Give the Olympic stadium to Leyton Orient and make them Team GB FC
THE London 2012 Olympic stadium would make crap football ground. Sure, West Ham United fans want a shiny new place, but surely not that one. The club’s manger Sam Allardyce is, however, like his bosses, keen for the Hammers to relocate to the massive bowl:
“If they keep it for athletics, the only time it will ever get a big crowd again after the Olympics is when they hold the World Championships there in five years’ time. You only have to look around the world at some of the Olympic Stadiums that have been built. They’re white elephants now. There are weeds growing there. Look at the ‘Bird’s Nest’ in Beijing. Look at Athens.”
The Bird’s Nest is covered in weeds? Some news, indeed, to the tourists who pay to gaze in awe at it and the IAAF – Beijing has-been selected to host the 2015 IAAF World Championships at the venue. The Athens arena is pretty much the best bit of the city’s faded Olympic Park, playing host to AEK Athens, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos Piraeus.
Of course, the biggest error is to think that West Ham United are going to fill the Olympic stadium. Russell Brand could invite his ex-shags along and the place would still look empty. Better to let Leyton Orient have the place. They, after all, are the proper local team. If that stadium, taxpayers’ largess and lottery money can inspire Team GB to be brilliant at sport, maybe Orient could be made great. Sod Manchester City and Chelsea. Let’s create a Team GB Premier League side. And, yes, ok – get Paul McCartney to sing Hey Jude as the team comes out…
Posted: 13th, August 2012 | In: Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
