Why didn't the UK enter a football team?

Question

I seemed strange there was no UK football team. They certainly would have been a chance for medal.

Answer 1

They must not have qualified, could have been another Euro 08.

Answer 2

Because Football (or soccer) starts at these days and Olympics are not important to football players. They prefer World Cup or Eurocup. Spain's football team didn't enter to Olympics either. Why? they played Eurocup and now they start their leagues, Champions league... The only ones teams that are good and like football at Olympics are Brazil and Argentina. France, Germany, Italy and more don't go with good players

Answer 3

There isn't a UK/GB football association.

Football was codified in England in 1869 by the newly formed Football Association. The Scottish, Welsh, Irish Football Association (not to be confused with the Football Association of Ireland) were formed later and nationals from those counties compete against each other. There isn't a UK wide body for football. It would be very difficult to get everybody to agree on the representation. In the early years of the Olympics Amateur football in Britain was a strong sport alongside the professional game but amateurism (in terms of  a high standard of play) nearly died out as the professional game became so strong. The Olympic sports all used to be amateur only. As all the best players in Britain were professional, (because the professional system in Britain was so extensive), the amateur sides in Britain were relatively weak.  The other British amateur associations couldn't be bothered with it. Up to 1972 GBR were sending the English national amateur side but they usually performed poorly, but after that they didn't bother.

Of course professional players are now allowed to compete (but they have to be under 23 yrs old), and FIFA have said that organizing a GB side won't compromise the separate association status of the UK home nations within FIFA (which had been a worry for the Scottish Welsh and Irish FAs). With the London 2012 games coming up there is a lot of talk about trying to get a GBR team. No-one knows whether they will actually pull it off. It remains to be seen whether the players from the home nations can put aside the national rivalry and compete as a single team.