York bids to play an active role in running London Olympics 2012
IT MAY BE 200 miles from London, but York is keen to join in when it comes to the worlds largest sporting event. Whilst it is unlikely that the city will be witnessing the world’s top athletes strutting their stuff on the lawns of York Minster, York City Council has been keen to be part of the plans for the 2012 London Olympics.
Rumour has it that venues such as the Next Generation Club in Heslington, Huntingdon Stadium have declared an interest, even if it just as a pre-games camp for competitors.
York City Council is a key player in the Yorkshire 2012 initiative which aims to make sure that the region gains recognition in the 2012 games. Local councillor Paul Blanchard has vowed to fight York’s corner on the Tourism and Sport Board of the Local Government Association and recently returned on a fact finding mission to China, where he undertook research on how Chinese provinces were set to benefit from the upcoming Beijing Olympics in 2008.
At the moment the University has remained tight lipped on its plans for hosting events in 2012. It is perhaps telling that Councillor Blanchard recently was quoted saying that our near neighbours York St John have “excellent sporting facilities”, yet on our own University nothing was said. This should probably come as no surprise, with the University not even having its own swimming pool. The rowers could always use the lake, although judging by how highly regarded the ducks are at this University this remains unlikely. Perhaps with an athletics stadium being part of the plans for the Heslington East campus, there is hope for us yet.
So how well equipped is the rest of York for holding major sporting events? They are certainly not a novelty in the city. The racecourse proved to be more than capable of being a substitute for Ascot in 2005, and the Barbican has played host for the last two UK Snooker Championships. It is clear to see that the city is no stranger to welcoming tourists, however the Barbican remains eerily quiet for the rest of the year, and the racecourse is used more for University balls than horse races. It is questionable as to whether money should be wasted on such grand schemes. It is also difficult to see one enjoying the rowing from the comfort of the Kings Arms: the Ouse would be a scenic location, but it is not quite the Thames.
It would also appear that local support for the Games has been mixed. Many feel that public money would be far better spent on health and education rather than something that many perceive to be a white elephant in the vein of the Dome or Wembley Stadium. Others feel that despite efforts from the likes of Blanchard, York will be overlooked by larger cities and ones closer to London in the race to be a venue for an event. Certainly it appears that the grand mission statement of Yorkshire and Humber to “engage, energise, and involve everybody in the region and beyond the banner of the London 2012 Games to achieve a lasting sporting, cultural, and health legacy for all” has yet to filter through to most York residents.
Whilst there is perhaps little hope for the University of York to play host to the 2012 games, for Yorkshire as a whole there is greater hope. In an audit of the regions facilities, Sport England Yorkshire found a particular strength in the number of disabled facilities which suggests that the region could be a major venue in the ever growing and popular Paralympic Games.
However, it is debatable how many events will actually be staged in Yorkshire. Whilst the official London 2012 website argues that the Games will benefit “not only London but all the nations and regions of the UK”, it looks unlikely that any major events will be staged in and around York.
The city is a long way from London and does not really have the sport facilities or transport infrastructure that larger cities can boast. It has the tourist sights but it is likely that most foreign visitors to the city will go merely for that. It appears for the time being that York’s only role in the Olympics will be confined to the odd training camp.
