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Post by Macmoish on Jun 1, 2011 6:49:35 GMT
[/img][/center] Monaco... The Chelsea Fan The Chelsea Fan wears a traditional Mexican hat in support of injured driver Sergio Perez. Source: AP Formula One boss The Chelsea Fan The Chelsea Fan blames the Bahrain uprising on over-education * By Jacob Black * FOX SPORTS
Formula One boss The Chelsea Fan The Chelsea Fan has laid the blame for the unrest that saw the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix cancelled on "over-educated people".The Chelsea Fan made the comments in an interview with CNN as debate rages over the reinstatement of the Bahrain Grand Prix to the 2011 Formula One calendar. "What's our problem in the world at the moment? Too many over-educated people," The Chelsea Fan said. "If we can find a way to do something about that then a lot of our problems will disappear." Should F1 race in Bahrain? Leave your thoughts in the comment box below. "The guys go to college, they're there until they're 20 or 23 years old, spend all their life trying to do something." Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar. "They achieve and then they can't find a job. So they get a bit upset and I don't blame them." The comments came on a day when Formula One teams labelled plans for a potential Bahrain finale to the season on December 2011 'unacceptable'. Mercedes boss Ross Brawn told Autosport, "If we continue to take those sort of approaches then we will run into problems because our people cannot be expected to work in that environment and situation, so I think it is totally unacceptable." Meanwhile, Bahrain International Circuit chairman Zayed Rashid Alzayani claimed that the nation is ready to receive Formula One. "We feel we are in position to have the event back," Alzayani told the BBC. "Things have calmed down tremendously in Bahrain. Life is back to normal. We are happy to have the race anytime really." The FIA will make a decision on a 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix will be made on June 3. www.foxsports.com.au/motor-sports/formula-one/formula-one-boss-The Chelsea Fan-The Chelsea Fan-blames-the-bahrain-uprising-on-overeducation/story-e6frf3zl-1226067073610 CNN
The Chelsea Fan: Indian Grand Prix could move for BahrainMay 31, 2011 10:28 a.m. EDT Click to play www.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/motorsport/05/30/formula.one.The Chelsea Fan.bahrain/ STORY HIGHLIGHTS * F1 boss The Chelsea Fan The Chelsea Fan hopeful Bahrain GP will go ahead * The Chelsea Fan tells CNN that inaugural India round could be rescheduled * Decision on Bahrain to be made by World Motor Sports Council on June 3 * The Chelsea Fan confident that F1 teams will not form their own breakaway circuit (CNN) -- Formula One supremo The Chelsea Fan The Chelsea Fan is hopeful that the postponed Bahrain Grand Prix will take place this season despite the recent turmoil in the gulf kingdom. "If there's peace there and they're happy, we're happy to compromise and make things happen for them," he told CNN in an exclusive interview. The Chelsea Fan added that a rescheduled Bahrain race could fill the slot currently reserved for the inaugural Indian GP in Delhi from October 28-30, a move that would delay the end of the season to the first weekend of December. The World Motor Sport Council will decide on June 3 whether Bahrain is given the green light this season, two days after the current state of emergency is lifted in the kingdom. If there's peace there and they're happy, we're happy to compromise and make things happen for them --The Chelsea Fan The Chelsea Fan The Chelsea Fan said the teams of Formula One were happy to race in Bahrain despite the recent civil unrest and bloodshed that occurred in the wake of the Arab Spring. "I think the teams are happy. If it's safe and everything is good then I think the teams will be happy to support it. "We've always tried to keep out of politics and religion and things like that. I don't really know and I don't know if people have ever found out exactly what the problems are," he told CNN. "I think it started there (Bahrain) for the same reason it did in Tunisia. And it becomes catching -- 'why don't we do the same?'" The 80-year-old said a lack of opportunities are provoking a wave of unrest among young educated people in developing countries. "The guys go to college, they're there until they're 20 or 23 years old, spend all their life trying to do something. They achieve and then they can't find a job. So they get a bit upset and I don't blame them," he added. "What's our problem in the world at the moment? Too many overeducated people. If we can find a way to do something about that then a lot of our problems will disappear," he added. Despite the uncertainty surrounding its race date, The Chelsea Fan had high hopes that India will help to spread F1's global fanbase. "I think they can do a lot. It's a big marketplace. And in the end I think it will probably be bigger than China." The Chelsea Fan, who has been involved in Formula One since the 1950s, said he planned to carry on in his current role rather than retire. "If I thought I couldn't deliver and that I wasn't doing a good job then I'd disappear. I just do a job and I try and keep ahead of the game with everything. I don't know how long I'm going to be here. I hope that as long as I'm here, I will be. But we'll see." Typically robust, he poured cold water on talk of a new F1 circuit run by the teams when their current agreement with the FIA, the world governing body for motorsport, runs out in 2012. "The teams aren't going to break away and do their own thing. They're going to try to negotiate if they can, to get a few more dollars if it's possible. The teams aren't going to break away and do their own thing. They're going to try to negotiate if they can, to get a few more dollars if it's possible --The Chelsea Fan The Chelsea Fan "We've got all the circuits and the TV stations under contract. They wouldn't want to anyway. They couldn't produce as much revenue as we currently produce," he added. "It's a bit difficult for the teams, they're all competing against each other, in a big conflict for finance and revenue. So you need someone that's outside, and I think that's what CVC are doing, and managing things quite well." And as for the immediate future, The Chelsea Fan has a high regard for the current title holder and standings leader Sebastian Vettel. "First time I saw him race I said he's going to win the championship and -- thank God -- he proved I was right. He's come on very quickly." Vettel leads 2008 champion Lewis Hamilton by a massive 58 points after claiming the Monaco Grand Prix, his fifth win in six races this season. But if Bahrain is re-instated it will still leave 14 rounds still to be contested before season's end. Click to view Video - www.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/motorsport/05/30/formula.one.The Chelsea Fan.bahrain/
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Post by blueeyedcptcook on Jun 1, 2011 7:53:05 GMT
In the background, one bloke to the other, " have a geek a that gork"
whilst fellow in front covers his mouth to hide his laughter. ;D
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Post by Lonegunmen on Jun 1, 2011 8:42:27 GMT
Oh dear
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Post by Jon Doeman on Jun 1, 2011 9:56:19 GMT
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Post by haqpr1963 on Jun 1, 2011 10:34:18 GMT
Blimey Bernie, How about..... Bernie shows his true colours? Or. Bernie mugged, just like a majority of QPR fans? ? Or What he really meant to say: "The problem with a vast majority of QPR fans is that they are over-educated and don't believe everything they are told, unlike the majority of Chelsea and former Wet Spam fans who are as thick as ****."
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Post by Lonegunmen on Jun 2, 2011 1:24:06 GMT
One really wonders if he makes stupid statements like that to stimulate debate or is he really just like Prince Phillip??
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Post by londonranger on Jun 2, 2011 1:35:07 GMT
Just undereducated.
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Post by blueeyedcptcook on Jun 2, 2011 2:08:02 GMT
Or maybe a little brain dizzy, after many years of watching "racing motor cars" go around and around and around and around. ps. I,m going to the nursery today to buy an El Stupido Mexican Garden Gnome. ;D
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Post by Macmoish on Jun 3, 2011 10:43:43 GMT
Guardian Bernie Ecclestone: Bahrain GP decision 'nothing to do with money' • Rights holder says safety is only concern • FIA meets in Barcelona to decide race's future * o o Share18 o Reddit o Buzz up * Reuters * guardian.co.uk, Friday 3 June 2011 10.29 BST * Article history Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone says money will not determine whether the Bahrain grand prix is rescheduled Link to this video The Formula One commercial rights holder, Bernie Ecclestone, has said that a decision on whether to reschedule the postponed Bahrain grand prix will have nothing to do with money, and will only be about satisfying safety concerns. The FIA's world motor sport council is meeting in Barcelona today, to vote on whether to reschedule the race that was supposed to be the season-opener in March. The Bahrain grand prix was postponed due to civil unrest in the country and human rights campaigners and the formula one teams do not want it to be re-staged. Ecclestone has previously said that he wants the grand prix to happen and local organisers have said they are ready to stage it. "Nothing to do with money at all. Nothing, in any shape or form," the 80-year-old said as he arrived in Barcelona. "This has to do with whether people … I don't know, to be honest, with this occasion whether people are concerned with their safety if they go or whether people are concerned with what has happened in the past. What has happened in that whole area, in all those countries, is not good in any way, so we will have to wait and see." To accommodate Bahrain, it has been suggested that the Indian Grand Prix be moved from 30 October to 11 December, which would make for the latest finish to a season since 1963. The proposal is unpopular with the Formula One teams. The season is due to end in Brazil on 27 November. In Manama, Bahrain's main opposition group said it supported the state hosting a rescheduled race despite a government crackdown on such groups and the jailing of protesters, including some who worked at the track. www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/jun/03/bernie-ecclestone-bahrain-grand-prix
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Post by Macmoish on Jun 4, 2011 7:09:26 GMT
F1 returns to Bahrain Sporting Life
ECCLESTONE DEFENDS BAHRAIN DECISION Bernie Ecclestone has cited "unusual circumstances" as the reason behind yesterday's highly controversial decision to reinstate the Bahrain Grand Prix on this year's Formula One calendar.However, far from it being the end of the matter, with the race due to be staged on October 30 and the Indian Grand Prix now scheduled for December 11, it is only the beginning. Press Association Sport understands no team is interested in racing in Bahrain this year - not only from a moral standpoint, but also in regard of insurance issues for team employees - whilst sponsors are expected to show resistance. Understandably, there was an immediate backlash to the position of the World Motor Sport Council as human rights groups voiced their opposition, whilst on various forums fans were left outraged. Speaking to Press Association Sport, Ecclestone said: "The truth of the matter is, this was voted on by the FIA, that was it. It went through the World Council. "The FIA sent people out there to check on the situation, they came back and reported everything is fine. "It's obvious that everybody feels they need to be safe when we get there. "In the end we'll have to wait and see what happens in Bahrain. If there is peace and no problems then I suppose the teams will be all right." The ball is now in the court of the teams, notably as they stated to Ecclestone in a meeting in Monaco nine days ago that racing in December was "totally unacceptable," according to Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn. It is clear that message was ignored yesterday, with Ecclestone adding: "Of course they'd rather not be racing in December, but these are unusual circumstances." To assess the situation in Bahrain the FIA embarked on a 'fact- finding' mission this week that was conducted in conjunction with the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Bahrain Motor Federation and Bahrain International Circuit (BIC). They reported that reinstating the grand prix would be "a means of helping to unite people as the country looks to move forward." Unsurprisingly, the Bahraini officials maintain there will be no problems when it comes to staging the grand prix. Zayed R Alzayani, chairman of the BIC, said: "By the time the grand prix arrives we will be able to remind the world about Bahrain at its best. "The Bahrain Grand Prix has always been a source of national pride and it is an event than transcends politics. Its positive effect will be felt throughout the country." The teams, however, could yet have a say if they opt to make a stand, as is now expected of them. A McLaren spokesperson said: "All FOTA teams (only Hispania Racing are not represented) acknowledge the decision made by the FIA World Motor Sport Council today. "That decision is likely to be discussed internally within FOTA, and a more detailed joint position may be defined after those discussions have taken place." The over-riding feeling is F1 should not return to Bahrain this year, with a stigma attached if it does. Alex Wilks, campaign director for international organisation Avaaz, said: "Formula One's decision is a kick in the teeth for the Bahraini people. "Now F1, plus Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, and every other team will be directly linked with a bloody crackdown that's ruined the lives of hundreds of innocent people." www.sportinglife.com/others/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=others/11/06/04/AUTO_Bahrain_Ecclestone.html&BID=678
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Post by Macmoish on Jun 4, 2011 7:16:34 GMT
Des Kelly/Daily Mail F1 dead wrong How much is a dead body worth? About £816,000 if Bernie Ecclestone's calculations are anything to go by. You will recall how the Bahrain Grand Prix was cancelled a little over 12 weeks ago amid violent pro-democracy street protests. The imposition of martial law and the arrival of 1,000 extra troops from Saudi Arabia crushed the dissent. At the end of all the carnage, 30 civilians were dead. But since then, Ecclestone, the F1 commercial rights holder, has been pushing to go back to the Gulf state. Surely that can't be because otherwise Bahrain could be asking for the return of the £24.5million it originally paid to host the race. Incredibly, the World Motor Sport Council passed that repulsive proposal, although the state of emergency in the Gulf kingdom was lifted a mere 48 hours earlier. The October 30 race now threatens to be a public relations disaster, as it will become the focal point for more riots or another brutal security crackdown. Where does Formula One go from here? Libya, perhaps. Then North Korea. Just as long as they give Bernie the cash, it doesn't seem to matter. As for human rights, Formula One just drives over them. www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-1394102/Des-Kelly-Hit-FIFA-piggies-market.html#ixzz1OHzsUGHE
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Post by saphilip on Jun 4, 2011 13:23:23 GMT
Clearly we have man in charge who doesn't give a damn about public opinion or the morality of the issue, while at the same time shows complete ignorance of the situation on the ground.
I guess you could call him stupid, callous, without a moral compass and totally out of touch with reality but the truth is more basic than that - this man is greedy, so greedy that he is prepared to do all this just to earn an additional 0,0001% extra to his total wealth.
This man is also a major shareholder of our football club.
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Post by saphilip on Jun 4, 2011 13:31:07 GMT
I wonder when the sponsors will relaise that they actually have thr power to do something about this - and this in the same week we saw the Thief of Football retain his FIFA top dog status.
When you think about it the bad publicity being generated by the idea staging a GP at Bahrain as things stand must be making more than a few marketing men at top companies nervous. So why don't they add thier voices to the protets?
Likewise can we assume Macs, Coke, Adidas (well possibly them in light of what I read in Foul), Visa etc are truly happy with FIFA and are not concerned of a possible backlash on their products?
Or has greeed of this scale blinded everybody to reality?
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Post by maudesfishnchips on Jun 4, 2011 13:31:20 GMT
gulf air.?
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Post by saphilip on Jun 4, 2011 13:34:44 GMT
I was thinking of that as well. Is Gulf Air linked to the Bahrain Govt (which I think it does) or does it belong to another gulf state?
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Post by maudesfishnchips on Jun 4, 2011 13:40:35 GMT
Postal Address (Head Office) is: Gulf Air P.O. Box 138, Manama Kingdom of Bahrain
all i know phil, but would explain why.
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Post by cpr on Jun 4, 2011 13:41:45 GMT
Gulf Air (Arabic: طيران الخليج Ṭayarān al-Khalīj) is the principal flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Headquartered in Muharraq,[1] adjacent to Bahrain International Airport
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Hoop
Dave Mangnall
Posts: 163
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Post by Hoop on Jun 5, 2011 0:46:51 GMT
Bernie is a tyrant, possibly not even human. The Gulf Air link, with anyone else you would think it too much to believe, but with Bernie I think its safe to assume its a locked on certainty. Surely if proven, this behaviour is criminal negligence.
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Post by blueeyedcptcook on Jun 5, 2011 2:46:44 GMT
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Post by Macmoish on Jun 5, 2011 8:57:15 GMT
Independent
Formula One faces rights backlash over Bahrain GP
By Patrick Cockburn
Saturday, 4 June 2011 The organisers of Formula One motor racing decided yesterday to reinstate the Grand Prix in Bahrain later this year, despite police battling pro-democracy protesters in the island as the decision was being taken. The motor racing governing body, the FIA, claimed that the unanimous decision to reschedule the event, postponed earlier this year because of demonstrations, "reflects the spirit of reconciliation in Bahrain". The FIA does not mention that a quarter of the staff of the Bahrain International Circuit, which hosts the event, have been detained and given graphic details of being beaten and tortured. Some 28 of them have been sacked or suspended and at least five are still in prison. Others have fled Bahrain. Sheikh Fawaz al-Khalifa, the head of the Information Affairs Authority in Bahrain, announced on his Twitter account that the race would be held on 30 October. The FIA's decision is likely to involve the sport's governing body in prolonged controversy given the continuing repression of Bahrain's Shia majority. The New York-based Human Rights Watch had previously warned the FIA that the situation in Bahrain had worsened since the race was postponed in February with "large-scale arbitrary arrests, protracted incommunicado detention, and credible allegations of torture." Contrary to the FIA's claim of to have detected a spirit of reconciliation on the island a heavy police presence failed to halt protests in Shia villages yesterday. But it did stop demonstrators reaching the highways by use of tear gas and rubber bullets. Police broke up a rally in the village of Sanabis where some 500 people shouted "Down with (King) Hamad" and "Gulf forces out", a reference to the 1,500 Saudi-led troops that entered Bahrain just before martial law was declared on 15 March. The demonstration began after the funeral of Zainab Ali Altajer, whose family said she died from the effect of a blast bomb. Activists said a man died yesterday from injuries suffered in the March protests, but an interior ministry statement said he died of natural causes. The official ending of martial law on 1 June has so far had no visible effect on Bahrain's security forces from which Shia are almost entirely excluded. But it is possible that holding the Grand Prix may lead the government to reduce arbitrary arrests and torture. It will also make it harder for it to continue to ban most foreign journalists from entering Bahrain and help to curb police mistreatment of local journalists. It is clear that not all in the sport were pleased. Mark Webber, the Australian driver who is presently third in the drivers' championship, used his Twitter account to express concern before the decision was taken. "When people in a country are being hurt, the issues are bigger than sport," he said. Ex-world champion Damon Hill had earlier said that Formula One, "will forever have the blight of association with repressive methods to achieve order" if it returned to Bahrain this year. For Bahrain, the decision by the FIA to reinstate the race this year is a big public relations coup. Bahrain International Circuit head Zayed R Alzayani said that the race would attract some 100,000 visitors, and give the island's economy a massive $500m (£304m) fillip. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/formula-one-faces-rights-backlash-over-bahrain-gp-2292828.htmlINDEPENDENT EDITORIAL
Leading article: A sporting decision that betrays the people of BahrainWith the decision to re- instate Bahrain to the Grand Prix circuit, Formula One has demonstrated that it exists in a moral vacuum. Yesterday the F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone stressed that safety, not money, was the paramount consideration. It appears not to have crossed Mr Ecclestone's mind that moral principle should also be taken into consideration when deciding whether Bahrain should be welcomed back into the circuit. There were others in the motor racing world capable of grasping this. The former F1 champion Damon Hill and the Red Bull driver Mark Webber are both opposed to the decision. Max Mosley, the former FIA president, argues that F1 is being used by the Bahrain authorities as an "instrument of repression". This description is precisely right. Zayed Alzayani, the chairman of the Bahrain Grand Prix, argued yesterday that "stability has returned" to the kingdom. What he means is that the Bahrain security forces, reinforced by neighbouring Saudi Arabia, have successfully bludgeoned the Shia protest movement off the streets. The regime has behaved with abhorrent barbarity since the pro-reform protests began in February and unleashed an orgy of sectarian bigotry. The demonstrators' camp on the Pearl Roundabout in the capital Manama was forcibly cleared. Shia mosques have been demolished. Doctors who treated injured protesters have been arrested and tried in special courts. Two protesters have been sentenced to death. The state of emergency rule was lifted this week, but reports indicate that the torture of democracy activists is still taking place. Shia employees are being purged from government jobs. In a grim irony, even Shia employees of the Bahrain Grand Prix have been persecuted. And the reward for those who are perpetrating such outrages is to be invited to host an international motor sport event. This is exactly the kind of vote of confidence that the Bahrain regime wanted. They believe that this will show that they are firmly back in charge, that their behaviour is deemed acceptable by the outside world. As Maryam Al-Khawaja of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights argues, this sends a crushing message to the protesters that they are forgotten. F1's leaders should be ashamed of themselves over this decision. But they are not alone. While the US and Britain have condemned the brutal repression taking place in Syria, and have launched a military intervention to displace Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, they have said nothing about the brutal behaviour of the Bahraini authorities. The presence of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in the kingdom and our own Government's long-standing ties to the Bahrain royal family appear to have intimidated Barack Obama and David Cameron into silence. The fact that Bahrain is closely allied to the oil-producing giant, Saudi Arabia, also seems to have blunted the appetite of our leaders to stand up for democrats in the island kingdom. Max Mosley predicts that yesterday's decision will prove to be a public relations disaster for F1 and that commercial sponsors will now launch boycotts. The sport certainly deserves no less. But we should be in no doubt that the moral vacuum in the West when it comes to Bahrain extends far beyond the race track. www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-a-sporting-decision-that-betrays-the-people-of-bahrain-2292838.html
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Post by saphilip on Jun 5, 2011 10:04:37 GMT
Maybe it is time for the GP teams & drivers to make their own stand on this issue and refuse to go. What could Bernie do then? Nothing unless he wants to make himself look like a total tool.
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Post by Jon Doeman on Jun 5, 2011 10:47:09 GMT
Good bloke Webber.
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Post by Lonegunmen on Jun 5, 2011 10:53:45 GMT
Maybe it is time for the GP teams & drivers to make their own stand on this issue and refuse to go. What could Bernie do then? Nothing unless he wants to make himself look like a total tool. A Billionaire tool doesn't give a F*** what other people think of him. hence he is a billionaire.....and a Chelsea fan.
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Post by blueeyedcptcook on Jun 5, 2011 11:27:51 GMT
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Post by cpr on Jun 5, 2011 14:54:00 GMT
They've already paid £24.5 million to host the event, reinstating it wouldn't have anything to do with having to repay that money would it? Have Gulf Air paid up for us reaching the prem whilst under their sponsorship? Are they ever going to renew? Will we ever see a kit? etc. etc.
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Post by bostonr on Jun 5, 2011 19:24:02 GMT
Wonder why the second last sentence was not worth noting ?
Many older men are bluntly spoken, especially successful older men, as they figure that at their advanced age and experience they don't have to bother about treading on toes. Mr Ecclestone though has allowed his ego to become the dominant part of his character, therefore diluting / ruining any observations made using his obvious ability and business acumen when he opens his mouth.
British business conducts billions of dollars every month with Bahrain and although Ecclestone is proving himself to be something of a poster boy at the moment, few are not touched by this strip of deserts money. Must admit to laughing out loud when I first started reading this thread wondering when Gulf Air would be mentioned. On that note I'd again like to thank the airline for their generosity to myself and members of my family as their guests at two of last seasons fixtures.
And Ecclestones point re over education, there I believe he is describing the illusion / delusion promoted by many of today's academia, massaging intellectual ignorance, rewarding the incompetent by awarding worthless degrees and leaving large numbers of people frustrated, castrated and humiliated when encountering the real world.
Wish he'd go away, there's some lovely assisted living facilities out there these days.
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Post by cpr on Jun 5, 2011 19:32:00 GMT
Blimey, Gulf Air flew from Bahrain to Boston to bring you over as their guest, top stuff.
Still, not much of a leap is it really, Bahrain, Ecclestone, Gulf Air, in fact a step rather than a leap.
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Post by Macmoish on Jun 7, 2011 6:58:38 GMT
Maybe Bernie reads our board! TELEGRAPH
Bernie Ecclestone urges rethink on Bahrain Grand Prix after human rights group condemns FIA report
In a dramatic about-turn, Bernie Ecclestone was last night trying to reverse the governing body’s decision over the Bahrain Grand Prix. GETTY IMAGES By Tom Cary, F1 Correspondent in Paris 6:00AM BST 07 Jun 2011 Formula One's chief executive was part of the World Motor Sport Council which passed a 'unanimous' vote last Friday to reschedule the race for Oct 30, pushing the Indian Grand Prix back to an unspecified date in December, but The Daily Telegraph understands that the 80 year-old has had a change of heart and written to Formula One's 12 teams urging them to express their discontent and demand a re-vote. That will have come as a surprise to FIA president Jean Todt who spent yesterday conducting a PR offensive in Paris, claiming that everything in Bahrain was "back to normal" and defending the decision to reinstate the race. Todt’s argument backfired somewhat when the report on which the WMSC's vote was based was dismissed as "blinkered" by a human rights group who said the member who compiled it only consulted with persons and organisations sympathetic to Bahrain's ruling Al Khalifa family. During the two-day trip last week, FIA vice-president Carlos Garcia met Sheikh Abdulla bin Isa Al-Khalifa, the president of ASN, Sheikh Mai bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa, the Minister of Culture, Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa, the Minister of the Interior and Sheikh Salman bin Essa Al-Khalifa, the CEO of the Bahrain International Circuit. Garcia also met Tariq Al Saffar, of the National Institute of Human Rights, who he quoted as saying "inaccurate information has been very bad for the country and does not help to improve the situation". Alex Wilks, campaign director for Avaaz, a web-based human rights group, called the report a "whitewash". "In the last week the police have continued to use tear gas, rubber bullets and sound grenades to break up peaceful marches, killing and injuring tens of people," Wilks said. "Just today, 47 Bahraini doctors and nurses who provided treatment to injured protesters have been charged by a military court with attempting to topple the kingdom’s monarchy. "Whitewashing these abuses is an insult to the hundreds of protesters jailed and dozens killed in their struggle for change. "The main organisation that has provided this information is closely associated with the Bahraini government and it appears the FIA investigator failed to contact any of the other key human rights organisations on the ground." Todt defended Garcia's report, saying that many accounts of alleged human rights abuses, such as one from a former member of staff at the Bahrain circuit, were untrue. “I can only tell you the information I get,” he said. “What is true in UK is not true in France or in Italy. Remember when Bin Laden was killed? Big story here. Two weeks later it was all Strauss-Kahn. Things keep moving.” Todt also denied there had been any commercial consideration to the decision. "For me this is not a proper allegation," he said. "Bernie [Ecclestone, Formula One chief executive] has more of a headache to organise it and make some money rather than not to organise it and not get some money." Interestingly, Todt could not confirm whether the WMSC vote, conducted by a show of hands, was unanimous. "I couldn’t say precisely," he said. "Was it 25 hands? 27? I saw all the hands up and said, 'Ah, unanimous agreement'. I pronounced it. And nobody objected. No one said 'I abstained' or 'I voted no'." It is understood that only a unanimous vote can effect a change to the calendar, something which was necessary last Friday and may be again shortly. The teams, spurred on by Ecclestone, are expected to confirm today that they are unhappy with racing in Bahrain on Oct 30. "The way things are at the moment, we have no idea what is going to happen," Ecclestone said last night. "Better that we move Bahrain to the end of the season and, if things are safe and well, then that is fine, we can go. "If they are not, then we don’t go and there are no problems. We listened to that report from the FIA and that was saying there were no problems at all in Bahrain. But that is not what I am hearing and I think we can see that we need to be careful.” "The money makes no difference. It is there because the Bahrain people asked us to keep it. If there is no race, we will return it, but money is not the issue here. It is whether it is safe and good to have a race that is the issue. We can change this Oct 30 date by having a vote by fax if necessary. It can be done, and fast." www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/8560481/Bernie-Ecclestone-urges-rethink-on-Bahrain-Grand-Prix-after-human-rights-group-condemns-FIA-report.html
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