2012 Olympics

[Rovermatt]

Great for London which will put on a show that will make the so-called "best-ever" Olympics in Sydney look like a village fete.

329515[/snapback]

Amazing. While we're at it, what are tonight's lotto results?

[brfcshabba]

Fancy a souvenier?

Was a link - no longer working

Edited July 6, 2005 by Cookiemonster

[Modi]

I don't understand this. Someone who voted for Madrid in Round 2 suddenly had a change of heart and voted for Paris in Round 3?!

Am I right in thinking that if this ONE person alone stuck with his original vote of Madrid then Round 3 would see

Paris 32

Madrid 32

and so Madrid wouldn't quite be eliminated?

329521[/snapback]

And 3 people changed their minds over New York from Rd 1 to Rd2.

Only theory is that they really wanted a particular country eliminated and so voted for the country which was least likely to win outright each round. Still, very bizarre.

[Eddie]

Fancy a souvenier?

Bargain

329527[/snapback]

Yes there is quite a lot of Paris 2012 stuff here, but to be honest with you I think they'll probably still get rid of most of it at a good price. That sort of stuff will only be bought by tourists who will still like the fact that they are buying a t-shirt from the Paris bid. There aren't tons of the things, I actually rarely see them, but that picture is quite amusing.

[ABBEY]

well ,Im hoping to be an official trimekeeper at the wrestling comps there and hope to have some of bolton wrestling club taking part.

[brfcshabba]

The big question is will they get all the venues built? Only 2578 days to go before it all kicks off.

Edited July 6, 2005 by Cookiemonster

[Ninjathunder]

Bad news for the rest of England as billions of pounds are pumped into what is already the wealthiest area of the country.

329515[/snapback]

Have you been to Newham or Hackney?

[adopted scouser]

Have you been to Newham or Hackney?

329543[/snapback]

Careful TR, he'll think you mean cooked meat and taxis.

Alzheimer's, bless.

Excellent result today, the French convinced they had walked it and ended up crying at the result.

AC Milan anyone ?

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

I'd just like to say how deeply sympathetic i feel towards the French!  

While I would agree with that, I'm afraid I can't get that excited about the Olympic games being held in London.

Firstly I've always felt that our football World Cup is the premier event in the sporting calendar, not the Olympics.

Can other people honestly get that excited about clay pigeon shooting, synchronized swimming and a bunch of women shot-putters with hairy armpits...?

I did use to like athletics a lot in the 1980's when we had Cram, Ovett and Coe competing against each other - but I've since become a bit disillusioned with the sport and the number of drug-taking cheats about.

Every single middle-distance race these days seems to be dominated by Kenyans. Well I suppose many of them run all day barefoot in the heat over there - so they become more accustomed to running than those from western cultures....

Seb Coe of course has been the figurehead for the London bid and will be receiving a lot of the plaudits now. It probably won't be long before Lord Coe gets a knighthood. That's how politics tends to work these days.

Bad news for the rest of England as billions of pounds are pumped into what is already the wealthiest area of the country.

Have you experienced the tube system recently though?

It's bloody awful to put it mildly.

The last time I was on a tube, just a few weeks ago, we were squeezed in like cattle into a dirty packed carriage that smelled of vomit - and where there was barely enough room to stand let alone sit.

In fact, if it was a live cattle truck, the EU would probably have outlawed it on the grounds of cruelty to animals.

(I know there may well be some extra investment now over the next seven years into the tube system - but I strongly doubt it will be enough to reverse over 50 years of underinvestment.)

I've had too many horrendous journeys over the years in London by tube. If that can be reversed by 2012, it will be a miracle.

The Olympics will just mean more congestion, more foreign tourists pouring into London and having to experience our shambolic third world transport system - which is a disgrace to a country like Britain (the 4th richest country in the world.)

People coming over for the 2012 Olymypics can expect to get squashed up against, shall we put it politely, some "overseas" types who tend to perspire a lot and don't seem to like using deodorant or changing their clothes that often.

For too many years, public transport all over Britain has been starved of proper investement. The biggest problem for the South East is that it's one of the most densely populated areas in the world and the system can often just grind to a halt at times.

Given the density of our population and our severely congested transport system, it was comforting (not) to read a recent Gov't estimate that suggested we may have up to 500,000 illegal immigrants in the UK.

It seems that grinning Mr Blair can spend plenty of time promoting an Olympics bid, but personally I feel it would also be nice if he could spend a bit more time deporting some of the odd half a million illegals we've got running about in this country.

It might make a little bit more room for the foreign visitors we'll have in 2012.

Parts of London are undoubtedly wealthy, but there's a huge massive wealth gap in the city, so you have the "slum" areas - graffiti covered and urine-soaked tower blocks just down the road from expensive areas where you can't a decent 4 bedroom semi for less than a million quid.

There are probably few cities on this earth which have a bigger wealth gap than London.

Some parts of the city could certainly do with a bit of regenerating - but that obviously applies to the whole country, not just London....

Edited July 6, 2005 by Anti Euro Smiths Fan

[philipl]

Great victory for a great city.

Absolutely fantastic outcome and I've been walking around with a happy smile all day (well since I heard the news).

AESF- let me know when you want a lesson in economics as opposed to the cobblers you've just posted.

[thenodrog]

AESF- let me know when you want a lesson in economics as opposed to the cobblers you've just posted.

329571[/snapback]

Sod complicated economics Philip......... we'll just get finished paying for Wembley being built 100 miles too far south when now we'll have to stump up for another extravagant cockney bean feast!

Yet again all the country pays and gets nowt in return whilst the South East gets all the benefits.

Anyway who the flerk (foreigners or natives) can afford to visit and stay in London anyway?

Edited July 6, 2005 by thenodrog

[Drummer Boy]

Who did the Finns vote for, I wonder? Paris perhaps?

[colin]

People coming over for the 2012 Olymypics can expect to get squashed up against, shall we put it politely, some "overseas" types who tend to perspire a lot and don't sem to like using deodorant or changing their clothes that often.

It'll be OK Smithy, people coming over will be "overseas types" too. They'll also smell too and probably won't notice the smell of the others already here.

**********

The words "######-up" "brewery" "organise" and "couldn't" spring to mind.

Along with "Millenium Dome," "Wembley Stadium," "Portcullis House" & "Scottish Parliament."

[cletus]

Britain....1

Garlic munching surrender monkeys....0

I only hope Jaques Chirac swung it in Londons favour...the arrogant French t####r!!

[brfcshabba]

Garlic munching surrender monkeys....0

329601[/snapback]

Somebody has been listening to talkSport

Edited July 6, 2005 by Cookiemonster

[dave birch]

Whilst it will be a great two weeks, it will be interesting to see the seven years of angst leading up to it.

Politicians and bureacrats will be fighting amongst them selves to get involved and blaming others when things go tits up along the way.

Perhaps we (The Aussies) should send you copies of that brilliant satire by John Clarke and Brian Dawes called "The Games". Was broadcast in the early days of the preparation for the 2000 games and was remarkedly close to the truth, and very very funny.

[modes98]

Whilst it will be a great two weeks, it will be interesting to see the seven years of angst leading up to it.

Politicians and bureacrats will be fighting amongst them selves to get involved and blaming others when things go tits up along the way.

Perhaps we (The Aussies) should send you copies of that brilliant satire by John Clarke and Brian Dawes called "The Games". Was broadcast in the early days of the preparation for the 2000 games and was remarkedly close to the truth, and very very funny.

329611[/snapback]

You do realise the 2000 games will be a distant memroy in comparison with the fantastic 2012 games! Loads of medals in store, aussies are going to have to take back stage as the english hold teh olympics and hold the ashes!!!

[neekoy]

I am so glad England won the hosting of the games, now it gives us something else to be better at

Edited July 7, 2005 by neekoy

[Paul]

very good!

In two minds about this. We had a great time at the Commonwealth Games but that was just a hop, skip and a jump down the M61. For most of us a visit to the Olympics is going to be a very, very expensive exercise to watch the first heat of some track event or other. My one real problem is that it is, again, London-centric, but then anyhting other than a capital city bid will almost always fail. It would surely benefit the whole country more if these events could be centred in the Midlands (in the broadest sense) to give everyone a reasonable opportunity to get involved.

The CWG was truely exciting but I'm less sure about another London event taking place 200+ miles away, a 6-7 hour grind down the M6/M1 or a 2.5 hour train journey which by then will surely cost in the region of £225 return, per person. The mythical cheap tickets are never available in my experience.

No doubt good for London, the rest of us will be able to watch on the telly.

[The Blunderer]

For selfish reasons went ape when the news broke yesterday. Living close to the site will know to expect years of disruption and inconvenience, increased property prices and the resource drain on other areas (sorry folks), but a boost for local labour opportunities, improved facilities and a massive lift to a run down area is brilliant. Oh yes, and my flat is now worth more

[Biddy]

Yet again all the country pays and gets nowt in return whilst the South East gets all the benefits.

I'm probably being really naive (wow that really is Evian backwards!) however everything I've seen and read says that Londoners will be footing most of the bill due to increased council tax.

Anyway, happy we beat the French but I'm sure as hell going to be out of the south before all that chaos arrives. The trains into London are bad enough now with added plans to make them worse (thanks First Great Western, what a franchise) so I'm not hanging around to see what they'll be like with thousands more tourists.

Should be good on the telly though. Just need to convince the wife that she doesn't need to watch the gymnastics in person.

[Modi]

    very good!

The CWG was truely exciting but I'm less sure about another London event taking place 200+ miles away, a 6-7 hour grind down the M6/M1 or a 2.5 hour train journey which by then will surely cost in the region of £225 return, per person. The mythical cheap tickets are never available in my experience.

No doubt good for London, the rest of us will be able to watch on the telly.

329630[/snapback]

I've just bought my train ticket for West Ham away. Leeds-London return £19. This is about £6 cheaper than I was paying for the same journey a decade ago. Therefore, I confidently predict the journey will be about £15 in 2012.

I think the Games coming to Britain is great news and just hope that my friends in London are taking advance bookings for their spare rooms!

[Manchester Blue]

I'm probably being really naive (wow that really is Evian backwards!) however everything I've seen and read says that Londoners will be footing most of the bill due to increased council tax.

Anyway, happy we beat the French but I'm sure as hell going to be out of the south before all that chaos arrives.  The trains into London are bad enough now with added plans to make them worse (thanks First Great Western, what a franchise) so I'm not hanging around to see what they'll be like with thousands more tourists.

Should be good on the telly though.  Just need to convince the wife that she doesn't need to watch the gymnastics in person.

329650[/snapback]

I thought you said all message board members were welcome to stay at yours whilst the olympics were on?

Edited July 7, 2005 by Manchester Blue

[Biddy]

That is true but you've missed the £500 per person per night charge there!

Bet prices will be similar in London around the time as corporates book everything up.

[Roaming Rover]

The Euro championships and world cup are great for the whole country as games are played in all parts. The Olympics is held in and around London.

Is it not possible to stage some of the games round the Midlands to enable greater accessibility to all?

Just one other point which Dave Birch or another of our Australian friends can confirm as fact or just plain nonsense.

When I was over in Sydney I was told on two or three occasions by Australians that the reason you didn't see any beggars or homeless in Sydney is that the Government had given them one way tickets out of Sydney to other parts of the country to clear them out for the Olympics. I don't know if this is true but compared to the rest of the main towns and cities in OZ, Sydney hardly had any beggars.

So will that be a benefit for the rest of the country, taking our Capitals down and outs