The FA "expressed disappointment after being forced to scrap plans to enter British men’s and women’s teams for the Rio 2016 Olympics after opposition from the other home nations," according to Owen Gibson of the London GUARDIAN. The FA told Scotland, Wales and Ireland that "it was intending to enter teams for Rio provoking a storm of criticism." An FA spokesperson confirmed the plan has now been dropped, saying, "After careful discussion, the FA has decided not to enter either a women’s or a men’s team into the Rio Olympics 2016." FIFA "also made it clear that all four home nations would have to agree before the plan could be ratified." In light of that, FA Dir of Football Services Jonathan Hall "contacted the other British associations on Monday to inform them it had decided to drop the plan" (GUARDIAN, 3/31). The BBC reported Man City and 39-times capped Wales forward Natasha Harding tweeted her reaction to the decision, saying, "Being Welsh and maybe having an opportunity to represent Great Britain at an Olympics would've been a dream. Now that's been taken away." Former Wales captain Jess Fishlock said that "she has mixed feelings about the opposition." Fishlock: "I'm not all that surprised as I knew the FAW are against it for their own reasons and their reasons are justifiable." However, Scotland head coach Anna Signeul believes that "there is no need for British football to be represented at the Games." Signeul: "We have the same opinion as we had of it last time: we don't support it but if the players want to take part, we would be positive towards it" (BBC, 3/31).
