I had a personal reason to see the torch being carried, because my aunt was carrying it while it was on merseyside (insert tracksuit / theft gag here).

Other than that I'm not sure I would have gone. I probably would have, but I feel I may have been undewhelmed.

One of my friends said the other day, that just because some thing is a once in a lifetime experience, doesn't mean its good to experience it.

Thats another wonderful piece of PR spin, its not "once in a lifetime" at all, or at least no-one can guarantee it - there was an old bloke on Radio Leeds today who ran the torch relay for the 1948 Olympics (which was just an armed forces thing from Dover to London) - try telling him it was "once in a lifetime"

I am looking forward to the Olympics avidly, I love watching athletics.

As for the torch, not really bothered either way but I was prevailed upon to hang around to see it so we did the rugby pitch inspection (some of it is bit bare down the Southern touch line and the surface was a lot damper than it had looked from the North Stand )... and then we sat in the sun at the cricket side with a pint awaiting the torch.
The waiting was the best bit.
Whoever decided to hide the runners and the torches with two too-tightly-ranked rows of people thereby preventing thousands from seeing it wants their #rse kicking.
I saw a distant flicker when it went through the shade in the pavilion.

Still I don't suppose YCC are used to that many people in the stands.

I carry a torch.

Shame to hear that YCC didn't make the most of a great opportunity. It's sad also when negative comments about the London Olympics are made, in regards to minority sports and funding etc. The torch symbolises the history of the games, that's not hard to understand, I thought I was cynical!
From my point of view and experience the legacy of the games in schools is absolutely massive, giving children the opportunity to try 'minority' sports where not everyone wants to play football etc, the whole school ethos in thousands of schools accross the country are also being modeled around the Olympic Values. If people don't care to watch the sports that's fine, but surely it's not hard to understand the positive impact of the games being in our country.

I agree wholeheartedly re-Olympics and the Schools Seth unfortunately once it's all over the usual funding and facillites been pulled will rear it's ugly head becasue 1st and foremost it's the ££££££ made from it will be for the south that will be the priority hence all the regeneration down there etc etc.

It's a challenging time but speaking for our partnership of 57 schools where I work we are going from strength to strength with the belief in our programmes and the support of schools valuing our work we're confident they'll continue to buy into our services. School Games funding has been extended to 2015 which is a small fraction of the funding we've had under labour, but it shows value and as an organisation it's our intention that our services are so indispensable that schools build it into their yearly budgets in the long term.

ohh come see it, it's once in a lifetime! unless you went out today, drove a bit to where it's going to be and see it then.

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Straight to pub after the game, no queuing at the bar, no ankle biters around, no traffic. As soon as it was over the hoards arrived so I went home and didn't have to suffer the footie. Good night apart from the SUBLIME rugby.........not!

Quite agree. Totally over hyped non event which is perhaps a fitting way to promote the Games themselves. It is difficult to think of a more over hyped, over budget, corruptly run event, that has lost its way and original purpose, organised for the benefit of politicians. (.....well I suppose the EU would get the 'gold medal' now I think about it!)

These same organisers use the word 'legacy' as some giant brush to sweep the wasted tax payers money under the carpet to fool the foolish.

But I may just watch the ladies beach volley ball

I love the Olympics, but I can't say having it here has ended up meaning a lot to me. Perhaps if I worked for one of the corporate sponsors who got all the decent tickets I'd feel different. Apart from the giant novelty cigarette lighter (which will pass within 200 yards of my house next Sunday wothout me going to see it) it makes no impact whatsoever outside London for most people. I'll watch the sports I'm interested in (athletics, cycling and swimming mostly) on TV, much as I have done every other Olympics that haven't been in this country. Meh.

What a bunch of miserable fekkers we have on here.

As a person who pays quite a wedge in tax I can tell you that I am much happier that my hard earned is going to the Olympics and all that surrounds it than many other avenues it's frittered away on.

That said, i couldn't be arrised hanging about an hour for the torch.

Olympic torch goes around country - everyone has great time. Torch goes to a rugbyleague ground, every fekker moans. Priceless

Go to your local schools to see what they're doing in preparation for the Games and you'll start to see it a little differently. The Get Set Network website has lots of case studies of what's going on accross the country too.

This is a terrific sport that is only held back by the parochial and myopic majority of it's supporter base.

No, it's all the RFLs fault

Agreed about the parochial and myopic majority of the RL supporter base. For example, I once recall texting someone to let them know England had just got walloped 52-4 by Australia in the World Cup. The response I got was something along the lines of [i"I'm not interested in international RL or the World Cup. It's the off-season and I'm on my holidays."[/i

You can still call me Keith if you like.

Some rugby supporters are so insane they catch a couple of buses to Headingley only to change their mind pre match and walk away bleating about the price of admission and the sub par quality of opposition.

I'll call you Jeff if it's all the same.

Lovely stuff.

When was that?

Yesterday, at Keighley.

Oh that's pedantic!

Rhinos blame YCC for the farce yesterday. Today YCC blame the Torch Relay officials www.therhinos.co.uk/news/19642.php It seems there's a buck passing relay going on as well

Rhinos blame YCC for the farce yesterday. Today YCC blame the Torch Relay officials www.therhinos.co.uk/news/19642.php It seems there's a buck passing relay going on as well

I was too late for the Bramley home game so got off at Headingley instead. And yes, I did then start to think about the whipping boy SL rabble opposition and whether they (or Leeds for that matter) justified a £20 admission price. I concluded that neither did. Was I wrong?

Don't forget your RL off-season next year - it's during the World Cup.


I prefer Keith... or Bill.