SNUB OF AN OLYMPIC ORDER! FLAMBOYANT BECKHAM LEFT OUT OF TEAM GREAT BRITAIN'S SQUAD FOR LONDON 2012.

With thirteen Englishmen, five Welsh players and no representative from Scotland and Northern Ireland, Team Great Britain Olympic Football coach Stuart Pearce has finally put paid to the ambitions of English celebrity player David Beckham's dream of featuring for the union in the Men's Football Event of the Olympic games to be hosted in London this summer. In a list that includes Ryan Giggs, Craig Bellamy and Micah Richards as the three overaged players, the Pearce stated, "I've got a list of names written down now, who I think ability-wise are good enough to do a job, I didn't pick on personality, I didn't pick on ticket sales and I certainly wasn't picking on nationality".


It had long been anticipated that Beckham would be included as one of the three overage players in the squad following his prominent role in promoting London 2012. Pearce also squashed any possibility of using Beckham in a coaching capacity, although the British Olympic Association (BOA) has been in touch with the LA Galaxy midfielder's representatives about a possible Games role.

Sir David Beckham.

Since the Rome games in 1950, Britain has  not fielded an Olympic because soccer federations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland feared a unified team could cause them to lose independence within FIFA. The world body assured the three federations that their status wouldn't be affected by participating in the 16-team men's competition at the London Games.


Britain plays its opening match against Senegal at Old Trafford on July 26, faces the United Arab Emirates three days later at Wembley and Uruguay on Aug. 1 at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. They would be banking on fans support to see them through the competition and hopefully grab a medal in the end just like in '96 when England hosted the Euro competition.