Olympics 2012

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Originally Posted by Witton Park

If it was a question of economics, we wouldn't have an athletics track in the country, what's more, we wouldn't have a football pitch or astro-turf, swimming pool......
None of them make money.

Organised sport will always need subsidy - even the simple fell race relies on volunteers to give up time free which is a form of subsidy.

So I would like to see the state, having built the stadium, support it and keep it as a National Stadium but seek to gain reasonable revenue from it.

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Agree with the sentiments, but KCAC use the track in Keighley, it is based in a school and has dual usage, my school is PFI build (don't get me started!!) but hires out the astroturfs. I'm fairly certain that there is very little subsidy involved in making a profit. If organised properly, sports centres and pools should make money. I would love to see it being saved as a National Stadium but unfortunately sports arenas can only really make money if concerts are involved.

I would query your comment that none make money, but am happy to be proved wrong (though I hope I am not).

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Originally Posted by Swoop

Yes Trev!

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:D:thumbup:

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Originally Posted by biara

Agree with the sentiments, but KCAC use the track in Keighley, it is based in a school and has dual usage, my school is PFI build (don't get me started!!) but hires out the astroturfs. I'm fairly certain that there is very little subsidy involved in making a profit. If organised properly, sports centres and pools should make money. I would love to see it being saved as a National Stadium but unfortunately sports arenas can only really make money if concerts are involved.

I would query your comment that none make money, but am happy to be proved wrong (though I hope I am not).

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There's a David Lloyd Gym near us in Chorley. It's a great facility with multi-sport options as well as swimming. Sure it turns a profit, it must do as it's a commercial venture.
Have you ever looked at the membership cost though? You need a small mortgage to join.

But people will pay.

Go to a Blackburn with Darwen Pool and most users are free or concessionary users.

I used to use the gym whilst Beckie swam. But then they made it free with a Beez Card (anyone in Blackburn) and then you couldn't get on a piece of equipment so I (paying customer) stopped.

They recently tried to close one Sports Centre with pool, claiming it needed a £4-6 million refurb and it was losing money every year. The public fought back and they've kept it open part time - for now!

One of the women who fell in the 400m hurdles was called Stambolova.:D

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Originally Posted by Swoop

One of the women who fell in the 400m hurdles was called Stambolova.:D

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:w00t::thumbup:

Bolt, blink and you miss him!

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Originally Posted by stevefoster

Bolt, blink and you miss him!

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All very runnable. It's a trail race :closed:

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Originally Posted by Swoop

One of the women who fell in the 400m hurdles was called Stambolova.:D

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The involvement of the sixth place woman, Azarova, in the fall cannot be confirmed.
Attachment 6291

Going off on a tangent a little...

Look, I love 'our Jess' and all that and am not belittling her performance but there is a lot of country bias here and a huge amount of media hype.

At the end of the day, she won an event that ten year's ago most on here would see as an Olympic's sideshow for those athletes who are good at a range of sports but not the best in any single sport. "What's that? The Hep what? Give me a shout when the real sport starts."

Now it is a test of the world's 'best all round athletes'.

Kind of like decathlon - everyone in the UK cared when Daley was winning, but now most would be hard pressed to name a single decathlete.

I think the same logic applies to cycling. if the UK was not winning by using dodgy wheels :w00t: , it would be seen in the same way many see table tennis. ie. not a real sport.

Mo Farah though I think is the real deal.

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Originally Posted by The General

I think the same logic applies to cycling. if the UK was not winning by using dodgy wheels :w00t: , it would be seen in the same way many see table tennis. ie. not a real sport.

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As someone who is a little ignorant of the nuances of track cycling could you expand on that, and explain how you get a dodgy wheel?
What does it relate to structure, spoke alignment?
I know the French have started complaining about our performance, I suspect because we're beating them, the French cycling chief has said something along the lines of it 'seems that we're missing something'
Please bear in mind I read that in the metro, so I would question the reliability of the source.