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Brown leads anti-Team GB campaign

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Brown speaks out against Team GB

Former Scotland manager Craig Brown has revealed he is to front a 'No To Team GB' petition within Scottish football.

In a two-part interview to be broadcast on BBC Alba on Saturday and Sunday, Brown takes a strong stance against a GB team, saying: "I don't trust Fifa."

His comments arrive ahead of the launch of a campaign opposing plans to create an all-British football team for the London Olympic Games in 2012.

The Scottish Football Association has indicated opposition to a British team.

In the BBC interview, the former Scotland manager says he believes Fifa, the world's governing body for professional football, is trying to streamline the game because of the number of national teams that emerged in the 1990s following the break-up of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia.

Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy recently gained assurances from Fifa that a one-off under-23 squad in 2012 would not impact on the home teams' standings despite quotes attributed to Fifa president Sepp Blatter to the contrary.

If Fifa carries out the action outlined by their president just last year then that would have a catastrophic social and economic impact in Scotland

Christine Gahame, MSP

But the football governing bodies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have all said they oppose a Great Britain team and Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond described Fifa's assurances over a Team GB in 2012 as "daft".

Now a petition, entitled "Save Scottish Football", will be launched by Brown and the SNP's Christine Grahame at Hampden on Sunday calling on her fellow MSPs to assess the knock-on social and economic impact north of the Border should a GB football team take part.

Grahame, convener of the Scottish Parliament's health and sport committee, said: "The threat posed by the creation of a GB football team goes way beyond football and if Fifa carries out the action outlined by their president just last year then that would have a catastrophic social and economic impact in Scotland as well as killing off the football in Scotland as we know it.

"No one, bar a handful of politically-motivated zealots in London, wants a GB football team precisely because they recognise the huge threat this poses.

"Craig Brown's petition is a welcome contribution and will give Scots the chance to let their voices be heard by MSPs."

The first part of the interview with Craig Brown will be broadcast during BBC Alba's Spors programme on Saturday between 2000-2200GMT and part two will be broadcast in Sunday Spors between 1430-1630GMT.

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see also
Fifa says Team GB 'poses no risk'
12 Nov 08 |  Scotland
Olympic football play-offs call
09 Nov 08 |  Scotland


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