team GB is team UK

[saaby93]

At last the Beeb has a link to the medals table
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/2012/medals/co...
Team GB & NI?
When did that change
So it's Team UK after all, same as in the Eurovision

[Cheib]

Well I suppose GB and NI is actually correct.....

After all we're officially "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" so to just call ourselves Team GB is not correct. Team UK would be better I suppose.

[0000]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_GB

BBC said:

The BOA has argued that neither the term Team GB nor Team UK are strictly accurate since some members are geographically part of neither Great Britain nor the United Kingdom - for example the Isle of Man, Jersey and some UK overseas territories.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12688705

Edited by 0000 on Monday 30th July 09:04

[Amateurish]

At first I thought Team GB sounds controversial because it implicitly excludes NI. But then I read that NI athletes can choose to compete for the Republic or for Team GB (and NI) so it kind of makes some sense.

[Cheib]

0000 said:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_GB

BBC said:

The BOA has argued that neither the term Team GB nor Team UK are strictly accurate since some members are geographically part of neither Great Britain nor the United Kingdom - for example the Isle of Man, Jersey and some UK overseas territories.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12688705

Edited by 0000 on Monday 30th July 09:04

Well that's not right either as neaiter the United Kingdom or Great Britain are geographical concepts....the geographical term is The British Isles.

[0000]

Team BI?

Oh dear.

[saaby93]

BI would only work if Ireland was included - didnt the torch go to Dublin?

It says originally
The British Olympic Association was set up in 1905 and at that stage included all of the British Isles, including the Irish Republic, as well as other parts of the British empire.

So why wasnt it changed to Team UK when the empire became slef fulfilling?

It goes on
The BOA said it was committed to Team GB as an effective trading name
so it's about business.....

It argues
The BOA has argued that neither the term Team GB nor Team UK are strictly accurate since some members are geographically part of neither Great Britain nor the United Kingdom - for example the Isle of Man, Jersey and some UK overseas territories.

So arent UK overseas territories part of UK

Team UK does seem a closer match

[Eric Mc]

Amateurish said:

At first I thought Team GB sounds controversial because it implicitly excludes NI. But then I read that NI athletes can choose to compete for the Republic or for Team GB (and NI) so it kind of makes some sense.

A legacy of the split in 1922. Before 1922, Irish athletes could compete for Great Britain OR Ireland - it was their choice.
There was no UK team as such.

[Eric Mc]

Cheib said:

0000 said:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_GB

BBC said:

The BOA has argued that neither the term Team GB nor Team UK are strictly accurate since some members are geographically part of neither Great Britain nor the United Kingdom - for example the Isle of Man, Jersey and some UK overseas territories.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12688705

Edited by 0000 on Monday 30th July 09:04

Well that's not right either as neaiter the United Kingdom or Great Britain are geographical concepts....the geographical term is The British Isles.

Countries are political entities - not really geographical.

And I doubt of many Irish people from south of the border would be enthusiastic about being part of a team with the word "British" in the title - no mater how apolitical the term may seem.

[Cheib]

Eric Mc said:

Cheib said:

0000 said:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_GB

BBC said:

The BOA has argued that neither the term Team GB nor Team UK are strictly accurate since some members are geographically part of neither Great Britain nor the United Kingdom - for example the Isle of Man, Jersey and some UK overseas territories.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12688705

Edited by 0000 on Monday 30th July 09:04

Well that's not right either as neaiter the United Kingdom or Great Britain are geographical concepts....the geographical term is The British Isles.

Sorry I wasn't suggesting for one minute it should be Team British Isles.....I was referring to the original post referencing georgrahy as GB or UK which is wrong.


Countries are political entities - not really geographical.

And I doubt of many Irish people from south of the border would be enthusiastic about being part of a team with the word "British" in the title - no mater how apolitical the term may seem.