Speaking for many, a Tartan Army source told The JT: "This really marks a very exciting development in soccer as an Olympic sport. With 7 years to prepare, the nation can look forward to some world-class moaning and carping in the run-up."

The unusually long notice given of the intention to field a multi-national squad promises to usher in a new era of thinking up reasons why it’s a bad idea, as Professor You-Know-Who of Blah de Blah de Blah now, inevitably, explains:

"We’ve been calling for years for a decision-making process in world sport that recognises that coming up with a truly innovative series of reasons why this idea is The Worst In Recorded Human History requires dedication, time and the paucity of anything else worth talking about in the nation’s pubs. Thankfully, the organisers of the Olympics have recognised this."

Analysts of sophisticated, elegant reasoning who also, in search of its antithesis, listen in on conversations in your average Scottish boozer are looking forward to such elegantly thought through arguments such as:

• The whole thing is a conspiracy thought up by the bastardin’ English.