It had to happen. The national media are clamouring that LOCOG is messing up the decision about the future of the Olympic stadium.
Meanwhile my local paper is complaining that no benefits are being seen here with few local companies winning contracts and no competitors have booked a training camp in either Devon or Cornwall.
It was all going so well. The build is on time and within budget. Our athletes are achieving good results. More that 700,000 people applied to be Games Makers and more than 2 million have asked for information about tickets, 18 months before the events.
Companies in the region have won contracts and sub-contracts. It is just very hard to find the information and LOCOG does need to be asked about why they were reluctant to tell people about this or to allow successful companies to do so. I am told it is to do with sponsorship. I don't find that a very good answer.
Currently there are four training camps agreed in the region with the aim being 10. What have the venues done apart from apply to have their details in a government booklet? They need to do a lot more to win customers.
The next area for complaint will be tourism. No overseas visitors coming to the south west in 2012. Oh dear! Please look at the results from other Games. The visitor number spiked in the years following Sydney in 2000 and the winter events in Vancouver in 2010. Visitor numbers have grown in both Australia and Canada thanks to the positive media coverage of beautiful locations and friendly locals.
We've got those too. As long as our media stays positive then we will benefit, even if not in 2012.
