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YAAAAAWWNNN!! Zzzzzzzzz! Zzzzzzzz!

It's possible. Sir Alex did say he wanted to retire from Manchester United in three seasons. However, I have a hard time believing this one. Yes, the Olympics will be in London but I am not sure if the English Under 23 team is good enough for him to actually win as manager of the Olympic squad.

like ive never heard this before. this rumor is old, but its probably true

J Hova: it will never happen because FIFA will be forced to re-examine the foolishness of having 4 separate FA's in one country. Its essentially like having every state in the US have it's own FA and league. Every state has their own capital and own government and a degree of sovereignty but just like the UK they are all ultimately ruled by once city.
Also, the fact that 3 of those FA's have 3 of the 6 votes on the rules board further taints that desire to remain separate.
Also it wouldn't be an English U-23 team it would be a heretofore unheard of United Kingdome U-23 team. (i.e. Scots, Welsh, English and N. Ireland players on one team)

As stated many times in the past, an all British team would merely be the English national team with Shay Given in goal and Ryan Giggs out on the left.

sitho-- I know a lot of Irish, Welsh and Scots who would have your head and drag your bloody body through the streets for saying they are individual countries--so be careful where you say that. Technically, though they are a "union" of sorts, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland are actually different countries.

ps. Ooops. Fix that...I meant for saying they ARE NOT individual countries...

That would be great! Then, and only then, will the world know how limited Alex Ferguson really is as a manager!

sitho-- Just because what I wrote is confusing, here is what I meant to say:

I know a lot of Irish, Welsh and Scots who would have your head and drag your bloody body through the streets for saying they are NOT individual countries--so be careful where you say that. Technically, though they are a "union" of sorts, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland are actually different countries.

Yep, it is more like saying that the US, Puerto Rico and Guam should for a single national team. Puerto Rico may be a US territory, but it is also a sovereign nation, and has it's own national football team.

Scotland in particular has its own Parliament, creates its own laws (many of which are very different to those in the rest of Britain) and has its own currency. Even Wales and N.Ireland have their own legislative bodies, and many of their elected members would welcome a complete separation from the UK itself.

As the previous poster says, I would be extremely careful saying some of those things in Wales, N.Ireland or Scotland. You would probably be beaten to a pulp, dragged through the streets and hung on the outskirts as a warning to everyone of like mind.

As for a GB team, I doubt it'll ever happen. For much the same reason as the beating and dragging through the street, the Scots, Welsh and N. Irish would never accept it. They know that at best they'd have a fringe involvement in such a team, and very few first team players. The idea that this could very well lead to the abolition of their national teams in events of actual importance is not something they'd take lying down.

After all while the Olympics to a nation like Britain is a fine thing, it's not even close to being regarded on the same level as the football or rugby international competitions. It's just a cultural thing.