The '2012 London Olympics' Thread

[Dougie Do'ins]

Anyone see those tv pictures of Pendleton warming down ?

[Guest Pistonbroke]

half the ironing done...pissing me off..

[Champ]

half the ironing done...pissing me off..

Keep going mate..get the decks cleared for later on

[Guest Pistonbroke]

the sacrifices i make...

[Whelan]

We seem to have shifted our attitude in this country, we are no longer embarrassed by success, we no longer dislike those who dominate, and we realise that Roy Castle was right all along!

 

I just hope the schools, and school kids realise there are more sports than Football, and there is access to other sports, my old school Alsop is next door to a sports centre so there is no reason that Swimming, and Badmington, etc could not be introduced.

 

I'd also like to see a lot more help from the bigger sports towards the lesser sports, the FA, LTA and Golf are awash with money and it would only take a small % to provide millions to other sports. And the BBC should look to re-introduce Grandstand on BBC 3, or at least a way of promoting lesser sports. I found it ironic that arguably the greatest day in British sport, the result of attention to detail and absolute dedication, the immense pressure that Ennis was under, and our football players went out on Pens!

[Cardie]

We seem to have shifted our attitude in this country, we are no longer embarrassed by success, we no longer dislike those who dominate, and we realise that Roy Castle was right all along!

 

I just hope the schools, and school kids realise there are more sports than Football, and there is access to other sports, my old school Alsop is next door to a sports centre so there is no reason that Swimming, and Badmington, etc could not be introduced.

 

Been great for kids to see this kind of success until they get out to try it and realise the facilities aren't their and that the Olympics being in the uk won't help to put them their.

 

Then it'll be back to Football or Rugby.

[Dougie Do'ins]

Sunday 19th August @ 11.00 am on Radio 5Live. One hour of commentary of all GBs gold medals set to music.

[Whelan]

Been great for kids to see this kind of success until they get out to try it and realise the facilities aren't their and that the Olympics being in the uk won't help to put them their.

 

Then it'll be back to Football or Rugby.

 

As I said though Cardie, Alsop has a gym next door (Queens Drive), Swimming, Badmington, Archery, Handball, Water Polo and others are all accessible if the school has the nouse.

 

When I was in school, Queens drive was in the same place but I never once had the option of swimming, I did in Primary school and was quite a good swimmer but as soon as I went to senior school we got on a bus, went to Walton Park Astro and played a footie game, no coaching just a game for an hour and that was it!

 

I was talking to one of the current teachers recently and he has been taking the kids to the marina to have a go at Rowing, so the responsibility also lies with the schools.

 

But you are right, that has to be the focus - just on the BBC now, Moynihan saying the same thing that we need to stop selling off parks and provide facilities to the kids!

[Cardie]

As I said though Cardie, Alsop has a gym next door (Queens Drive), Swimming, Badmington, Archery, Handball, Water Polo and others are all accessible if the school has the nouse.

 

When I was in school, Queens drive was in the same place but I never once had the option of swimming, I did in Primary school and was quite a good swimmer but as soon as I went to senior school we got on a bus, went to Walton Park Astro and played a footie game, no coaching just a game for an hour and that was it!

 

I was talking to one of the current teachers recently and he has been taking the kids to the marina to have a go at Rowing, so the responsibility also lies with the schools.

 

But you are right, that has to be the focus - just on the BBC now, Moynihan saying the same thing that we need to stop selling off parks and provide facilities to the kids!

 

Whats the cost of using that place though?

[lifetime fan]

half the ironing done...pissing me off..

 

 

Whack it in the tumble dryer for half hour on cool, take it straight out and hang it up.

 

Pour another cider.

 

Piece of piss the housework lark, I don't know why women moan so much.

[Whelan]

Whats the cost of using that place though?

 

Nothing!

 

It was builty jointly by the schoola and local council, there are no members of the public allowed to use the pool from 9am-5pm as it is reserved for the school, and they are all given access to the gym free of charge.

 

It is set up for the school, it just needs a bit of imagination from the teachers.

 

The Marina is not expensive, in fact they are desperate for people to join.

[lifetime fan]

Sunday 19th August @ 11.00 am on Radio 5Live. One hour of commentary of all GBs gold medals set to music.

 

 

Nice one Mick, as long as it's someone who knows what they're doing with the music that should be immense.

[lifetime fan]

As I said though Cardie, Alsop has a gym next door (Queens Drive), Swimming, Badmington, Archery, Handball, Water Polo and others are all accessible if the school has the nouse.

 

When I was in school, Queens drive was in the same place but I never once had the option of swimming, I did in Primary school and was quite a good swimmer but as soon as I went to senior school we got on a bus, went to Walton Park Astro and played a footie game, no coaching just a game for an hour and that was it!

 

I was talking to one of the current teachers recently and he has been taking the kids to the marina to have a go at Rowing, so the responsibility also lies with the schools.

 

But you are right, that has to be the focus - just on the BBC now, Moynihan saying the same thing that we need to stop selling off parks and provide facilities to the kids!

 

 

 

Building a legacy is it?

 

 

Funding for school sport has been slashed by the UK's Coalition Government, with grassroots and elite sport also taking significant hits.

 

Sport England, the body responsible for community sport, sees its funding cut by 33% over four years, while UK Sport (elite athletes) faces a 28% reduction.

 

But most of these cuts will be offset by more cash from the National Lottery.

 

This is not the case, however, for the projects run by the Youth Sport Trust with Department for Education money.

 

Public funding for the 450 School Sport Partnerships currently running in England has been completely withdrawn by the Department for Eduaction, a decision the YST has described as "devastating".

 

"It's a black day for us but we'll get over it and carry on," YST chief executive Steve Grainger told BBC Sport.

 

"But what upsets us is what this means for the seven millions kids we've started to help - they deserve better, frankly.

 

"The most shocking aspect of this is that we were just starting to get somewhere. We were expecting cuts but to lose all our funding [£160m a year] is staggering.

 

"Some of the partnerships will continue because that particular area will be able to fill the funding gap. But there will be lots of areas that cannot do that and that's where the need is greatest."

 

Serious support from government in recent years has transformed the provision of sport in schools, with the number of youngsters playing at least two hours of sport at school increasing from almost two million in 2004 to more than six and a half million in 2010.

 

The YST, a charity based in Loughborough, has been at the heart of this effort, growing from a staff of four in 1995 (when government investment in school sport was practically zero) to 140 now.

 

But the real investment has been in sponsored positions that make up a network covering every state school in England: 3,000 school sport managers, 450 development managers, 225 competition managers and 370 coordinators in further education establishments.

 

"With just 21 months to go until the start of London 2012, Lord Coe's pledge to use the Games to transform sporting opportunities for young people is now hanging in the balance," Grainger added.

 

It is a sentiment some will share in community and elite sport.

 

Sport England described its 33% cut in funding as "significant" and "tough", voicing particular concerns about the 40% reduction in capital funding - cash for bricks-and-mortar projects.

 

But the impact of these cuts from the public purse will be mollified by increased contributions from the National Lottery, now restored to its original purpose of raising money for just four sectors: the arts, charities, heritage and sport.

 

The move from state to lottery funding will not be smooth - government laws prevent the outright substitution of one for the other - but projected lottery revenues should see total investment in community sport remain fairly flat.

 

In the last financial year, Sport England dished out £134m of exchequer money and £128m of lottery cash to the 46 national governing bodies it supports with "Whole Sport Plan" grants. That exchequer/lottery split will evolve to £86m and £198m by 2014/15 - a £22m increase, not allowing for inflation.

 

Whether that will be enough to help the Coalition Government achieve the legacy targets it inherited from Labour for increased participation in sport post-London 2012 is debatable. But Sports Minister Hugh Robertson was in no doubt about where the blame should lie for that.

 

"This hasn't been an easy process but it's the best possible result for sport under the circumstances," he insisted.

 

"Let's be clear, the country's deficit is so large the daily interest payments are the same as Sport England's annual budget."

 

The situation at Sport England is broadly replicated at UK Sport, although the fall-away in exchequer funding is negligible until after London 2012, when the current four-year Olympic cycle ends.

 

The real change occurs in the first year of the "Rio cycle" when the Department of Culture, Media and Sport's contribution to Team GB's preparations plummets from £65m to £39m. UK Sport is confident this deficit will be filled by lottery money and commercial sponsorship.

 

In line with most other agencies sponsored by DCMS, both Sport England and UK Sport have also pledged to cut their administrative costs by 50%, or £8.5m, by March 2015. This is before the two are expected to make further savings, by moving under one roof and effectively merging their back-office operations.

 

Liz Nicholl, UK Sport's chief executive, matched her Sport England counterpart Jennie Price by giving a cautious response to the announcements. Clearly both feared worse.

 

"This settlement represents a positive outcome in difficult times," Nicholl said.

 

"Ministers have been clear throughout the process that they see the continued support of sports and athletes through to London 2012 as a priority and this reduction will not have any significant impact on our goals."

 

One significant sports area that largely avoided Wednesday's axe was London 2012 itself.

 

Having already delivered over £700m in efficiency savings, including £27m as recently as May, London 2012's overall budget of £9.3bn remains intact, with the only new cut being a further £20m in savings.

 

A large chunk of that will be delivered by the decision to do without the hi-tech, decorative "wrap" which was supposed to cover the outside of the Olympic Stadium. Hardly a significant loss when compared to the drastic measures imposed on school sport.

[Whelan]

That is why I would like to see the bigger sports contribute more. Any school can start a running club, and they can add variety.

 

Plus it is important to get adults involved as well, if you can get adults taking part then a natural progression is that those adults become more interested in diet and nutrition which will be passed on to their kids, by and large a shared interest in sports will encourage more kids to get involved, and adults will hopefully put a little bit more pressure on the schools to provide more variation.

 

I think the LTA spends millions on Tennis in this country, just a small % of that donated to a central fund, would help lesser sports so much.

[Dougie Do'ins]

But you are right, that has to be the focus - just on the BBC now, Moynihan saying the same thing that we need to stop selling off parks and provide facilities to the kids!

I heard him on radio this morning with Seb Coe. Cant remember who did the interview for 5Live but he said, this Government are going to use the success of these Olympics as a political gain. Nothing really wrong with that as all parties would do the same. He went on to say that the interest payments alone on the national debt per year is more than what is set aside for the national sports council budget.

 

Another interesting fact to come out of these games is Eton College donated £17m towards the building of the rowing facility for these Olympics.

[lifetime fan]

That is why I would like to see the bigger sports contribute more. Any school can start a running club, and they can add variety.

 

Plus it is important to get adults involved as well, if you can get adults taking part then a natural progression is that those adults become more interested in diet and nutrition which will be passed on to their kids, by and large a shared interest in sports will encourage more kids to get involved, and adults will hopefully put a little bit more pressure on the schools to provide more variation.

 

I think the LTA spends millions on Tennis in this country, just a small % of that donated to a central fund, would help lesser sports so much.

 

 

We need a comprehensive joined up approach to sports funding, there is only so long you can concentrate the finances and resources at elite level athletes. They get old and retire.

 

I know PFI gets an absolute slating and rightly so in most cases, but it was that alone that allowed a new secondary school to be built in a shithole of an area in Bristol with excellent sports facilities and leisure centre onsite linked with the council.

 

The school has first choice on all of the sports facilities Monday to Friday 9-4.30 as well as having quality pitches and changing rooms with heat and hot water (Spiolt gets!).

 

That cost £14m to build though.

[Dougie Do'ins]

Building a legacy is it?

Wont quote your whole post Col but at every chance between lulls in action this morning, 5Live have been giving this issue some great coverage.

 

Colin Moynihan when talking about the 'legacy' has said in a press conference today something along the lines of, 'if we cant grasp this opportunity now, we never will'.

 

I just get the feeling it will be the latter.

[lifetime fan]

Wont quote your whole post Col but at every chance between lulls in action this morning' date=' 5Live have been giving this issue some great coverage.

 

Colin Moynihan when talking about the 'legacy' has said in a press conference today something along the lines of, 'if we cant grasp this opportunity now, we never will'.

 

I just get the feeling it will be the latter.[/quote']

 

 

Do you own a telly Mick?

 

I've never known anyone bar my Nan listen to the wireless more than you?

[lifetime fan]

Wont quote your whole post Col but at every chance between lulls in action this morning' date=' 5Live have been giving this issue some great coverage.

 

Colin Moynihan when talking about the 'legacy' has said in a press conference today something along the lines of, 'if we cant grasp this opportunity now, we never will'.

 

[b']I just get the feeling it will be the latter[/b].

 

 

 

Yep, too many vested interests all round mate.

[Cardie]

it's one of the most annoying things. The BBC are plugging the 'theme' of this olympics being inspiring the youth but the minute it stops the 'youth' have to largely fend for themselves while the job of clawing back as much money from the olympic village begins. Not to reinvest into sport of course but to line pockets and cut costs.

[Dougie Do'ins]

Do you own a telly Mick?

 

I've never known anyone bar my Nan listen to the wireless more than you?

Yeah, I've got a telly mate but I've run out of 50p coins and the vertical hold is playing up ;)

 

Radio does play a big part in my day. I'm not really a big music fan apart from classical. I have the radio on in the car for the commute to and from Manchester week days. I'm never without my pocket DAB. Always got it on while I'm at Bootle CC. I even listen to the radio commentary of the game when I'm at Anfield.

 

As I said earlier in the thread, I just feel the radio commentary is much better than the TVs for these Olympics. It really does feel closer to the action and seems to pick up the crowd reaction better. At the minute, I have the telly on mute while hopping between the various channels via the red button. I'm listening to the radio coverage on 5Live. Only problem is the radio is slightly ahead of the tv. I'm also posting on here and have just demolished a tube of cheese n onion pringles. Sundays just don't get much better than this.

[dickie mint]

Just like Wimbledon everyone's Tennis mad for 2 weeks and then its forgot about.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Thank fuck the ironing is finished...sport all the way now...currently watching the Sailing, gonna be close but could get the Gold if things stay as they are.

[Anubis]

Thank fuck the ironing is finished...sport all the way now...currently watching the Sailing, gonna be close but could get the Gold if things stay as they are.

 

Is Ainsley ahead of the Dutch cunt?

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Fucking hell...looks like Sweden lost two places in the last 200 metres downwind leg and Sweden win Gold and we get silver...Should have tacked to the right hand side but choose the left. Bummer.