Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are still refusing to participate in a football team for next year's Games for fear of losing their national identities, despite key players, including Tottenham Hotspur and Wales star Gareth Bale, claiming he wants to represent Britain in next year's Olympic football tournament.

Lee, the former communications director of London 2012, commented that the FA has always been positive about the prospect of a British football team competing at London 2012 but claims that it needs to intensify efforts if it is to become a reality.

"The FA should step up and lead efforts to ensure a genuine Team GB football team at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games," said Lee in his letter written to a Parliamentary inquiry. 

"The FA has always been very positive about this and it is, in my view, not only the right policy for our hosting of the 2012 Games, it is also a signal of a willingness to move beyond the apparent restrictions created by the positions of privilege enjoyed by the Home Countries.

"The FA should actively and openly campaign for its fellow FAs [Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland] to support this popular and engaging idea."

Lee, who was not part of the team that led England's failed £15 million ($25 million) bid but played a significant role in Qatar's controversial landslide 2022 victory, was last month asked to give evidence in the on-going Parliamentary inquiry into football governance at a one-off session on why England performed so poorly in its 2018 World Cup bid.

Following the hearing, Lee was encouraged to submit formally his thoughts on the FA's international work for likely inclusion in the final report.

As well as discussing a Team GB football squad, in his letter to John Whittingdale, chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, seen in full by insidethegames, Lee suggests that "it is probably not productive to spend more time on how the 2018 bid was incorrectly set up" and instead proposes a five point plan to help the FA move forward internationally.

Lee's first point is that: "The FA, in conjunction with the Premier League, should conduct a thorough review of its activities within UEFA and FIFA in order to clarify the most effective and strategic use of English football representatives within both organisations and perhaps seek to replicate the International Leadership Programme created by UK Sport to identify administrative and political talent to be coached and encouraged to fulfil international roles in the future."

The second point is that: "This review should also identify the key committees and working groups within both UEFA and FIFA, where English football's voice can be most usefully heard and agree a target list of UEFA and FIFA tournaments and events, including Congresses and seminars, that might be hosted in England over the next 10 years."

The third point states: "The FA should consider and open a debate on the future of the guaranteed places for the Home Countries on the International Football Association Board, as well as the British vice-presidency of FIFA.

"These are in truth out-dated positions of privilege and largely, as recent events, eg goal line technology and the 2018 bid, have shown, without power.

"They are not utilised and yet are understandably a source of quiet resentment in many other parts of the world.

"Even if The FA does not want to relinquish these positions at least it should be asked i) what is their real purpose in the years ahead and ii) what are the advantages that could be gained by volunteering to stand down and open them up as part of an overall FIFA reform process."

The fourth point is that: "The FA should set out a 10 year plan for their international development programme.

"I understand that a review is underway and this may well include cutting budgets and closing down projects in Africa.

"This does not seem to fit with the progressive, long term approach to building friendships and alliances for the future that is sorely needed."

Lee, who also worked on Rio's campaign which saw them awarded the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics, wrote the letter before FIFA became embroiled in the recent corruption scandal around key Executive Committee members and threw the future football's world governing body in to doubt.

It has since become abundantly clear that FIFA has to reform but it remains obvious that the FA must still to design a relevant strategy as part of that meaning that Lee's letter is likely to be a highly important part of the final report published by the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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