UK gov't backs fully British Olympic football team

Published Apr. 5, 2011 2:48 p.m. ET

foxsports

Britain's sports minister has urged the football associations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to let their players feature in the British team at the 2012 London Olympics.

Currently the British team will only comprise Englishmen because the other three nations in the United Kingdom fear their independence within FIFA would be jeopardized by allowing their players to participate.

But sports minister Hugh Robertson stressed Tuesday that ''cast-iron guarantees'' have been given by FIFA to let top players like Wales winger Gareth Bale play.

Speaking at the SportAccord conference in London, Robertson said he ''would hate to see for political reasons any young man or woman denied a chance to compete for their country.''