Associations fear a Team GB could set a dangerous precedent

London: Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey have been told by the Welsh FA they should not appear for Team GB at the London Olympics.

Tottenham star Bale and Arsenal midfielder Ramsey, both Wales players, have indicated their interest in competing at next year's Games.

But they have been taken aside and advised the move would go against the wishes of the Football Association of Wales, while the Scotland squad have also been addressed in a similar vein about the issue.

The British Olympic Association and the FA heralded a ‘historic agreement' on Tuesday that would allow players from all the Home Nations to represent Great Britain next year.

But they have only succeeded in sparking another round of arguments in the increasingly bitter debate over the 2012 Olympics.

Although Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland know they are powerless to stop their players competing for Team GB, they are firmly against fielding British men's and women's teams, believing the move would jeopardise their autonomy.

Despite correspondence from FIFA, seen by Sportsmail, assuring them this would not be the case, the three nations fear a Team GB project would set a dangerous precedent.

The FA are not concerned a British team would affect England's status as a football nation but, as one source said yesterday: "England are not exactly the most popular country in FIFA at the moment."

Former Scotland boss Craig Brown went as far as to suggest Scottish players would be ‘selfish' if they chose to play for Great Britain next year.