Britain's footballers will join forces at an Olympic Games for the first time in 52 years this summer but off the field England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland remain as divided as ever.
No Great Britain team has taken part at the finals of an Olympic tournament since a squad of fresh-faced amateurs participated in the 1960 Games in Rome, suffering defeats to Brazil and Italy while beating Taiwan.
But the English Football Association's decision to end the official distinction between amateur and professional players in 1974 was the death knell for Britain's Olympic side, which has not played since.
That state of affairs suited the associations of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, who have long harboured fears that a unified British team could jeopardize the unique independent status they enjoy within FIFA.
Those concerns have exploded into the public arena in the long run-up to the London Olympics, where the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish associations have opposed the presence of a British team.
Despite repeated assurances by FIFA that the status of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will not be affected by a British Olympic team, sceptical officials have remained at loggerheads with their English counterparts.
The schism was highlighted last year when the British Olympic Association (BOA) issued a jubilant statement saying a "historic agreement" had been reached that would allow Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish players to play in London.
Within hours a joint statement from the affected nations denied the BOA claims, stating bluntly: "No discussions took place with any of us, far less has any historic agreement been reached.
"The Football Associations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland reiterate our collective opposition to Team GB participation at the 2012 Olympic Games.
"We have been consistently clear in explaining the reason for our stance, principally to protect the identity of each national association."
Yet despite the defiant stance, the unpalatable truth for administrators in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is that they remain ultimately powerless to prevent their players participating in London should they choose to do so.
The Football Association of Wales acknowledged as much earlier this month, saying participation was a "matter for the players concerned".
"There won't be any sanction or action taken against them. They won't find that it prejudices their involvement with Wales in the future," an FAW spokesman said.
"As an organisation, we have made our position clear in the past and it has not changed. But if someone is asked and chooses to play, that is their personal choice."
It followed intense speculation that Welsh veteran Ryan Giggs and rising Welsh stars Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale had indicated a willingness to be involved in the Olympics.
The reasons behind the opposition of the respective associations may also struggle to make themselves heard as footballers eye the once-in-a-lifetime prospect of playing in a major tournament on home soil.
Team GB head coach Stuart Pearce predicts that excitement in the British Olympic team will be "off the Richter scale" when the tournament kicks off.
"Euro 96 (in England) was one of the most exciting experiences I ever had," said Pearce. "Playing any tournament on home soil, the interest goes off the Richter scale.
"I am sure the players will want to be part of it. I understand that one or two of the associations are a little bit nervous but FIFA have waylaid that."
Early indications are that Pearce's optimism is well-founded. Of 191 players who were contacted to see if they would be available for Olympic selection, only seven so far have ruled themselves out of contention.
"Players recognise how special this opportunity is," BOA spokesman Darryl Seibel said.
"This is an outstanding response and it confirms what we have believed all along, which is that there is widespread interest among players in competing for Team GB at the London 2012 Games."
Source: AFP European Edition
