The Scottish Football Association (SFA) is against a British team, claiming that it could jeopardise Scotland's status as a separate footballing nation.

 

The governing body has an ally in Salmond, who rejected the suggestion made by the Chancellor Gordon Brown in an interview published in The Scotsman yesterday.

 

"Brown's British campaign has gone far enough and the people of Scotland should not have their national football team under threat due to the pursuit of his own political agenda," he said.

 

"The SNP continues to support the SFA and urge them to hold firm in defence of the independence of both the Scottish football team and Scottish football.

 

"They are much better placed than Mr Brown to judge how to represent Scottish football in the international arena."

 

Coppell, who had a short international career with England before retiring due to injury and embarking upon a successful managerial career, added his voice to the debate by insisting it would be wrong to establish a Great Britain team.

 

"I think there are implications but I don't understand the argument that says having a GB team affects our standing within the political corridors of world sport," said Coppell, who is now in charge at Premiership Reading. 

 

"But I am a proud Englishman and would only like an English team.

 

"The countries are independent enough to have their own teams. I'm sure funding will be a problem for all those countries but if there is a need and a desire then it will be not too big a hurdle.

 

"I'm very much in favour of having just England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland."

 

The SNP remain committed to a entirely separate Scottish team for the Olympic Games.

 

"If UK overseas territories can compete in the Olympics there is no barrier to Scotland having an Olympic team," said Salmond.

 

"The opposition is from politicians like (Tony) Blair and Brown who put the UK interest first and the Scottish interest a poor second."