MIDDLESBROUGH chief executive Neil Bausor last night spoke of the Championship club’s excitement at the prospect of the Great Britain Olympic football team starting their preparations on Teesside.

Confirmation that Team GB’s men and women teams will play at the Riverside on Friday, July 20 arrived yesterday, raising the possibility of David Beckham coming to the North-East.

Beckham is among the players on head coach Stuart Pearce’s provisional list of players who could form part of the men’s Olympic squad along with Boro’s Newton Aycliffe- born goalkeeper Jason Steele and Sunderland striker Fraizer Campbell.

It will be the only chance supporters will have to see Team GB before the Olympics start, with the men’s team due to face Brazil and Hope Powell’s women’s team scheduled to face Sweden on the same day at the Riverside.

And, speaking after the announcement yesterday, Bausor said: “We’re very proud and it’s a testament to some hard work at the club. We have a fantastic team delivering events every other week in the Championship and previously in the Premier League.”

Boro have been pushing to host the warm-up fixtures for almost a year and their ability to successfully hold England’s Under-21s European Championship qualifier with Belgium in February helped convince the Football Association to award them the games.

A Great Britain team last played an international in an Olympic qualifier against Bulgaria in 1971, and have not played in an actual Games since 1960. It will also be the first time a Team GB women’s Olympics football team has been formed.

Team GB coach Stuart Pearce said: “I’ve learned a great deal about the Olympics since I was given the opportunity to lead this team and I realise just how massive an event it is going to be for the whole of Great Britain.

“In world football they don’t come much bigger than Brazil and it should be a terrific occasion for us going into our first match. I think particularly with the Brazilian connections on Teesside it will be a terrific turnout again come July.”

Powell said: “Sweden are a strong side and we want that challenge to be ready for July 25 when the Olympics begins for us.

“It is a huge opportunity, both in this country and worldwide, to showcase women’s football.”

Boro will now hold extensive discussions with the Olympics Committee and the FA to determine the pricing for the fixture.

Bausor is keen to make sure fans turn out in force for the double header and hopes such an appealing summer date in the calendar will bring in the numbers – even if he admits pricing will have to be done properly.

“One would hope the opposition and the uniqueness of the teams that are playing will be enough to entice people along to watch some fantastic football and some unique football,” said Bausor.

“I can assure people that we’ll put on a good event.

Along with the FA we will put on a fantastic event that will hopefully get people excited in the Olympics. We’ve got to look at ticket pricing and we’re working with the FA.

We’re starting discussions on Friday.”

Boro legend George Hardwick is a former Team GB captain.

And Bausor is looking forward to seeing the squads selected by Pearce and Powell being based at Boro’s Rockliffe Park training headquarters.

Bausor said: “We’ve got the infrastructure and the team to support it. Putting an event on is not just about having a stadium, you need a team to deliver that and I think we have a fantastic team working behind the scenes to deliver that week in, week out.

“Slightly further afield I would expect the interest for this event is not just Teesside, particularly given the level of opposition that we’ve got.

“I think it’s great for the town and the area and hopefully brings some kind of economic benefit as well. Hopefully it generates a bit of income for everybody.”