QPR Fan Plots Team GB Olympic Football DownFall 0Tuesday 24th April 2012 A die-hard Queens Park Rangers fan - who's in charge of the New Zealand Olympic Women's team - has told LBC 97.3 how he plans to stop the London 2012 party before its officially even started! Anthony Readings - along with British manager Hope Powell - will be in charge of the first action of this summer's London Games - 150 miles away in Cardiff. The draw at Wembley saw Team GB up against the so-called New Zealand Ferns in the opening game at 1600 at the Millennium Stadium on Wednesday July 25th - a full two days before the opening ceremony. "It's fantastic for us. Coming to Olympics anyway is massive thing for our team and something we've worked really hard for past 4 years. But against Team GB makes it more special for us however its another game we need to get points in to move to the next round and that's what we'll focus on that" Readings told our Olympics Correspondent John Cushing. "The Millennium is a fantastic stadium I don't think many of our players will have been there before, I have, I watched Brentford in a play off final few years back. It's going to be a fantastic experience and great stadium and area I think we'll fit in quite nicely in Cardiff." Cameroon and 2 time runners up Brazil make up the rest of Group E with the top 2 going through the quarter-finals but Readings is aiming higher "We want to win a gold medal - we're preparing for that - but the first thing is to get out of our group and once you do that anything can happen as you're one game away from a medal and 2 from winning gold. That's our focus." Team GB play twice-in Cardiff before Brazil at Wembley and manager Powell admits, "it will be great, it's a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the sport and raise the profile." And on the fact the first match is two days before the Games actually begin "if we get unprecedented media attention, that is a positive" she said. David Beckham continues to be the focus of the men's team - despite drawing Senegal, the UAE and Uruguay in Group A. Manchester Utd's Old Trafford, Wembley and Cardiff will stage the games respectively on July 26th, 29th and Aug 1st respectively. Manager Stuart Pearce - who claims being England caretaker boss at the Euros might be helpful rather than a hindrance - has confirmed he'll fly to see the former Man Utd and Real Madrid star playing in the US next week. "David Beckham will be treated exactly the same as any other individual, whether it is young or over-age." Pearce told a media conference at Wembley. "Form and fitness will dictate what the make-up of the squad will be. David falls into the same category. I have a duty of care to the Great Britain squad to try and win a gold medal. I will pick the strongest possible squad I can." Chair of the Organising Committee Lord Coe also confirmed that the million and a half London 2012 football tickets will go on sale early next month BEFORE the other Olympic and Paralympic tickets are sold. London 2012 organisers will want to try and capitalise on the interest of the Wembley draw that saw sees the likes of triple Olympic champions the USA and world champions Spain play in Glasgow. Others may argue you sell the football ones first in case people who, to quote Lord Coe want to say "I was there", can't stand the chance of losing out again in the final batch so buy football tickets just in case! "There's lots of politics and lots of issues why we haven't had a men's team since 1960 and a women's team. Its not about selling tickets its about making this nation proud, some of our finest athletes compete at the largest and greatest show on earth and that's what it'll be" British Olympic Association chief executive Andy Hunt told LBC 97.3. And Kiwi coach Anthony Readings agrees it would be unthinkable for Team GB not to be competing at London 2012. "I personally think its great. In New Zealand we think it's a great thing. I don't think it'd be the same having football tournament here, one of the biggest footballing nations in the world, not to have some of our players gracing the pitch. I think it's a fantastic thing and I guarantee the nation will follow." You'll notice he said the phrase 'our players' - surely just a slip of the tongue. So any split loyalties? "I was a Londoner - I'm a Londoner when watching QPR but now I'm a kiwi so no split loyalties from me. We'll stay up I think, beat Stoke and draw with Chelsea that'll be enough. Most of the games are live in New Zealand at 4 in morning - I think I have seen almost every game this year - we'll do it." And with that positive thinking, Team GB you've been warned!
