still hopeful in football row
April 16 – A solution could still be find in the row over a British football team to compete at London 2012, the chief executive of the British Olympic Association Andy Hunt (pictured) claimed today.
EXCLUSIVE: Rogge backs GB football team as deadline looms
By Duncan Mackay in Denver
March 29 – Jacques Rogge (pictured) has said he hopes Britain will compete in the football tournament at London in 2012 but is refusing to get involved in the row over how the team is selected.
British football team at 2012 could be all English says Sutcliffe
March 10 – Britain could field a football team made up entirely of English players at the 2012 London Olympics, Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said again today during a debate on the subject in the House of Commons.
Asian football chief backs England to host World Cup
March 20 – England deserves to host the 2018 World Cup, Mohamed Bin Hammam, the president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), has said.