Mrs Redboots ) gurgled happily, sounding much
like they were saying :

To say nothing of overall health improved as more people take up sport?

I don't buy that at all. Who ever took up sport (other than a brief trip or
two to the gym) as a result of watching the World Cup/Olympics/Wimbledon?

Why will the fact it's London rather than Paris make a difference in that
respect?

Anyway, I should think an awful lot of it will be paid by Coca-Cola &
similar sponsors

The billion and a half *running* costs, yes.
The two billion building costs, no. That's being added on to London council
tax for the next decade (as well as other sources).

- "they" say it won't be more than a few pence per inhabitant
overall.....

They do not. They reckon £20 per household (based on an exceptionally low
band, higher for higher bands) per year. Oh, and if the costs over-run (if?
IF?), it's coming out of general taxation.

That's all before the diversion of at least TWO THIRDS of lottery money
between now and 2012, of course. Your favourite charity got a lottery bid
in at the mo? Sorry, it's just been rejected.

All so we can have another seven years of the kind of chaos Wembley's
redevelopment is causing, with the end result being another Millenium Doom.

The good side is that Tony hasn't got a cat in hell's come the next
election. Ooops. He's already said he's not standing again. Hiho. We'll
have to take it out on Ken instead. Ooops. He's already said he's not
standing again.