Why is there even a decision being made between these two clubs? Didn’t we already promise that this stadium was going to be part of Britain’s Olympic legacy and be for multi-sport purposes? Can either football club really promise this? What does handing it to a football club say about our support for all other sports? Sure, one football club would like to knock the stadium down, rebuild it as well as redevelop a nearby athletics track, and another is happy to integrate both athletics and football into the existing stadium without knocking it down… for the time being!
But shouldn’t everyone have a right to visit and use this stadium? And will they be able to if it is under the rule of one of two of Britain’s biggest football clubs?
It’s hard to understand why it is not being considered as Britain’s international arena for athletics. It would be perfect, surely! People say it would be an empty bowl if it was used for this purpose but shouldn’t we see this as a challenge? At the moment athletics is not a popular spectator sport, and it’s hard to find local clubs on the internet let alone find out when athletics events are screened on TV. Nike and a few other companies have tried to draw attention to athletics with street races but nothing really has been attempted in a stadium. But perhaps, if a consortium of the athletics clubs and sports associations in the UK are given the opportunity to manage this stadium, athletics could be transformed, promoted in a more entertaining way and made bigger in Britain. This is an opportunity that really could change the way Britain approaches athletics. And, it would not only satisfy today’s athletes but offer future generations the opportunity to compete at what will be one of Britain’s most prestigious sporting grounds.
As an athletics stadium (with the full 80,000 seats), it could also host major cultural, music and other sports events, which was a part of the original plan, so nothing would have to be excluded.
Therefore, before a decision is made on Friday, perhaps more thought should go into what this stadium really stands for, and the opportunities it could provide every sports fan in Britain.
Tags: