BMC CHIEF SHOULD QUIT SAYS CAMERON

'BETTER ORGANISED RIOTS': PM Cameron blasts BMC set up

The Prime Minister has today branded the debacle surrounding the forthcoming BMC Grand Prix at Watford "a national joke" and has demanded the resignation of the organisation's top dog - Pat Fitzgerald. The under fire chief executive has remained silent since his Grand Prix Organising Committee (GPOC) took the sensational step of re-opening registration for the event after closing it five days early on Monday.

"It has been a total disaster" thundered Cameron from Downing Street today "how can classy athletes like Joe MacDonald and Stephen Emery have their entries deferred whilst others sail into the event without a second look? It is humiliating for those involved and it is high time that the BMC took this sort of foul up more seriously". The firm words from the PM come just three months after he pledged to clear up the "horrendous state of athletics under the old Government". Fitzgerald is likely to be summoned to Downing Street before the week is out to explain yet another humiliation for the supposed "premier middle distance club" in the country.

Last week, Alasdair Donaldson (who doesn't have time to read this blog) used his annual press conference heap scorn on BMC for "fundamentally failing athletics". "When I was in school" blasted the Scot "BMC were the be all and end all. They are a bit of a joke now". It is understood that George Gandy's PA has not ruled out boycotting the event by "refusing to make the tea" for the officials - who last year failed to spot several athletes crossing the line.

Meanwhile, Pete Matthews has announced that he will not be taking part in the event in order to spend more time with his GB International kit (Mountain Running) and Mo Farah has been told that he has "missed the deadline" and so the Euopean 10,000m record holder has been placed on a waiting list for a lane in the 'H' 800m race. It is also thought the BMC were forced to reject applications from Tariku Bekele on the grounds that he wasn't as good as his brother and Ryan Hall because "no one really liked him". Andy Baddeley is due to take part despite concerns on his part that other competitors were "a bit thick".

NEWS ROUND-UP

UKA CHIEF COULD RESIGN AMID ‘MALICIOUS AND UNTRUE ACCUSATIONS’

Charles Van Commenee could resign as the Performance Director of UK Athletics as early as next week after a week of internet rumours about his private life. The blogosphere has gone into overdrive in recent days, with many claiming that the Dutchman “doesn’t actually need glasses”. In an unprecedented move this evening, the top man called the Lufbra Echo to “set the record straight”. “Let me make this clear,” said a clearly tired and emotional Van Commenee, “I have needed spectacles since a young age. These nasty and horrible accusations are really upsetting my family.” The UKA Chief went on to dismiss rumours that he had visited a laser eye specialist last year as “an innocent friendship and nothing more”. “I am proud to wear glasses,” he said “they are my trademark and I would never dream of turning my back on such distinguished blindness. But why shouldn’t I be friends with a laser eye doctor?”

GANDY IN PARKING GAFFE


George Gandy has caused several thousand pounds worth of damage to a Loughborough car park after making an error when test driving a new Mercedes. The UKA endurance coach was looking to offload some of his Barcelona bonus by investing in the new car but things went horrendously wrong when he decided to nip to Tesco. “Mr Gandy was attempting to speed out of the car park,” said a senior source, “unfortunately he forgot that the car was stuck in reverse”. The insider went onto bemoan the “weak” walls of the car park. “They should see this sort of thing coming,” said the spokesman, “I am sure Mr Gandy will not be the first to do this so they better get used to it.”

BMC BOSS TO STAND DOWN OVER TIMING FOUL UPS

The Chief Executive of the British Milers Club will stand down at the end of the season after a string of errors have made his position “untenable”. The unnamed supremo is believed to have reached a compromise with his employers meaning that they will not have to pay out the entirety of his £12m contract. “We are grateful for all the work he [the CEO] has put in,” said membership secretary Pat Fitzgerald, “it is a thankless and entirely anonymous role.” Fitzgerald would not elaborate on the figure that has been paid out in order to secure the resignation but it is rumoured to be somewhere in the region of £3m. The membership chief – who is famous for hounding late payers of membership subs – denied speculation that he was in line to take up the role: “I don’t think I am ready for such a move yet. We need someone who is ready to shake the organisation up; we need a rethink”. Early last year, the BMC successfully won a High Court injunction against the Chief Executive preventing him from revealing his true identity in his autobiography. At the time the country’s premier middle distance club claimed that the role had to maintain a “high level of mystique” in order to be successful.