Scots vow to block Coe over plan for British team in 2012

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Lord Coe, chairman of the London 2012 Games, told The Mail on Sunday this week: 'There will be a British team at the London Games. We will make it happen.'

Pressure: Lord Coe

However, the Scottish FA have reiterated their opposition to the concept, believing that FIFA, football's world governing body, would use it as an excuse to end the unique status of the home nations playing in international football.

The Scots are strongly supported by the Welsh FA. The governing body for Northern Ireland, the Irish Football Association, are also currently opposed to the plan, but have previously expressed support for a British team. David Will, FIFA's vicepresident until last year and an honorary vicepresident of the Scottish FA, says Coe will not be able to impose his will without the permission of the Scots, which will not be forthcoming.

Will said: 'I am wholly supportive of the SFA's position on this. It's only as recently as the Eighties when England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were under pressure at every FIFA Congress to compete as one team. I have always been an opponent of any British team at any representative level as I believe it would be a threat to all four home nations. 'In FIFA, Britain does not exist so it would need the agreement of the four associations to form a team for a tournament.'

And the Scottish FA have made it abundantly clear that they will never agree to a British team. 'We are absolutely opposed,' said the SFA head of communications Rob Shorthouse. 'We have to do what is right for Scotland.'

Britain last competed as a team at the Olympics in 1972 when amateur players made up the squad.

But Britain remain the most successful team in Olympic history, having won the tournament in 1900, 1908 and 1912.

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