We blogged in August about Len Brown's shameless attempt to claim the credit for Eden Park's last trial run before RWC2011; check this out:
Full marks to Auckland mayor Len Brown for trying to steal the limelight, but this comment cannot go unchallenged. The Herald reports on how Eden Park fared with last night's big crowd, and notes (with our emphasis added):
Auckland Mayor Len Brown caught the train from Britomart and spent the game seated next to All Black legend Graham Mourie.
"There were lots of people saying 'Good job, Mr Mayor'," he said, "and you had this sense of optimism in the crowd. At the ground, there is an outstanding presence of police and security who are highly visible.
"I've had major oversight of this Eden Park project to make sure everything is done right and I am very confident."
Oh really Len? The decision to upgrade Eden Park was finally taken in February 2007. At that point, Len Brown had yet to even be elected mayor of Manukau City, Helen Clark was still the Prime Minister, Dick Hubbard was the mayor of Auckland and the decision to create an Auckland supercity had not been reached.
This morning's Herald tells a rather different story (ourr emphasis added):
Before yesterday, Auckland Transport officials made repeated calls for people to use public transport, but this backfired as the system failed under the load, while motorway traffic around the city and Eden Park was reported to be running smoothly.
"The roads have been as quiet as Christmas Day but the trains have been unbelievably bad," said one rugby fan, who gave up waiting for a train at Newmarket and drove in.
One rugby ticketholder said he was able to travel to the ground and find parking easily.
Even Auckland Mayor Len Brown, a champion of public transport, decided on Thursday to drive to the park from the waterfront because he could not be sure of making it on time for the opening ceremony.
Late last night his spokesman said the mayor would hold a press conference today on the problems and more would be known "once he got answers from various agencies".
That should be a very interesting press conference. But please Len; don't tell the assembled media that "the world is in da house!"!!
19 comments:
The trains were chaos in bund to britomart from about midday, which is when i was going the other way.
I think the hugh numbers at the water front blew people away.
Traffic on the trip home was lite (Xmas holiday level) and even the journey along Sandringham Road to chez Hogg was dead simple.
A mate parked at my place as driving was easier. In and out no issue. I'm now going to some games merely for providing a modest level of hospitality!
The Tongan bands exceeded my exepctations and the people walking to the game were all well behaved. I've got some video of the bands that I will post on u-tube when i figure out how to do it.
McCully should be held fully accountable for the logistical mess. RWC's his pet project, and his fingers are all over this. I guess you won't be pointing this out, as that would be being objective.
You've missed the point Anon; it wasn't McCully who tried to claim the credit for Eden Park last month. And it wasn't McCully who urged everyone to go to Eden Park by train, then decided to get his driver to take him as an insurance policy.
Overall, everything went pretty well last night, transport issues and overcrowding apart. There will be plenty of time for brickbats and bouquets after the tournament. But where are all the naysayers who said that no-one would want to go to Party Central?
Wasn't it annoying when Len Brown said,
""the world is in da house!"
That was going to be Key's line!
Well, McCully gave a subtle hint by not sinking money into Auckland's public transport system :-)
As an Auckland resident it's just plain embarrassing every time Len opens his gob.
I'm sorry about that James, I know how you feel. As a New Zealander I feel the same way about John Key.
I normally take the train to work in the CBD, but decided to drive yesterday and parked in carpark bordered by Cook/Nelson/Wellesley. The traffic going in the morning was like xmas day. I then drove home (west) about 2pm picked up the whanau and returned to same carpark which was half-empty. We walked down to viaduct and had an awesome time. Left after the fireworks and drove west on norwest then tracked down to Balmoral for Maccas, then Dominon to the southwest then Hillsborough out to GE/Oratia (had to drop people off), it was like driving in the middle of the night yet it was only 8.30pm. So screw 'In da house' Brown and his public transport, the mighty automobile rules!
fancy blaming McCully .. what a joke. The rail system could not cope with the numbers .. simple. I took the train because I believed taking the car would be plain mad. For once in my life, I was w w w w wrong.
We were delayed going in by cops chasing tossers sitting on the tracks. We were jammed packed into the carridge and the delay caused an old guy about 4 down from me collapse. I don't want to talk about the farce trying to get out at 8:30.
anon .. The Nat Govt had less than 3 years with any skin in this game .. Don’t be a wanker trying to pin the transport issues on them. I am so thankful Goff isn't PM and Mallard World Cup Minister. Every-time I have a Heineken I feel queasy because of him
@ Jabba - I'll bet Phil Goff had that sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach when he saw the reception that the PM got from 60,200 punters at Eden Park last night. Nothing that he says or does is going to get any air-time before Monday 24th October, short of him resigning as Labour's leader; and even that would probably pass under the rugby radar.
But he would have been encouraged to hear that Key's diction lessons have failed.
"Towfee"?
What the hell is "Towfee" and what's it got to do with the Rubber Wool Cup???
Bill's vote of confidence
http://robertguyton.blogspot.com/2011/09/english-and-english-and-english.html
Completely irrelevant Robert which of course is no surprise. But as it's from your blog I'll let it stay, because you probably need all the help you can get!
bee (hehe, get it bOb) nice to bOb KS .. I must be his biggest fan.
Why do people make fun of his speech quirks? He may have had hearing issues as a child. I am amazed why the leftards keep getting personal about such things.
Yes jabba everything last night was spectacular in Auckland (well except for most of the 2nd half of the game and Looney Len's train debacle)
Of course over on the ‘collective joke’ known as the (SUB)standard, the sour snarking sock puppets of socialism are again frothing at the mouth. Specifically at the opening success of the RWC and showing they have moved on one more stage of their Key Derangement Syndrome.
Now they are all on the same level as blog troller bubbagayton
Sorry LTCF .. I can't sleep if I look at the sub Standard. I have tried but goodness.
booby is a typical Greenie. A bloke on John Tamihere's show, "get smart NZ” at 11:30 this morning, said it all. We ALL are prepared to use minerals mined from other countries but not our own. bOb is a hypocrite but he can't see it.
There's a massive logistical cock-up, yet according to you guys the Minister in charge of making sure there were no cock-ups shouldn't be accountable? Where does the buck stop? McCully's a joke.
Again you miss the point Anon; refer my 8.18am yesterday, which explains it all.
There will be plenty of time for blame later in the piece, but this post is soley about Len Brown's double standards.
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