Why wasn't David Beckham in the Olympics as an athlete?

Question

He's such a great soccer star that he should have represented Britain for 2008 instead of only kicking a soccer ball at the closing ceremonies.

Answer 1

Ino its so stupid...Great Britain cant get a team together because they dont wanna mix the English with the Scottish and Welsh and N.Irish. Hopefully by 2012 we'll have a team tho! :D If we did we'd definatly kick ***.  

Answer 2

I think there's a rule that you have to be under 23 to participate in the Olympics football (soccer) game.

Answer 3

the 23 rule  

Answer 4

Uh-oh... another age rule. Well, at least Britain didn't try to cheat on the age of players and used David Beckham.

Answer 5

Because britain doesnt have a soccer team

Answer 6

Firstly you have to be under 23 to play football in the Olympics

Also he plays for England. There isn't a UK/GB football association.

Football was codified in England in 1863 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.

I thought it a bit daft that he was used like this but apparently he's the most well-known British sports personality in China and probably the world.

Answer 7

he'd probably be to athletics what his wife is to singing. I was a bit offended to see him there actually. He's such a good brit that he's spent the last 5 years living abroad.