The Scottish Football Association have reiterated their opposition to a British Olympic team after Lord Moynihan, the British Olympic Association chairman, pledged there would definitely be one at the 2012 Games.

Moynihan has backed the bid by Lord Coe, chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee, to persuade Sir Alex Ferguson to coach the team in London. Coe has already spoken to the Manchester United manager about the idea, but the former Scotland manager would be picking a team of Englishmen if the football authorities in his home country, Wales and Northern Ireland maintain their stance.

The three associations are wary of the consequences for their independence within FIFA if a Great Britain side is formed for the under-23 tournament.

Gordon Smith, the SFA chief executive, said: "The Scottish FA's position on this issue remains the same - we are opposed to the concept of a British football team.

As we have said many times before, we feel that such a move would threaten the independent status of the home nations.

"Also, when we speak to our fan groups about this issue, they tell us that they are strongly opposed to the idea. As the governing body of football in this country, we will always do what is best for the sport here in Scotland."

He added: "On a personal note, I feel that the Olympics should be the pinnacle of any sport and it is doubtful as to whether an age-restricted football competition in the Olympics would ever be able to rival the World Cup."

Meanwhile, Smith admitted his Macedonian counterparts have been "awkward" to deal with, after Scotland's opening World Cup qualifier on September 6 was brought forward to a 3pm kick-off in the Skopje heat.

Smith revealed Scotland did not want to play away in their first match on September 6, but the Macedonian FA threatened to tear up the fixture list if their demands were not met.

George Burley, the Scotland manager, now faces a tricky double -header on the road for his first two competitive matches in charge, with Iceland to follow four days later in Reykjavik.

Burley has admitted he would have preferred to avoid such a scenario. As well as the travelling, Scotland now face further problems because Burley had already identified the heat as an issue, with the average high temperature in Skopje on September 6 being 27C.

Smith, who was helping promote fund-raising activities for the Davie Cooper Centre, admitted: "Macedonia were difficult before because they were going to withdraw from the fixture meeting if they didn't get their own way.

"The fixtures were already set with Macedonia being the first game at Hampden, when they said they were going to withdraw from the meeting unless they got their first game at home. They were very awkward, and they did the same with Norway.

"But the fact was if we didn't accept the fixtures as they were at that point, they were going back to FIFA, and FIFA would draw them out of the hat. We could have been playing anybody at any time, so we had seven matches that we thought were in the right order and we just had to take this one.

"The awkward thing about it is the temperature over there. I think Macedonia are moving it to accommodate television, but it probably won't suit us to play at that time of the afternoon."

While Scotland are embarking on their World Cup adventure, staff members from the Davie Cooper Centre will be navigating the West Highland Way to raise money for their charity.

The centre for special needs children is being built on land previously earmarked for a new stadium for Clydebank, where Cooper began his career and was playing again at the time of his tragic death in 1995.

Smith, a former Rangers team-mate of the late winger, said: "I've been a patron of it since it started because I had a great deal of respect and friendship with Davie. It's getting closer to everything being put in place, it's just a matter of fundraising."