Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Britain United
Britain are to miss out on the chance to enter next year's football competition at the Beijing Olympics even though victory for England's under-21 team over Serbia on Sunday guaranteed Britain automatic qualification.
England's successful march to the semi-finals of the European Under-21 championship in Holland means a British side is now entitled to one of the four places guaranteed by Uefa for European teams at the 2008 Olympics.
But because of a split between England and Northern Ireland and the rest of the British nations over the issue of an Olympic football team, the FA are to turn down the chance to enter a team in the under-23 tournament. It is understood that back in February they decided not to take up their right to enter the Beijing Games.
England's successful march to the semi-finals of the European Under-21 championship in Holland means a British side is now entitled to one of the four places guaranteed by Uefa for European teams at the 2008 Olympics.
But because of a split between England and Northern Ireland and the rest of the British nations over the issue of an Olympic football team, the FA are to turn down the chance to enter a team in the under-23 tournament. It is understood that back in February they decided not to take up their right to enter the Beijing Games.
