2018 may be lost, but PM can still deliver a brighter future for school sport

England lost out in the bid to host the 2018 World Cup today, despite having arguably the best presentation, with Prince William, David Beckham and David Cameron making the case for football to come home. Russia won the right to host the 2018 World Cup, with rank outsiders Qatar – a country with an appalling human rights record – being selected to host the 2022 World Cup.

England-fans-looking-upset There is still, however, an opportunity for the prime minister to leave a sporting legacy that will last long after 2018 – by abandoning plans to cut school sports funding, a policy he has ordered education secretary Michael Gove to take another look at.

This morning’s papers were full of stories about the rethink on school sports, following Mr Cameron’s remarks at yesterday’s Prime Minister’s Questions, namely this reply to a question from former sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe:

“… I am looking carefully at yesterday’s debate [on school sport - see the LFF report here]. We all have a shared interest: we all want good sport in schools and more competitive sport, and we all have to ensure that money is spent well.

“Everyone accepts that not every penny was spent well in the past. There is a quite bureaucratic system. The Secretaries of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and for Education are working hard on this issue.

“We are talking with head teachers to ensure that what we come up with works on the ground. I hope that we will be able to make an announcement soon.”

Shadow education secretary Andy Burnham, one of three Labour MPs who have written to Mr Gove urging him to think again, welcomed the news of the review, saying:

“Michael Gove’s decision to scrap school sports partnerships has sparked a remarkable grassroots revolt, uniting people right across the country…

“In the last 24 hours, we have heard a huge change in tone on this issue from both the Prime Minister and Michael Gove. It seems they now admit that they got it wrong and that school sports partnerships have been a success.

“This apparent change of heart is welcome and will give a glimmer of hope to the thousands of young people, head teachers and athletes who have called on the Government to reverse their decision to scrap school sport partnerships. However, hopes have been raised, and now must not be dashed by an inadequate response from the Government…

“The ball is now in Mr Cameron and Mr Gove’s court.”

Left Foot Forward has long covered the coalition’s planned cuts to school sport, cuts which, in response to the widespread grassroots campaigns against them, might not now happen. Were the prime minister to row back on this policy and continue to invest in school sport, by the time the World Cup does eventually come back to England (2030 at the earliest), the nation might just have a team capable of winning it.

http://twitter.com/theresora/status/10406611650613248 Bryan

RT @leftfootfwd: 2018 may be lost, but PM can still deliver a brighter future for school sport: http://bit.ly/hYhExc writes @ShamikDas
http://twitter.com/bill512/status/10407007978786816 Bill Perrett

RT @leftfootfwd: 2018 may be lost, but PM can still deliver a brighter future for school sport: http://bit.ly/hYhExc writes @ShamikDas
http://twitter.com/shamikdas/status/10407340037640193 Shamik Das

RT @leftfootfwd: 2018 may be lost, but PM can still deliver a brighter future for school sport: http://bit.ly/hYhExc #England2010
http://twitter.com/shamikdas/status/10407516747862017 Shamik Das

RT @leftfootfwd: 2018 may be lost, but PM can still deliver a brighter future for school sport: http://bit.ly/hYhExc #England2018
http://twitter.com/hazico_jo/status/10407680808062976 Hazico_Jo

RT @leftfootfwd: 2018 may be lost, but PM can still deliver a brighter future for school sport: http://bit.ly/hYhExc writes @ShamikDas
http://twitter.com/cllrfay/status/10407945971961856 Fay Howard

RT @leftfootfwd: 2018 may be lost, but PM can still deliver a brighter future for school sport: http://bit.ly/hYhExc writes @ShamikDas
http://twitter.com/goodoldmj/status/10412838208151552 Martin Johnston

RT @leftfootfwd: 2018 may be lost, but PM can still deliver a brighter future for school sport: http://bit.ly/hYhExc writes @ShamikDas
http://blog.ruslife.eu/%d0%bd%d0%be%d0%b2%d0%be%d1%81%d1%82%d0%b8/%d1%80%d0%be%d1%81%d1%81%d0%b8%d1%8f-2018-%d1%87%d0%b5%d0%bc%d0%bf%d0%b8%d0%be%d0%bd%d0%b0%d1%82-%d0%bc%d0%b8%d1%80%d0%b0-%d0%bf%d0%be Россия 2018 – чемпионат мира по футболу 2018 | RusLife.eu – Русская жизнь Европы!

[...] 2018 may be lost, but PM can still deliver a brighter future for … [...]
http://twitter.com/nhsspy/status/10416105227030528 Watching You

2018 may be lost, but PM can still deliver a brighter future for school sport http://bit.ly/emWAul – Stop the cuts Mr Cameron and save face
http://twitter.com/hotineducation/status/10421673345949696 Hot In Education

2018 may be lost, but PM can still deliver a brighter future for school sport | Left Foot Forward
http://safe.mn/1R-T
http://twitter.com/cllrkrichards/status/10432832799252480 Kevin Richards

RT @leftfootfwd: 2018 may be lost, but PM can still deliver a brighter future for school sport http://bit.ly/emWAul
http://twitter.com/dubious1977/status/10444762616176641 David Dubost

RT @leftfootfwd: 2018 may be lost, but PM can still deliver a brighter future for school sport: http://bit.ly/hYhExc writes @ShamikDas
Mr. Sensible

In respect of the decision, the BBC have been asking what the point is of having good technical bids, and I must say I agree. I think the voting system that Fifa uses is in an absolute mess.

On the issue of school sports, this looksl ike a bit of a humiliating climbdown.

BTW can England not bid for World Cup 2026?
Robert

And we ask why we lost the world cup?

Policies to reduce youngsters access to competitive sport in his left hand and a film for FIFA in his right saying what wonders the UK bid would do for youth sport?

Ummm – not very sensible – treating FIFA as dummies.
http://twitter.com/chezpoot/status/10609564663681024 Paula Pearson

RT @leftfootfwd: 2018 may be lost, but PM can still deliver a brighter future for school sport: http://bit.ly/hYhExc writes @ShamikDas
http://twitter.com/lfmsm1/status/10616754841587713 Sarah

RT @leftfootfwd: 2018 may be lost, but PM can still deliver a brighter future for school sport: http://bit.ly/hYhExc writes @ShamikDas
Mr. Sensible

Robert you are right, but I don’t think that had an influence.
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/12/daily-mail-blames-foreigners-for-world-cup-bid-failure/ Daily Mail blames “ethnically diverse figures” for World Cup bid failure | Left Foot Forward

[...] on a new cause – they can now be rightly blamed for stealing the most important thing of all, football, it would appear. In a barely veiled racist tirade, Paul Harris attacks each and every aspect of [...]
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/12/look-left-03-12-10/ Look Left – Cameron set for school sports climbdown | Left Foot Forward

[...] Foot Forward has long highlighted the issue of school sport cuts, and, as we reported yesterday, were he to change tack on school sport and invest rather than cut, it may enable the [...]
janie_s

‘policies to reduce youngster’s access to competitive sport’?

you stupid liar.
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/12/68pc-of-lib-dem-general-election-voters-think-fees-u-turn-is-wrong/ Two-thirds of Lib Dem general election voters against fees u-turn | Left Foot Forward

[...] on England’s failed 2018 World Cup bid, 46% think it didn’t get a fair hearing in Zurich (25% said it did), 78% think the FIFA [...]
http://twitter.com/shamikdas/status/144918638707752962 Shamik Das

Also on school sport, c http://t.co/LmtUmJbr http://t.co/LKYIiscs http://t.co/35ZlKPzn http://t.co/MxGKy3OV http://t.co/mjAXidBK #BBCqt
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/12/hugh-robertson-school-sport-cuts-school-games/ Sports minister: School sport “nothing to do with me… but the School Games are” | Left Foot Forward

[...] 2018 may be lost, but PM can still deliver a brighter future for school sport – Shamik Das, December 2nd [...]
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2012/05/the-two-faces-of-the-tories-on-sport-embracing-the-games-while-closing-swimming-pools/ The two faces of the Tories on sport: Embracing the Games while closing swimming pools | Left Foot Forward

[...] 2018 Wold Cup may be lost, but PM can still deliver a brighter future for school sport 2 Dec [...]