New coalition government aims for sporting excellence

As with every change of government, there are changes in policy and direction in every department. This is no more true than with the rare occurrence of a coalition government, with two different parties pulling in different directions. Just as with banking, business, policing and defence the same is true in the department of culture, Olympics, media and sport is likely to see some changes in the coming months and years.
The new minister for this department of state, Jeremy Hunt (MP for South-West Surrey) has courted his fair share of controversy in the past, none more so than when he made the controversial claim that the Hillsborough disaster on 15 April 1989 was due to hooliganism. He was forced to retract the comment and make an apology to Liverpool fans and the families of those who lost their lives. As far as sport and the Olympics are concerned, this is a crucial time for the government and it is imperative the right decisions are made. In two years, Britain will host the Olympics for the first time in 64 years, as the greatest sporting spectacle on earth comes to London. When you also consider the Commonwealth games in Glasgow in 2014, the 2013 Rugby League World Cup in Britain, the 2015 Rugby Union World Cup in England and the small matter of the bid for the 2018 World Cup in football, it's fair to say this is a crucial time for the department!
There is the usual blighting of previous policies and decisions by the previous government - 'we will stop wasteful spending by National Lottery distributors by banning lobbying activities and restricting administrative costs to 5% of total income' - but, all in all, the mission statement seems a strong one. The prescient point is that as well as the present, the government needs to concentrate the future - ensuring the Olympics in London create a lasting legacy in terms of infrastructure and stadiums, transport, hospitality, atmosphere and a bright future for sport in this country. It is all well and good hosting a splendid Olympics in London, but much of that will be lost if the government doesn't capitalise on the opportunities presented.
The huge investments in accommodation, transport and financing from different companies and businesses will leave London, and Britain in general, in a healthier state than before the bid was successful in 2005. Although the majority of events will take place in London (many of these in the new Olympic Park in Stretford in East London as part of the regeneration of the area, as well as Hyde Park and Horse Guards Palace), there will also be events in Weymouth, Tring (who's most famous, or infamous, resident is Graham Poll) and Coventry, where the football will be held. The former Labour government published their legacy plans in 2007, and it remains to be seen how a change of government will effect these. As these plans were made by the head of the bid, Lord Sebastian Coe, there is likely to be some continuity. The five promises are: make Britain a leading sporting nation, transform the heart of East London, inspire a generation of young people to take part in local volunteering, cultural and physical activity, make the Olympic Park a blueprint for sustainable living, demonstrate that the UK is a creative, inclusive and welcoming place to live in and visit and for businesses.
So, to summise: make us good a sport, improve tourism, get kids interest in sport, regenerate the place of London which will be at the centre of the games and improve the environment. So not too much to ask for then! Whenever there is a vast sporting event such as this, there is always talk about the 'legacy' that will be left, but on and off the field of play. There has to be considering the vast volumes of resources which will be poured into the planning. Although this government didn't implement this plan, Mr Hunt and his department will have the crucial tasks of guiding the legacy and ensuring a focus and attention to detail, to avoid ambiguous policies which could waste this fantastic opportunity. The biggest area to focus on will be youth sport, and school sport. Legacy Trust UK, a charitable organisation charged with ensuring a good legacy from the Olympics, has been given a one-off, £40m funding investment - partly funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. £6m of this has been earmarked for the UK School Games. The kids are our future after all, and this is a clear follow on from Jamie Oliver's school dinners drive!
But as strange as it might sound, there are other areas for Mr Hunt and his department to concentrate on in terms of sport besides the Olympics. An issue which has troubled football fans in the past decade has been the ownership of football clubs. Despite their success under the Russian oligarch Roman Abrahmovich, I'm sure many Chelsea fans look back to the 'good old days' when Ken Bates brought the club for £1, and the views of Liverpool fans on George Gillet and Tom Hicks, and Manchester United supporters in the Glazers, are common knowledge. The only foreign owner who can claim to be universally popular with the club's fans, is Aston Villa's Randy Lerner. In my opinion, the Premier League's fit and proper person's test is flimsy at best. The fact that former Thai President Thaksin Shinawatra passed the test is testament to that. The fact is, there is barely a week which goes by when an English club isn't linked with a foreign takeover, and it is not good for football. With that, it can only be a good thing that one of the coalition's policies is 'to encourage the reform of football governance to support the co-operative ownership of clubs by supporters.' The case of Ebbsfleet United (who were brought by a website fans formed, who clubbed together to raise the cash, making those who invested the owners) springs to mind, though the Conference club have shown this doesn't always work well in practice. But it is a step in the right direction in attempting to give the power back to the people, and those who really care about their clubs.
If that policy is concentrating on sport at the highest level, the new government also knows the importance of grass roots sport, and most importantly, youth sport. The more youngsters who can get outside (or inside depending on the activity) playing sport, competing and having fun, the more likely we are to create a future generation of champions. The likes of Tom Daly are simply too few and far between. Look at the facts: England have only won one international football competition (the 1966 World Cup at home); in cricket, the England team who won the 20Twenty World Cup earlier this summer were the first to win any international competition in the sport; the England rugby union team's 2003 World Cup was the solitary success; but at the last Olympics in Beijing, the United Kingdom came fourth in the medal table, behind just the massive countries hosts China, United States of America and Russia. So there is definitely something to build on, and the government has to use the examples of past heroes like Sir Chris Hoy and Dame Kelly Holmes to inspire future generations. To that end, the department 'will use cash in dormant betting accounts to improve local sports facilities and support local sports clubs,' and ,'we will support the creation of an annual Olympic-style schools sport event to encourage competitive sport in school, and we will seek to protect playing fields.' These are healthy promises, but it remains to be seen whether the government follows through on these. Facilities and funding aren't the funding - the attitude and aptitude are. The key are coaches and getting kids enthusiastic from a young age. Grass roots sports are where it all begins - the likes of Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Lionel Messi didn't suddenly become world beaters, it takes hard work and dedication and honing of talent. Hopefully these policies are just the start.
In the next couple of years, it will be hard for the government to not focus on the Olympics when it comes to sport. This is a great opportunity to energise the sporting atmosphere in this country, but it would be unwise to neglect other areas. The Olympics will come and go, but sport will need to evolve and improve to make sure the lasting legacy which is in vogue at present is realised.