SFA silence over British women’s side for Tokyo
THE SFA are refusing to explain why they’ve changed their stance on allowing a British women’s side to play at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – if the team qualifies.
This is despite FIFA confirming all four British associations have given their written backing for a Team GB in Japan.
Repeated requests for an SFA statement have brought no response. It’s understood new chief executive Ian Maxwell inherited the stance on Tokyo from predecessor Stewart Regan – and the implications are now being weighed up at board level.
There were British men’s and women’s football sides at the London Olympics in 2012 because it was a home Games but these were regarded as a one-off. The SFA, and their Northern Ireland and Wales counterparts, refused to sanction a women’s team at the Rio Olympics two years ago.
The British side would only qualify for Tokyo provided England, as nominated nation, finish among the top three European sides at next summer’s women’s World Cup.
Nine European countries will compete, including Scotland – and that opens the door for a potential conflict of interest in France.
If Scotland and England are drawn in the same group – as they were at Euro 2017 – any players in Shelley Kerr’s side hoping to be in Tokyo would be pitted against the side that needs to qualify to get them there.