Category Archives: 2012 Olympics

Concern over Crystal Palace sports centre’s emergency closure

Posted on November 19, 2022 by insidecroydon

Crystal Palace Stadium, for 50 years the home of British athletics, was last night subject to an emergency closure for safety reasons. The whole of the National Sports Centre, including the sports hall and gyms, is closed this weekend. There … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Park, Football, History, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Sport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Okoye makes giant comeback with Olympic qualifying mark

Posted on June 9, 2021 by insidecroydon

Nearly a decade since he stepped into the circle for the discus final at London 2012, and Lawrence Okoye looks set to return to the Olympics in Tokyo next month. Having made an athletics comeback after his misadventures in American … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Croydon Harriers, Lawrence Okoye, Sport | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Harriers’ Okoye steps back into the circle at Olympic Stadium

Posted on July 20, 2019 by insidecroydon

Seven years after competing in the Olympic discus final, Croydon Harrier Lawrence Okoye is set to make his return to the sport in the London Stadium at tomorrow’s Anniversary Games televised international meeting. Okoye quit track and field athletics in … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Croydon Harriers, Lawrence Okoye, Sport | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Whitgift School’s Olympic hero Okoye is arrested in Alabama

Posted on February 11, 2019 by insidecroydon

Lawrence Okoye, the former Whitgift School pupil and discus finalist at the  London Olympics who went to the United States to seek his fortune as an American football player, was arrested in Alabama last week on soliciting prostitution charges, placing … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Croydon Harriers, Lawrence Okoye, Rugby Union, Sport, Whitgift School | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Record-breaker Weir in line-up for his 20th London Marathon

Posted on January 17, 2019 by insidecroydon

Wallington’s David Weir – the most successful wheelchair racer in the history of the London Marathon – will return to the race for a remarkable 20th consecutive year on Sunday April 28. Weir started his racing career in the London … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Sport, Sutton Council | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Is the bell sounding for the final lap at Crystal Palace NSC?

Posted on February 2, 2018 by insidecroydon

There’s a public consultation underway to try to resolve the future of the National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace. And it’s déjà vu all over again. Poor publicity for the process run by a bunch of consultants, a reluctant attitude … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Boris Johnson, Community associations, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Football, Mayor of London, South London Harriers, Sport, Swimming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

£300 for a night seeing Usain Bolt disappear into the distance

Posted on August 11, 2017 by insidecroydon

FLASH HARRY, our tame wideboy in the double-breasted suit with a ticket for every event, paid through the nose to catch a glimpse of the world’s greatest sprinter last weekend. He was not impressed. Usain Bolt runs his last ever … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Outside Croydon, Sport | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Major athletics events set to return to Crystal Palace stadium

Posted on December 17, 2016 by insidecroydon

The future of Crystal Palace stadium as a training and competition venue seems secure, for a while at least, with the track which was the home of British athletics for half a century set to stage some important regional meetings … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Martyn Rooney, Sport | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Bittersweet for Rooney as he is declared an Olympic medallist

Posted on September 14, 2016 by insidecroydon

Croydon Harrier Martyn Rooney is an Olympic medallist, eight years after he’d finished his race. Rooney, along with his team mates from Great Britain’s 4×400 metres relay squad who finished fourth at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, have been promoted to … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Croydon Harriers, Martyn Rooney, Sport, Thornton Heath | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Okoye goes on the offensive to save his American dream

Posted on November 25, 2015 by insidecroydon

Three years ago, he was a poster boy of the London Olympics. National record-holder in the discus in his first senior season, and qualifying for the final of a throws event at the 2012 Games, with a scholarship to study … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Elliot Daly, Lawrence Okoye, Marland Yarde, Sport, Whitgift School | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Coe has been backing Baku while Crystal Palace crumbles

Posted on June 25, 2015 by insidecroydon

Sebastian Coe’s attempts to run a mile from being associated with recommendations to bulldoze Crystal Palace athletics stadium and other south London sports facilities which were to be part of the “Olympic legacy” promised by the 2012 London Games looks … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Boris Johnson, Bromley Council, Business, Croydon Harriers, Croydon North, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Community Association, Crystal Palace Park, Environment, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Property, Sport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Croydon cycle race crash that could have ended in tragedy

Posted on June 4, 2015 by insidecroydon

Tuesday night’s cycle race in central Croydon narrowly avoided tragedy, according to one of Britain’s most respected Paralympic champions. Sarah Storey, the winner of 11 Paralympic gold medals across two sports at four separate Games, was sent crashing as a … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Business, Connected Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Cycling Campaign, Cycling, Fairfield, Sport, Surrey Street, Tony Newman, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Coe’s Olympic legacy promises left in ruins at Crystal Palace

Posted on May 28, 2015 by insidecroydon

In all the furore surrounding corruption at FIFA, the world governing body of football, one name that has barely been mentioned is Sebastian Coe. Lord Coe spent almost two years as the chairman of FIFA’s ethics committee. He was appointed … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Boris Johnson, Bromley Council, Community associations, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Park, Education, London Assembly, Mayor of London, Planning, Sport, Stephen Carr, Swimming | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Labour council spends £148,000 for one night of cycle racing

Posted on May 22, 2015 by insidecroydon

Austerity? Government grant cuts? Front-line council jobs under threat? On yer bike! Here in Croydon, under our flip-flopping Labour-lite council, we are spending nearly £150,000 of public cash for a couple of hours of sport next month. Croydon town centre … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", 2012 Olympics, Activities, Boris Johnson, Business, Connected Croydon, Croydon Council, Cycling, Cycling, East Croydon, Environment, Fairfield, Mayor of London, Nathan Elvery, Skanska, Sport, Tony Newman, Tramlink, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

South Croydon school helps pupils fulfil Paralympic dream

Posted on March 22, 2015 by insidecroydon

A sports team from St Giles School in South Croydon is celebrating after an action-packed day of inclusive sport opportunities at a Primary Sports Camp staged this week. St Giles is a school for pupils, aged from four to 16, … Continue reading →

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City Hall documents confirm Palace park schemes are linked

Posted on December 3, 2014 by insidecroydon

Attempts by one of Sebastian Coe’s companies to distance themselves from any relationship with China’s ZhongRong Group appear to be in vain after the Greater London Authority published its consultants’ brief and an interim report which demonstrate that any scheme … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Boris Johnson, Bromley Council, Business, Croydon Greens, Croydon Harriers, Croydon North, Crystal Palace Park, Environment, London-wide issues, Martyn Rooney, Mayor of London, Outside Croydon, Planning, Property, South London Harriers, Sport, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Jowell criticises Boris plan to ‘rip up iconic athletics track’

Posted on November 17, 2014 by insidecroydon

Tessa Jowell, the former Olympics Minister, has joined the campaign to keep viable athletics and sports facilities at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, in a submission to the Greater London Authority’s consultation which is highly critical of the way … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Croydon Harriers, Crystal Palace Community Association, Crystal Palace Park, Environment, Planning, South London Harriers, Sport, Swimming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Coe wants community to have its say over Palace plans

Posted on November 12, 2014 by insidecroydon

Sebastian Coe, the double Olympic gold medal-winner and former chairman of the organising committee of London’s acclaimed 2012 Games, wants the local community to back calls to save the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre for future sporting use. Lord Coe, … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Boris Johnson, Bromley Council, Community associations, Croydon Harriers, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Community Association, Crystal Palace Park, Environment, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Property, South London Harriers, Sport, Stephen Carr, Upper Norwood Library Trust | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Bromley leader Carr attacks Boris’s Palace consultation

Posted on November 5, 2014 by insidecroydon

Seconds out, round three: In a pull-no-punches letter sent to City Hall today, Stephen Carr, the leader of Tory-run Bromley Council, has condemned London Mayor Boris Johnson’s on-going consultation over the future of Crystal Palace National Sports Centre as “…variations … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Boris Johnson, Bromley Council, Crystal Palace Park, Environment, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Planning, Sport, Stephen Carr | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Coe’s company was given brief to bulldoze sports stadium

Posted on November 4, 2014 by insidecroydon

Sebastian Coe’s company, CSM Strategic, which is undertaking a “consultation” on behalf of London Mayor Boris Johnson, was given a brief to restructure the sports facilities at Crystal Palace to best suit the replica Palace development proposed by a Chinese … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Boris Johnson, Bromley Council, Business, Community associations, Croydon Harriers, Crystal Palace Community Association, Crystal Palace Park, Environment, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sport | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Coe’s Palace consultation is extended due to public demand

Posted on October 25, 2014 by insidecroydon

Campaigners fighting to save Crystal Palace as an Olympic legacy training venue were claiming a small victory last night, when the Greater London Authority announced that it had been so overwhelmed with responses to a consultation on the future of … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Community associations, Croydon Harriers, Crystal Palace Park, Environment, South London Harriers, Sport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Coe rival Ovett backs calls to keep Crystal Palace on track

Posted on October 20, 2014 by insidecroydon

Steve Ovett, the Olympic gold medal-winner and half of one of the biggest rivalries ever seen in international sport, has entered the debate over the future of the Crystal Palace athletics stadium, backing local campaigners, and the athletes and coaches … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Boris Johnson, Business, Community associations, Crystal Palace Community Association, Crystal Palace Park, Environment, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Planning, Property, Sport | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Coe is accused of ‘world-class hypocrisy’ over Palace plans

Posted on October 17, 2014 by insidecroydon

Some of London’s leading athletes and coaches have reacted with dismay and horror at plans, revealed this week, to demolish the athletics stadium and indoor training facilities at Crystal Palace. And there is mounting anger among some senior athletics figures … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Boris Johnson, Bromley Council, Business, Croydon Harriers, Crystal Palace Community Association, Crystal Palace Park, Environment, London Assembly, Martyn Rooney, Mayor of London, Planning, Property, South London Harriers, Sport, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lord Coe’s company plans to bulldoze athletics stadium

Posted on October 15, 2014 by insidecroydon

Sebastian Coe, the chairman of the London 2012 Olympic organising committee which promised to create a sporting legacy for London and the whole of Britain, now heads up the company which has put forward plans to bulldoze the Crystal Palace … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Boris Johnson, Bromley Council, Business, Community associations, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Community Association, Crystal Palace Park, Environment, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Planning, Property, Sport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Boris’s plans for Crystal Palace are branded as ‘disastrous’

Posted on October 13, 2014 by insidecroydon

London Mayor Boris Johnson wants to bulldoze 120 years’ worth of south London’s proud sporting heritage, with proposals to demolish Crystal Palace Stadium which have been dismissed by senior sports figures as “a disgrace” and “disastrous”. It is surely more … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Boris Johnson, Bromley Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Park, Environment, History, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Planning, Sport | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments