Examination of Witnesses (Questions 120
- 121)
TUESDAY 14 JANUARY 2003
MR CRAIG
REEDIE, CBE, MR
SIMON CLEGG,
OBE, SIR STEVEN
REDGRAVE, CBE, AND
MR DAVID
LUCKES
120. That is one of the difficulties. Another
difficulty is our own track record in this area, particularly
our recent track record with Wembley, with Pickett's Lock and
the World Athletics Championship in 2005. Julie Kirkbride has
already mentioned the Dome. Manchester itself, as the Chairman
has said, was heading for difficulties before fairly severe action
was taken. That surely cannot be of assistance to us.
(Mr Reedie) I hope, and rather believe, that memories
are shorter rather than longer. By the time 2005 comes I would
expect Wembley to be well under way as being the best football
stadium in the world. By that stage we will be a bit further away
from the Pickett's Lock decision. In Olympic sporting terms that
was the damaging one. Although the Commonwealth Games were a struggle
to bring to fruition they were a huge success and the rest of
the world saw that success. They were not hugely interested two
years out in what committee problems were under way. The Manchester
experience has done well. We are running the World Indoor Athletics
Championships in Birmingham in March and I have every confidence
in the capacity of UK Athletics, who are a first class governing
body, to run a first class event there. I am sorry, I cannot just
wait forever until people forget the names Wembley and Picketts
Lock. I think there is a good enough sales pitch to be made because
the opportunity is now and I think we should go for it.
Chairman
121. Thank you very much indeed. Last week I
was in New York and saw Richard Rodgers' Oscar and today I have
seen one of Sir Steven Redgrave's many gold medals; who says that
it is not a treat chairing this committee. Thank you very much
indeed. Yes, Mr Reedie?
(Mr Reedie) Am I allowed one last comment, Chairman.
I hope you would accept that the criticism of some of the other
projects has been that they were not worked on and thought through.
This whole exercise has been done over many years to make sure
that all of the information is on the table before the decision
is taken, which I think has been an argument on many occasions
brought to sport by your committee.
Chairman: I am happy to leave you with
the last word, Mr Reedie. Thank you.
|
