Mihir Bose's Blog, page 47

How Margaret Hodge and the threat of Brussels could unravel the West Ham-Olympic stadium deal

The story so far on the Olympic stadium is clear. West Ham have a deal, and a very advantageous one for the Hammers. And the hope of Leyton Orient chairman, Barry Hearn, that the House of Lord's Select Committee report on Olympic legacy would provide him a way in has not quite worked.


The report did touch on how the deal was done but the noises it made are not strong enough to help Orient to reopen the deal, let alone use of the stadium. In any case the Lord's report carries no mandatory sanction so it is easy to dismiss it as a lot of hot air.

David Boon: Australia would get a hell of a lot of confidence from a drawn Ashes series

While the Australian media have been winding up England — witness the spats with Kevin Pietersen and Stuart Broad yesterday — some of their former players have taken a different line with the old enemy.

Okay, there has been no let up from Shane Warne spinning his usual line about Alastair Cook’s captaincy but, in these pages yesterday, former Aussie skipper Allan Border described England as a “ very good cricket team”.

IFA photo: Paulo Rink, Ebru Koksal, myself, Nic Coward and Andrea Agnelli.

Paulo Rink, Ebru Koksal, myself, Nic Coward and Andrea Agnelli.

Racism is not the only problem in football, let us not forget sexism

There is no question we should raise questions about how the football authorities are dealing with or, more accurately, failing to tackle the issue of race. But let us not forget that while skin colour remains a huge problem being a woman in the game is no easy task as Ebru Koksal, Board member of Galatasaray, knows all too well.

She was on the panel I chaired at the recent International Football Arena in Zurich, the only woman with football experience at the conference. And what Koksal told me afterwards of her experiences both of being a woman, and a Turkish woman at that, should make all male football administrators hang their heads in shame. It proves that their claims that they are doing much to promote the women's game is a myth. As for providing equal opportunities to capable women to play an active role in the administration of football, such a concept just does not exist.

Six years on, London’s Olympic stadium shambles over Premiership football bites deep into UK taxpayers

The decision to lease the Olympic stadium to West Ham still generates huge controversy with Barry Hearn owner of Leyton Orient vowing to fight it all the way to Europe. Hearn is awaiting a report on Olympic Legacy by a select committee of the House of Lord's due on Monday.

However confidential minutes of the Olympic Board, which brought together all the stake holders responsible for London 2012, which have come into my possession show how six years ago the Board rejected Premiership football as the post-Olympic use of the stadium.

Chelsea’s Eto’o tackles the illegal trade in young African footballers

Chelsea striker Samuel Eto’o has helped to fund an initiative to tackle the trafficking of young African footballers.

Each year as many as 15,000 African boys are illegally shipped to Europe to pursue dreams of a career in the game. Parents spend huge sums to send their sons abroad in the hope they will win lucrative contracts, only for them to be abandoned on arrival.

Ricky Hatton: It has been very painful but it’s like I’ve come out the other end

Ricky Hatton’s boxing career ended 12 months ago but it is only now the four-times world champion feels he has real closure.

Then, in the Manchester Arena, Hatton decided to retire as he sank to his knees, felled by a sickening body punch from Vyacheslav Senchenko. Today, we are in a London hotel and, tapping his autobiography War and Peace, Hatton says: “I’m finally closing the door on so many good things but also so many bad things.”

Working with Jose Mourinho at Chelsea opened my eyes – Steve Clarke

For Steve Clarke, whose West Brom side play Chelsea on Saturday, a return to the Bridge is always special.

Twelve years as a player with the Blues brought three honours: the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. This weekend’s visit as manager has an extra appeal as it will be the first time Clarke goes head to head with Jose Mourinho.

Boris Becker: Three-times Wimbledon champion Becker is taking extra interest in British tennis

Boris Becker has never been one to sit on the fence. But, having made London his home, he cannot decide whether to support Chelsea or Arsenal. And looking at his own sport, Becker is both fearful and optimistic for British tennis.

His fear is over Andy Murray’s back injury, which has ruled the Wimbledon champion out of the climax to the season, the ATP World Tour Finals, which start at the O2 next Monday.

Under the lights- with Mihir Bose

RACISM in football, Sir Alex Ferguson’s recent and updated biography, Sachin Tendulkar’s impending retirement from cricket and the continuing debate about women in sport are all very lively topics for debate.

So, it is something of a treat that you will have the chance to quiz one of Britain’s top journalists and get the inside track on many events, issues and personalities in world sport today.