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Taylor: 2012 warning
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Uefa general secretary David Taylor has warned the Scottish Football Association over Fifa's claims that the Scotland national side will be safe in the face of a Great Britain team for the 2012 Olympics.
Scottish secretary Jim Murphy met with Fifa officials where it was declared that a Great Britain team at the London Games would not jeopardise Scotland's future standing.
But former SFA chief executive Taylor has warned Murphy that Fifa's comments could not be guaranteed.
He told the Daily Record: "No assurances can be made about Team GB with any certainty at all.
"My opinion is a Scotland national team is very important to the development of football in the country.
"You cannot allow anything to happen which could compromise this and as I've said, you can't make any clear cut assurances on this matter.
"The reason this is an issue is because Scotland is not an independent country and Fifa only recognise independent countries.
"Something which is repeated to us is that Scotland are privileged to be recognised in the manner we are. We do take this for granted a little bit.
"But other countries are asking why Scotland is allowed to have its own team and really it all comes down to that."
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First minister Alex Salmond backed Taylor as he too feels that a Team GB for 2012 would definitely have a negative impact on the Scotland national team.
He said: "If we go in for this then it will be used by other countries at future Fifa assemblies to question the status of the home nations in international football.
"We are in a privileged position in international football. We are one of very few countries able to be an independent football country without being an independent country."
There has also been talk from Conservative leader David Cameron of playing a tournament between the home nations which would see the winner go on and represent Great Britain in London.
The most realistic option to get the Scots on side may depend on whether Sir Alex Ferguson manages the team, as has been rumoured since the idea of a Team GB first surfaced.
