"It's gained some kudos in recent years because countries such as Argentina and Brazil are able to send teams that include exceptional players who are already established internationals and are world renowned, even at under-23 level.

 

"The best recent example would be Lionel Messi of Argentina.

"But, in the main, it's a nothing tournament."

 

Football has been played in every Olympics apart from the first at Athens in 1896 and Los Angeles in 1932 and pre-dates the World Cup.

 

Interest in it has been revived in recent years after professional players were allowed to take part from the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 and the victories of Nigeria and Cameroon in the 1996 and 2000 tournaments represent the pinnacle of those countries achievements.

 

Argentina have won the event for the last two Games in Athens and Beijing respectively, much to the chargin of Brazil, who have never claimed the gold medal in an event they rank in importance only behind the World Cup.

 

Brown has started an e-petition on the Scottish Parliament opposing the formation of a British football team for 2012 because he claims it could jeopardise the independence of the four Home Countries, including Scotland, and prevent them competing in events like the World Cup and European Championships.

 

The petition officially closes today and has so far attracted 2,069 signatures.

 

A petition on the Downing Street website calling for the creation of a British team has so far attracted just four signatures.

 

But Brown has warned that people in England do not realise the potential dangers of a combined team in 2012.

 

He said: "I am utterly convinced that a British team at the Olympics in London will bring Scotland the thin end of the wedge, that we could lose our autonomy as a footballing nation.

 

"The people in England who are campaigning for a Team GB seem not to realise that the end of the Home Nations' independence would impinge on them, too.

 

"They appear not to be the least bit concerned with the consequences."