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Brown: Football fan
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A British football team should compete in the 2012 Olympics, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has claimed.
Britain has not entered a side in the Olympics since 1960, partly because of fears it could jeopardise the future of the individual England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Irish national sides.
But speaking from Beijing, Mr Brown, a keen football fan, said he would be "surprised" if a team from the UK did not compete on home soil in 2012.
He told Sky News: "I hope there will be a team by 2012. It will be Team UK. I hope we can get an agreement on that.
"I think when people are looking at the Olympics in 2012 - Britain, home of football, where football was invented, which we gave to the world - I think people would be very surprised if there is an Olympic tournament in football and we are not part of it."
Mr Brown said he had talked with Sepp Blatter, president of world football's governing body FIFA, to discuss the situation.
"I am determined to work with the football associations and the (International) Olympic Committee to ensure that when we come to 2012 we have a men's football team and we have a women's football team playing," Mr Brown said.
Own goal
The Scottish National Party's sport spokesman in Westminster, Pete Wishart, said: "This is a spectacular own goal for Brown.
"He is out of touch with the overwhelming views of football supporters throughout the UK.
"All the national supporters groups oppose this move and see it as a threat to the status of their nations to field independent football squads.
"Not only do all the national supporters' associations oppose such a move but the majority of football associations in the UK have said they do not want to take part in a single UK team as it could threaten their existence within FIFA."
England midfielder David Beckham left the door open to possibly playing for Great Britain in the 2012 Olympic football tournament.
He said: "I will be 37 so I'm not sure I will still be playing. But you never know, at the end of day I'm just going to be happy to be involved.
"I will definitely be there, but whether it's playing or not I'm not so sure about that one."
He added that he believed football deserved its place in the Olympics despite the controversy over whether clubs should be forced to release players for the tournament.
He added: "For me, football is the best sport in the world so for me it should be top of the list.
"There are so many other great sports and so many other athletes who have worked so hard to get here, but it's still important.
"There are great players and great teams over here so it's still my number one sport, whether or not it is looked at as different."
Scotland should compete in its own right at the 2012 Olympics and not as part of Team GB, a Scottish government minister said today.
Sports minister Stewart Maxwell pointed to the success of nations such as Jamaica as proof small countries could make an impact at the Olympics and believes a separate Scottish team could achieve great things.
However, Labour said the Nationalists were being petty and should share Britain's pride in Team GB.
Mr Maxwell told BBC Scotland: "If you look at Jamaica, a small island nation, they won gold, silver and bronze in the women's sprint, they've got world records, they've won the men's, the women's 100 and 200 metres and the relay.
"This is an exceptionally brilliant nation - at the same time a small nation. Scotland can compete on the world stage - we proved that in the Olympics - and a Scottish team at the Olympics is the future."
But Labour said most Scots took pride in the achievements of the whole of Team GB, with Scotland's own success making it extra special.
Frank McAveety, Scottish Labour sports spokesman, told the broadcaster: "I'm absolutely passionate about Scotland and I want Scotland to do well, but I'm also exceptionally proud of Team GB's performance in the Olympics. I don't see why I should be asked to make a choice between those two."
