So we've done it. We've held an astonishing Olympic games. Those who were Olympic sceptics have been rubbished. Those of us who were Olympic fanatics have been amazed that even our high-hopes were surpassed.
All the fears about transport meltdown, terrorism and Lord knows what else beside were unfounded. There was so much to applaud - the wonderful venues (Horseguards and Greenwich in particular), the British gold rush, the Opening Ceremony and much more besides.
But what next? Everyone seems to be talking about the Olympic legacy. I was very taken by Professor Simon Chadwick's idea on Twitter today of setting up a GB Sports University (something along the lines of this in Germany and there's one in Sochi already).
Imagine our future athletes studying, and training, at world-class facilities. That would help elite sport long-term (and help them continue to excel at the highest level) and be a truly lasting legacy from a wonderful games. Of course, legacy isn't just about what happens to the site but what happens to the site is important. If we can ensure that space can make a continuing impact to British sport longer term then other things will fall into place.
Some other things I'd like to see:
- The Olympic Stadium may become used by Spurs, West Ham or whoever else wins the court case... but I would love it if the ground could be used from time-to-time as a cricket stadium.
It is a rarity that an oval shaped stadium is built anywhere in the world. It is rarer still that such a stadium has 80,000 seats. Given that Lord's holds 28,000 fans and The Oval holds 23,500 - and given that the costs of tickets mean that Test matches are sky-high (pricing the poorest out of the game entirely) - it seems obvious that playing occasional tests at the Olympic stadium would bring huge amounts of money into the game and, moreover, bring many new fans (and, maybe, players) to the game. - The BBC, and other channels, look to show other sports at weekends. I'd certainly watch things like handball, water polo, cycling and some of the martial arts but don't know where I can watch them.. The BBC, in particular, could show more women's sport (particularly football).
- Sport should have a bigger focus in government. We should split it away from Culture and Media in the DCMS. It obviously as links to Health and Education but it seems odd to lump it in with Culture and Media.
- Private schools should consider how they can allow state schools and local clubs to use their often excellent facilities. I wholeheartedly agree that we should consider how we fund school sports and consider pathways from school sport to elite school sport but given private schools are often looking at how they can do more to help their local communities this seems an area where everyone might win.
- That the Team GB Football Team carries on at future Olympics and as an occasional team in between. Those who smugly looked on as we were knocked out should ask David Brailsford how he would have done with a few weeks with his cyclists pre-Games.
I know this was always claimed to be a one-off but I think that a Team GB football team at the Olympics, incorporating Scotland and Northern Ireland (once we accept their objections are a nonsense), is a good thing.
And, on top of that, what about the concept of a personal legacy? How do you change your behaviour and the way you act in light of the Olympics. I've got three things that I intend to do (and will blog about them here from time to time):
(a) To get fit and, long-term, compete in various challenges. I joined the local gym today and started a basic regime. 30 minutes on a bike and 10 minutes running at a brisk pace. A long-way from where I want to be but a start.
(a) To get fit and, long-term, compete in various challenges. I joined the local gym today and started a basic regime. 30 minutes on a bike and 10 minutes running at a brisk pace. A long-way from where I want to be but a start.
(b) To be more positive. If these games showed the British public anything surely it was that positivity is important and can make a huge difference to ourselves and others. I'm trying to be more positive in my home life and my work-life.
(c) To watch more sports both on TV and life. Not just more football but other sports like those mentioned above - and, yes, it will include watching lots of the Paralympics.
(c) To watch more sports both on TV and life. Not just more football but other sports like those mentioned above - and, yes, it will include watching lots of the Paralympics.
If we want to see change, we have to change how we act. I'm trying to make that commitment. I hope you join me. A good place to start might be posting legacy ideas in the comments.
I'm sure everyone in the world has seen this but, in case you haven't, it is well worth watching.
Love, or what you will,
RCM
Agree in the main. Sport should be used in politics. We have seen how it can grip the nation and make the public happy and proud. Plus there is no point spending so much money on fighting diseases if we don't attempt to stop them happening with a bit more exercise in our schools.
ReplyDeleteAs for football, I doubt you will get far with the people that have a problem with the Team GB team if you call their objections are nonsense.
Not sure I'd have a sports uni if its all in the one place prefer it if current Uni's incorporated more.
Hi, Scott,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments.
I've been blogging since August 2008. I've often written about Team GB Football. I have asked on any number of occasions for individuals to show me a credible piece of evidence that suggests Team GB showed any threat whatsoever to the Home Nations.
In this piece last years:
http://leftbackinthechangingroom.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/wheres-beef.html
I wrote that most people's argument is ''Can you trust FIFA?''. This isn't a threat. It's vague scaremongering. And then, in the comments, you made that precise point!
So I ask again for one piece of evidence of a credible threat. The closest anyone has ever got is that Sepp Blatter once said that if there was a Team GB football team someone *might* seek to challenge the legitimacy of the four Home Nations and - tellingly - the powers that they have within the game.
He didn't even say they'd be successful. Just that someone *might* challenge it.
And the key part of his sentence was that teams do not object to our having four nations in the game (there are other analogous examples) but, rather, that we are disproportionately powerful in the game and that is unfair.
He is right. It is unfair. The SFA know, as I know, there is no credible threat to the status of the team. They do know, as I know, there is a legitimate argument to have our powers removed. They don't want that.
So it is a nonsense. There is no threat. There is no nation agitating around the world to abolish the four teams. In five years time we'll still have four home nations. If you don't like ''nonsense'', I'll call it vexacious, mendacious, misleading and utterly without merit.
Four years of asking and the best we've ever had is ''something might happen in the future''. If people talk about things they don't understand, don't justify their points and make vague points let's call them on it.
RCM
Another legacy item not related to sport might be how to harness the impressive enthusiasm of the volunteers who worked at the Games, who were fantastic. I'm not British but traveled over for the Olympics and was amazed at their helpfulness and attitude (and that of the presumably paid staff at the venues generally). Not sure what local issues in the UK they could contribute to but here we have small committees that do things like set up farmers markets, friends of various parks, the ability to "check out" people from the library to talk to them about their lives etc.
ReplyDeletePersonally I've spent a lot of time since I got back searching for and checking out judo clubs in my area. Loved it when I saw it at Excel. I enjoy both the winter and summer games but there are so many "minority" sports in the summer games particularly that are reasonably accessible to normal folks like me. Table tennis anyone? :)
I'm sorry, but I couldn't disagree more.
ReplyDeleteI'm a Northern Irishman living in Scotland, and whilst I cheered on every other GB team in the Olympics I drew a line at the football. It's a sport I have no identity with at UK level and quite frankly it only seems to be the English who agitate for a team at future games.
I was in an Edinburgh bar when GB lost to Korea. The cheers for the Koreans amongst the locals watching were pretty clearly audible. Football fans don't want this.
Robert,
ReplyDeleteThere's a difference between not supporting it and not wanting it (which I'd say was a legitimate issue - and I'm not going to convince you otherwise) and those that argue that the Team GB threatens the home nations.
We could easily have a Team GB playing that you don't support. That doesn't threaten Scotland or Northern Ireland or England or Wales.
RCM