Olympic Tickets - what did you get?

[Mercy1]

Well, we all know that politics is built on lies, deception and ego, and surely the Olympics confirms it.
It was awarded to us on a lie - the ridiculously low tender figure to win it.
The next lie - it's for London. Well not for Londoners to get tickets - most of these go elsewhere, mainly to the politically connected.
There's the deception that the facilities and infrastructure built at vast cost will benefit London afterwards - well just let's wait and see! In any event, the money - even a fraction of it - could have been much better spent.
There's the deception that staging the Olympics will create new British champions, stimulate participation in sport and get us out of our armchairs. It will probably do just the opposite if the above postings are any indication.
All this to massage the egos of the likes of Seb Coe and his cronies - both sporting and political - and the overbloated Olympic big wigs.
Who would want to host the Olympics - years and years of vast upheaval and cost for just four weeks of mainly minor-interest sport? It's beyond me, and no I won't bother watching much of it.

 

[Tan]

I didn't apply for any, as it was too much of a lottery, may be should have in hindsight. A friend of mine got tickets to the opening ceremony, jammy git!

Will try and wangle some corporate tickets, nearer the time.

I went to the cricket world cup earlier in the year and the only reason that I went to the matches rather than just watch them on TV, besides being in the Bangladesh at the time, was because I didn't have any hassle getting tickets, just asked my Uncle and they appeared.

 

[MicB]

My son has got tickets for Archery and Beach Volleyball but where's the beach in London?

Horse guards parade?

Mic

 

[Alfie]

The whole allocation system (aka Lottery) was dreadful. The mere fact that we had this complicated system was a farce. It made us a laughing stock in Europe where they could go onto a website select tickets, pay for them and thus get what they wanted. Its only us Brits that had to suffer this stupid lottery. I was lucky but I applied for quite a lot, hoping to get about 25% of what I applied for. In fact I got 10% and would have been equally annoyed to get the whole allocation but there was no way to rank your preferences for tickets. Shameful system and its discredited the Olympic organisation.

I wanted to go simply to see the world's elite atheletes. My son is chuffed that we will see Usain Bolt probably set a world record or two again. For him its a great opportunity that I'm pleased to be able to take him to.

 

[jeffwebb]

Surely the opening and closing ceremonies plus the women's beach volleyball will be sold out and the rest of the tickets given to schoolkids.
Regards, Jeff

 

[renault12ts]

If we hadn't wasted £10 BILLION (and rising) to host the Olympics then we wouldn't have to worry about the ticketing lottery.

So how else could the tickets have been allocated? Even at present prices they are vastly oversubscribed. Cheaper tickets would have meant even more disappointed applicants.

 

[artyman]

Where tickets are oversubscribed you either auction to the highest bidder, unfair on the poorer in society, or you have a lottery where all applicants get the same opportunity. What struck me as unfair was some people had gained tickets for a couple of events, probably fairer to eliminate them from others once they had been successful in one choice.

 

[Scott_F]

So how else could the tickets have been allocated? Even at present prices they are vastly oversubscribed. Cheaper tickets would have meant even more disappointed applicants.

If we had allowed someone else the privilege of wasting vast sums of money on this circus we could have done what the rest of Europe is now doing - going on-line to buy the tickets that they actually want.

 

[Mark-E]

Pentathlon. Applied for loads. Just got 4 tickets for this. I have 2 young kids and thought they might enjoy being part of it. I'm not fussed personally.

 

[modzi]

2 tickets to the closing ceremony

Shame as we would have rather gone to some of the events but it should still be good.

 

[abecketts]

did not get anything, went for BMX and Cross Country eventing to please the girls and boys here and I thought they'd be less popular. So big TV screen time and some english bubbly to toast success instead.

 

[SimonsMerc]

Applied for £2000 worth of the cheaper tickets (five in the family, so nigh on 20 events for all of us), and the only ones we "won" were...Greco-Roman Wrestling. And not even a final or medals event, just a qualifier. The only reason that was even in the list was because my son thought it meant WWF. Meanwhile a colleague in a different European country selected and paid for a bunch of tickets (including both closing ceremonies, track, athletics and equestrian) without any kind of lottery.

The system in the UK was a farce. *Maybe* I would have been OK with it if everyone played by the same rules, but that clearly was *not* what happened - other European countries got "normal" purchases, we got screwed. Well, a big up yours to the Olympic organising committee.

I'm thoroughly ****** off at the mo.

-simon

 

[tylerdurden]

Booked a few grand of tickets and got none. What a waste of time. Can't be bothered to waste hours of my time discussing options with family only for the same to happen.

So, for the record, just so you know where I stand; I'm out.

 

[E CLASS]

The Olympics will cost the UK (and London) £10billion that’s including a £2.7billion contingency (to cover things they've not remembered / thought about!)

Lets not forget that Tessa Jowel first announced it would cost £3billion max and then realised she'd not added VAT!!!?? (and wasn't sacked).

How its spiralled to £10billion is beyond me.

To put it in perspective:

A new prison costs circa £200m

A new super hospital costs £250m

A new school costs circa £50m

God knows how may extra police, teachers, better transport systems, nurses, doctors, better roads the money would pay for - these things ARE legacies. (ie they go on and on after the event (building / recruiting of.)


I fail to believe there is ANY benefit whatsoever to anyone outside of the East End of London and even then a limited legacy of stadia that will either be sold off to private enterprises or simply demolished.

I'd actually go as far as saying it’s a criminal rip off.

It makes the cost so far in Libya of £250million seem like pocket change and everyone is jumping up and down about how expensive its getting. At least we are getting our moneys worth….its been going on for longer than 2 wks…

The world has truly gone mad.

 

[Spinal]

2 tickets to... Italy!

Planning to go into the mountains and enjoy myself... maybe do some glacier skiing... can always see the Olympics on the tv if I want to hear of traffic jams, congestions and the tube going on strike...

M.

 

[E CLASS]

I'd actually be seriously worried about terrorism - yet another good reason to avoid it.

 

[Mercy1]

E Class is quite right. Criminal rip off doesn't even begin to describe it.
To say the world has gone mad is not quite accurate. I would bet that if there was a world referendum on whether the Olympics should continue in its current overblown form then the answer would probably be NO.
The trouble is we DON'T have a say and we're brainwashed into believing it is a wonderful movement.
It's political leaders and the Olympic industry that perpetuates all this. Even the competitors themselves are mere pawns in the movement.
It keeps the likes of Seb Coe (£365,500 basic), and thousands of others in highly paid jobs and sustains an Olympic entourage bigger than a small nation.
I have nothing against competive sports. But stand me up against a wall and shoot me if I'm wrong, but the majority of the public have no interest whatsoever in archery, canoe slalom, BMX cycling (for God's sake) and the like. When did you last see an archery competition??
People who do have an interest in such sports are quite welcome to pursue them - BUT WHY SHOULD THEY BE FORCED UPON US IN THIS GIGANTIC, PHENOMENALLY EXPENSIVE AND RUINOUS CIRCUS.
Why should we consider them to be national heroes if they happen to win a medal in, say, tiddlywinks!
Why should their pursuit of their particular minority-interest sport propel them on to a world stage, courtesy of the Olympic overlords - with you and I paying for it?
I say, break up the Olympics into manageable separate sports events and let such events be self funding and self supporting in their own rights. Champions will still be champions in their own field - and good luck to them. At least, those of us who do not give a damn will not have to foot a huge bill to allow them to play at their chosen leisure pursuit...

 

[Mike Walker]

New thread about to start - Who has got tickets for the next Football World Cup?

 

[Londonscottish]

I got two tickets for something.

By process of elimination it's either football or women's beach volleyball.

They say they will conform the tickets tomorrow

Glad I've got something to take the kids to.

Otherwise, not massively interested. And annoyed at the arrogance of the "Olympic Legacy" brigade who refused to build a stadium that could be used properly for football after the event. look what West Ham are saddled with now.....what a huge waste.

 

[Mike Walker]

I got two tickets for something.

By process of elimination it's either football or women's beach volleyball.

They say they will conform the tickets tomorrow

Glad I've got something to take the kids to.

Otherwise, not massively interested. And annoyed at the arrogance of the "Olympic Legacy" brigade who refused to build a stadium that could be used properly for football after the event. look what West Ham are saddled with now.....what a huge waste.

That's no way to talk about Sam Allardyce!