Team GB want Villa stars - McLeish

[pedro25]

It's not solely London centric either, the football is in Coventry, the sailing in Weymouth, various teams (inc. China I think) will be staying and training in Loughborough.  It's hardly like London is some far off city anyway, what is it 95 miles away, that's nothing in global terms.  If you lived 95 miles from LA, Beijing, Sydney etc they would be your nearest big city and you'd practically give your location as just outside LA etc.

[Small Rodent]

The GB team should wear the strip used in Escape to Victory.

[villajk]

Might see you in there, but it's 50-50 whether I'm going at all now due to having to be a taxi service for my son's social life.

Dave, what goes around, comes around.  Tom is now our taxi driver.  He does charge us, mind.

[DeeBoy1]

but I resent having to pay for something that I'm not the least bit interested in

Seriously though, be grateful you're not living in London and paying an extra levy on your council tax ( until 2017, In think it is) to help fund the Olympics

That's outrageous, and is entirely the point I was making!

Welcome to my world...live in the shadow of the stadium yet got none of the £800 worth of tickets I applied for, am in my 2nd year of dealing with unbelievable roadworks, will have a nightmare getting to and from work and am paying for the privilege. However...I just know that once they start I'll get swept away and won't want to be anywhere else. Damn It.

[usav]

Seriously though, be grateful you're not living in London and paying an extra levy on your council tax ( until 2017, In think it is) to help fund the Olympics

What does that equate to Chico in an actual pounds and shillings amount?

[Handsworth Wood Villa]

If we could swap the 2012 Olympics for the 2018 World Cup, I imagine 99% would be in favour of doing it.

I know a good few people who I work with who would gladly tell you bollocks

The World Cup is better and it is actually for the whole country.

The Olympics is just for London hence why it's called London 2012.

[Chico Hamilton III]

What does that equate to Chico in an actual pounds and shillings amount

£20 per year added to council tax bills in London, starting in 2006 and finishing (assuming the costs havent spiralled by then) in 2017. And we get no priority treatment when it comes to ticket ordering. I applied for over £2ks worth and got nothing

So it's £220 for each household in London. Dosent sound like much, but i'd sooner have it in in my pocket than Seb fucking Coe's.

We're going on holiday for a week when it's on.....if anyone wants to rent a house in London

[TheSandman]

Could you imagine if there was not a Scottish player in the squad (and lets face it there are not many that would get even close) then someone like the rascist Alec Salmond's head would explode and it would give him a huge platform to shout how the English are against us etc etc

Considering the fact that the SFA have told all their players to reject the invitation to join Team GB I don't think that is likely at all. I imagine that one or two might go for it but if they aren't selected I doubt anyone is going to be too upset.

As for the Olympics it's a waste of money, especially in this economy. I can understand the economic stimulus argument but it is focused largely on London. Surely it would be better if the money on the Olympics, or maybe a slightly more affordable amount, was spent on building more useful things than stadia and athlete's villages such as hospitals, housing and so on across the United Kingdom to help people and generate jobs in all parts of the country?

[Ger Regan]

The World Cup is better and it is actually for the whole country.

The Olympics is just for London hence why it's called London 2012.

Do you have to be on the windup the whole time? Better according to who? Is it better for those who have absolutely no interest in football? Is it better for amateur athletes of numerous sports who work their bollocks off for years for the chance to represent their country? Or is it better being able to see a group of millionaire average footballers (who usually see playing for England as a chore rather than an honour) failing miserably to win something? And I'd imagine that all of England's, the only team you appear to have any interest in watching, games would still be in London by the way.

[Ger Regan]

Also, more often than not these days, the majority of world cup matches are excruciatingly dull.

[Handsworth Wood Villa]

The World Cup is better and it is actually for the whole country.

The Olympics is just for London hence why it's called London 2012.

Do you have to be on the windup the whole time? Better according to who? Is it better for those who have absolutely no interest in football? Is it better for amateur athletes of numerous sports who work their bollocks off for years for the chance to represent their country? Or is it better being able to see a group of millionaire average footballers (who usually see playing for England as a chore rather than an honour) failing miserably to win something? And I'd imagine that all of England's, the only team you appear to have any interest in watching, games would still be in London by the way.

It's better for the majority of sports fans in this country when you consider that football is by far and away the most popular sport in this country.

[dave.woodhall]

The World Cup is better and it is actually for the whole country.

The Olympics is just for London hence why it's called London 2012.

Do you have to be on the windup the whole time? Better according to who? Is it better for those who have absolutely no interest in football? Is it better for amateur athletes of numerous sports who work their bollocks off for years for the chance to represent their country? Or is it better being able to see a group of millionaire average footballers (who usually see playing for England as a chore rather than an honour) failing miserably to win something? And I'd imagine that all of England's, the only team you appear to have any interest in watching, games would still be in London by the way.

It's better for the majority of sports fans in this country when you consider that football is by far and away the most popular sport in this country.

Please stop confusing "all" with "me".

[Hookeysmith]

As a matter of interest, what has Salmond done that's racist?

Nothing, it's entirely the wrong choice of word there. However, you have to suspect he's one of those Scots who finds it impossible to talk about how much they love Scotland without mentioning how much they hate England. I've not met many like that but they've all been staunch SNP indepencists (new word!), and while some of it's just banter, there's a level where it seems to get nastier than necessary.

Thanks for that - you are right maybe racist is the wrong word but i too feel that the banter of old is becoming very different the more he drums up nationalistic pride. I would not be suprised to see him in kilt and blue paint across his face ala Braveheart any time soon

[Ger Regan]

It's better for the majority of sports fans in this country when you consider that football is by far and away the most popular sport in this country.

I'm struggling to see your logic here (surprise surprise). So a tournament that has a wide range of sports (a number of which are extremely popular in the UK, i'm confident of presuming), including football, is not as good as a tournament that only caters for one particular type of sports fan? Right you are.

[saunders_heroes]

It's better for the majority of sports fans in this country when you consider that football is by far and away the most popular sport in this country.

I'm struggling to see your logic here (surprise surprise). So a tournament that has a wide range of sports (a number of which are extremely popular in the UK, i'm confident of presuming), including football, is not as good as a tournament that only caters for one particular type of sports fan? Right you are.

The World Cup pisses all over the Olympics no matter how much spin you put on it. Honestly, I couldn't give a damn about the Olympics, but if it was the World Cup that was happening in this country this year the place would be going crazy with anticipation. I don't think Synchronized Swimming has that same level of excitement though.