Fergie Approached for 2012

Prime Minister Gordon Brown is determined to see a British team in both the men’s and the women’s football tournaments when the Games come to the UK.

He said 2012 Organizing Committee chairman Lord Coe had spoken to Ferguson about taking on the role.

Previously Britain has been prevented from entering because the four home countries – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – compete separately in other international matches.

However, Brown has held talks with FIFA president Sepp Blatter in an attempt to ensure that the right of the autonomy of the home nations is protected if there is a British Olympic team.

Brown told Sky News: “We will see who wants to be part of this and then we will get a manager that everybody will be happy with.

“And I know Alex Ferguson has been approached by Seb Coe, and I have spoken to him about it.”

He said the veteran manager had yet to be formally approached for the job and it was “up to him to decide”.

Brown said he hoped the lure of a final in London would encourage the individual football associations to overcome their reservations about entering a joint Olympic side.

“I think the whole of the country will want, when the Olympic Games is held in Britain, and there’s a football tournament where the final is held in Britain, they will want us to have a team in the competition.”

Brown, a keen football fan, added that Blatter was going to try to make it possible to have a Team GB side in the tournament.

However, Ferguson may take some persuading.

He expressed his skepticism last month that the home associations would be able to reach agreement on the issue, and also insisted his age could have a bearing on the matter.

“I’m not sure they [the different national associations] would allow it,” Ferguson said during United’s pre-season tour of South Africa.

“Countries have their own identity, their own patriotism. It has been mooted for a number of years by FIFA at the World Cup that Great Britain has a team. It would be impractical in that sense.

“Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, even England, all have their own identities, so I don’t think it is a starter.”

Asked at the time if he would be interested in managing a British team, Ferguson said: “I hope I’m still on this planet in 2012 first of all. I don’t need any commitment to anything like that.”

Scotland’s first minister Alex Salmond attacked Brown’s support for a single side.

“This is an extraordinary blunder by the Prime Minister, particularly leading up to the by-election in Glenrothes,” he said.

“What does he think the people of Fife would think about putting at risk the future of the Scottish football team?

“The fact is that Gordon Brown has become so obsessed with his British campaign, he has lost touch with reality.

“This is not a popular idea, not only do all the national supporters’ associations oppose this but the majority of football associations in the UK have said they do not want to take part in a single UK team.