Friday 10 August 2012

LDN 2012: Secret Diary of a Games Maker Part 8

Part 8 of the diary. Did you finnish Part 7 before this was posted. We reveal the Games Maker on Monday - I know you're excited.

I should have known it was going to be a bad day when I missed my train at lunchtime. I mistimed how long it would take me and I was only a few minutes out, but as we know trains are always on time, except if you're there waiting for it!

Anyways got in to Stratford and through security pretty quickly, although I did take my time as a pretty little blonde RAF girl was searching bags at security and I was tempted to get frisked, but thought better of it!

As it was, I was still early, but then got put on the most pointless position there is - outside the door to the media centre on the way up to the Olympic Family entrance point. Basically it's to stop the photographers taking pics of any celebs coming in to the stadium...No-one told me that after 10-15mins of the first half I could go inside the VMC or to the stadium somewhere, so I sat there like a mug til half time before going upstairs to another new spot for me - the tribunes. No photographers were up there for Germany V Australia, so I spent most of the time watching the game. The Germans were ruthless in the second half and I'd suggest putting a couple of quid on them to win on Saturday.

Dinner time next and plenty of time to chill out before semi-final 2 at 8 between Holland and GB. As noted in the last entry, the menu is being recycled as tonight's options were vegetable chilli or roast turkey in mustard gravy and roast veg. I went with the chilli which was rather tasty to be honest. Passed on the ginger cake for pudding as I don't like ginger at all.

Sat out in the sunshine doing the crossword and then was told I had been seconded to the tribunes for the GB game as they were expecting it to be rammed with journalists and media bods. As it was there was sod all there. Perhaps they knew what was coming....

What a shambles the GB game was. It promised so much before hand, but the 4th best team in the World were taken apart and given a real hiding by the 3rd best team in the World. At 2-1 down we had a chance, but then they just ran riot and demolished. Wave after wave of attack had orange shirts open for passes whereas when we went forwards we just tried to take them on ourselves and made too many errors. Plus point of being up in the tribunes I got to meet the legendary Barry Davies and Sean Kerly at half time. Second half was all Holland though and every attempt by us to go forwards left us horribly exposed at the back and one of their goals they had 3 forwards attacking with just 1 Brit defending. Appalling. 9-2 was a good score for GB, but if the Germans were playing it could have been more! I said above the Germans were worth backing. They were, until I watched the hockey masterclass from the Dutch and I'd put your house on them on taking home the gold.

After the game I went down pitchside to applaud both teams off and got a few nods of appreciation from the British guys, but you could tell they were dejected and disappointed.

Everyone else had left, but there were still plenty of photographers about and I was helping them out in the workroom by getting internet cables, tea and coffee and getting some news on injured players for them. 2 of them have promised me pin badges tomorrow, so hopefully they are decent ones!

On my way back to the bus pick-up point, I had to stop as John McEnroe was coming across from the media centre onto the Park, so I said "Hi" to him briefly, but no time for an autograph or a picture.

Looking forward to tomorrow as it's the medal games in the women's event and I really hope our girls get the bronze they deserve. Wouldn't like to call the final at all, but it could well be "Double Dutch", but I wouldn't rule the Argentinians out at all.

Worst bit is tomorrow is my last day, but I wouldn't have changed anything I've done or experienced for anything!

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