News from Welsh Labour

“Welsh football will rue day it agreed to Team GB” – Wrexham AM

An agreement between the four Home Football Associations to enable a Team GB side – comprising of exclusively English players – to take to the field at the London 2012 Olympics remains fraught with danger for Welsh football, according to a Labour Member of the Welsh Assembly.

Wrexham’s AM, Lesley Griffiths, was commenting after it was announced that a proposal – agreed by the Football Association of Wales (FAW), the Scottish Football Association, the Irish Football Association and the Football Association – had been submitted to FIFA that a team made up of only English players would play under the Team GB banner at the London Olympics.

All four Associations have agreed that Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish players will not play any part in this team.

However, Ms Griffiths – an outspoken opponent of Wales playing any part in the Team GB concept at London 2012 – believes the arrangement between the four Football Associations still contains real and genuine risks for the independent status of Welsh football at an international level in the future.

The proposal will be discussed at the 59th FIFA Congress, which is currently being held in the Bahamas until the 3rd June.

Commenting on the decision, Lesley Griffiths AM said:

“I have consistently and publicly opposed Wales’ participation in Team GB, on the grounds that it could jeopardise the independence of the FAW within both FIFA and UEFA. I still believe that to be the case.

“I have been contacted by many of my constituents, as well as receiving letters from people from all over Wales opposing the Team GB concept over recent months. I am yet to be contacted by anyone who wants Wales to take part in this project.

“Whilst I respect and understand the reasons behind the decision of the FAW, I remain very nervous about the impact this could have on Wales’ future status within world football.

“There has been a relentless and unacceptable level of external political pressure on Wales to take part in Team GB – pressure which will have consequences long after the 2012 flame has been extinguished.

“This so-called agreement sends completely the wrong signal to those nations who oppose the fact that four countries from these islands play as separate entities at an international level. That’s why I believe, in the long term, Welsh football will rue the day this decision was made.”

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