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Team GB are having their best Olympics for decades and the thanks could be laid at the feet of an unlikely source - ex-Prime Minister John Major.

It was John Major’s government that instigated the National Lottery (since renamed the “Lotto”) and this has been the primary source of funding for athletes ever since.

From the original days of the Lottery, British athletes were given approx £50m per year - in the last few years this has been increased to £100m, with one eye on London 2012, where they will hope to improve on this game’s success, in front of a home crowd.

The success has been truly remarkable, especially when held against Sydney and Athens, which also saw an improvement in total number of medals and even more so when compared to the performances of our National Teams in our “major” sports such as football and rugby, where money is no object.
Our top athletes are now receiving an average of £70k per annum.  This sounds like a lot of money, but it doesn’t all go directly to the athletes themselves.  It should be remembered that in order to compete at the very top these people need a mini entourage of physios, coaches and nutritionists, not to mention having to travel around the world to compete.  On top of this they need to be able to live as well of course, so £70k disappears pretty fast.  If you compare £70k per annum to the money received per week by Premiership Footballers for example it really is a drop in the ocean.  Let’s not forget that the Football Club will supply the entourage and pay for first class travel if and when required, not to mention the odd winter break now and then.
Also, compare the lifestyles and dedication of the Premiership Footballer to the top athlete.  Double gold medalist Rebecca Adlington for example, has an excruciating training schedule 6 days per week, motivating herself to get up at 5:00am, in swimming which is a sport which receives little or no exposure in this country.

The average footballer will train for a couple of hours a day (normally mid morning, certainly not at 5:00am) and play twice per week.

So why do people like Adlington do it?  Because they are hungry for success and want to be the best in their chosen sport.

There are a few exceptions in the world of football i.e. players who play with passion week in week out, are hungry for success and don’t simply  turn up in order to pick up their massive pay cheques at the end of each month.

However, there are a large number in my opinion who simply go through the motions and are not too concerned if they are dropped, win nothing or end up injured for a few weeks.  As long as they are still being paid and can afford the mock Tudor house, sports car, WAG and bling they are happy.  If all British footballers showed the same determination as our Olympic athletes, then I’m sure we would never have a problem qualifying for and maybe even winning the odd major tournament.

However, lets take this chance to bask in the success of Team GB, rather than talk about the over paid and under performing football teams.  While we do that, let’s hope that John Major’s vision will go on reaping dividends for years to come and this success will encourage a few more couch potatoes away from their computers and out into the fresh air.  Who knows it might even reduce the obesity academic in the process!

I’m not one to knock the team I support especially early on in the season, but I feel the need to vent my frustration over Pompey’s lack lustre performance yesterday.

Yes, Chelsea were good and yes they have World Class players in all positions on the pitch, but they backed this up with energy enthusiasm and a will to win. Pompey showed none of that. They looked beaten before they started, and played with the look of a team who were ready to succumb to the inevitable. They had exactly the same look about them when they played in the Community Shield final the week before, when they were lucky to get to penalties - the penalty takers showed the same confidence and determination as the team had all match and ended up missing 3 out of 4.

As a fan that doesn’t get too many games, I look forward to the occasions when they are on the TV, but more often than not I witness the level of performance that was there for all to see yesterday. Lack lustre, no drive, no enthusiasm for the game and the feeeling that they had lost before the ref blew to start the match. It could be noted that normally they get onto TV when they are playing one of the top 4 sides admittedly, and they cannot be expected to win. However, they can be expected to be play with some sort of pride.

Newcastle do not have a better squad than Pompey, but they showed more hunger for the game in the first 5 minutes than Pompey did for the entire match. Yes, they rode their luck, but even if they had lost, they could have held their heads high knowing they gave 100%. I wonder how many of the Blue Army can say the same?

As a spectator, you want to see your team win of course, although you know they won’t win every game. But when they lose you want to know they gave everything, and it is the most frustrating thing in the world to see them lay down and die.

Pompey don’t have a great start to the season with Man United next on the list and Everton away, and so could find themselves at the bottom of the table at the end of August. No need to panic though unless they turn in another 2 performances like yesterday’s, in which case they have major problems.

Come on Harry - get into them this week and fire them up for all our sakes. It doesn’t matter if you play 4 or 5 across the middle as long as they put some effort in and earn their wages.

So its time for a change it seems.  Having been hounded by the press for months both Michael Vaughan and Paul Collingwood have both resigned their England captaincies, the latter despite an gutsy 134 knock to give England a chance of victory.  The fact that they ultimately lost against South Africa on Saturday and therefore handed the Proteas their first victory since 1965 on English soil, is down to a lack lustre bowling attack,  couple with a mixture of bad luck and failure to take chances.

Graeme Smith went of to score 150 odd to lead his side to victory, but could have been given LBW (although it was easy to see why it wasn’t given), should have been run out if Ambrose/Bell hadn’t cocked it up between them, and was caught off the glove, but inexplicably the players around the bat and Panesar, who had appealed for absolutely everything up until then, failed to do so on the one occasion it was clear cut.  The net result was SA were able to chase down 280 and force the resignations of Colly and MV.

Enter KP.  Scurge of purists and the establishment, controversial with the coaching staff and apparently the dressing room as well.  KP splits people - they love him or hate him.  Averaging over 50 he is by far Englands best batsman, scoring in a manner which excites and thrills the spectators, and has the establishment cronies turning in their graves - even those that aren’t yet dead.

I fall into the first category - KP and his style of play is the future of the game, particularly with Twenty20 becoming so huge.  Admittedly at times he could be accused of being egotistical and putting himself above the team, but that is the measure of the man and the way he plays.

Having the captaincy, and therefore his own job on the line might just tame him slightly, but lets hope it doesn’t do that too much.  The concern would be that he tries to change his game and therefore the team will suffer.  My thoughts are that he wont change too much and will revel in the responsibility.  One thing he has shown is he doesn’t care what the press say or think about him and that can only be a good thing.

KP will do it his way and live or die by the results.