Australians you got it right. We are a bunch of whingers!!!

Can't believe the amount of negativity going around this country at the moment regarding the 2012 olympics, whether it be moaning about costs or benefits to the rest of the country.

I'm sure you didn't get all this in the run up to Sydney?

I wonder if it's mainly Londoners who are complaining - they will, after all, have to pay a surcharge on their council tax to help pay for the Olympics.

I can't wait personally. It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to see some top quality sport.

JKLever wrote:I'm sure you didn't get all this in the run up to Sydney?

Maybe not all of it, but there were certainly some doom-sayers and quarters that only focussed on the negatives.

Basil wrote:I wonder if it's mainly Londoners who are complaining - they will, after all, have to pay a surcharge on their council tax to help pay for the Olympics.

I can't wait personally. It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to see some top quality sport.

You know what this country is like though Bas, lots of whinging going on from the rest of the country about London-centric UK.

We're just a wee bit regionalistic in this country aren't we?

Zat wrote:

JKLever wrote:I'm sure you didn't get all this in the run up to Sydney?

Maybe not all of it, but there were certainly some doom-sayers and quarters that only focussed on the negatives.

How was it funded Zat?

By the people of Sydney or did the whole of Oz have to take a hike in taxes etc?

JKLever wrote:

Basil wrote:I wonder if it's mainly Londoners who are complaining - they will, after all, have to pay a surcharge on their council tax to help pay for the Olympics.

I can't wait personally. It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to see some top quality sport.

You know what this country is like though Bas, lots of whinging going on from the rest of the country about London-centric UK.

We're just a wee bit regionalistic in this country aren't we?

London was the only city in this country ever likely to get the games - simply because it is London.

Just don't get me started on Wembley though!

Basil wrote:
Just don't get me started on Wembley though!

I'm not a Londoner but I can see Wembley is a world famous name.

'Birmingham national stadium' doesn't have quite the same ring about it!!!

JKLever wrote:

Basil wrote:
Just don't get me started on Wembley though!

I'm not a Londoner but I can see Wembley is a world famous name.

'Birmingham national stadium' doesn't have quite the same ring about it!!!

But a bloody sight easier to get to for the majority of the population who don't live in London.

No arguments there!

Basil wrote:

JKLever wrote:

Basil wrote:
Just don't get me started on Wembley though!

I'm not a Londoner but I can see Wembley is a world famous name.

'Birmingham national stadium' doesn't have quite the same ring about it!!!

But a bloody sight easier to get to for the majority of the population who don't live in London.

Maybe. But not necessarily once you actually do the calculations, population wise.

Now, these are fag packet sums, so anyone with accurate ones feel free to correct me but...

Pop of England is about 50 million.

8 million live in London, there must be another 5 million in the immediate surrounding area that isn't technically London, because I've seen many times the "environs of London" be referred to as 12-13 million.

The Home Counties outside of anything that could be London-ish must be 5 or 6 million at least.

So let's say it's about 20 million in relatively easy access of a London stadium.

Then you've got the likes of Birmingham and its immediate surrounds that are about the same distance away as say, someone in Sussex, travel wise (closer, probably). That must be another 7 or 8 million.

We're over half way already.

I'd suspect that putting it somewhere like Birmingham might be less "central" given the population distribution than London is.

Feel free to disagree/call me an idiot (as doubtless you will ) but it's a though worth considering.

Australians you got it right. We are a bunch of whingers!!!

WE know. For some reason the Mudgepacker refuses to go back, too.

The Venn diagram of 'Poms' and 'whingers' doesn't look exactly like an eclipse.

Basil wrote:I wonder if it's mainly Londoners who are complaining - they will, after all, have to pay a surcharge on their council tax to help pay for the Olympics.

I can't wait personally. It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to see some top quality sport.

The organising committe certainly promoted the event as Australia's Olympics. There was very little inter-state jealousy.

Whinging? Of couse there was some. Green groups, people that had property resumed & the usual anti-anything lobby. With that said, the excitment was widespread. SOCOG did a great job - it was a fantastic event, worth every cent of whatever the cost was.

Did you go, Mick?

I enjoyed two days there. The spirit in the city was fantastic.

I worked on the games, and had a ball. Some of the longest days I've ever worked in my life, but really enoyable.

lardbucket wrote:Did you go, Mick?

I enjoyed two days there. The spirit in the city was fantastic.

Yes I was there pie. Was in town for about a week - went to events on 3 days - the rest just lapping up the music, the food the grog. It was brilliant.

Unforgettable experience for me, too.

absolute highlights in the stadium: the men's 1500 m race, and the finish of the walk.

the transport was actually a highlight as well, great organisation.

lardbucket wrote:Unforgettable experience for me, too.

absolute highlights in the stadium: the men's 1500 m race, and the finish of the walk.

the transport was actually a highlight as well, great organisation.

I only saw heats in the stadium - had a couple of sessions at the velodrome, one night at the swimming.

The ARU were blessed with first hand lessons on how stage their big event a couple of years later.

Mick Sawyer wrote:Was in town for about a week - went to events on 3 days - the rest just lapping up ... the grog.

Typical bloody Billy. While the rest of the world uses cups and glasses, Mick uses a saucer or a bowl...

LOL, Zat

Zat wrote:

Mick Sawyer wrote:Was in town for about a week - went to events on 3 days - the rest just lapping up ... the grog.

Typical bloody Billy. While the rest of the world uses cups and glasses, Mick uses a saucer or a bowl...

Being a poor pilgrim from the provinces I didn't have the fare for a beer at groovy spiv prices - had to get by slurping up spillage.

Did you get there Zat?

phurt....they ran the 10,000 metres around the head of an average spiv...the marathon was run around the circumference of magoos noggin

horace wrote:phurt....they ran the 10,000 metres around the head of an average spiv...the marathon was run around the circumference of magoos noggin

................ bitter old roman from the southern extreme of empire...

ROFL... not for nothing is the G also known as the colesseum

Mick Sawyer wrote:

Zat wrote:

Mick Sawyer wrote:Was in town for about a week - went to events on 3 days - the rest just lapping up ... the grog.

Typical bloody Billy. While the rest of the world uses cups and glasses, Mick uses a saucer or a bowl...

Being a poor pilgrim from the provinces I didn't have the fare for a beer at groovy spiv prices - had to get by slurping up spillage.

Did you get there Zat?

Yep, worked at the games, had a ball Mick. Best fun was befriending a journo from the Denver post and introduicing him to the dubious pleasure of a late night meat pie after a few beers.