Salmond has long been a backer of plans for Scotland to be allowed to compete as an independent country in the Olympics and does not want the football team to have its status to be able to compete in the World Cup and European Championships jeopardised by competing as part of a Britsh at London in 2012.

 

In an interview published today with The Times, he said: “For me this Olympics mess is another good reason for independence.

 

"We wouldn’t have to go through this whole rigmarole of worrying – in this case, I think rightly – about the future of our international football team if we participate in an Olympics GB team.

 

"The SFA (Scottish Football Association) know what they are talking about and they warn against such a plan.

 

"But if we were independent, our participation in an Olympics would be unchallenged, just as our place in international football would be unchallenged.

 

“There are precedents for the home nations playing in an Olympics, such as when it happened at the London Olympics in 1908.

 

“I mean, if we enjoyed that scenario today, we wouldn’t have any of the pitfalls which the SFA have identified.

 

“Also, there are countries who are in the Olympic Games who are not independent: Hong Kong, for example, had a team at Beijing.

 

"In fact, I think there are around eight or nine countries like that who take part in the Games.

 

"But you have to be recognised by the International Olympic Committee and, by and large, the IOC still only recognises independent countries.”