Have your say: A British Olympic football team

The British Olympics Association has revealed that a British team will feature in the 2012 Games in London.

The chief executive of the Scottish FA, Gordon Smith, said he hoped Scottish players would not take part.

He said the move could pose a threat to Scotland's independence on the world football stage. Wales and Northern Ireland have also opposed the move.

Independent status

Mr Smith said: "All the players who are registered under the association or are Scottish international players would be prohibited from playing.

"Some individuals may want to get involved, but I don't see it as an issue.

"I would imagine most people would respect that."

He added: "Maybe somewhere down the line some people could argue that our autonomy could be questioned if we are part of a British team.

"Although we don't expect that to happen, we would leave ourselves open to question if we were part of a British team as far as the Olympics were concerned."

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has always maintained a British Olympic team would not threaten the independent status of any of the associations.

We will field a team and the comfort that we've got, the commitments that we've got from the IOC reinforce that aspiration Simon Clegg BOA chief executive

Last year, the British Olympic Association (BOA) insisted it would go ahead regardless.

The BOA has now revealed that it had been encouraged by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to field a team in both the men's and women's competitions at the London 2012 Games.

BOA chief executive Simon Clegg told the BBC's Inside Sport programme: "Ever since London won the Games, we've been very clear.

"It would be absolutely inconceivable for us to host the world's greatest sporting event in this country that includes as an integral part of that competition, football, our national sport, and for us not to field a team.

"And we will field a team and the comfort that we've got, the commitments that we've got from the IOC reinforce that aspiration."

He said he would be "greatly saddened" if Scots and Welsh players were "deprived of the opportunity to compete as part of a Great Britain team".

'Friendly rivalry'

SNP MSP Stuart McMillan said: "The BOA should abandon their campaign of trying to browbeat the football associations and fans into accepting what is seen as a real threat to the independence and identity of each of the home associations and their national squads."

The West of Scotland MSP has introduced a motion in the Scottish Parliament welcoming the continued opposition by the SFA to a single UK football team for the Olympics.

Liberal Democrat sport spokesperson Jim Tolson called on the Scottish Government to stop meddling in the argument about the composition of the Olympic football team and leave it up to the sporting organisations.

Tam Ferry, from the Association of Tartan Army clubs, said: "As fans, we are proud of our individual teams and countries and enjoy the friendly rivalry with our close neighbours.

"The Olympic football competition is a low profile Under-23 competition that no-one in this country has ever shown any interest in. Who can remember the winners? None of the fans groups want to be a part of anything which might jeopardise the future of our national teams."