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.

 

"It's opening a can of worms or Pandora's box, that would allow many nations - that wanted to undermine this position for many years - it would give them a golden opportunity to do so."

 

The petition was signed by 2,381 people.

 

Labour's Bill Butler said he was also against the creation of a Great Britain team - despite Labour politicians at Westminster backing it.

He said: "I do not see the need for a GB football team."

The Glasgow Anniesland MSP said it would create an "unhappy precedent" which could have unintended consequences, despite any assurances from the world's governing body, FIFA.

He said: "One FIOFA executive, like one Parliament, cannot bind another FIFA executive in the future."

 

MSPs agreed to write to FIFA and the other football governing bodies involved to clarify their position on the issue, including how binding their current position is on future administrations.