Cost of the Olympics

I am sure there are more peole than me who saw the supposed £4bn cost of the olympics and recognised that this figure was just the usual New Labour spin.

The olympics was always going to cost far more than £4bn, but it was always going to be worth doing (providing Government keep their fingers out and let competent people do the organising).

I Don't Believe It!!!

According to Tessa Jowell the outcome of last week's inspection of our 2012 Olympic preparations suggested that it was "apparently the best report they've ever given a city".

From what I can see the comment is totally unsupportable by evidence and is a typical piece of spin. The problem is that if anything leaks out that suggests there were problems, the fact that this comment is out in the arena will lead to our whole Olympic programme being undermined.

I predict that, unless politicians get out of the whole 2012 thing and stop interfering like this we are headed for problems.

Olympics - Less Politicians, More Businessmen

I am really concerned that the mess and spin surrounding the cost of the olympics will mean more Government monitoring and more political intervention. The solution should be less Government involvement, the history of Sport/Leisure development in London is clear evidence:

• Millenium Dome - Massively overspent and underperformed, masses of Government intervention
• Wembley Stadium - Loads of political intervention, project over-ran by ages, overspent.
• Emirates Stadium - Major sports development run entirely by the greatest football club in the world, on budget, on time.

But will they learn from recent history, almost certainly not.

Politically Correct Football?

Part of me says I would welcome a GB football team in the Olympics. My only problem is that it is being politically driven.

I am struggling to think of a single Irish, Scottish or Welsh player who would make the squad. I accept that may be because of limited knowledge. But, if it were the case that the best 22 for the Olympic squad were all Englishmen, you could bet your bottom dollar that one or another of our senior Scottish politicians would stick their oar in and force at least one man from each Nation to be selected.

The only thing to be grateful for is that most of the current gaggle of senior Scottish politicians won't be in power then.