A question for Brits...

[saggs]

Just caught part of the Olympic opening ceremony, and it brought up an interesting question in my mind.

I know in World Cup soccer/football, as well as rugby that England, Scotland and Wales compete separately, but in the Olympics they all compete under the flag of Great Britain.

Why???

And what about North Ireland... they are part of the UK I know, but I don't ever recall hearing of them in international sports.

[Tank-Ace]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNu8XDBSn10

[FLOOB]

I have a question too. In UK do they spam-hype the olympics day and night and interrupt the regular TV schedule in some sort of obnoxious and obtrusive way to try and force you to give a turd about them?

[saggs]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNu8XDBSn10

That video did not answer my question.

Does the IOC not recognize the sovereignty of Scotland, Wales and England and FIFA does?  Is it a matter of "they're all the same passport so it's all the same to us." ??

[zack1234]

That video was very good

Scotland is voting on independence at present which is hilarious

Dolby is not Welsh

Cornwall is a country as well

[Greebo]

I think it is a question of historical inertia more than anything. The first ever international football match was between England and Scotland in 1872. When FIFA was formed in 1904 the individual UK countries' football associations all became members and its stayed that way ever since.

At the London Games the UK entered a football team to the Olympics for the first time. There was a lot of resistance to this from the various non-English football associations though, including threats of international bans to players taking part. They were worried that FIFA would say if the UK has an Olympic squad they should have an international UK squad as well and the various national associations would lost their international match income and maybe become extinct.

[zack1234]

FIFA are like the Olympic committee very corrupt

[HawkerMKII]

FIFA are like the Olympic committee very corrupt

like the NFL is now

[Bruv119]

it's all to do with English rule in those other parts of Britain.  The Welsh and Scots never really accepted the fact that England is better than them and to do what they are told. 

They are taking their freedoms back piece by piece and the culmination of that will be this Scottish referendum in September, then Wales will no doubt will want something similar if they are successful.   

Personally I think our Island is too small for all these shenanigans but I defer to Zack1234 on what is right and just.  God save the Queen.

[zack1234]

How many German states want independence?

See you later Scotland don't let the door slam you on the arse  when you leave

[Tank-Ace]

Lichtenstein, Andorra, Vatican City, Monaco, San Marino, Malta, Maldives, Marshal Islands. All much smaller than Scotland or Wales.

Stick that in your hoity toity English pipe and smoke it  !

[zack1234]

I have reported you

[pipz]

Its a outrage!

[Tank-Ace]

I have reported you

Smarmy brit.

[GScholz]

The UK's problem is that if Scotland leaves the union they're taking a lot of the North Sea oil fields with them...