A week’s sport and journalism in quotes, compiled by IAN COLE, and including the fate of London’s Olympic Stadium, attacks by kangeroos, tattooed journalism students, and sexism in the football studio
“Retaining a sustainable athletics legacy after the Games was not a footnote of London’s bid. It was a core policy of their presentation to convince the Olympic family of their exciting, viable legacy plans. To demolish the Olympic Stadium, throwing away the original £500 million investment of public money, seems to me an outrageous proposition” Lamine Diack, head of world athletics, with a clear warning about the future of the Olympic Stadium.
“The bid was very clear and unambiguous. This was a community facility , multi-sport, track and field. I’m prepared to revisit my words that day, but I don’t recall a whole heap about bulldozing a publicly-funded facility, replacing it with a Premiership football club and inspiring a generation of Tottenham season ticket-holders, however many there may be on a waiting list” Lord Coe.
“Can you believe that? A female linesman. Women don’t know the offside rule” Andy Gray, the Sky Sports commentator, and some of the remarks which saw him and presenter Richard Keys suspended.
“We want tough, determined cricketers and he has not indicated that he is capable of it. It will be sad if one day he looks back on his career and wonders why he didn’t do things differently. It just takes a little bit of discipline” Andy Flower, the England cricket coach, sacks Samit Patel from the World Cup squad after the all-rounder failed a fitness test for a second time.
“It’s not a time to panic. I still want us to play positive, attacking, aggressive cricket because that is the only was to succeed in Australia and at the World Cup” Andrew Strauss after England go 3-0 down in the one-day series against Australia.
“His behaviour was completely unacceptable. It brought discredit on himself and his club and failed to uphold one of the core values of the game – respect” Judge Jeff Blackett, the Rugby Football Union’s disciplinary officer, bans England full back Delon Armitage for eight weeks for pushing a drugs tester.
“You’ve got to go out there and show no respect. Once you give your opponent respect, that’s it. They know you are not fully focused on your game and it’s going to be love and love within maybe half an hour” Elena Baltacha, British women’s tennis No1, as she prepares to face former world No1 Justine Henin in the Australian Open. She lost 6-1, 6-3.
“That’s why I’m playing with this tape on my shin. It looked so cute but once it started scratching me I was a coward and ran away” Caroline Wozniacki’s response to accusations that she is boring in press conferences is to invent a story about being attacked by a kangaroo in Melbourne. She later apologised.
“Didier Drogba’s had malaria, so he’s not 100 per cent fit for whatever reason” Glenn Hoddle.
“I got some sweets and the next thing I felt someone pull my overcoat. There are two guys on their knees in front of me and they’ve got my trousers and they keep pulling them. I’m pushing them away but while I’m doing that they’re rifling my pockets” Harry Redknapp is mugged on a scouting mission to Madrid.
“The supporters have travelled up and got behind the team, so who better to celebrate with? These are the laws, but this one is stupid and has to be changed” Avram Grant, the West Ham manager, after Frederic Piquionne’s second yellow card for over-celebrating his goal at Everton.
“Players know this is not allowed due to the risk to supporters. Referee Walton was professional and did his job. Piquionne was not and let his team down” Graham Poll’s view.
“I’m a foreign manager. I’m French. With another manager I’m sure it would be different” Gerard Houllier faces criticism over the Aston Villa’s behaviour in the transfer window.
“I had an inkling. I looked at his demeanour and thought ‘it’s not right’. When you’ve been in the game you kind of know when someone has something going on in their head” Niall Quinn, the club chairman, is disappointed as Sunderland striker Darren Bent puts in a transfer request and joins Aston Villa with indecent haste.
“The tattoo has a personal and symbolic meaning to me. I think it shows my level of devotion to become a journalist, and that it is now engraved into me” Anneka Masih, 22, a journalism student at Staffordshire University, who has had her name, in shorthand, tattooed on her leg.
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