Source: Daily_Mail
CHARLES SALE: Olympic naming at Her Majesty's pleasure
Intrigue: London Mayor Boris Johnson wants to build relations between London and the monarchy[LNB]The British Olympic Association and the Government are on acollision course over naming the London 2012 Games site Elizabeth Park,with the proposal being finalised by Olympic Minister Tessa Jowell,following Downing Street approval. [LNB]The BOA want the addition of 'Olympic' in the title - to make it theElizabeth Olympic Park - to add to the legacy from 2012, especially asthere is no building or venue celebrating the previous Olympics held inthe capital. [LNB]A statement from the BOA, who have not been involved in the titlediscussions, said: 'There has been no formal consultation process withus over this particular name. It is important that the public hassomething to remember the 2012 Olympics by as there is no bricks andmortar legacy from previous London Games of 1908 and 1948.' [LNB]With the Queen being patron of the BOA and the Princess Royal theirpresident, it makes the dispute all the more sensitive. A BuckinghamPalace spokesperson said: 'We are aware of the proposal but it hasstill to be approved by the Queen.' [LNB]To add to the intrigue, London Mayor Boris Johnson is in favour ofthe new name as a way of rebuilding relations between London and theMonarchy, strained by his predecessor Ken Livingstone, an avowedrepublican.[LNB] More from Charles Sale... Charles Sale: Dennis Wise and sidekick Tony Jimenez on the prowl again30/10/09 Charles Sale: Peter Harrison the football agent at the centre of BBC Panorama bungs documentary set for date with Liverpool civil court 29/10/09 CHARLES SALE: £1m sponsorship boost for England's 2018 World Cup bid28/10/09 CHARLES SALE: FA desperate to bring in cup cash27/10/09 Manchester United board left as sitting targets in the box seats at Anfield26/10/09 Charles Sale: Newcastle owner Mike Ashley dithers over £80m sale to Barry Moat25/10/09 CHARLES SALE: £160k-a-week Chelsea skipper John Terry gets a paper round23/10/09 Arsenal share war: Billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Stan Kroenke set for takeover battle23/10/09 VIEW FULL ARCHIVEGreenkeeping staff being made redundant at Turnberry so soon after the 2009 Open Championship suggests that staging a major event is not always a recipe for long-term success.[LNB] And despite Turnberry describing their hosting as a 'spectacular success story', the course hotel, refurbished for The Open at a cost of £40million, has had plenty of empty rooms since.[LNB]Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez shows no knowledge of Anfield history with his latest pronouncement that he doesn't have to win trophies and increasing the club's value is more important than silverware. [LNB]The famous quote of former Liverpool chairman Sir John Smith that has been regularly repeated is: 'Liverpool FC is about winning things and only that. It has no other purpose.'[LNB]There is understandable upset among Manchester City fans that boxer-turned-promoter Ricky Hatton was pictured in a Stoke City shirt at the Britannia Stadium as part of a publicity campaign for his boxing show in the Potteries on November 13. [LNB]Hatton wore light blue shorts in the ring, which he always entered to the City song Blue Moon, while a full house watched him beat Juan Lazcano at Eastlands. [LNB]The latest team to take off their clothes for a calendar are Aldershot Town Ladies FC in what has now become a tried and trusted way of raising money. The proceeds are going to armed forces charity Help for Heroes.[LNB]Well paid: Sven Goran Eriksson and Hans Backe[LNB]Banking on Backe...Notts County's new manager Hans Backe is understood to be on wages of £1.2m-a-year at Meadow Lane, an extraordinary payment for a club in the fourth tier of English football. But then his benefactor and County's director of football Sven Goran Eriksson is believed to get twice as much again, with a ridiculous £2.5m annual salary.[LNB]Wembley's money problems, with the accounts for the year ending December 31, 2008, revealing a pre-tax loss of £31.1m, have led to strong fears among both professional and amateur clubs that the FA will have to divert huge funds over the next few years to help prop up the national stadium finances, which are not expected to break even until 2014.[LNB]Cricket coach Duncan Fletcher, who has worked with England and South Africa, went to great lengths on the last England tour of South Africa when he was in charge of the tourists to ensure he wasn't seen in conversation with his proteges Jacques Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs. [LNB]This time around, expect Fletcher to use similar clandestine methods if he wants to continue his still close relationships with England trio Andrew Strauss, Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen. [LNB]
