It is widely known that often the massive Olympic stadiums start to fall to ruin after the host city wraps up the final events. Just take a look at Athens' stadium or so many others. We also have Winter Olympic ski jumps sitting idle, old bobsled tracks, and hotels that never see that level of volume again. Some in hindsight call it a waste of money all in the name of ego, as nations and cities chase and bid for the prestige and national pride of hosting the Olympic Games.
Well, now we see the 2012 London Olympic Stadium is way over budget and financially unstable, right as the country is in the middle of severe austerity measures to cut spending and pensioner's benefits. Can that stadium be used for soccer events? Is it viable for future use, can it pay back the cost, or EVER provide a decent ROI for the expense to build it? Some say yes, others doubt it very much.
Now then, I was fortunate enough to discuss this with one of the most controversial bloggers of London the other day, you've no doubt heard of Josh Aggars. Well, Josh tells me that; "There are many who believe that crowds will dwindle especially if the debt troubled club are relegated from the Premier League."
Well, he may be correct in his assessment and there is cause for alarm considering the current economic climate. However, perhaps, or the economy over all could return in the future and all the argument is lost to a past economic recessionary dip. Who can say in 2015 that same argument will be valid in hindsight? And soccer is not going to disappear. But Josh is a realist and states;
"Should the neigh-sayers be right the Government may have to step in at a later date to rescue the facility."
Ah, well, sometimes risk is necessary to reap the rewards. If nothing is risked, no real gain can be achieved. Maybe it's time for a Winston Churchill speech? Next, Josh, never to be one to be miss a serious talking point, puts for another contention;
"On the other hand English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in conjunction with concert promoters AEG propose to demolish the tax payer funded £547 million stadium after just two weeks of use and replace it with a purpose built soccer only stadium."
Okay, I told him, but if this is so, then the Olympic Stadium and facility should be made with a conversion theme, an "Elevated Track" and thus, it could still have a soccer field center. This makes it only a design issue, that is no problem really. And just because the accountants call it a financial Titanic, doesn't make it so. You see, beware of bean-counters without any creativity or imagination, anything is possible, unless you defeat your mind in advance.
You see, this is why I enjoy talking with Josh, he is never dull, always on the ball, and controversy may as well be his middle name. The man is irreverent and won't let anyone off the hook. Indeed, I hope you will please consider all this.
Lance Winslow is the Founder of the Online Think Tank http://www.worldthinktank.net and if you want to read the most controversial blog in London, you are in luck as this article was sponsored by http://www.flipflopscity.com/blog/
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