Opening ceremony on July 23.
Any idea why the Olympics are assigned to a city rather than a country? Don’t think all the events are held in a single city either.
The events are usually all held in a fairly confined area. City might be a little tight, but they don’t spread venues across a country the way world cups do.
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Usually I do enjoy watching the Olympics, but I fear this year is going to be a right shit-show.
P.S. Mods, can this be moved tot he General Sports section?
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Women’s GB football team start tomorrow…
GB Women up 2-0.
Why can the ladies get their act together and organise a GB team but the men can’t?
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Zambia 3 -10 Netherlands
Really helping the credibility of the womens game 
While the heavily favored US women got waxed, so that does say something positive about balance and depth.
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Firstly history; we don’t like change. Secondly the fear that it might somehow undermine the justification for the continued existence of the four separate/independent home associations.
Qualification is based on performance in the UEFA age group tournaments, and the UK does not have a team. I dont know what would happen if England did well enough at one of the tournaments to earn a qualifying spot.
Yes, the question was: why isn’t there a men’s GB team? Not why isn’t there a men’s GB team at the Olympics, hence my answer. 
But considering the thread is about the olympics that should be pretty obvious. No?
Yes, it’s the only place the women play as team GB as their qualifications for this was obtained via England’s performance in the last world cup.
Cheers.
I didn’t know that the men and women used the same qualification process - considering the men’s is U/23’s (with 3 overage players) tournement but the womens side seems to be no restrictions on age for players
Yeah, it’s a very prestigious tournament for the woman, even though the world cup predates it. It immediately became seen as on a par in importance.
The qualification is similar in concept, but the difference being the places are taken from senior competitions rather than the U21s. This year was the first year that the home nations agreed that if a home nation earned a qualifying spot team GB would accept it. It required coordination among the home nations and the IOC to achieve.
Fair enough, let me rephrase my answer. There isn’t a men’s GB Football team at the Olympics because the football associations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are opposed to the idea as they fear it might undermine their status as individual, independent football associations.
It wouldn’t change a thing. The football associations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are opposed to the idea.
Although FIFA approved the idea of a Great Britain team for the 2020 games, opposition from the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish FAs remained steadfast.
An agreement was reached between the four home associations for a women’s team to be entered in the Tokyo Olympics, with qualification depending on England’s performance in the 2019 World Cup, but this did not affect men’s football.
I do remember hearing a little about this but what were the grounds for these fears from the Scots Welsh and Northern Irish?
It all comes down to the fear that the four home nations might lose the special place they hold in world football, specifically their membership of IFAB and their right to compete as four separate nations in international competitions.
IFAB is made up of the four football associations of the four home nations, along with the governing body, FIFA.
Each home nation has one vote, with FIFA having four, so when it comes to changing the laws of the game, Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland are in a very privileged position.
There are historical reasons for this situation, but in an ever changing football environment who can say if FIFA, in its wisdom, might not come to question why one country, the UK, should have four members/votes on IFAB, or be allowed to enter four individual teams for the World Cup.
If the four home associations were to co-operate and sent a combined team to the Olympics, a future FIFA president might be moved to ask, if this arrangement is good enough for the Olympics, why shouldn’t it prevail for all future international competitions? And if only one team from Great Britain is permitted to enter international competitions what would be the justification for the continued existence of four separate home associations?
So, rather than invite the question, and run the risk of loss of status, the football associations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will remain opposed the formation of a men’s Team GB.
I cant get into anything this year with any conviction whatsover.
Euro’s I missed most of it, couldn’t be asked
Lions Tour to South Africa is currently underway. Hardly looking at it
Olympics to follow suit I suspect.
I think I need to have a good long look at myself to be honest. This is not me.
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Russia banned from this Olympics 
Hoped to catch some gymnastics 
Any idea how the Cuban boxing team these days?
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You ever just look at someone and have an irrational feeling that you just know they would piss you off?
Ellen White has that face.