Durham survives in the Championship and England prosper in one day competiton as Hants win the 20 20

It is Saturday September 1^st and I have had a good and varied life experience since returning from the Olympic Games in the first week of August. While my attention is already devoted to the Paralympics where the Opening Ceremony was on Wednesday and the building up events to the 50 Gold medal competitions being held or culminating today there has been non stop other sport over the past three weeks.

I begin with cricket. I booked to visit Nottingham to watch Durham play the County side and to visit family before the season commenced because of the opportunity to book some inexpensive Travel Lodge Accommodation. A month before departure I wondered if I would bother to attend the match as Durham had not won a game and appeared anchored at the bottom of the Championship Table. I heard members speculate that we could go though the season without winning a game. Just before setting off for the Olympics I had attended part of the home tie with Middlesex having gone to Lords for the match of season only for the weather to prevent a win and where Graham Onions demonstrated that he would become a bowling force over the season. At the home match I became irritated by one man who had I had not seen before who spent over half an hour slagging off the Durham team so I was delighted when he departed and expressed the wish that he did not hurry back to the applause of other members around me. I understood the pessimism after they had failed to win a game.

It was a close game against Middlesex which Durham won by 15 runs as the overs were coming to their end. Durham had made 102 in the first innings and Middlesex 185 a lead of some 60 runs. While Durham made 200 in their second innings this only left Middlesex to get less than 120 to win. That Durham bowled them out the same score as their first innings of 102 is testament of the progress made once Paul Collingwood was appointed Captain.

I missed the amazing win at Nottingham because I decided to return home at lunchtime when the game looked drawn and I wanted to watch the opening game of Newcastle’s season which was being shown on Sky. I thought I had made the right decision as travelling through Nottingham the rain poured forth but either it missed the ground or the delay was a brief one.

The highlight of the game was the bowling of Graham Onions on the second day and third day days. I went to the ground on the first day in the knowledge that the local forecast was persistent rain to commence at 1pm and at one pm persistent rain commenced and there was no further play. Notts had taken what appeared to be two curious decisions when first they played on an old wicket which looked as if it had been glued, the first time I or the Notts Members had seen this at a First Class County game. The second was to decide to bowl at Durham when common sense suggested that they ought to bat and let the Durham bowlers minus Onions do their worst.

Onions was at the Test Match wanting to know if he would be in the side. It was agreed in advance that if not, he would join his colleagues after lunch on the second day. Durham made 194 runs. Onions then had an amazing bowling spell spread over the afternoon and following morning in which he had his best ever figures taking 9 wickets for 67 runs of 16.3 overs. He also was the fielder who ran out the batsman for the remaining wicket. The lead of 40 runs was to prove important as it became evident that with sunshine the “old” wicket was becoming slower and even paced. Durham made 325 for 8 in their second innings with Stoneman an excellent following on his lead score of 46 in the first innings. Collingwood supported with 59. It was Collingwood who wise did not declare overnight as the locals and some neutrals anticipated and the decision appeared a good one when Notts set about getting the required 366 to win with great confidence. Wessels 98 and Hales 101 followed by Mullaney with 60 looked as if they would make fast work of the required runs. With 168 before the first wicket fell long after I departed. There was another very close finish with Durham winning by some 16 runs compared to 15 at the previous one.

I was therefore more confident of the game at the Riverside with Worcestershire, fighting themselves to avoid relegation. This proved an excellent game which I enjoyed over three days. Worcestershire was asked to bat on the first morning when a cold wind led me to move from a position high above the wicket to the lowest tier. The visitors lost 5 wickets for 26 runs and were 86 for 8 but then rallied a little to end their first innings on 120, and although Onions took 3 for 27 in 10.1 overs it was Rushworth 5 for 44 in his 10 overs who took the honours. Durham did not have it all their own way losing their first two wickets for 8 runs as Smith failed yet again and it is difficult to see how he is going to hold his place in the team after yet another miserable season. It was Stokes with some fine hitting who reached 78 who formed the backbone of an innings which totalled 234 and a lead of 100 runs, However an innings of 104 by Hughes enabled the visitors to reach 264 leaving Durham only 154 to win. There was an air of panic when Durham lost their first four wickets with the total only 35 but Benkenstein and Collingwood kept their cool to achieve a four match straight win, equalling the club record.

I had contemplated going to Liverpool again where Lancs had moved the schedule match with Durham from Old Trafford but had missed the cheap rooms at the Lodge located across the road from the ground. Bad weather spoiled this game so a draw was inevitable but Durham managed to get five batting bonus points after Collingwood made a century to 114 supported by Borthwick with 60. Lancs made 264 and therefore Durham increased their league position over Lancs by three points.

Durham has only one more to play. When I return from my trip to the London Paralympics next weekend. They therefore have to sit out the coming week when the three teams below them in the Table all play. Worcestershire now with 93 points play the likely Champions this year, Warwickshire, but at home and knowing their attitude and commitment from previous seasons they are unlikely to surrender. Worcestershire is then away to Somerset which will be difficult for them to more than draw. Much will again depend on the weather,

Lancashire the current Champions are having a very unhappy season, losing in yesterday’s semi final of the one Day competition, They are away to Middlesex at Lords who having also played 15 games like Durham, and will want to end their first season back in the top division with a win. I have mixed feelings about the position of Surrey of in third position from the bottom. Obviously I do not want them to threaten the position of Durham but as my former boyhood club I would be pleased if it is Worcestershire with Lancs who go down. Surrey is also at home to Notts who are safe. As this is the last game of season at the Oval they will want to end on a high note especially as they are then away to Lancs at Old Trafford and which is then likely to be a make or break game. Durham will need to lose their last game and two of the others win both of theirs for Durham’s position to be threatened. I suspect there will be major changes at the club in the period before the start of the next season when Australia will play England in a full five day ashes.

Before moving to another sport I want to comment further on my trip to Nottingham this year where I stayed at Riverside Travel Lodge in the City. This is located 15 minutes from the ground and has a lift. A short distance away there is a large Boots which has excellent sandwich and snacks outlet. The restaurant Inn next to the Travel Lodge is expensive. Unfortunately the Travel Lodge has introduced a new TV system to coincide with the move to Digital and for some reason they are restricting the number of TV station available to five. In this instance they had not used the 1-5 former Terrestrial channels but a mixed bag leaving four of the Terrestrial channels very difficult to see. Although I complained no action was taken during to the visit and I have since complained directly to their central office.

I had an excellent lunch on the day before arrival at an Inn frequent before which does Two meals for the price of One or two two course meals with reduced portions for £9. I enjoyed a large bowl of chicken and bacon salad on my lunchtime visit and then a chicken breast with Barbecue sauce plus apple crumble with ice cream on the second and early evening visit. I also hosted a family party at a comparatively new top notch restaurant open in what used to be a traditional village pub. We went early evening and by the time on leaving it was packed out with quality food in a great atmosphere, and where the prices are justified for once. Otherwise I had taken some mini salami sausages for cutting up and placing in rolls for my other meals. I had purchased four olive ciabatta’s for £1 so it seemed appropriate take a carton of olives with pimento’s which I combined with the Salami to make three excellent lunchtime meal at the cricket. There is a local Coop just across the ground which provide more rolls when required and drinks as well as the 20p daily newspaper. I also treated myself to large bacon Bap and coffee in the Member’s Pavilion on the final morning with just a coffee on the other three. I resisted the excellent cream tea served in the afternoons.

At Nottingham by arriving early I park free in a residential side street five minutes away from the box office where the price of admission has risen from £5 to £8 for concession over the past four years although at Durham non member adults of all ages are charged the full price of £15 a day. This year at Durham there was only one working meter of the five on the three sites around the ground. I moved from the double site where the queue was of fifty on the first morning to the one by the River and the Rowing Club only to find the ticket machine was also out of order. Fortunately a member of the public had telephoned the advertised number to report the position and relayed the news that there would be no enforcement at this site on the day. The machine was repaired for the second visit. The other moan is that for some unexplained reason the police no entry notices on the hard standing coach park remained in operation after the One day International. Coaches do not use this site as the Team coach parks within the stadium area. By the second morning when there were no spaces for families coming to park to go under the road bridge into the large riverside park where in addition to the usual excellent play facilities for young children there was a commercial fairground for the holiday.

I had returned to my vehicle to lunch as usually when the food is taken into the ground I consume shortly after arrival. When I finished the meal I moved the police bollards to one side and waited to see what happened. By the time I left to attend the afternoon session three of the four rows of vehicles which can fill the area were completed. I had told a steward who made the point that his duties were restricted to the inside of the ground area.

　

In the Member’s lounge Coffee has got up again this season from £1.10 to £1.20 but is still reasonable. If you order a take out version you get more coffee than with a cup! It is still good value compared to what one has to pay usually. Coffee at Nottingham is £1.30. However I did note that for Internationals and 20 20 matches beer was advertised at £3.40 a pint compared to £4 at Durham and a glass of wine £4 compared to eye watering £6 at Durham.

I cannot move on from cricket to other sports without first mentioning the position with the English (and Welsh) national team. I attended and enjoyed the One Day series with Australia which confirmed their position as the number 1 team in the world although South Africa were hard on their heels as they were pressing hard on England’s number one spot in the Test arena. In middle July England were humiliated by South Africa in the first of three Test matches losing by an innings and 12 runs being bowled out for 385 and 240 after facing the South African score of 637 for 2 wickets. I will repeat that 2 wickets with Captain Smith 131 and Amla not out with a massive 311 and Jack Kallis 182 not out.

The second Test match at Headingly went much better and was drawn. The South African Petersen made 182 in their opening innings of 419. Our also South African born Piertersen made 149 with Prior 65 to edge the game at this point with a total of 425. South Africa made 259 for 9 and with time running out England made 130 for 4 in 33 overs. England then lost the third Test and their number one position in the World ranking system.

South Africa opened at Lords with 309 and England with four wickets down for 54 things looked bad, however Johnny Bairstow hit an excellent 95 missing out on his first 100 to enable a little lead of 6 runs. It was Amla again who did the damage in the South African second Innings with 121 with a team total of 351 and while Trott 63 Prior 73 and Bairstow 54 with Swann 41 all could be said to have done well they were all out for 294 giving the visitors a win by 51 and a series win by 2 wins and a draw. Young Bairstow of Yorkshire demonstrated that he will be a Test player for several years to come. The disappointment was the performance of Taylor from Notts with 10 and then run out for 4.

However the main interest was off field. Kevin Pietersen was dropped and may never play for England again. The situation has been simmering for years since his short unsuccessful spell as captain and the emergence of Andrew Strauss of Middlesex who has won back to back Ashes series here in England and then in Australia and took the team to the number one spot as a consequence. The first sign of trouble was when Pietersen indicated that he did not want to play in the 1 day series to concentrate on 20 20 games and a potential lucrative involvement in the Indian 20 20 Premier League competition. He was told that he would not play in 20 20 Internationals as a consequence

He was then said to have sent a number of Twitter message to South African players which were not only disloyal to team members but which criticised Strauss. He was therefore dropped from the third Test.

In the first of the one day games the first match was abandoned because of persistent rain after England had reached 37 for no wicket. In the second England were humiliated once more losing by 80 runs after Amla scored 150 and side made 287 for 5r in their 50 overs. England all out for 202 with ten overs still to play. They lost their top ranking in one day games as a consequence.

However they regained their position after winning the third game England were able to dismiss Australia for 211 at the Oval with 3 overs to play and Anderson 4 for 44 the outstanding bowler. Then Trott 71 and Morgan 73 were the backbone of the win with two overs to go and four wickets in hand after a shaky start with three down for 64.

regained their top spot and hope to confirm their position in the fourth tie at Lords today. England won the toss and elected to bowl. South Africa managed to score some good runs in the final five overs after losing three quick wickets when the total had reached 100 for 1 100 for 2 106 for 3 and 116 for 4/ However the commentators felt this was still 20 to 30 run short on the wicket, Cook who has lost his batting touch with the captaincy of the one day side was out for 2 but then Trott and Bell added 141 runs for the second wicket at a faster run rate than required. After they were both out Morgan and Kieswetter settled in before 8 fours brought the game prematurely to an end with Kieswetter scoring the winning runs with a six. The win takes England two points ahead of South Africa in the rankings and even if they lose the last match in the series they will remain nummero uno.

Andrew Strauss has now resigned as captain and from playing all cricket. This has come as a surprise. Cook has replaced him so now takes charge of the Test and the one day side. It has also been announced that the English Team Manager is to meet Pietersen to discuss his future as an International Player. It has been suggested that he is willing to apologise for his recent behaviour and committee himself to playing at all levels. In the meantime he has been playing well for Surrey although he was bowled out first ball in the one day game at Hampshire.

Hampshire won the 20 20 competition against Yorkshire down at Cardiff. The game should have been played at Durham but was switched to Cardiff with Durham getting the 20 20 game because of the opposition by locals to the placing of permanent floodlights similar to those at Nottingham. It is understood they will have to retractable ones similar to those at Lords which add considerably to their cost. Just as with the main stand extension which was to go as far as the Media Pavilion, the announcement that there would be fixed seating instead of the temporary for the Internationals and that the Hotel building would commence, all has come to naught suggesting deep financial problems.

Yorkshire commenced the day with an impressive win against Sussex, This was Yorkshire’s first appearance at finals unlike former winner Sussex, and who I supported in the one day competition final at Lords three years ago and where they lost. It was Johnny Bairstow fresh from his triumphs for England who made the decisive score with 68 not out helping his side to an impressive 176 for six wicket. Miller contributed 47. Despite an innings carrying knock of 80 by Nash of Sussex only Goodwin with 15 reached double figures and they ended their 20 overs at 136 for 6. The wickets were spread evenly among the Yorks bowlers and fell at regular intervals after the early success at 15 for 2. I paid less attention to the Hampshire game against Somerset hoping Somerset would win given my antipathy to the Rosebowl stadium after my visit there for 20 20 final at which Durham featured. This was a tight game with Hants getting the 126 runs required with the last ball of the 19^th over. The wickets were spread between bowlers.

After winning the toss Hants elected to bat and achieved 150 runs. Under the floodlighting Yorks could never keep to the run required as they lost early wickets at 23, 34, 38 and 47. After a rally of 40 runs for the next wicket and then another 50 it was the amazing Miller with 4 sixes close together who appeared to urn the match but a difficulty getting the stroke and some exceptional bowling by Hampshire meant that although he ended the day 72 not out, the team failed reaching only 240. However as with previous years there was great excitement as it looked they might make it. By reaching the final both team are invited to participate in the World Club 20 20 Championship. I will do another cricket report at the end of the season.

It has been a super Sunday in several respects with Jensen Button winning the Belgium Grand Prix clear of a might shunt behind him which tool out several high ranking drivers including team mate Lewis Hamilton. Newcastle managed a home draw against Aston Villa while Arsenal beat Liverpool at Anfield and a Van Persie hat trick saw Man U beat Southampton at the new Dell. However it has been a truly amazing day in the Paralympics where I have lost count of the successes with two Golds in Athletics one field and one track, an individual and team Gold in Equestrian, and unexpected coming from behind to win in the Pool and a UK one and two in cycling plus a host of other silvers and a bronze. There have been disappointments and at the last time of checking Laura Robson looked as if she was going out in the last 16 match at the USA Grand Slam. More on these and other sporting events soon.

2012 Olympics Medal winner Boxing, Rowing and Sailing

I have only a few hours to remember the outstanding performances and moments of magic which combined to make the 2012 London Olympics one of greatest sporting periods in the history of Team GB before the opening ceremony of London Paralympics 2012. I failed to even complete this first consideration of the Medal winners and their backgrounds because of the way the Paralympics has caught everyone’s imagination as much as the Olympics, and because the need to also devote time to other matters.

I am going to begin with the most surprisingly enjoyable gold medal performance of Nicola Adams, the down to earth 29 year old female boxer who knocked down the World Number one Ren Cancan from China in the Fly weight contest, the first of the three Gold medals to be awarded women for the first time at the 2012 Games. That she is the first female Olympic Boxing champion will remain a historical fact as well as the manner of her victory and her great smile of enjoyment and triumph at the success. I have expressed my reservation about professional boxing because of the involvement of criminal and the fixing of fights as well as the existence of at least four organisations claiming to arrange World Title fights. I have also had reservations about the boxing as a suitable sport for women although I accepted this was not based on knowledge or experience.

There have been only a few British male boxers who achieved Gold the Olympic Games and some then as professional Gold Silver and Professional World Champion, James Degale 2008 Audley Harrison 2000 Gold medal. Chris Finnegan 1968 Gold, Terry Spinks and Ralph McTaggart 1956 Gold. The present day well known Amir Khan only won Silver as the youngest British winner in 2004, immediately turned professional gained a world title but has now suffered two defeats and expressed the view that he turned professional too early.

Nicola Adams born in Leeds was the first woman to represent England in 2001 and became an Amateur Champion in 2003 and in 2007 the first English woman to win a medal in major tournament silver in European championships to then take silver at the World in 2008 and again in 2010. She struggled to find funding to continue her amateur career working as an extra on Coronation Street and Eastenders and as a builder before the International Olympics Committee backed funding for women’s boxing and decided to award three medals in 2012. My understanding is that she plans to continue as an Amateur to the next World Championships and next Olympic games.

It is also my understanding that it was the first time Team GB gained three Gold medals at one Olympic Games in Boxing. Luke Campbell from Hull whose grandfather was an Irish champion, beat Ireland’s much fancied Joe Nevin to take the Gold, having qualified to represent GB after winning Silver at the 2011 World Championship.

Anthony Joshua had an extraordinary close fight in the super heavy class defeating the reigning Olympic and World Champion, to win Gold, having previously defeated the present Silver Medal World Champion in the semi finals. Joshua from North London turned down an offer of £50000 to turn professional in 2010 after winning the ABA championship title. Fred Evans from Wales won a silver medal and Anthony Ogogo from East Anglia a Bronze. I watched Anthony win his second round of 16 bouts at the Excel Arena when he defeated the current World Champion. The ten strong GB Boxing team of seven men and three women therefore won 6 medals, the most successful for 100 years and therefore can be assured of increased funding. Remarkably all the boxers gained the required standard to compete and therefore did not take up the places available for the Host nation.

It was also a first for ladies in the Rowing competition where 13 of the 14^h crews qualified during the 2011 World Championships. Rowing was also a very successful sport with the combined team winning nearly twice as many medals as the second and one more gold 4 to 3. However this was because of the extraordinary the three female pairings.

Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins gained Gold in the Double Sculls and Helen Glover and Heather Standing Gold in the Coxless pair with Katherine Copeland and Sophie Hoskins Gold in the Lightweight double skulls, thus winning 3 of the 6 Golds available for the ladies, an amazing outcome given that GB had never won a Gold Medal before. Katherine Grainger MBE had gained Silver in the previous three Olympic Games and was previously World Champion seven times. Her partner Anna Watkins won a bronze medal in 2008 and is a four times World Champion. She is presently studying for a PhD in Mathematics. It was a moving achievement for Katherine who has been such an inspiration for women rowers for two decades.

It was Heather Stanning, who perhaps typified the extraordinary achievement of women at the Games, a Captain in the Royal Artillery she has announced she will return to duty later this year after being given leave of absence in 2010 to train for the games. She will prepare for a tour in Helmond Province Afghanistan. With her partner Helen Glover they enter the record books as the first ladies to win Gold for team GB. The story of her partner is already legendry as she only commenced to row in 2008 after being invited to be assessed following a social meeting in a pub. Helen was in fact a successful athlete having played various sports at the famous Millfield School in Somerset running Internationally as a Junior and was part of the Satellite squad for Hockey, She gave up a post as a PE teacher after qualification at Plymouth University College, having come second at the World Rowing event in 2010 and a Gold medal winner in the 2011 World Cup event.

There has been less publicity about the two other ladies who achieved the historic Gold medal success which will prove difficult to equal in Rio in 2016. The two women have connections with the North East. Sophie Hoskins is the daughter of a competitor in the 2009 Atlantic race David Hoskin MBE formerly an officer in the Royal Navy and who won a Gold medal in the 1980 World Championships. Sophie attended Durham University graduating in in Chemistry and Physics in 2007 after school in Kingston in Surrey. She has previously played football for Wimbledon AFC. The pride of the North East rests with Katherine Copeland who was the partner of Sophie as women’s light weight double sculls Olympic Champions born in Ashington and a member of the Stockton on Tees Rowing Club. As a teacher she runs a school of art for autistic children in association with the Three Wings Trust.

Such was the success of the men’s rowing team in the Olympics 2008 that there was disappointment within the team when Silver or Gold was the outcome in some events at Eton Dorney where the events were held.

The coxed Eight gained a Bronze after almost giving up when they failed in their attempt to gain the Gold from the winners. Part of their disappointment was because of the involvement of 40 year old former Olympic Champion Greg Searle in the boat who had returned to competitive rowing in 2010. He holds a Gold medal with his brother in 1992 and in the World Championships in 1993, with a Bronze in Atlanta in 1996 and a Bronze in the World in 1997. In 2000 he was fourth Sydney Olympics and joined the British Team in the America’s Cup contest in 2002. His motivation was to inspire his children Josie and Adam, born after his previous successes.

There was also disappointment for Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter in the Lightweight double skull when they finished second and gained Silver Medals. Zac won Gold in Beijing and has Four Gold, a Silver and Bronze at World Championships and six Golds at World Cups with three Silvers and one Bronze. His sister was an Olympic Athlete and his long term partner where they recently become engaged was also a former pupil and rower at the Kings School in Worcester which I noted on my visit to watch Cricket in the City two years ago and where the playing fields are adjacent to the ground, noting the large number of pupils participating in sports throughout the day and early evening. ZAc’s rowing partner Mark Hunter from London shared the Beijing Gold Medal and has a number of World and World Cup Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals.

Alan Campbell won Bronze in the Single Sculls. Campbell from Northern Ireland left University before completing a degree to concentrate on rowing after winning the Diamond Sculls at Henley in 2003. He did not fulfil his potential until London 2012, nine years later after being ill with a virus before the 2008 games. He has one World Cup Gold and a Silver and two Bronze in World Championships

George Nash who won bronze in Coxless pair was educated at Winchester and is studying for an Engineering degree at Cambridge. His partner William Satch was educated at Shiplake College Henley on Thames.

The only success in terms of a Gold medal for the men in the Coxless Four with Andrew Trigg Hogg, winning his second Gold Medal to that in Beijing, two Gold, three Silver and one Bronze World Championship as well as thirteen World Cup Golds three Silver and two Bronze. He took part in the Boat Race for Oxford with a degree in Environmental Science at Staffordshire University followed by a Masters at Oxford in Water Science and Management.

One of the other boat members Tom James had greater Boat Race experience this time for Cambridge four times 2003 to 2007 and where his degree was in Engineering. He also won his first Gold in Beijing, with a Gold in World Championship, four World Cups and two Silver. The third member Alex Gregory was a reserve in Beijing after which he won several Golds in World Championships, grew up in Cheltenham and graduated from Reading University. Peter Reed, the fourth member was born in Seattle until his family moved to England, taking up rowing at university in the West of England before taking a masters in science at Oxford University where he became a member of a successful Boat Race crew. He also won his first with Gold and Silver Medals in World Champions and World Cups Gold in Beijing. He joined the Royal Navy in 2001 and is now a Lieutenant.

Associated with the rowing are athletes who race in Canoes and Kayaks with Eton Dorney used for the Sprint events and a special new location the Lee Valley White Water centre for Slalom events. There were 3 men’s and one women’s White Water events with two two man British crews in the C2 event coming first and second.

The winning team of Timothy Baillie and Etienne Scott had less of a record than the winners of the Silver and were surprised by their success which understandably disappointed the runners up. Timothy Baillie comes from Scotland but obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering at Nottingham University where is located the National Water Sports Centre. His Partner Etienne also studied mechanical science at Nottingham, born in Manchester David Florence was also at Nottingham University studying Mathematical Physics and also comes from Scotland. He had won Silver in 2008 in the C1 category and then applied to become an Astronaut with the European Space Agency. Only four of the 8400 applicants were selected of which he was not one.

At Eton Dorney Ed McKeever won Gold in thee Men’ K1 200 metre event having previously become World Champion in 2011 and a World Cup winner earlier this year. From Somerset he is studying to become an accountant after a degree in accountancy at Kingston University. John Schofield achieved Bronze with Liam Heath

The other Water based Sport at the Games was Sailing with events held at Weymouth in Dorset. This is the least spectator friendly event although this year every effort was made to encourage public participation with a designated viewing area and a large screen with commentary. It was not expected that the team would be able to match their success at Beijing with F4 Golds a Silver and a Bronze and the big question was could Ben Ainsley become the first competitor to win four Gold medals in successive Sailing Olympics (2000, 2004, 2008 and now 2012 plus a Silver in 1996. Ben captained a boat in the Round the World race in 1973 and has become an MBE, OBE and CBE following his achievements. At London he started slowly as his tendency but was behind a competitor series of races from Denmark for most of the series with result in doubt until the last race to determine the medals. He as the first of the 8000 Torch bearers at Land’s End and was selected by other British Competitors to carry the Flag at the Closing ceremony.

Ben was the only British competitor to win Gold. The most interesting story is that of Wind Surfer Nick Dempsey who wife Sarah (nee Ayton was a Gold Medal Winner in 2008 and 2004. They married two months after the Beijing and now have son to which Nick has dedicated his Silver Medal. The couple announced that Sarah will return to sailing with Nick looking after their son. Sarah recovered from Meningitis at the age of 14 years.

Saskia Clark won Silver with Hannah Miles in the 470 Class having started sailing when she was Eight Years of age something which was also situation for Hannah.

Andrew Simpson won a Silver whereas in 2008 he won a Gold having been educated at Pangbourne College. His partner, Ian Percy won Gold in Sydney 2000 as well as at Beijing as well as World Championships in 2002 and 2010. Both are OBE’s. Stuart Bithell won Silver in 470 class with Luke Patience. I have been unable to find more info on the Sailors.

2012 Olympic Blues

The 2012 Olympic games will go down in history as the occasion when sporting achievement captured the hearts and minds of the majority of the British people to an extent that some of the sceptical and indifferent became caught up in the fever generated first by the extended Torch relay when tens of thousands crowded the streets as 8000 bearers, some famous, some local heroes and each with their own story built up expectation paraded before them.

However it will be a mistake to assume the good feelings and happy faces on everyone about the streets of London will continue after the Paralympics from August 29^th to September 9^th has concluded and as the excellent Victoria Derbyshire of BBC channel 5 live has already said travel on the London Underground is back to normal. But has something more fundamental and lasting also happened?

I do believe there is a new sense of national identity which will have an impact on the move of the Scottish Nationalists to separate Scotland from the rest of the UK in the referendum planned for later in this Parliament. There was a pride in competing and supporting Team GB which will not so easily be undone.

There was also an interesting crowd reaction yesterday, Sunday 19^th August after Kevin Pietersen lost his place in the Test side for slagging off his captain and other players in tweets to members of the South African team and came out to play against his former club Hants on behalf of Surrey. There was a good crowd with entrance free and the extent of booing was transmitted over the BBC broadcast together with communal elation when he was bowled first ball. Instead of some sympathy he was roundly booed on his way back to the pavilion. Whereas hundreds of thousands turned out in all weathers to watch the Torch relay, road race or marathon event because it was free to support Team GB the stadium in Hampshire was reported just over half full despite the free admission an experience which Durham also experienced when it provided two free days of County cricket in the year when they swept to championship success and membership and support, especially for the shorter game did not expand as a consequence. The Football season also opened this weekend to packed stadium demonstrating once again that the public will exercise their ability to choose what to watch, what to pay for and what to stay away from. The emptiness of Trent Bridge the home of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, already participating in the 20 20 finals next week and who would have continued to challenge for the County Championship if they had beaten Durham had no evident impact on the numbers of members attending the game which I attended on three of its four days, noting the thousands of Nottingham Forest Football Fans about the streets two hours and more before the kick off at the adjacent stadium. Hampshire who have the opportunity now to win three titles, the 20 20, the 40 40 and promotion from the second to first divisions could not give tickets away.

My impression is that the unity and pride experienced by the public in general will have an impact on political decisions and on the public response to political matters and decisions in the future. However while politicians will attempt to claim ownership the force that has been created is just as likely to be turned against the establishment and to support it.

The legacy of the Olympic Games will also be the extent to which they have “Inspired a Generation” to participate in sport in some way in general and the immediate response has been a surge in people making enquiries with clubs, with the number of cyclists on the roads and pressure on Ministers to direct schools to devote more attention to sport and stop the selling off of playing fields. It is a fact that about half recent Olympians have come from private schools and this suggests that the opportunity to try out some sports rowing, sailing, using horses, shooting depends of the social background and wealth of parents. An attempt is to be made to change this position over time by involving sporting clubs more with state schools but this will cost.

There has been some comment that a different balance between the basics of education, the reading , the writing and the arithmetic, the traditional subjects for further education, the Arts and the Sciences needs to be achieved with more emphasis on sport yet we have just seen a move away from the number of degree courses in subjects such as journalism, photography, popular music study and such like because of the inability to provide graduates with appropriate work in order to pay the £30000 loans which the study will have generated. Success during further education involves membership of societies and travel as well as forging links with those who can provide Internships and a lifetime of social influence and support.

While it will be good for the nation(s) to continue to find the talent to become successful International athletes in a widening variety of sports there is a gigantic gulf between the majority who participate and those with ability, especially mental ability to undertake the work required to become an International Athlete over a four to twenty year period which success at the Olympic Games requires. It was possible for one young woman to enter a competitive rowing boat four years ago and become an Olympic Champion but the cost was still over £1 million, most of which will be spent on the array of specialists now required to hone sporting techniques and the physical, mental and emotional body to its peak. The cost of a medal varied between over a million and several and this fact will govern how the Government commitment to maintain its present level of funding inflation proofed together with the National Lottery provided 25% of its good cause’s money through to the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

At the press conference at the conclusion of the games a journalist from mainland China asked Lord Coe about the balance in expenditure between that on the elite and the general public and Lord Coe is likely to have surprised and disappointed the questioner with his response that only successful elite athletes can generate a general public participation in sport especially in the era of the social media, the electronic generated games and the music bars and clubs. It is important to separate the general public enthusiasm for the Olympic Games and which will flow through to the Paralympic games and active participation in sports.

I have already commented on the significance difference between the tens of thousands who usually attend Premiership football and International Cricket from those who went to St James Park and Wembley to support teams other than the home countries. The level of expenditure was about the same in terms of the ticket price, travel and concession pricing or programmes, souvenirs food and drink. It was however evident that the yob element, the excessive drinking and the aggressive edge was absent, on and off the field of play. I make a distinction between elite competitiveness and the gamesmanship i.e. the cheating which is evident throughout professional sport. There was competitiveness in the way the cycling teams enabled someone other than GB World sprint champion Mark Cavendish win the cycling road race and Ben Kinsley gave as good as he got when his closest rival engaged him in a questionable sporting manner.

I listened to a prearranged debate on legacy issues hosted by Victoria Derbyshire of Five Live in which the future use of a number of stadiums created at Straford was mentioned. The swimming stadium will be changed to reduce two spectator wings but the two pools, one above the other will be used for elite swimmers, for those who want the experience and for members of the local community. The charging system will be variable with for local residents the usual concessions including those who are unemployed and disabled.

The Olympic Park site covers a large area which includes several rivers creating an island which was of value in terms of making the site secure. The 400 outlet Westfield centre has been created between the existing Stratford Transport Interchange and the Olympic Park and was packed when I visited several months before the games commenced and therefore is likely to continue as a profitable enterprise. The Swimming and Water Polo stadiums are either side of the main entrance with the Water Polo centre being demolished. The Orbit will reopen tot he public once the other work on the site has been completed. The main stadium will be used for the World Athletic championships in two years time and in the intervening period decisions will be taken about its use as a Football Stadium, with West Ham the most likely beneficiaries with Spurs the other interest party now looking to move to a site south of the River at Battersea.

The other facility which will continue as mentioned in my last writing (2330) the Copper box will become a small to medium multi use facility for indoor sports. The outdoor stadium for Hockey is already being transformed for Paraplegic Football and will then become an open space without spectator facilities. The Basketball arena will also be demolished although an attempt was made to transport to Brazil. Given its demountable nature it would be surprising if some use elsewhere is not created. I have explained that in London there is the ginormous Excel centre close to the O2 arena where International Tennis is held as well as rock concerts in East London with Wembley Arena in the north west and the Earls Court and Olympia centre in the South west of the city.

The cycling velodrome is to continue along with the national centre at Manchester and the Chris Hoy centre in Glasgow. There will be additional work round the Olympic Park Velodrome and the BMX track to enable some road racing. There are questions about the future of the Crystal Palace athletics track and stadium in south London and the open air Herne Hill velodrome also in south London and which provided the only opportunity for young people to experience a competitive track in in the capital. I have no information on what is to happen to the other buildings on the park, the London 2012 megastore, the Coca Cola Beat Box the Panasonic HD 3D Theatre and the MacDonald’s 4 storey 15000 seating food outlet as well as the other food and drink outlets. There is to be additional housing created to the proposed use of the Olympic Village accommodation which is to be divided between different levels of property in terms of renting and purchasing.

Because of the nationalistic fervour, the overall cost of holding the event as well as the cost and availability of tickets together with the issues surrounding sponsorship it is possible to lose sight that the Olympics is an international sporting event based on the principal of giving ones best and that the honour of participation should be as great as the honour of winning. Of course the Games is always marred by the cheats who use banned substances to enhance performance and although testing has become as sophisticated as new and this year there was the extraordinary spectacle of several Badminton female doubles players desperately trying to lose their games in order to avoid playing the best competitors in the next round. They and their coaches were sent home in disgrace.

There is in my view too much attention paid to the medals winning table although it is encouraging that 120 of the 204 nations competing did not win one medal and I shared in the excitement of when a nation achieved a medal for the first time or some athlete unexpectedly came to the fore. The Olympic Committee tries to limit the involvement of politics and the original intention was that holding of the games would stop conflicts at least for their duration but in 2012 the killing and the destruction continued in Syria despite a team from the country participating. The way countries use the Games for International and National political purposes has been evidence since Hitler planned the 1936 Berlin Olympics to promote his brand of Racial Fascism. Post the Second World War the main political battle was between the night of the Soviets and the USA and since the break up of the Soviet Union a more healthy competitiveness has emerged between China and the USA with China winning in Beijing 2008 and the USA in London. The People’s Republic of China gained 88 medals (39 Gold 27 Silver and 23 Bronze) in London with the USA gaining 104 (46 29 29). The ability of a state to spend and to influence according to its wealth is to some extent countered by its size and China can be expected to dominate the next century irrespective of what the USA is willing to do. Future medal tables should be weighted according to population and per capita wealth.

For several decades Russia remained third in the table with Australia in particular dominant and the UK among the also rans sometimes badly when at one Games only one Gold Medal was achieved. The situation was changed in Beijing as part of the preparations for London 2012 and in some respects because of the unexpected success of those games, especially in the number of Gold Medals (18) there was uncertainty about what was to happen this time with the target set at 19 and above Golds with 29 being achieved, and over 60 medals overall with the total 65 and some disappointment in this respect with the swimmers gaining less than expected as did the field and track athletes overall despite the double gold of Mohammed (Mo) Farah and that of Jessica Ennis and the long distance jumper Greg Rutherford.

The number of Gold medals achieved means that in the official table the GB team is placed third over Russia with 82 medals in total but only 24 Golds. In fact only 84 of the 204 countries participating gained a medal seven nations achieve 10 or more Golden medals

Germany was 6th with 44 medals (11 gold 19 silver ,14 bronze) with South Korea 5^th having achieved more Golds with 13 but gained only 28 medals. In total France with 11 Golds and 34 medals was 7^th...

Significantly Canada is placed 36^th with only 1 Gold but with 18 medals in total. Similarly Australia 10^th 7 Golds 35 medals and Japan 11 also 7 Golds and 38 medals but two fewer Silver. Other countries gaining ten or more medals are Italy 20 (8 Golds), Netherlands 20 (6), Ukraine 20 (6), Hungary 17 (8), Spain 17 (3), Cuba 14 (5). Kazakhstan 13 (7), New Zealand 13 (6), Islam Republic of Iran 12 (4) Jamaica 12 (4), Belarus 12 (2), Kenya 11 (2), Czech Republic 10(4), Poland 10(2), and Azerbaijan 10 (2). Brazil the hosts in 2016 gained only three Golds out of a total of 17.

Because of the success in terms of Gold and other medals and the impact upon the public in general the government has committed the national funding with the ongoing National Lottery funding the elite athletes will have an overall inflation proofed level of funding. How the money will be divided is to be reviewed so cycling will gain and swimming lose together with the team sports such a handball and basketball. There is the political expectation more than a national one that Team GB will perform as well or better in Brazil in four years time as it did in China and now in London. For David Cameron, the Prime Minister the games has provided proof that the Big Society can become a reality given the extent of volunteering that was involved and which proved such a success together with the way the public responded. Any hope that he and the beleaguered Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has that the Games will re-ignite their political fortunes is misguided and this was underlined that backbench Tory Members of Parliament are to test his leadership again on issues such planning, train fares, energy and petrol prices. When Parliament returns, the publication of the Iraq inquiry report and that from Lord Leveson everything will revert to party political reality. The unknown factoring in this is the health of the Duke of Edinburgh.

But the glow of success remains and in the final piece of this series I want to look again at my golden moments and at those who made them

Olympics 2012 Handball

I had one more 2012 Olympic sporting experience at the Olympic Park Stratford on Friday morning  August 3rd and in some respects it was the best. I knew nothing about handball but my selection had worked out that the first of two matches at the Copper Box was between GB and Angola. The British team were only able to compete because of being Olympic hosts and lost all their league games. There are Handball players of International standard in the UK but these have to play for clubs in other parts of Europe where the sport flourishes. It is interesting that handball appears to be one of the sports which young people in the UK are not seeking to take up.

Because of my first experience going to the Olympic Park I ensured that the alarm went off and I arrived at  East Croydon Station sufficiently early to take the train to St Pancras and the Javelin train to arrive at half past seven only to find that the Copper Box did not open until 8 and with huge queues for coffee and all other drink and food outlets I had to wait patiently outside finding a makeshift seat.

The Copper Box together with the Swimming, Athletics Stadiums and the Orbit are grouped at the main Stratford entrance and will continue in various forms after the Games end. It is called the Copper box from being clad in copper panels and has a capacity of 7000 and will be used as a multi sports arena for small to medium events and for local community use.

Because of its size there are only two levels of seating with entrances for the ground and first floor spectator seating plus an upper level with food and drinks outlets and toilets are also located plus a balcony between spectator floors used by spectators with mobility disability. In the four corners there were also four blocks of six seats and I was allocated one of these. Noting as the hour progressed towards the start of the first match that the disability seating was unoccupied I enquired of a games maker if I could use one of these seats and he went away to inquire returning well before the  commencement of the match to say that it was arranged. What he did not make clear is that I was allocated a specific seat of the two available closest to my position as about half time a young French woman arrived to claim the seat I was occupying so I had to move to the other. France was playing in the next match which I explained I would not be staying to experience as there were events I wanted  to see on the Live big screen. 

Although I had enjoyed a Bacon Lettuce and Tomato sandwich with coffee for breakfast on waking I was ready for another coffee and a Pain au chocolat and did not wince at the price  of £4.90.

I knew nothing about handball which has a simple and basic format. A player cannot hold a ball for more than three seconds without bouncing it or throwing it to another player. Nor can they take more than three steps while in possession is frequently moved up to the opponents goal area which has a 6 metre radius from the goal posts. A player can enter this area from the momentum of having taken a shot at the goal. It is essential that any attempt at goal is successful because if it is missed then this provides the opportunity for the other side to rush to the other end without their opponents being in a defensive position and good players will always make this a score. 

Because the GB team frequently failed to take a score opportunity they were quickly two to six points adrift and there were times that it looked as they would badly beaten however they rallied, especially in the second half losing by only 17-15  after a 14 to 10  first half loss. The GB girls were  physically smaller than their opponents which in game where height and reach as well as individual strength are important factors and this weighed against them together with their international competitive inexperience.

It is not a sport where I feel inclined to follow should the opportunity arise again. It is unlikely the sport will be granted elite Olympic status and therefore will not receive further finance in an attempt for a UK team to become eligible to attend the 2016 Olympics in Rio. This will only happen if there is an upsurge in interest at grass  roots levels with sufficient participation for the creation of self financed leagues, leading to the re-emergence of sufficient players and public  interest to create semi professional participation.

I had planned to leave in order to view events on the Big Screen. I had  visited this area on the first day of my visit to the Park, There are in fact two screens back to back with a Green room facility and the technical equipment in between to one side of a river. There are rising banks if grass some of it artificial on either side as well as some areas of wooden staging. On my first visit the area was crowded and I had to stand but had discovered a single seat. Similarly on this occasion because I had come to the location while the majority of spectators were attending event I was able to find a seat. The facility is provided by British Airways but there is a BBC camera team who provide shots of the crowd as they have in Hyde Park. It an important part in the creation of a sense of being part of the experience in contributing in some way to it.

I will take the opportunity of this writing to mention my visit to the Orbit.  This is a contemporary art structure and viewing platform created for the Olympic Park as a commissioned structure. It was the idea of Tessa Jowell the Olympics Minister in the Blair and Brown Governments who wanted a lasting feature which would add to the Sky line in the East End in the same way that the Angel of the North is now a Gateway symbol for the North East of England. At the time around 2008 it is said that some five artists were short listed/invited to submit their ideas for the project including Antony Gormley the creator of the Angel. 

Funding for the project was provided by the steel company Arcleor Milltal who were first under the impression that they were to provide a quantity of steel for the project up to  £15 million but then realised they were being asked to participate in the creation of the full project which came to include the viewing platforms of which there are two. The original conversation with Mayor Boris Johnson is reported to have lasted 45 seconds.

The winning design was by a well known construction artist Anish Kapoor who created a temporary project at the former Baltic Flour Mill at Gateshead on the banks of the River Tyne and Cecil Balmond who a Professor of Architecture , designer and artist and in addition to the £16 million gift from the owner of Mittal’s £3.1 million was provided by the London Development Agency. The structure is stable and permanent but has a form of instability and in part in appeal of the Helter Skelter in that it includes over 350.

It is about third of the size of the Eiffel tower  and shorter than the Blackpool Tower but higher that the Statue of  Liberty.  The two viewing platform can each accommodate 150 people but on the day of my visit there were considerably less and it was possible to take time to gain a 360 view of London using both platforms provided a good sense of the size and scope of the Olympic Park and the London Skyline. This includes the Shard, the tallest completed building in Europe of over some 1000 feet and which also has a viewing platform  at 66 to 72 floors with the rest of the 30 floors not designed for occupancy. It cost £7 to enter the Orbit and some £26 for the Shard although there are to be restaurants around the thirtieth floor level. 

The viewing platforms each comprise two types of perspective, one behind glass which offers security and protection from the weather and one suspended in space and open to the elements which included wind and rain on the day of my visit. It is possible to walk down the 450 steps and gain an additional perspective on the London Skyline although because of the conditions  at the time of my visit as well as my play for the day I took the lift to the ground level from the lower viewing platform. In general art critics  and the media have expressed negative views with some suggesting it will eventually go the way of the 1951 Skylon which Winston Churchill insisted should be removed when he became Prime Minister rather than become appreciated icons such as the Angel of the North and the London Eye. Time will tell.

Olympic Football 2012 (2)

On July 26^th 2012 I attended one of the Olympic Games 2012 pre opening ceremony Football Tournament preliminary matches at St James Park Newcastle to watch Mexico play the Republic of South Korea (see 2324). I was not impressed by South Korea who appeared well organised but unable to convert the many chances which they created while Mexico had flair but also appeared over cautious and desperate to survive without losing the game. It ended 0.0 and raised my hopes that the GB team (although restricted to English and Welsh players because of the refusal of the Scottish and Northern Island Federation to allow their players to be considered) would progress).

There was also major question marks about the extent of public support with some stadiums only having sold a third or less of the available tickets. I have been allocated two single football tickets in the first national ballot for the games having applied for tickets, albeit at the cheapest end for an event a day throughout the two weeks. It was only subsequently that I was able to acquire tickets for Badminton, Basketball and Boxing (already reported) and for Handball (to follow) and I had debated whether to take up the first of the two London Football tickets on August 1^st which as luck would have it was between South Korea and Gabon. Not England, Brazil, France or Spain, countries with more appeal as footballing nations.

After the efforts of the morning and with already weary feet and hungry I left the Olympic Park after a brief visit to Live and to the Orbit and cross back to the Westfield Shopping centre along the middle way as thousands streamed into the stadium for afternoon sessions on either side. In addition to gaining entry into the shopping centre large signs reinforced by the army of volunteers each with a large hand which they offered to youngsters to give them 5 pointed the way to the Stratford International or Stratford town centre stations. In the shopping centre I made my way to escalators going down to the lower level and the food court, celebrating the decision to have checked out the centre and routes on my previous visit to London. As anticipated the food court was packed with no unoccupied seating available.

I queued for a McChicken Sandwich meal with diet Coke and was amazed at the speed of the operation. I was then able to find myself a stool seat at a table and enjoyed the food with time to notice the environment. I was later joined at the table by a couple who had been to an Italian food outlet with both having lamb shanks, one with rice and one with fried potato cubes at around £9 each.

After the food and a visit to the toilet which was very confusingly signed when seeking entry, reaction shared by several others which I found reassuring. I then took the over bridge route Stratford Railway and Bus station which involved going down several flights of steps as there was a good queue for the lifts and where the volunteers demanded that people did not stop to take photos. Everyone uses smart phones these days to take pictures and publish them immediately on face book. I had two phones with me resurrected the one with a camera which had lain under a caret in the car for over a year and had needed a new chip and a restart payment for calls. I promised myself to remember to bring this phone and leave the other back at the hotel.

I had worked out a route by underground but as I passed through the ticket barrier I overheard a volunteer saying the best route to Wembley was via the London overground. I asked him if I had heard correctly and he confirmed adding that when the train approached West Hampstead station I should give his house a wave. The overground platform was the furtherest along a tunnel under platform level trains and there are West Hampstead is the 13 stop so this part foot of the journey is a long one. On the previous London Visit I had got to Stratford after taking a train from East Croydon to Victoria and then the Victoria Line to Highbury and Islington for the Overground line to Stratford so I was familiar with the first part of the route. At West Hampstead there was a short walk and a crossing of a busy main road to Jubilee line stopping train to Wembley Park and in the report on the visit for the Badminton I mention taking the Jubilee line route from Green Park having also travelled from East Croydon to Victoria.

There is always a sense of occasion when exiting Wembley Park station and standing at the top of Wembley Way and looking ahead to the stadium. Again the volunteers pressed spectators not to stop on the stairs to take photos. By this time I was aware of a developing foot problem and took my time. At the stadium I was required to place the contents of all my pockets into a see through bag as occurred at St James Park but was also given a full body search. There were separate turnstiles for the ladies. It has only just occurred to me if children were also hand searched.

My seat was about midway in the top tier of the stadium and here was opportunity to watch the majority of the audience arrive while listened to Olympic report on BBC Five Live radio. On the previous morning before departure I had taken the lift down to the street at South Shields and walked to purchase a sandwich from Gregg’s and then to Argos to get a new pocket radio as the two in the House were not working and the available batteries also failed and were discarded. I had debated getting a pocket DAB in the hope it would counter the interference on the five live channel which occurs where lines are electrified. In the end I settled for what proved to a very small set and a new pack of A A batteries. The set fits into a shirt top pocket. I had bought a small headphone set the evening before. However when I attempted to use the set while waiting with a cup of coffee on Newcastle station I could not get a connection and also failed with the second battery. That evening after I arrived in Croydon booked in and unpacked I went to the Argos in the Street I knew at a child from Reeves Corner and the 654 Trolley bus up to the Surrey Street market and presented the radio. It proved to be the two batteries although the others in the pack subsequently worked. The faulty one was replaced with an extra one for the other I had been tempted to use and the radio has worked well since apart from the problem of interference when on an electrified railway. Sitting High up in Wembley stadium there was no problem except in this instance I was using the ear pieces provided and which as was confirmed by the experience that day, I am not good at using and not find comfortable. I had an additional problem which added to the sense of bodily discomfort because of a skin breakage on the bridge of nose arising from the use of the Sleep Apnoea machine and wearing spectacles. I was able to deal with by placing a small pad of tissues under the glasses but this made me too self conscious to use in public.

I mention these problems because in other circumstances they would have dominated the rest of my stay and although the exceptionally sore feet did affect mobility the atmosphere of the people in London for the Games was wondrous and inspiring. There had been what I considered good crowds for football matches not involving local or national teams at St James Park despite the availability of alcohol as usual there had been a relaxed family atmosphere in Newcastle. This is also what happened at Wembley stadium but with a distinct difference in part created because the stadium became more than three quarters full, with more people than at some friendly games involving England in the past. The crowd had come to enjoy itself and be part of the Olympic experience and while the appearance of a GB athlete transformed the audience in an extraordinary an un British way it was evident that people had come to have fun regardless of who was performing.

South Korea performed in the same way they had at St James Park. They demonstrated professional organisation at breaking through the defences of their opponents, The Gabon team, but as at St James Park repeated failed to convert their many opportunities to score a goal. Possibly because of my location and the increased size of the crowd I could not locate the same group of young supporters who had gathered behind one goal and created a constant sound of support. There were two school age boys created a two men cheer leaders for Gabon, one singing the national anthem with great passion. The result was 0.0. Again. Somehow South Korea went on to beat England, on penalties again but failed in the semi final but still they went to take the bronze. There were some 70000 present

I was experienced in the after game crush after games at Wembley, the rows of police horses and lines of police to stop crowds as the train filled and other were yet to arrive. Inside all routes south went to Baker Street and from there you chose your route. There was a merry go round getting from the Jubilee line at Green Park to the Victoria Line passing the extension which existed to St James Park. My feet were very sore now and I could have done without this. Back at East Croydon I enjoyed a breakfast sausage roll before going back to my room. Later I went out to the supermarket for sandwiches, BLT for the morning and Prawn Mayo for the now with Diet Coke and Water.

I have already described my journey back to Wembley on the Saturday for the Badminton and then entering the stadium early for the quarter final game. This could have involved England if they had not topped their group. Instead it was the Mexicans once more playing Senegal, the homeland of one Mohammed Fare, although his time was yet to come that evening. This was to me an enjoyable game with an even larger crowd of over 80000. The Mexicans had come to win and went two goals up but Senegal were to show their mettle drawing the game at full time 2.2. When Mexico scored their fourth goal in extra time I left with 14 minuets still to go and beat the crush a little, finding that the train went on passed Baker Street to Kings Cross/St Pancras and the route to East Croydon. Mexico went on to beat the favourites Brazil, silver medal winners in the previous two Olympic Games. I went home still in a sense of wonder at the way the British people were responding, unaware of the greatness to come