ApplePieOfDestiny wrote:
I think that the IOC came out at some point and said 'If it ain't in the Capital, it isn't going to your country' to the world in general. Certainly, if should also be remembered that the two previous olympic bids that the UK made were for Birmingham and Manchester, and they got nowhere.
They did, but prior to that when Manchester went to UK Athletics having successfully hosted the Commonwealth Games, they were told to get lost.
UK Athletics didn't like what Manchester did in 2002. The original plan was to build a world class athletics venue in the City of Manchester/Eastlands stadium which was supposed to be a dual purpose football/athletics stadium. However, the British Athletics Federation / UK Athletics had its own pet Picketts Lock project in London and refused to support any bid for athletics meets to be held in Manchester. So the plan became that the track would be torn up after the 2002 games and the tier underneath uncovered with the footy pitch (it was in place, under the track when the 2002 games were on).
When all the athletes and officials (including those in the IAAF) came out in praise of the stadium track and facilities and how it was ridiculous that a great facility was being torn up with nothing to replace it (plans for Picketts Lock having crashed and burned in 2001) UK Athletics went really quiet. Britain had to give up the World Champs allocated (2005) because there was no world class facility to host it. And Eastlands made its money back for the council thanks to becoming the new home of Manchester City.