(Football) Team GB 'list of 80'

[Lord Camomile]

The FA have a list of 80 players in contention for the Olympics team, including England's David Beckham and Joe Cole (although how much either of those can be called "England's" any more is questionable...) Wales' Gareth Bale and Craig Bellamy, Northern Ireland midfielder Chris Brunt, and Scotland forward Steven Fletcher, all of whom (save Bale) would have to qualify as one of only three 'over-age' (over 23) players in the final squad of 18.

Can't find a source for the full list, here's the BBC story.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Couple more English names from The Sun:

Jack Butland (Birmingham), Josh McEachran (Swansea, on loan from Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (C Palace)​

 

[The Octagon]

So they're only just looking at possible team members now, are these players going to play together at all before the tournament starts?

I can see this ending well.

 

[Lord Camomile]

They don't have to have played together before, you just select the best 11 players as dictated by their stats on FIFA '12 and success is guaranteed.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Just occurred to me that there was no mention of Ryan Giggs in the reports about the shortlist of 80. It does seem like the full list hasn't been released, so maybe Pearce is just being coy, but it would suggest he's not made the cut, which if true is a bit ridiculous given Beckham's inclusion.

Personally it'd be hard to leave either out for sentimental reasons, but I suppose they have to be pragamatic.

On which note, just who is it being pragmatic? Who's the governing body for the team? I assume it's not the FA, is it LOCOG or whoever's in charge of all the other GB teams?

e2a: hmm, the reports do all talk about the FA contacting players, so I guess they are the ones in charge, which is a bit surprising. Must be that much more offensive to the Welsh, Scottish and NI FAs...

 

[N_igma]

I see Fergie is kicking off about the possibility of losing some of his star players. What a miserable, dour cunt.

 

[Lord Camomile]

The tournament draw is tomorrow, 11:00am, BBC Two and on their website.

Men:
Group A - Great Britain, Senegal, UAE, Uruguay
Group B - Mexico, Korea Republic, Gabon, Switzerland
Group C - Brazil, Egypt, Belarus, New Zealand
Group D - Spain, Japan, Honduras, Morocco

Women:
Group E - Great Britain, New Zealand, Cameroon, Brazil
Group F - Japan, Canada, Sweden, South Africa
Group G - USA, France, Colombia, Korea DPR

 

[Lazy Llama]

The football schedule is now available online - http://media.ticketmaster.com/en-gb/img/sys/tournament/london2012/oly-football-f.pdf (PDF)

Looks like we've got tickets for Men's GB vs UAE and the Women's Gold Medal match.

Bit confused because I'm pretty sure that at the time the tickets were allocated one of the matches was a quarter final.

 

[Lo Siento.]

the women have got to be a more plausible medal chance, surely?

 

[Lord Camomile]

Team GB confirm a friendly featuring the men's football team and Brazil ahead of the Olympics. The warm-up game will be at Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough on July 20, as part of a double-header with the women's team facing Sweden before the Brazil game.

Aside from it being at the Riverside ('Boro *spits* ) I'd be quite up for that.

 

[Pingu]

i notice a distinct lack of tigers on that list.

 

[Lord Camomile]

The longlist of 35 was submitted yesterday, but can I find it anywhere?!

Only thing I can find is a Fail article misleadingly claiming Beckham's made the final squad, when in actual fact he's just made the 35 and it's "unimaginable" he'll be dropped now.

Final squad of 18 doesn't have to be named until 6th July, so a while to go yet...

 

[colacubes]

BBC reporting David Beckham has not made the cut and Micah Richards has been selected ahead of him as one of the 3 over age players:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18624174

 

[The Octagon]

Sensible decision, if we're serious about actually trying to win the fucking thing.

 

[colacubes]

Oooh update on the story now from when I read it. Giggs and Bellamy are the other 2 over agers which seems like a v good call

 

[Ted Striker]

I think it's really a bit mean (to leave Beckham out). I supposed it moves the thing away from being 'all about him', which it inevitably would have been, but it's only the Olympics. If we do win it will only be because no-one else coudl be bothered. Makes the UEFA cup look important in comparison.

 

[belboid]

Lots of teams bother.

 

[Lo Siento.]

Lots of teams bother.

Yeah, it's only really "GB" that doesn't care in fact.

 

[ddraig]

who just presuem they're englund anyway as made clear by roy after losing the other day
"we'll have to see how we get on at the olympics"
totally typical
fuck team gb

 

[Yelkcub]

who just presuem they're englund anyway as made clear by roy after losing the other day
"we'll have to see how we get on at the olympics"
totally typical
fuck team gb

There's a few players from the colonies in, isn't there?

 

[The Octagon]

who just presuem they're englund anyway as made clear by roy after losing the other day
"we'll have to see how we get on at the olympics"
totally typical
fuck team gb

Is Roy not British then? Not unreasonable to expect several English players to be a part of the GB team?

Overthinking it much perhaps?

 

[ddraig]

There's a few players from the colonies in, isn't there?

hur hur

 

[ddraig]

Is Roy not British then? Not unreasonable to expect several English players to be a part of the GB team?

Overthinking it much perhaps?

no. after englun lost the other day he said "we'll have to see how we get on in the olympics"
"we" being englun where it is sposed to be "team gb" spit
seeeee?

 

[The Octagon]

no. after englun lost the other day he said "we'll have to see how we get on in the olympics"
"we" being englun where it is sposed to be "team gb" spit
seeeee?

Prove that's what he meant, rather than just being something you've made up.

Anything positive to say about Giggs and Bellamy being called up (few posts up)?

Bit sad really.

 

[ddraig]

wtf!
i dont' have to prove anything, he was quoted as saying it after englun losing

why should i have anything positive to say about Giggs, Bellamy, Bale or any Welshman being 'called up' for team glib ???
you can be sure if there is any success it will be claimed for englun
fuck team gb, fuck the 'lympics, fuck the union jack and most of all fuck the englun mentality trotted out by the media, comentators, englun manager and posters on here!

 

[Lo Siento.]

wtf!
i dont' have to prove anything, he was quoted as saying it after englun losing

why should i have anything positive to say about Giggs, Bellamy, Bale or any Welshman being 'called up' for team glib ???
you can be sure if there is any success it will be claimed for englun
fuck team gb, fuck the 'lympics, fuck the union jack and most of all fuck the englun mentality trotted out by the media, comentators, englun manager and posters on here!

fuck you too

 

[ddraig]

?? was not aimed at you
just the stupid arrogance and attitude that still permeates football if not all sport

 

[ddraig]

and if anyone wants to argue the toss over semantics, here it is

"There are good young players. We are doing well at under-21 level. It'll be good to see how we do at the Olympics."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18578690

 

[1927]

and if anyone wants to argue the toss over semantics, here it is

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18578690

I think you have clearly proved your point there mate!

 

[belboid]

Really?