Three managers back British 2012 Olympic soccer team

LONDON, Dec 12 (Reuters) Three of Britain's four national soccer team managers backed today a united team for the 2012 London Olympics.

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland compete as separate nations in World Cups and European championships and have not entered a joint team for the Olympic qualifiers since 1972.

At a news conference today three national managers said they were keen for a change that has the backing of FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

''It's a very interesting concept,'' said England manager Steve McClaren. ''I think to represent Britain in the Olympics when it's on these shores would only benefit the Games, the country and the British teams. I'd be all in favour.'' Scotland's Walter Smith added: ''You can see problems involved in that, but I think it's a decent idea.

''If you're an athlete of any kind, football or otherwise, to represent Britain at an Olympics would be something that everyone would look forward to doing.'' There have been concerns in the past that a joint Olympic team could compromise the club and national interests in future UEFA and FIFA competitions.

''For Northern Ireland, as a smaller nation, they'd have less to lose,'' manager Lawrie Sanchez said.

''They'd be very much to the forefront of having a team. It seems silly to have an Olympics in London without having a team in the football competition.'' Wales's John Toshack was the only dissenting voice.

''It's a little bit away from us,'' he said. ''I've always considered myself Welsh...even though I've been called a British manager.

''I don't want to sound against it but I could see some kind of problem at a professional level. You'd need to put a lot of thought into it.'' Britain won the Olympic soccer tournament when London hosted the Games in 1908 and took gold again four years later in Stockholm.

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