Villa Park as an Olympics Venue

[pauliewalnuts]

There was a news report on tv from Coventry during the Olympics, in which city centre traders reported takings being down during the games.

[Dante Lavelli]

There was a news report on tv from Coventry during the Olympics, in which city centre traders reported takings being down during the games.

I’ve certainly read that was the case in London.  I believe some traders are even looking to sue [not sure who] because they were pretty much instructed to hire extra staff to cope with the rush but the rush never happened. 

[curiousorange]

There was a news report on tv from Coventry during the Olympics, in which city centre traders reported takings being down during the games.

I’ve certainly read that was the case in London.  I believe some traders are even looking to sue [not sure who] because they were pretty much instructed to hire extra staff to cope with the rush but the rush never happened. 

It's a given that most events of this nature run at a loss. LA 84 made a profit because that was its primary goal - it was privately financed, recycled venues, and the cost to advertisers and networks was far above anything previously charged. I can;t think of any other global event that matched its profit margin.

It's also well known that people don't return to the places they visit during a tournament or major sports event. There were reports on the news this year of people being interviewed on caravan parks in Kent, who said they were having ever such a good time but wouldn't return.

So what do World Cups and Olympics give you, if not profit or recurrent tourism? An excuse to create civic projects. Munich got a mass transit system out of the '72 Games. Barcelona regenerated its docklands. Montreal built an international airport that these days runs at half capacity. That's what London 2012 hasn't really made clear - it has venues and suchlike it can reuse, but in the country's most populous city, it doesn't have a lasting project that helps the entire place. The fear is that Stratford will become like the Athens Olympic Village - underused and poorly policed.

[PeterWithe]

Interesting post but isn't Ken on record as saying that the only reason he backed/went for the games was to regenerate that part of London?

[curiousorange]

Interesting post but isn't Ken on record as saying that the only reason he backed/went for the games was to regenerate that part of London?

I've never listened to anything Ken Livingstone has said.

[Somniloquism]

The fear is that Stratford will become like the Athens Olympic Village - underused and poorly policed.

They have built the largest indoor mall in Europe there so I doubt if it will be underused and poorly policed for quite a while.

[bertlambshank]

Manure made £2.5 million for staging Olympic Games at Mould Trafford.
We would have been lucky to make 35% of that.A wise move by the club to let it go.

[maidstonevillain]

Manure made £2.5 million for staging Olympic Games at Mould Trafford.
We would have been lucky to make 35% of that.A wise move by the club to let it go.

So why was it a wise move to let, say, £850,000 go.

[dave.woodhall]

Manure made £2.5 million for staging Olympic Games at Mould Trafford.
We would have been lucky to make 35% of that.A wise move by the club to let it go.

So why was it a wise move to let, say, £850,000 go.

Because with the upheaval it entails and the money we got out of the Charity Shield, we'd have ended up losing out.

[maidstonevillain]

Manure made £2.5 million for staging Olympic Games at Mould Trafford.
We would have been lucky to make 35% of that.A wise move by the club to let it go.

So why was it a wise move to let, say, £850,000 go.

Because with the upheaval it entails and the money we got out of the Charity Shield, we'd have ended up losing out.

Fair comment. Forgot about the Charity Shioeld.