We've carried out a new survey after observing the mixed feelings regarding the allocation of the Olympic Stadium. It interestingly revealed that 72% of people in Britain would like the Olympic Stadium to remain as an athletics and multi-sport facility that is not owned by a football club.
When the 1000 questioned in the poll were asked what they would like to see happen to the http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Olympic-c40122 Stadium after the 2012 Olympic games, the majority, 72%, voted for an athletics and multi-sport facility not owned by a football club, while only 14% would be keen to see it go to West Ham United, and just 10% said they would like to see it go to Tottenham Hotspur. The remaining 4% say it should be used for something other than the previous three options.
These results suggest that most people still want the Olympic stadium to be what it was originally planned for after the games. We are a sport loving nation, and particularly of football, but the majority obviously see it as being more apt, on this occasion, to offer something dedicated to all sports fans.
If the OPLC took the decision to maintain the stadium purely for athletics, it may not be received as bad news for football fans of Tottenham or West Ham, as both have expressed their concerns for a stadium that has to be a mix of football and athletics. In addition, whilst some are keen to move, many fans are unhappy at the prospect of leaving their old grounds due to the historic values and traditions they carry.
There are mixed reports about the feelings of Spurs, Tottenham and Leyton Orient fans and we are starting to see a lot of interaction between them on our site, but we get the impression that this is what many would like to hear. Everyone has a history with their club and it’s difficult to consider an upheaval, particularly one that involves moving to a different borough.
Out of those questioned in London, 66% thought the stadium should be dedicated to being a multi-sport complex not owned by a football club as did 91% in the East midlands, 81% in the http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Scotland-c756.
The original plans for the Olympic Stadium was for it to become a 25,000-seater venue for athletics and host to other sporting, cultural and community events.
The survey also found that the majority (64%) thought that Britain needed an international athletics arena. Surprisingly, however, 62% in the South East thought Britain didn’t need one, which was in contrast to 25% in the South West, 27% in http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Northern-Ireland-c2972 and 35% in the North West.
The results indicate that people feel there should be an international athletics arena in the UK, which we don’t have at the moment. So if the stadium was dedicated to athletics, it would not only enable us to host more international events, but it will possibly make us look at how we can improve athletics as a spectator sport and attract the crowds seen at football matches.
Along with Lord Coe’s concern about Britain’s reputation, the survey revealed that 74% agree that it will be embarrassing for the nation in future international sporting bids should the original plans be scrapped.
Whatever happens with this stadium we should, in some way, carry out what we promised in our bid. If we don’t, we risk embarrassment and possible exclusion from hosting other events.
The Olympic Park Legacy Company has postponed the decision on the future of the stadium until further notice. They are currently under discussion as to whether or not The Hammers or Spurs should be allocated the stadium or whether it should be kept as originally planned and dedicated to athletics and major sports events.
Having a stadium that is dedicated to all sports is what everyone expected and what everyone still wants. It will be interesting to see what the outcome of the bid is within the next couple of weeks.
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