Naartjie on 16/3/2007 at 10:51

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(http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=156232004) So says The Scotsman

"THE cost of funding the London 2012 Olympics will set the regeneration of sport in Scotland back by 20 years, according to a leaked report from the country’s main sports funding body"

According to this "leaked report" SportScotland, which is basically the body behind the funding of all Scottish sport, could lose out around £40 million in long-term funding from lottery grants which are going to be appropriated for the London Olympics in 2012. This is after the budget for the games tripled from the original estimate to over £9 billion. The money will be diverted (among other good causes traditionally funded by the lottery) from Scottish sport to fund projects such as stadium construction in London, urban regeneration in the East End and improved transport for the capital.

£40 million is a hell of a lot of money for a country this small. We already have problems of increased obesity and a lot of our sporting teams are underachieving* in comparison to Scottish sports teams and athletes in the past, not to mention the dire need of reform of the Scottish Football League and Scottish club rugby, effectively the two national games. Having looked at what's happened to Sydney and Athens after recent Olympics (empty and unused facilities, shortfalls after the failure of tourism to make up for expenditure, continued debt) I also fear that a lot of the money which could have been used to fund both grass roots and professional sport in Scotland is basically going to be wasted on putting on a good show for a few weeks in London while north of the border Scotland gets stuck in a 20 year sporting slump.


I know that the Scottish economy is to an extent sustained by subsidies and income from the UK, but this is the kind of thing which gives independence a definite shine :erg:


Cricketers, you are all exempt :p

Fingernail on 16/3/2007 at 11:17

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Scotland is massively over-represented democratically.

Until that's corrected, you have nothing to complain about.

Bugs on 16/3/2007 at 11:20

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And how are we over-represented exactly?

Naartjie on 16/3/2007 at 15:47

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I'm not complaining because I think that Scotland is being victimized by English politicians, I'm complaining because this is an example of the complicated mess the Union has become in modern times. Scottish representation at Westminster post-devolution is still eccentric and needs to be sorted out. Meanwhile issues like this one continue to highlight how unclear and messy the notion of "Britishness" is, and, among other things, fuel support for the SNP.

Aerothorn on 16/3/2007 at 17:18

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I assure you, they're better than the tripe we have over here. Double that for BBC vs. American TV news.

Honestly, I don't get why people try to get the olympics in their city. It bankrupts every city it enters, because they always say they'll build everything themselves, and the cost far outweighs the gains. Isn't Ontario or Montreal (can't remember which) still paying for their olympic stadium from decades ago?

I think the last folks to profit from the Olympics were Atlanta. Guess the USA can do something right after all:)