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.
Europe
Salmond uses 2012 football row to push for independence
March 18 – Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond (pictured) today claimed the row over a British football team at the 2012 Olympics showed why his country should be independent.
Parliament to debate British football team for London 2012 again
MARCH 8 – A PARLIAMENTARY debate into the proposed united British football team for the London 2012 Olympics is to be held on Tuesday and attended by former Scotland manager Craig Brown.
Scottish politicians warned over football interference
MARCH 4 – MEMBERS of the Scottish Parliament have been told to stay out of the row over whether there should be a British football team at the 2012 London Olympics by Gordon Smith (pictured), the chief executive of the Scottish Football Association.
Brown petition on British football team presented to Scottish Parliament
MARCH 3 – A PETITION against a united British football team competing in the London 2012 Olympics organised by former Scotland manager Craig Brown was today presented to the Scottish Parliament.
Christine Grahame, a member of the Scottish Nationalist Party, presented the petition at Holyrood on behalf of Brown.
She said: “If we were to have a Team GB at the UK Olympics, you can say goodbye to a Scotland team playing internationally.
Burnham in new row over 2012 British football team
MARCH 2 – CULTURE SECRETARY Andy Burnham (pictured) has sparked a new politicial row after today issuing a warning to the Scottish Football Association not to retaliate against players called up to join a united British football team at the 2012 Olympics.
Olympic football tournament is Mickey Mouse, former Scotland manager claims
FEBRUARY 5 – CRAIG BROWN (picured), the former Scotland manager, has today claimed that the Olympic football tournament is just a “Mickey Mouse” event that means nothing.
He said: “It’s [the Olympics] basically a Mickey Mouse tournament.
Blatter wants under-21 teams in Olympic football tournament
FEBRUARY 1 – FIFA PRESIDENT Sepp Blatter (pictured) wants to lower the age limit for the Olympic soccer tournament and ban the addition of three over-23 players, he said today.
British managers back Team GB football team
DECEMBER 12 – THREE of Britain’s four national soccer team managers today backed a united team for the 2012 London Olympics.
Football clubs warned to get their boots on
NOVEMBER 16 – TIME is “rapidly running out” for a football club to stake their claim to move to the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games, a senior London official warned during a visit to Barcelona today.
Scottish footballers should not be deprived of chance of playing in the Olympics says Davies
OCTOBER 17 – SCOTLAND’S players should not be forced to miss out on the opportunity of playing football in the 2012 Olympics, David Davies (pictured), the former executive director of the Football Association, said today.
Northern Ireland could stage football in 2012 claims top official
SEPTEMBER 10 – A TOP official in Northern Ireland has claimed that the Province could stage matches in the Olympic football tournament in 2012 if a decision is made on building a new national stadium within the next month.
Do not forget the future in rush to stage 2018 World Cup bid warns top football administrator
A SENIOR figure has warned the Football Association that a bid for the 2018 World Cup should not be at the expense of producing the next generation of young English players.
Warner renews attack on attitude of English football towards Caribbean
INFLUENTIAL FIFA member Jack Warner (pictured), who could hold the key to England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup, has repeated his attack on English football’s negative view about football in the Caribbean.
Clegg criticises Wales in football row
SIMON CLEGG, the chief executive of the British Olympic Association (BOA), has hit out at Welsh footbball officials for refusing to have anything to do with London 2012, which could deprive young players like Gareth Bale (pictured) the opportunity of playing.