The Commonwealth games OR The Olympics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Commonwealth games OR The Olympics - Essay Example (Heath and Roberts). In the Olympic Games, a combined team called Great Britain comprising England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is only fielded in all sports disciplines. This has been the case in all the previous Olympics, and will be case in the upcoming London Olympics in 2012. â€Å"Team GB will have a chance to shine again, this time on home soil, when the next Olympics comes to London† (Berkmoes 2009). People will normally back this combination or team, thereby reinforcing their belief in Britishness. â€Å"When an England team (or athlete) fails to qualify†¦, the media quickly appropriates other British or Irish teams as ours.† (Smith and Porter 2004). However, the British identity gets changed according to the situations. The current issue which again reinforces the clash in identities is the decision about fielding a combined football team in the London Olympics. With a combined Great Britain team participating in every Olympic event, it should be the case with the f ootball event as well. So, sections of population including even the former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown proposed the idea of fielding a combined Great Britain football team, with players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. â€Å"Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is Scottish, has already jumped on board and suggested that another Scot, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, could coach the team.† (Silva 2009). However, this arrangement is not welcomed by the Scottish, Irish and Welsh football associations, who opined that having a combined team will negatively impact the individuality of each nation. Gordon Smith, Chief executive of the Scottish FA, had this to say â€Å"Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland have always been autonomous where football is concerned and that is the way it should remain† (guardian.co.uk 2009). They have also