1. The comparison with the Lions is a false one, because international rugby is limited to so few countries, it would be stupid for the IRB to insist that there is a UK team. If that happened, there would only be approximately 7 competitive nations, instead of 10. It would be even worse in Rugby League.

2. The potential development is if the BOA pick Scottish players, and the SFA then have to take a view on this. Do they allow those players to play, or do they then take a further stand? The only action open to the SFA would be to threaten those players with non-selection for Scotland.

We have just celebrated a famous victory over the French and we get this nonsense about a Great Britain Olympic football team. It is naive to the point of stupidty to take for face value the assurances of someone like Sepp Blatter. He has a record of false promises and is up to his neck in FIFA sleaze. It is also galling to see someone like Walter Smith given credance to this idea when it has already been rejected by his bosses at the SFA and Scotland fans. Smith is in danger of getting the boot if he continues in this way, no matter how successful he might be as Scotland manager. The involvement too of Sir Clive Woodward is laughable. This guy is well known for his anti-Scottish sentiments. This whole idea is non-starter, no one or no thing should be allowed to jeopardise the existence of the Scotland team.