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Its a "loose thread" for those who want to remove power from the home nations to grab onto though ... unravel enough thread and you're screwed !!!! For me, the answer seems simple ..... re-instate the home internationals as an U23 event (or one that mirrors the Olympic rules) - even if it is only once every 4 years - and make the prize for winning it very straightforward. The winning nation represents UK/GB at the Olympics, and runs the team under the auspices of its own independent FA association.

Not much of an ICT debate here but i agree with Terry Butcher. All other athletes from Scotland competing in the Olympics are in team GB so why not in football? This is a tournament i believe we should be apart of and my only problem would be how would the squad be selected. I would like to see each nation given a minimum amount of about 4-5 players to compete making its a fair and equal representation of the four nations involved. Its stupid to think just because we will play under 23 football with GB that our entire national team will be stripped. This is a one off tournament every 4 years, In Rugby you have the British Lions and you also have the four individual nations still competing. Even in Tennis we represent GB in the Davis Cup, another one off tournament. We don't really take the Olympic football too seriously but i think that has to do with the European Championships being on during the same summer with the Olympics taking a backseat to that. The Olympics was never intended to compete with the major tournaments and that is why FIFA made the rule that only 3 players over the age of 23 can play in each squad. This doesn't make the competition less impressive and from watching Olympic football in the past i would say there are alot of excellent matches. For anyone who doesn't know much about the competition it isn't just a bunch of nobodies that fill up the squads. In 1988 Romario was the competitions top goal scorer, in 1996 it was Bebeto and Hernan Crespo, In 2000 it was Ivan Zamorano, 2004 Carlos Tevez, and in the last world cup Giuseppi Rossi. Argentina has won the previous two tournaments with some excellent youth players including Messi, Mascherano, Tevez, Riquelme, Di Maria. Great Britain has won the Olympic football competition the most times with 3 golds. We had a team in the past which was successful, why then for a one off can't we get together just like every other sport does for competitions like this.

What's with all the Duff bashing. I doubt he is as bad as some are making out. Yes he was taken to the cleaners a couple of times last season at RB, but he was not alone there as that wee Honduran sprinter tore him a new one. I beieve he is a better midfielder, more composed than some and less wasteful, unfortunately not always, but he does seem to get singled out for unfair criticism at times. Should we not be getting behind our players until we have sufficient evidence to shout them down. I'm thinking of the likes of Stratford who it became increasingly obvious that he was not the type of player we required in the engine room. We can all have off days, even weeks, but he deserves better than this from some of his own supporters surely. Duff is going to be one of the players that you either love or hate, no middle ground, a sort of balder Russell Duncan, it's going to be a long season for him, I hope he does well. Still, each to their own.

A nice white shirt to spill my curry down.

Whilst I do not disagree with you Marks, you are forgetting one crucial thing - and I also meant to respond to ICTPaisley with the same thing when he compared Athletics, Rugby and any other sport - to this situation. We are talking about FIFA, an organisation that IMHO is rotten to and from the core, an organisation where bags of cash or TV rights or other lucrative things are (allegedly) set on (or under) the table in return for favours or decisions ....... would YOU trust them to have ANY consistency in decision making when they have shown none of it in recent years?

I see in the P&J today Butcher says that ICT will have to go with a much younger and less experienced squad next season due to financial constraints. That just makes the reasoning to get rid of Duncan and Munro even more baffling.

The only time there is a team Scotland in athletics is for the Commonwealth games. No other international competition has a team Scotland so comparrisons there are non existant. FIFA does not like 5 nations from these islands and will find any excuse to argue there should only be 2 so NO TO TEAM GB I say.

I think this is all a big deal over nothing. Olympic football isn't a big deal and most of the time it's utter garbage, full of players you've never heard of. I don't think "Team GB" will have any influence on whether the Scotland, Wales etc teams survive and when the British team was on the go before (managed by Matt Busuby I may add), nothing changed. I don't think it will change anything this time either. Much a-do about nothing if you ask me.

Didn't notice him on the training ground when STV had their football report on tonight. Time he was told to make his mind up - how long does he need??

Easy. Squad number is 25, which according to the Official site means its Kevin McCann.

There's no way a one-off junior tournament will result in the loss of all four international teams for the World Cup. If it happened year upon year, perhaps, but this is a storm in a teacup. Nothing wrong with being Scottish and British. If some players don't want to, fair enough but I wouldn't want to deny any young boy their opportunity to appear in the Olympics. I'll be supporting Team GB, just as I will Scotland in the World Cup etc. It's not the leagues merging, it's not a regular team, it's simply a one-off as the Olympics are being held in Britain. End of. I'll be disappointed if the British team contains no Scots.

No, it makes it more understandable!

Anyone who views this as in any way positive is misguided. Fact is that FIFA is desperate to abolish (what they view as the unprecedented privilege) the individual teams within these islands and this move will be grasped on. As far as the officials are concerned this is the island of England with GB just another name for it. TB shows exactly the stance I would expect from a former England captain being asked about an English Olympics. I disagree with his view in the strongest possibly terms and cannot understand why anyone who claims to support, follow or have the interests of our national team at heart can think otherwise. Wiser than TB have aired their views very publicly and are diametrically opposed. These people are of course Scottish, Irish or Welsh. I have yet to here an English pundit speak against the move and don't expect to. England and GB are the same aren't they? On a separate note, I think it is nonsensical that football is part of the Olympic games and have no interest in who takes part or wins. Don't have a clue who has won the title in the past or when it started. I can however, name every World Cup winner, the scores in most of the finals, where it took place and who the star was. Surely this is the same for most football fans? Why am I bothered if I have no interest in Olympic football? Simply because it undermines my national team's identity, gives encouragement to those who seek a one team island and is the beginning of the end. STOP IT NOW!

I have tickets for the Olymipics football in Glasgow. I think Terry would be an excellent choice of manager for Team GB. The fact that the games are being held on this island should have some sway on the entry of a football team in these games especislly. I can't see an issue with this so long as it doesn't impede on the Scottish national side in the long-term. And for the record I follow Scotland and go to games when work commitments permit.

Pity I had hoped he'd leave. Doubt any other SPL club would have offered him a contract though

I think talk of disrespect is a bit harsh, when Rooney joined us he joined for a set period of his time for which he has been paid, after that he becomes a free agent. He is no longer an employee of ICT and therefore is under no obligation to keep anyone at the club informed of his plans, especially the fans. I think if anyone is being disrespectful it is some fans, although I understand the frustration which causes certain people to become disrespectful, who cannot seem to comprehend that Adam Rooney has served the club to the best of his ability and now has a huge decision to make with regards to his career. Good luck to Adam in his choice of future club, I'd love it to be us but if it is not thank you for the goals.