The Third London Olympics 2012. The Greatest Show on Earth is about to begin

It is finally happening. Tonight sees the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics which is happening in my own borough. After years and years of waiting and countdowns, it is about to start. Travelling back yesterday to London from a family wedding abroad I noticed on Greek TV news that they were describing it as, "The Third London Olympics". I knew about the 1948 Olympics but had forgotten about the 1908 event.

The opening ceremony will take place about a mile or so away from me which I will watch on telly. I will look out of the bedroom window to see if I can see the fireworks.

I haven't got any tickets yet. Watching competitive sports has never been my thing. However, I do feel genuinely excited and pleased at the prospect of the "Games".  I think that the investment in Newham and the rest of East London has been well worth all the construction works and expected congestion. It has brought together the community in a way that nobody expected.

My elder sister is a sports fanatic and a professional gymnastics coach (who is currently hopping around with her foot in plaster after yet another break). I can remember when we used to fight as kids during Olympics over what to watch on the telly (in those days there was only ever one). She wanted wall-to-wall sport while I wanted anything but.  She still reckons it is best on TV rather than watching live since she doesn't miss anything. No change there then.

I will try and get some tickets to some of the less popular events so I can say "I was there" but I won't be that disappointed if I can't. There will be more than plenty to do during the next few weeks.  I'll try and post as and when.

Wenlock and Mandeville

Wenlock and Mandeville

The groundswell is growing in London against the elitism and commercialisation of the London 2012 Olympics, dubbed in some quarters “The rip-off Olympics.” One commentator has captured the mood:

"The Olympic spirit no longer exists, it's been completely replaced by a relentless hunger to make the Games as much of a money-spinner as possible; for the contestants, for the organisers, and especially for the corporate sponsors."

The imposition on Londoners is considerable; Transport plans based on 30% of Londoners not going to work during the Olympics, sky high ticket prices but the best seats reserved en bloc for freeloaders and sponsors. A so called “traffic free” Olympics but with 3 Zhil Lanes (now renamed Olympic Ways) for the “Olympic Family (50,000 “VIPs”, officials and freeloaders) to have exclusive access to these lanes in 3,000 prestige cars on security grounds - and this for what was billed as "Car Free Olympics!" And then there is the overweening sponsorship; In the Olympic sites, you can only drink Coca Cola products, you can only use Visa, you can only eat McDonalds, you cannot wear anything with somebody else’s logo in an outburst of sponsor fascism. In Bhopal in India nearly 200 survivors of the world's worst industrial disaster have burned effigies of Lord Coe and an Indian Olympic official to protest against Dow Chemical's sponsorship of the London Games.


Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the organising committee with the London 2012 Logo which bears a passing resemblance to Lisa Simpson!


Olympic Stadium under construction in 2010 with Canary Wharf in the background. All the main venues have now been completed a year before the event.

The spectre of commerce was conspicuous in its absence at the first Olympic Games staged after the Second World War. The president of the IOC, Avery Brundage, was a right-wing businessman from the USA; but he opposed with a messianic vehemence any moves to develop the Olympics on a more commercialised footing. Even at the time of his retirement, at the Munich Olympics in 1972, Brundage was still declaring that the IOC ‘should have nothing to do with money.’ The idealistic founder of the Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertain, spoke against ‘athletics as a show’, implying that commercially-based large-scale events would corrupt the amateur spirit: drawing upon promotional budgets and generating large crowds to justify the investment in the event, ‘these oversized showcases are the source of the corruption at the root of the evil.’


The main venues @ The Olympic Park in East London

Consider then that London 2012 mascots Wenlock and Mandeville have failed to visit a single school in an Olympic borough as head teachers struggle to pay their "exorbitant" appearance fee. Pupils in Hackney were left disappointed after the two characters used to promote the Games stayed away, despite repeated requests by staff. Emma Penzer, the head of Mandeville Primary, said her school had failed to qualify for a free visit, despite sharing a name with one mascot. She said the school, from where pupils can see the Olympic stadium, was now considering paying £850 for the privilege. "Normally we would not even consider spending £850 on something like this," she said."But as our name is Mandeville and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the children, we have thought about it. We'd hoped for a free visit but didn't win the draw."


Stoke Mandeville - Spiritual Home of the Paralympics

The characters are named after the small town of Much Wenlock in Shropshire - which hosted a precursor to the modern Olympic Games in the 19th Century - and the birthplace of the Paralympic Games, Stoke Mandeville hospital in Buckinghamshire. The Wenlock Games gave inspiration to de Coubertain as he formed his concept of the modern Olympics in 1896. Olympic motifs chime through the design: Wenlock wears the Olympic rings as friendship bracelets, and although predominantly silver in colour, also contains flashes of gold and bronze. Mandeville's head reflects aspects of the three crescent shapes of the Paralympics symbol. In a deliberate homage to London taxis, each has a yellow light on top of its head, with an initial in the middle.

Mandeville's name is inspired by Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire. In the 1940s, Dr.Ludwig Guttmann came to Stoke Mandeville Hospital to set up a new spinal unit to help former soldiers suffering from spinal cord injuries. Looking for ways to inspire those in his care, he encouraged them to take up sport, leading to the formation of the Stoke Mandeville Games, widely recognised as a forerunner of the modern Paralympic movement.

You can follow the adventure of these strange (and expensive) creatures on their own site;

http://www.london2012.com/mascots

The £850 fee is to cover the two "actors" who put on the Wenlock and Mandeville costumes and also to pay for an assistant. A visit from one of the characters costs £600. Neighbouring Newham has had one school visit, Greenwich one and Tower Hamlets three.




Stratford International Station - The public transport gateway to the Olympics - just 9 minutes from St. Pancras on "The Olympic Javelin"

Andrew Boff, Tory spokesman on the Olympics at the London Assembly, said he will raise the subject as it appeared Hackney schools were "not getting their fair share". A spokesman for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games said: "Our priority is and has always been to make mascot visits available free to schools via initiatives and competitions."Wenlock and Mandeville have already visited many schools."

Perhaps Jeremy Clarkson could arrange for them to be executed in front of their Olympic family?

See also; London Olympics 2012

http://www.daithaic.blogspot.com/2009/01/london-olympics-2012-stratford-station.html

Paralympic Games and Stoke Mandeville

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/09/paralympic-games.html

Visit Ireland the home of Cricket?

The Irish Cricket Team victorious over England

It seems that Michael O'Leary, the CEO of Ireland's budget airline, Ryanair, couldn't resist buying full page advertisements in the British newspapers today following Ireland's amazing victory over the English team in the Cricket World Cup in Bangalore, India. Ryanair does all its advertising in house and in its time has probably offended everybody with its “no holds barred” approach but this time even I had to chuckle at this advert celebrating the amazing win by an amateur Irish team over England on the 2nd March.



So warmest congratulations to Kevin and Niall O'Brien on Ireland's amazing victory over England in the Cricket World Cup. Kevin O'Brien blazed the fastest century in Cricket World Cup history as Ireland pulled off an astonishing victory over England in Bangalore. He smashed 113 off 63 balls as Ireland recovered from 111-5 to overhaul their target of 328 with five balls to spare and three wickets in hand. Earlier, fifties from Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell had driven England to an imposing 327-8. But O'Brien's stunning assault powered Ireland to a famous triumph. Only three days after England's thrilling tie with India, Bangalore's M Chinnaswamy Stadium played host to another of one-day cricket's most dramatic encounters as Ireland produced the highest run chase ever at the World Cup.


Kevin O'Brien doing the business in Bangalore, India

Now, for those who don’t know, and the point of the Ryanair joke Cricket has a very limited following in Ireland as it was traditionally seen as a “foreign game” and is not widely played. I'm proud to point out the O’Brien brothers are sons of my former boss Brendan "Ginger" O'Brien, an Irish Cricket International of some note himself and members of my former club, Railway Union in Sandymount, Dublin.


Sandymount Green with Ryan's Pub. I worked in the office on the left and lived by the DART in Oaklands Park



Sandymount Strand

Indeed I both lived and worked in this charming urban village which is by the sea only 2 miles from the centre of Dublin. Sandymount is a quaint suburban village huddled around an old-fashioned green and despite the encroachment of various multinationals and franchises; Sandymount is still essentially a seaside village full of quirky owner-run businesses.


Jimmy Joyce

For more on James Joyce and Dublin see;

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2009/06/james-joyce-and-me.html

James Joyce referenced Sandymount in Ulysses, indeed Bloomsday is meant to be the anniversary of his first date with his inamoratas, Nora Barnacle, on Sandymount Strand. The first official Bloomsday celebration took place in 1954 when Paddy Kavanagh, Flann O’Brien and the publisher John Ryan, among others, met at the Martello Tower to re-enact scenes from the book. The ensuing pub-crawl ended, rather messily, in the Bailey much later that same day. Revellers still come to the strand every June 16th. You’ll also find raucous singing and colourful costumes at the annual Wren Boys celebration at Sandymount Green on December 26th: one of the few remaining enactments of this ancient rite.




The Wren Boys at Sandymount Green on St. Stephen's Day, 26th December


For more on the first official Bloomsday celebration see;

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2010/07/on-raglan-roag.html

The local pubs are very much part of village life. O’Reilly’s, established in 1922, is popular with locals and interlopers alike and is a favourite gathering place for barstool sports enthusiasts. Star batsman/wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien used to work here and an enthusiastic bunch of local fanatics took up residence in front of the TV during last year’s Cricket World Cup. Indeed when I lived here Tommy O’Reilly had the pub comprehensively refurbished – nothing too special about that except Tommy was 78 at the time! Ryan’s Sandymount House, with its multifarious nooks and crannies, is an ideal spot for an afternoon pint and I remember Gussie Ryan as a real gentleman, indeed once I bumped into him in Searsons in Baggot Street and after he left the barman sent over a drink “compliments of Mr. Ryan.”




Railway Union's grounds at Park Avenue


Railway Union is a mixed Sports Club which as well as Cricket hosts Rugby, Hockey, Soccer, Tennis and Bowls from its fine base at Park Avenue, Sandymount. Originally set up by Railway workers as the established clubs wouldn't let the working class "scruff" join it is now very much part of the life of this charming seaside suburb where I have many happy memories. Before you get too carried away with my sporting prowess I must confess I was (at Brendan O’Brien’s kind nomination) a mere “Pavilion” member and Railway Union provided an excellent late night drinking den and an alternative banking facility!

http://www.railwayunion.com

A special for all you Tamil speakers!

Je ne regrette rien?

Thierry Henry

After France won their World Cup qualifier against Ireland last Wednesday at the Stade de Fraud, Paris, with Thierry Henry’s handball the cry went up around France’s former Republican ally “Liberté, égalité, fraternité et replay!”

But now it's all over for Ireland in World Cup 2010. FIFA has refused a replay against France so the country will now have to return to discussing its bankrupt economy and incompetent dishonest politicians. Pity, they could have done with the distraction.

Depression about being cheated out of a place in World Cup 2010 by the French Handball team means I'm back on the drink! Still, we must now look for the positives, think of all the Irish fans who now won't get murdered in South Africa!

The BBC reports that for a nation not particularly known for its moral qualms - it once hailed a head-butting footballer as a hero - the French feel surprisingly chastened about their questionable qualification for next year's World Cup. Reactions to Thierry Henry's handball, which led to the goal that sent the national team to the South African finals at the expense of the hapless Irish, have ranged from embarrassment to outrage.

The incident in Wednesday's game has been commented on in newspapers, on websites, and in cafes up and down France. It has even become of affair of state, with politicians weighing in. President Nicolas Sarkozy felt obliged to tell Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen that he felt sorry for his people. In an online poll for Le Monde, almost two-thirds of respondents agreed that the handball "discredits France's qualification".

Le Parisien newspaper summarised the national mood: "The handball of Henry has brought a decisive contribution to the theme 'being French is being ashamed of one's national team'." So perhaps for Les Bleus, the French cockerel is not crowing too loudly?

Enfin, répétez après moi;

“Non! Rien de rien...
Non! Je ne regrette rien...
Car ma vie, car mes joies
Aujourd'hui, a commence avec toi!”

The Hand of the French

Le French Hand job! Merde!

Feelings are running high in Ireland after the country failed to qualify for World Cup 2010 in South Africa. The only topic of discussion in Ireland today is the French Hand job! Merde!! Ireland suffered the cruelest of World Cup exits as France went through with a goal with a goal which should have been disallowed for handball. Thierry Henry clearly handled before playing the ball for William Gallas to score the equaliser which saw France win the play-off 2-1 on aggregate at Stade de France, Paris. In fact Henry handled the ball twice, which would have been a foul in Volleyball let alone Soccer!



Thierry Henry admitted that he had intentionally handled the ball to set up William Gallas’s decisive goal against Ireland in Wednesday night's World Cup play-off in Paris. With cries of “cheat” ringing in his ears from furious Irish fans, the Barcelona and former Arsenal forward emerged from the dressing room to say: “I will be honest, it was a handball. But I’m not the ref. I played it, the ref allowed it. That’s a question you should ask him.”

Today in Ireland the mood is grim with calls to boycott French Fries, French Batons and even calls to outlaw French Kissing! It is safe to assume that Thierry Henry is not going on holiday in Ireland any time soon. My personal favourite is the reworking of the 1916 Declaration of Independence which a wag has put on the Facebook protest site “Hands up who think Ireland deserve the place in the 2010 World Cup.”


William Gallas bundles in France's extra-time winner in the World Cup play-off against the Republic of Ireland at the Stade de France in Paris last night

“IRISHMEN AND IRISHWOMEN: In the name of God and of the dead generations from which she receives her old tradition of nationhood, Ireland, through us, summons her children to her flag and strikes for A REPLAY.

Having organised and trained her boys in green, she has stood tall in the face of disappointment and injustice , through the support of the Irish nation home and abroad, through her hope and hard work, carried forth by the supporters, young and old, having patiently perfected her discipline, even learnt to take penalties, having resolutely waited for the right moment to reveal itself, she last night seized that moment, and, supported by her exiled children in America and by gallant allies in Europe, but relying in the first on her own strength, she struck in full confidence of victory. Two men sought to bring down a nation: one by means of trickery and deceit; the other, to pander blindly in the face of world powers.


The Hand of the French

We declare the right of the people of Ireland to compete in the 2010 World Cup, and to continue with the unfettered control of Irish destinies, to be victorious and undefeatable. The long usurpation of that right, played out last night by the hands of Thierry Henry and the blind ref, can never be extinguished except by the destruction of the Irish people, we demand the right to justice and a replay at the very least.


Le Grenouille - The legs of the French

In every generation the Irish people have asserted their right to national freedom, justice and victory; six times during the last three hundred years they have asserted it to arms, last night we exerted it peacefully and proudly on a pitch in Paris. Now, we must face the second hand of God, the powers of FIFA and their colonial friends. Standing on our fundamental right to justice, and again asserting it peacefully in the face of the world, we hereby proclaim the Irish Republic the deserved and righteous qualifier for South Africa, and we pledge our lives and the lives of our fellow countrymen and women to the cause of her victory, of the realisation of her long held dream, and of her exaltation among the nations of World Cup 2010.”


The French players celebrate William Gallas' extra-time goal

The French Goal Should Not Stand... Ireland Deserve to be in the 2010 World Cup

Contact FIFA via this link...

http://www.fifa.com/contact/form.html

And join the protest group on Facebook;

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hands-up-who-think-Ireland-deserve-the-place-in-the-2010-World-Cup/181240290833#/pages/Hands-up-who-think-Ireland-deserve-the-place-in-the-2010-World-Cup/181240290833?v=wall

“Hands up who think Ireland deserve the place in the 2010 World Cup.”

It didn’t have to be like this you know, once Ireland and France were allies united against the common enemy;

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/03/years-of-french.html

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose!