By Andrew Warshaw at Old Trafford in Manchester
July 26 – It may not be have been as humiliating a gaffe as the North Korea flag incident at Hampden Park in Glasgow 24 hours earlier, but organisers of the Olympic football tournament had more red faces today when the official programme for Team GB listed Welsh midfielder Joe Allen as being English.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 26 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter says Gareth Bale (pictured) could be banned from playing any further friendly matches for his club, Tottenham Hotspur, for the duration of the Olympic Games.
By David Gold
July 25 – The reigning Olympic champions, the United States, were given an almighty scare by France in their opening match of defending their women’s football title, but eventually came through to register a 4-2 win at Hampden Park in Glasgow.
By David Gold
July 25 – The opening day of sport at London 2012 has sparked a row with North Korea after the South Korean flag was mistakenly displayed prior to their women’s football opener against Colombia at Hampden Park in Glasgow.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 25 – Global attention may be focussed on Friday’s Olympic Opening Ceremony but the first competitive action of London 2012 got under way today – not in the capital but at Cardiff ‘s Millennium stadium 150 miles away.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 25 – David Beckham, controversially left out of the Team GB squad at London 2012, is to be given a cameo role at Friday’s Opening Ceremony – but he will not be lighting the cauldron.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 25 – The first major off-the-field controversy surrounding the make-up of the Team GB men’s football team flared up today when it emerged that Welsh star Gareth Bale – who had withdrawn citing injury – played for his club Tottenham Hotspur instead thousands of miles away in Los Angeles.
By David Gold
July 25 – Rafael Cabral has been forced to withdraw from Brazil’s Olympic men’s football squad with an elbow injury.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 25 – Three clubs, two French and one Gabonese, have refused to release players to compete for Gabon at London 2012, putting them on a collision course with FIFA.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 24 – Team GB head coach Stuart Pearce says his side will have to hit the ground running if they are to stand any chance of winning an Olympic medal.
By Stuart Newman
July 23 – Kari Seitz will enjoy the honour of taking charge of the opening match of London 2012 when she referees the tussle between hosts Team GB and New Zealand on Wednesday (July 25), the FIFA Organising Committee for Olympic Football Tournaments has announced.
By David Gold
July 23 – Reigning Olympic champions the United States begin the defence of their women’s football title at London 2012 on Wednesday (July 25) against France, determined to make up for their defeat in last year’s World Cup final.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 22 – Italy striker Antonio Cassano has been fined €15,000 (£11,800/$18,200) by UEFA for homophobic comments made during the recent European Championships in Poland and Ukraine.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 20 – One hundred years after winning an Olympic football gold medal in an era that was strictly amateur, Team GB were given a stern footballing lesson by Brazil tonight in their final warm-up game before the start of London 2012.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 20 – Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville, now a member of the England senior team backroom staff, has backed the controversial decision to leave his one-time teammate David Beckham out of the London 2012 squad.