Why in "team GB" footballers in the Olympics?

The Olympic football tournament runs to different rules than FIFA competitions.

Back in the day, when all Olympic athletes were (in theory) amateur, only amateur football players could compete, so Britain never fielded a team.

When the IOC finally conceded that amateurism in elite sport was a thing of the past they were faced with three options -

- Having an Olympic football tournament that was a direct competitor of the World Cup.

- Dropping footbal fropm the Olympics (which they SHOULD have done).

- Fudging the issue.

They went for the third option. Each Olympic football squad must contain (with the exception of three "over-age" players) only those aged 23 or under (this restriction doesn't apply to the women's tournament.

Thus all Olympic squads (not just Britain's) are effectively development teams.

As for the national anthem thing - that's a touchy subject. England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland count as separate nations for footballing purposes, despite belonging to one country politically. Scotland in particular are paranoid about FIFA waking up to this and putting a stop to it. So much so that when the idea of a GB team for the Olympics was first mooted it was put about that any Scottish player who agreed to play would instantly be banned for life from all Scottish teams.

The non-English players in the GB teams reckon they'd offend their countrymen if they came across as too pro-GB football and tactfully (if that's the right word) don't sing the National Anthem.

There is an age limit of 23 for the men's football in the Olympics, with 3 overage players being allowed per team. FIFA don't want the Olympic tournament competing with their World Cup as the top event in world football.