Team GB or team UK

[hiflier]

Did I miss something somewhere? Our team in the olympics is team GB, not team UK. Since GB includes only England, Wales and Scotland, does this mean that Northern Ireland are not included? Are they fielding their own team? And why do we use the Union flag which includes the cross of Ireland (white diagonal on a blue background) if the province has been excluded?

[excelsior-1]

the full title is 'united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland'

all four countries are in it .... but team GB is the accepted usage

[bibblebub]

http://en.wikipedia.o..._2012_Summer_Olympics

The team is known by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as Great Britain despite athletes from the whole of the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, as well as the Crown Dependencies and all but three of the British Overseas Territories being eligible.

[Hopkirk]

I get confused, and I live here.

It must be difficult for Johnny Foreigner.

(Throw in the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands and it gets even harder to explain)

[scowie]

The white diagonal on the blue background is the scottish flag. Northern ireland's is a red diagonal on a white background.

[Duncer]

And it is team UK!!!!

We exist! Not as a province, but a country. The province is Ulster.......



................and I am a pedant.

[mightyWBA]

Our team is known as "Great Britain and Northern Ireland" by the International Olympic Committee.
"Team GB" is just an Americanised "Brand" being forced upon us by people who think they know better.
Horrible.

[Duncer]

I'm hearing you brother.

Even worse, at Hampden on Thursday a Scottish pitch side commentator asked us to "Give both teams a big round of applause as they head for the
"LOCKER ROOMS" at half-time in both games.

I hope his next movement is a pineapple.

[mightyWBA]

http://en.wikipedia.o...itain_at_the_Olympics

[mightyWBA]

Locker room...Heavens to Murgatroyd :(

[Old_Geezer]

I'd feel put out by it were I from Northern Ireland. I still think it wrong.

But what can one expect of an organisation that I recently learned, has dropped the amateur requirement ?

[Duncer]

Not once, but twice.

[Duncer]

OG, I do support the team, but I also feel put out by our apparent exclusion.