Coe sympathetic to Scottish reluctance to participate in 2012 GB team

March 9 – Sebastian Coe (pictured) has claimed he understands Scotland’s lack of enthusiasm for joining a Great British football team to compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

FIFA and UEFA have made clear they will recognise that the unification of the Home Nations for the tournament would be a one off, but Scotland, along with Wales and Northern Ireland, believe their independence would be in jeopardy if they were to participate as part of the Great Britain team.

Many are upset that it may be left to English players to represent the team, particularly the British Olympic Association and the English FA.

But Coe, the chairman of London 2012, who was at Hampden Park to launch the fact that Glasgow will be hosting football there during the Olympics, says their fear is reasonable and should be acknowledged.

“If that is a fear then what I think or whether I feel that fear is genuine or not, doesn’t matter – to them that fear is legitimate,” he said.

“Of course I recognise that – you can’t have been brought up in football, and I’m 55 so I have been watching football for 45 years, and be unaware of what a Scotland team means to Scotland.

“I don’t think there is a single person anywhere in the world who would argue that football is anything other than a serious pastime in Scotland and that you take it seriously.

“It does define the nation, but this is very much an issue for the Home Associations and for the BOA.”

But Coe nevertheless urged Glasgow fans to get behind their city staging Olympic football in 2012.

“The Olympic Games is the greatest show on earth and the application process to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity opens on March 15,” he said.

“The Olympic football tournament at Hampden Park represents a brilliant opportunity for the people of Glasgow to see some of the stars of the future playing at their local ground.”