LONDON, July 7: Tony Blair wants a unified Britain playing soccer at the 2012 London Olympics. The Prime Minister said it’s time for the home countries to play under one flag for the first time since the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.

“I think it would be a good idea,” Blair told The Times. “When you are hosting the Olympics and you have lots of countries who send their teams, it would be a shame if we didn't have one of our own.”

London 2012 Chairman Sebastian Coe agreed with the prime minister.

“I want a Britain team, we will have a Britain team,” Coe said. “But I also want to maintain the independence of the domestic federations to compete in European cups and World Cups.”

The International Olympic Committee doesn’t recognise separate teams from Britain's home countries – England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Each country’s soccer association qualifies for and plays separately at the World Cup and European Championship.

After the four countries met last November to discuss a unified team, only England and Northern Ireland agreed in principle to the idea. Scotland and Wales fear joining a combined team would dilute their authority in world governing body FIFA.

Alex Salmond, leader of the Scottish National Party, demanded a statement from Mr Blair over his remarks.

“Is it the Prime Minister’s wish for this just for the Olympics or does he wish like previous Labour ministers to abolish the Scottish soccer team altogether?” Salmond asked.

“Why should he be attempting to bully the Scottish soccer association and the Welsh authorities into doing something that they believe would jeopardize their position in international football?”

The Football Association of Wales secretary general David Collins said last December there was no possibility of a change of mind.

“All of the people in Wales and the media, press and television, are in agreement in that decision,” Collins said. “No way would the spectators based in Wales like to see Wales stop playing as a national team.”

The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and Glasgow's Hampden Park are both listed as venues for Olympic soccer competition in 2012. Both could be taken off the list.

Britain, an Olympic soccer gold medallist in 1900, 1908 and 1912, would have a men's team for the first time since the 1956 Olympics and a women's team for the first time.—AP