It’ll be all right . . .
Last updated at 12:30, Wednesday, 08 August 2012
WITH just a couple of days to go before the London Olympics begin, let’s hope that all the misery-guts doom merchants will now stop their incessant whinging, and let the rest of us get on with enjoying a fantastic few weeks.
The Games’ security “omnishambles” will no doubt sort itself out at the 11th hour.
The missiles sitting menacingly on the rooftops of some Londoners’ flats will remain unfired.
The transport system in London will not grind to a gridlock for a month. The clouds will part and summer will begin at last. And Team GB will scoop medals galore. As IOC President Jacques Rogge said this week, it’s now time to get on with it and stop complaining.
The only thing that could conceivably go wrong now is if some Olympics official takes leave of their senses and hires Lesley Garrett to get Friday’s opening ceremony under way, by repeating her toe-curlingly appalling rendition of the National Anthem during Bradley Wiggins’ moment of glory at the Tour de France. For those lucky enough to have missed it, imagine someone slowly strangling a cat with one hand, while playing an out-of-tune set of bagpipes with the other – while wearing a Union Jack shroud.
Even for people who generally find sport pretty boring, it is difficult to avoid being swept up by the enthusiasm and sense of pride which is finally beginning to pervade the nation as the Olympics get under way.
My own enthusiasm stops short of physically going to watch any of the events. I would have put myself in for the ticket ballot, but I would probably have only bagged seats for an Azerbaijan v Chad handball match. However, from my prostrate position on the sofa I shall be cheering on Team GB (and Usain Bolt).
Despite all the pre-Games glitches, and the huge financial cost to Austerity Britain, when the Olympic flame is lit at Friday’s opening ceremony (my money’s on Sir Steve Redgrave doing the honours now that Daley Thompson’s blown his chances by telling an Irish joke on the BBC), we should all feel excited that it is taking place on home turf. For millions of us, it really is once-in-a-lifetime stuff. We should embrace and celebrate that – and I predict that most of us will.
That is why the Border Agency workers who are planning their mean-spirited strike tomorrow will find there is precious little public sympathy for their “cause” – when their real aim seems to be to bring shame on the country just as the world’s spotlight trains itself upon us. The PCS union has misjudged the public mood on this one. There is talk of some ministers pushing for a “Ronald Reagan” approach to the strikers – i.e. sacking them if they go ahead with their action tomorrow.
I doubt it will actually happen – but it would serve them right if, while our elite athletes are collecting their hard-won medals, those striking border guards are collecting their P45s.
First published at 12:54, Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
I have to respond to the post sent in by Mike on 26th July where he says in the second paragragh that he is "proud to be English & still proud of this country & the hard working people who live here"
But not proud of the "stupid actions of a minority"
Can you please explain exactly what you mean by that statement......
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Okay Charlie (not that this really needs pointing out) but those selfish arrogant idiots that brought these expensive irrelevant exclusive games to the shores of an almost bankrupt county. They're the ones I mean. Go into any hospital in the land (FGH would be a good start) and tell me the Billions spent on some hyped up game of rounders for a bunch of free loaders is really worth the money.
Posted by Mike on 31 July 2012 at 15:31