Smart kids put Motty and Co. on the spot...
Football-loving youngsters put a celebrity panel, including senior television executives, on the spot with some searching questions.
| Even Tony Banks would commit himself no further than saying England had a better chance of winning than last time. |
None of them would give a direct answer to the question of whether England would win the next World Cup.
And the heads of sport for the BBC and ITV, Peter Salmon and Brian Barwick, side-stepped the question of when Nationwide League games would be shown on terrestrial television.
It happened when a host of sporting stars descended on Docklands for a lively sporting debate and raised thousands of pounds for charity.
More than two hundred guests got to meet some of their heroes at The Sporting Lunch including gold medallists, athlete Cathy Freeman and rowers Johnny Searle and Fred Scarlett. Also present at Cabot Hall, Canary Wharf were Scotland rugby union star Kenny Logan and British GT motor racing champion Calum Lockie.
The estimated £20,000 that the event raised went to two children's charities, Children's Express, a programme of learning through journalism for young people aged 8 to 18 and Sickle Cell Anaemia Relief.
Heated debate
The event was hosted by active supporters of both charities - football presenter Garth Crooks and ITN Newsreader Katie Derham.
A heated debate discussing current sporting issues was chaired by football commentator John Motson with panellists Sir Alan Sugar, former Sports Minister Tony Banks alongside Salmon and Barwick.
Young journalists from Children's Express asked some forceful questions. One from Jonathan Ijoyah, aged 11 on whether England would win the World Cup led to an interesting discussion. Even Tony Banks, never exactly renowned for reticence during his ministerial days, would commit himself no further than saying England had a better chance of winning than last time.
Confessions
Salmon and Barwick also seemed to be suggesting uncertainity by, confessing that they hadn't yet signed a deal to show all of next years World Cup on terrestrial TV.
Another budding journalist, thirteen year old Zak Garner-Purkis wanted to know when he could watch Nationwide League matches on terrestrial TV. Zak said he was disappointed with the "get cable or ITV sport channel" responses.
Eleven year old Children's Express journalist Cindy Crome said "it was one of the best days of my life. I got to meet lots of famous people and get their autographs which was a great experience."
Christopher Wyld, Chief Executive of Childrens's Express said: "The event was a spectacular success - everybody enjoyed themselves enormously."
About the team
This article was produced by Alisha Fuller, 15, Zak Garner-Purkis, 13, Cindy Crome, 11 and Jenny Roe-Stanton, 14. It was published in Docklands News.
