Ipswich Town chief executive Simon Clegg at Portman Road
‘My focus is entirely on Ipswich Town,’ says chief executive Simon Clegg on the eve of Olympic Games opening ceremony
By Stuart Watson
Friday, July 27, 2012
12:00 PM
IPSWICH Town chief executive Simon Clegg insists the football club will remain his top priority throughout the Olympic Games.
A major driving force behind the London 2012 bid during his 11 years leading the British Olympic Association, Clegg has remained on the athletes’ commission giving part-time advice on a number of matters.
And he has obtained an access all areas pass to the sporting showpiece in East London courtesy of his role as attaché to the Guam national team, a small pacific island with just eight competitors.
With Town owner Marcus Evans’ business selling top corporate ticket packages for the Games, there have been some Blues supporters questioning whether the club’s top two figures will be focusing all their energies on landing the three extra signings manager Paul Jewell wants before the new Championship campaign begins in little over three weeks’ time.
Clegg, who has not yet had a holiday this summer, says he will be attending events – including tonight’s opening ceremony – in his own time though.
He said: “The club absolutely remains my upmost priority. I’ve been appointed as the official Olympic attaché for Guam, a small delegation with eight athletes, and that gives me an all-venues, all-access pass so that I can actually watch some sport, but only when my diary at Ipswich Town allows me.
“I’ll be on my Blackberry and e-mail 24 hours a day. Stratford is only 50 minutes away on the train, so I can get back here a damn sight quicker than I would have been able anywhere else on holiday.
“We’re in the transfer window, there’s still a lot of work to do, but I can do a lot of that work remotely. Primarily I will be based here at Portman Road and when I’m not needed I will watching some sport at the Olympic venues.”
He added: “I look back with massive pride in terms of what was achieved over that part of my career, but now I’m focused on trying to achieve a degree of success here at Portman Road.
“It was my decision to leave the BOA in 2008 and people should not think I’ve spent the last three years thinking ‘I can’t wait for the Olympics to come’.”
– See tomorrow’s EADT for an in-depth interview with Simon Clegg about the Olympics in which the Ipswich Town chief executive talks Tony Blair, Ken Livingstone and almost competing at the Games himself.
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- Andy Drury set to sign for Crawley Town
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16 comments
Tom, if you read my posts you will know that I have stated that the signing of Scott Loach was good, as well as the return of Bryan Klug. However welcome, these two plus points are tiny, compared to the mess the club is in. If you are unable to see that, then don't blame me.
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Kevin Bailey
Monday, July 30, 2012
When Sheepshanks was chairman, he was involved with a number of external organisations, including the FA, and no one cared - in fact, it was regarded as a positive. Why should Clegg not visit the games in his spare time if he wants to, given his hard work over the years and interest in the games? Get real people.
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Tom
Monday, July 30, 2012
Kevin, do you have anything positive to say about the club?
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Tom
Monday, July 30, 2012
How the other half live eh ? Access all areas passes to the Olympics, corporate hospitality packages & fantastic sporting moments....Much like whats on offer at PR !!
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bluearmy78
Monday, July 30, 2012
Pull the other one Cleggie.
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JOHN BURLS
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Manners, you are correct, Clegg is entitled to his holidays and free time BUT I for one wish it were elsewhere other than Portman Road, preferably Guam.
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Brian Betts
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Kevin, I partly agree but wish he would take his 'boss' with him despite all the money he has invested into ITFC to make us a Premiership club !!!!! LOL.
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Brian Betts
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Enjoy your trips to the games Simon, not my cup of tea but you've certainly earned the right to a bit if RnR.
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Roy
Friday, July 27, 2012
Manners - far from begrudging Clegg his annual leave most of us wish he'd take more of it. I think the general concensus is that ITFC would be better off if he took 52 weeks of it each year.
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Old Timer
Friday, July 27, 2012
@Manners. Legally yes, morally no...
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Deep Throat
Friday, July 27, 2012
Oh dear!
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Mike Wyatt
Friday, July 27, 2012
So now Clegg is not allowed legally obliged holidays and not allowed to spend his own free time as he wishes? Some of the comments are most bizarre.
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Manners
Friday, July 27, 2012
I was hoping the reason he took the eye off the ball was because of the Olympics. That is wrong so he will carry on just as bad
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chantry boy
Friday, July 27, 2012
Hasn't had a holiday yet this summer? My heart bleeds. Presumably he can afford to have one anywhere in the world the sun is shining....pathetic!
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Deep Throat
Friday, July 27, 2012
This is patently nonsense, as if it were, then he would not be parading around at the olympics, as he is. Sooner he leaves ITFC the better, in my view. Am I alone? Don't think so
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Kevin Bailey
Friday, July 27, 2012
So Cleggs focus is entirely on ITFC ?? I bet Team GB are breathing a huge sigh of relief ??
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Old Timer
Friday, July 27, 2012