Now at the time of these games there was lots of opposition about whether it was a good idea or not for Sheffield Council to get in so much debt in order to hold these games. Looking back I think it was a good decision as it gave us Sheffield Arena and Don Valley Stadium etc these things are at the heart of Sheffield's more popular developments. I really think it help put us on the map. What does everybody else think?

Didn't do much for all those poor sods who got kicked out of their homes to make way for the athlete accomodation. At lot of them ended up being relocated into right dives before the refurbished flats were sold to private housing authorities.

I lived in Park Hill Flats at the time and I still remember the story about a few of the athletes deciding to visit one of the local pubs and ending up getting their asses kicked. There was a lot of resentment to them in the Park Hill/Hyde Park area.

However, I do agree that the Arena and Don Valley Stadium were great things for the city.

Originally posted by "cellarboy"

Didn't do much for all those poor sods who got kicked out of their homes to make way for the athlete accomodation. At lot of them ended up being relocated into right dives before the refurbished flats were sold to private housing authorities.

I lived in Park Hill Flats at the time and I still remember the story about a few of the athletes deciding to visit one of the local pubs and ending up getting their asses kicked. There was a lot of resentment to them in the Park Hill/Hyde Park area.

However, I do agree that the Arena and Don Valley Stadium were great things for the city.

Yes, I kind of forgot about the flats...didn't they paint Hyde Park up and let the students stay in them and then after the games demolish them?

Originally posted by "cellarboy"

Didn't do much for all those poor sods who got kicked out of their homes to make way for the athlete accomodation. At lot of them ended up being relocated into right dives before the refurbished flats were sold to private housing authorities.

I lived in Park Hill Flats at the time and I still remember the story about a few of the athletes deciding to visit one of the local pubs and ending up getting their asses kicked. There was a lot of resentment to them in the Park Hill/Hyde Park area.

I knew they'd 'tinkered' with the housing arrangements but didn't realise the original tenents of the places used were treated so badly :(

At the time of the Games the financial problems didn't bother me (such things tend not to be of high concern to a 13-year old) and I enjoyed the games and the atmosphere in the city at the time enormously, despite not being that interested in sport. It was the first time I'd seen any significant development in the city and since then we've had a fairly steady stream of similarly large developments in the city. In principle I approve of this - I'd much rather the city tried to push it's boundaries than let itself stagnate - but am continually disappointed that the developments are under-used and the city's existing attributes are ignored. The WSG facilities are fantastic, but under-used and the tram's benefits will only become fully apparent when they extend it. The Heart of the City project has produced some gems so far, and the council has failed to recognise their value and are going ahead with over-developing that site. I'm sure it wouldn't take much to extend that site to include some of the derelict areas of the city-centre and develop high-rise offices and a hotel on those.

Originally posted by "Lickszz"

Yes, I kind of forgot about the flats...didn't they paint Hyde Park up and let the students stay in them and then after the games demolish them?

Nope, they sold the buildings to a private housing authority and (if I remember rightly) wouldn't let families with children back in there. My aunt (who lives there) told me that, and she might have been talking crap!

The 'new' sports facilities are underused because of the cost. My family can go to a local pool for a fraction of the cost of visiting Ponds Forge and park for free. I am sure Sheffield people agree with me if the numbers visiting Derbyshire's pools are anything to go by.

Building these facilities is only part of the problem...how on earth will a debt ridden city like Sheffield ever manage to maintain them to such a high standard.
I was involved with local politics at the time of the World Student Games (whoever heard of them anyway) and they were nothing but an ego trip for Cllr Peter Price at the time...and a very expensive one at that.

Originally posted by "Mo"

I was involved with local politics at the time of the World Student Games (whoever heard of them anyway) and they were nothing but an ego trip for Cllr Peter Price at the time...and a very expensive one at that.

It'd be nice to be able to say 'look at how other cities do this', but major projects in other cities are often the results of ego trips too. French presidents are the worst at this - look at the Parisian Grand Projets for proof of this.

Have to admit, what I meant by 'underused' was that the facilities could be better used for competition purposes, though I admit I'm unsure how many competitions there are out there to use them. It would be a start if the prices were low enough for the general public to make better use of them, though.

Originally posted by "Mo"

The 'new' sports facilities are underused because of the cost. My family can go to a local pool for a fraction of the cost of visiting Ponds Forge and park for free. I am sure Sheffield people agree with me if the numbers visiting Derbyshire's pools are anything to go by.

What's the deal with Ponds Forge? Can you actually use the big pool? I first went after it opened and could only go in the pool with the waves, the water slide and that 'river' that went around.

If you can't then it's a damn shame they knocked down Sheaf Valley Baths.

I'm one of many who go to Derbyshire's pools. The one in Eckington is excellent. A family of four can go for just a fiver and stay in as long as they want!

You certainly could use the big pool when I used to go to the gym there. It was more a case of sneaking a morning in when they weren't preparing for, in the middle of or cleaning up after an event!

It's such a shame. We have some world class facillities and they just don't get the use and fall into ruin. The airport is a typical example.

Over here in Manchester, all the places built for the Commonwealth games are fully open to all members of the public. The main stadium is to be used by Man. City FC.

Couldnt agree more,
Sheffield council have had a lot of stick over the years for building these facilities but they have been proved right once again.

At the demise of sheffields manufacturing base, something had to be done to give sheffield a boost and this was a good idea.

Everything has changed, this world is not the same anymore and this city had to change accordingly. It is certainly a city on the move now. :lol: :lol: :lol:

The problem was one of TV coverage. We were told that these games were the 2nd largest multi sport event in the World, after the Olympics and that TV exeutives would be falling over themselves to buy the rights. As it was the BBC thought the bowls from Eastbourne were more important and coverage was restricted to recorded highlights for half an hour at 11.00pm. Why do I suspect that if the games had been held in London, there might have been wall to wall coverage. Without TV money and ther advertising and sponsorship that goes with it, Sheffield was left to pick up the bill.

Did Steve Backley compete in these games?

Can't say I have ever visited the arena but it sure looks impressive from the outside. Don't think I will ever have reason to go there, I'm not a sports fan nor do I go to huge pop concerts or ice skating extravaganzas.

Originally posted by cellarboy
Nope, they sold the buildings to a private housing authority and (if I remember rightly) wouldn't let families with children back in there. My aunt (who lives there) told me that, and she might have been talking crap! Thats very true kids were not allowed on the premises to live and still are'nt.

every council tax bill in sheffied contains 250quid of "games debt"

we wont have repaid the debt till 2050.

Originally posted by kinkyjon
every council tax bill in sheffied contains 250quid of "games debt"

we wont have repaid the debt till 2050.


Yawn.

?
eh?

what you yawning about?

Originally posted by alchresearch
It's such a shame. We have some world class facillities and they just don't get the use and fall into ruin. The airport is a typical example.

Over here in Manchester, all the places built for the Commonwealth games are fully open to all members of the public. The main stadium is to be used by Man. City FC.

I bet the fans are annoyed at being seperated from the action by a running track. :?

i lived on hyde parkand moved out for games,i had some brilliant friends on there,it was a great cummunity,they pulled big block on manor oakes road down and snow hill block too,happy memories:lol: :lol:

every council tax bill in sheffied contains 250quid of "games debt"

we wont have repaid the debt till 2050.


I'm not sure where you got your made up figures from but that cannot be right.

Assuming 100,000 homes/business in Sheffield

100,000 x £250.00 = £25 Million

Over 59 years since 1991 would make it
£25 Million x 59 years = 1 Billion, 475 Million pounds.

Did I miss something?

Yes you missed a party political broadcast by the Lib-Dem Party but dont worry, it is bound to come up again and you can hear it all again.
I notice that the criticisms are about housing not about the sports facilities, which are of course an excellent resource.
And you have already exposed the lie in the maths, so on balance, we did pretty well out of the games I think

Originally posted by MongMental
I bet the fans are annoyed at being seperated from the action by a running track. :?

The track has gone. They lowered the main field and put in more stands where the track was.

the total to be paid back for the loans = 780 million quid.

at 25million a year.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2001/06/14/sopoli15.xml

I was 1 of the 500 or so children at time that was picked to do the opening of the world student games in sheffield in 1991. I was 11 years old at the time im now 23 and im still proud that i was there.:D

I think the problem is that he World Student Games was a bad choice of things to host.

Can anyone name any of the other cities which hosted it after us? And has there been TV coverage?

OK, so it now 2028 and not 2050 -

Still, can you give me some real figures to work with?

Does Sheffield council have a profit and loss report each year made public?