Im glad i dont support...Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwll-llantysiliogogogoch ...imagine chanting like we do"come on swansea" for them poor souls.
dai this is what sepp blatter had to say about team gb "If you start to put together a combined team for the Olympic Games, the question will automatically come up that there are four different associations so how can they play in one team. If this is the case then why the hell do they have four associations and four votes and their own vice-presidency?
In response to earlier "Wales vs Team GB" stuff - I don't even feel connected to the Olympics. Apparently it's happening soon, but the only interaction I'll probably have with it is having to put up with town being a bit busier and maybe watching the 100m dash. I bet it'll be rocking in London, but, well, we're not from London. Let the South-East knock itself out is what I say, they can slap each other on the back and congratulate each other on helping "all of the uk" but in reality they won't even check outside the M25. The Olympics good for the whole of Britain? My ****ing arse it is!
Scottswan the main stadium for the Olympics can only be in one place, but there are events in other parts of the country, the enthusiasm for the games can be gauged by the numbers coming to see the torch relays, people were getting into the spirit of the occasion. You feel no connection to the event, but that doesn't mean that everyone is the same, I love the Olympics and have been to the one in Greece , and am going to London to watch some events. It's a once in a life time occasion that bring many sports to the fore. If this was the football world cup would you feel a connection then ? I know a lot of people who hate football and feel the way you do about the Olympics, but it's a special occasion and it caters for just about everyone as there are so many different sports in it.
The way I feel about football has nothing to do with my attitude towards the Olympics. If the country was really well off fair enough, but we're on our ass and we've spunked BILLIONS on redeveloping areas of London as a result. As far as I'm aware, the only interaction our fair city is getting is the Chinese swimming team are training in the National Pool - that'll draw the crowds in! My main point is, I've no problem with the Olympics if people were honest and said it was pretty much only going to benefit London and the South East, but we're supposed to believe it'll benefit the entire country? Bollocks. Ok, beer sales might be up slightly but apart from, as you say, people going to see the torch and whatnot, I don't know anyone personally who's going to see a single event, and I don't see how the further flung provinces will benefit when all the money will be sucked into the South East. It's not like they'll turn around and dole the money out evenly, is it?
Thing is scottswan London won the bid in 2005 before the economic collapse and recession, so things were very different back then. Yes it will cost the tax payer money but we will have a lot of benefits during and after the games. I would think spunking money to the banks who caused the financial breakdown eclipses the money spent on the Olympics by a very big margin, think some estimates were £850bn of our money to help the ****ers who caused this problem so they can screw us still! I still say that people don't feel divorced from the games, if you actually went to see some of the events you will feel different about it
Well I feel divorced from it, so you've found your first person. My point is I don't WANT to go see any games, I feel no connection with it whatsoever. I just hate the fallacy it's good for everywhere. It's good for the south east, and, granted, the national economy may get a boost if they break even and more, but I seriously doubt any provinces outside South East England stand to do well out of it.
I'm similarly enthusiastic - it's going to be a great spectacle and most people on this board are unlikely to see it in this country again. It is too London centric (and was planned when the prospect of immediate economic collapse seemed laughable), but it's the only city capable of hosting the event in the UK and some events do go elsewhere. Additionally, it is not certain that it is an economic opportunity for "the south east" in general - certain areas of London have been regenerated because of it, sure, but those areas such as the London Docklands have needed development for a long, long time. I did a large geography investigation there for A level recentley at the olympic site and if anything some of the residents there think it isnt beneficial for them (because it was a rather undemocratic planning process) and it's unlikely that the tourism generated by the event will offset the costs of it. As for the football team debate (as to whether it's going to harm the independent status of the four home nations) I'm going to do what you won't find many English fans doing and trusting FIFA on this one. I don't believe they have any real reason to bundle the home nations together nor is there any incentive for them to do so - and the olympic authorities have more power in this than some might think. The Welsh, Scottish and the Northern Irish FA's are not exactly being discriminated against here; this is a chance for some of their players to get genuine experience of an international football tournament that they might never get. Players like Giggs and Bale from Wales would be fools not to take the opportunity, and quite frankly those three FA's are already healthily represented at FIFA considering their size. I took this quote form a Scottish fan on WSC a while ago for another thread on this subject, and it's a decent point: "For me, anything that threatens the future of the Scotland football team is unthinkable. But how hard can it be for the SFA, the FAW and the IFA to gain a legally-binding guarantee from FIFA that participation in the Olympics won't affect their independence? Jerome Valcke has made comments that indicate that this shouldn't be too difficult. Or are the separate FAs more worried about losing the political advantage they currently hold on FIFA's International Football Association Board?" Jerome Valcke, by the way, is the General Secretary of FIFA. In conclusion I'm optimistic about the games - it's a great sporting event which I hope to enjoy, even if bugger all will actually happen in my area. As for the cost, if the London bid organisers had known about the economic downturn that was coming, I doubt they would have made a bid.
I love the olympics myself and its a great pass time while we are on a break from football...sport sport and more sport on our telly instead of all this reality rubbish that they put on now days,..... sadly it coincides with the double recession we are in at the moment and we cant really afford it but as we have spent millions in getting the olympics here already then we have to go through with it.... . ticket prices are way over the top and unless you have money to burn and take your chance in a lottery selection process that i find an odd way of doing it and would rather first come first served......then its hard to see any of the live events in london......But there are events however all around the country that are cheaper and in some cases free but the main thing is it will be on the telly for everyone to enjoy. come on team GB.....
Some heavy reading on here. Undecided myself on team GB and I can see some valid points on both sides. Really good to see a thread that's been discussed by adult posters and not been hijacked by wums and importers for a change. I take my hat off to the lot of you. Wales first for me so if team GB doesn't affect us then why not. If it does then avoid it like the plague.
