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I cannot understand the government and Scottish Football Association's opposition to a GB football team representing the UK at the 2012 games.

FIFA have already stated that this would not affect the status of the individual countries within the Union and that they would continue to compete on the international stage as separate nations.

In rugby, the coming together of the British Lions shows what can be achieved on a similar scale, but it does not prevent participation in the World Cup as individual home countries.

ROY TERNENT

Bothwell Gardens

Dunbar, East Lothian

Have those who advocate a British Olympic football team for 2012 really thought through the security aspects of such a move? Scotland and England fans enjoy a fierce rivalry at the best of times and yet if a British team were playing, both sets of fans would presumably be grouped together in the same seating along with fans from Northern Ireland and Wales as they would be expected to be supporting the same team, in theory at least.

With UK police resources likely to be stretched as they were during the G8 summit, it sounds like a security headache they could well do without.

SOPHIE L ANDERSON

Marchmont Road

Edinburgh