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| Don Valley Stadium closure: Ennis coach warns of 'hefty blow' | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Jessica Ennis's coach says the Olympic champion's hopes of defending her title have been dealt a blow by a decision to close Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield. | |
| Tony Minichiello said athletics was "close to dead" in the city after the council confirmed the closure. | |
| The demolition of the stadium where the heptathlon gold medallist often trains is part of measures to cut £50m from the council's budget. | |
| The Labour-run authority has said it can no longer subsidise the stadium. | The Labour-run authority has said it can no longer subsidise the stadium. |
| 'Title blow' | 'Title blow' |
| Mr Minichiello, who spoke at the budget meeting, told BBC Radio 5 live afterwards: "I'm gutted and pretty angry to be honest. | |
| "Athletics is pretty close to being dead in Sheffield because of this decision. | "Athletics is pretty close to being dead in Sheffield because of this decision. |
| "We're going to be all right for this coming season because it's open, but any sort of move towards the next Olympic games and retaining Jess's title has been dealt a hefty, hefty blow." | "We're going to be all right for this coming season because it's open, but any sort of move towards the next Olympic games and retaining Jess's title has been dealt a hefty, hefty blow." |
| He added the decision would not just affect one athlete but also hundreds of children in the area who had been inspired by the London Olympics. | He added the decision would not just affect one athlete but also hundreds of children in the area who had been inspired by the London Olympics. |
| "They have got no future because when Jess started she had the Don Valley stadium where, yes, we could train outdoors but there was also a smaller indoor area which we could use that made us fairly weatherproof," he said. | "They have got no future because when Jess started she had the Don Valley stadium where, yes, we could train outdoors but there was also a smaller indoor area which we could use that made us fairly weatherproof," he said. |
| The council said it spent £700,000 on the arena in 2012-13 and was subsidising every visit to it by more than £5. | The council said it spent £700,000 on the arena in 2012-13 and was subsidising every visit to it by more than £5. |
| Councillor Bryan lodge, cabinet member for finance, said: "It is with a very heavy heart that we have arrived at this decision, but we are having to take out £50m from our budget for the next year on top of what has already been saved and it isn't getting any easier." | Councillor Bryan lodge, cabinet member for finance, said: "It is with a very heavy heart that we have arrived at this decision, but we are having to take out £50m from our budget for the next year on top of what has already been saved and it isn't getting any easier." |
| The council has said it will refurbish and reopen the smaller Woodburn Road Athletics Stadium, but Mr Minichiello described that solution as "pathetic". | The council has said it will refurbish and reopen the smaller Woodburn Road Athletics Stadium, but Mr Minichiello described that solution as "pathetic". |
| Are you in Sheffield? How do you feel about the closure of the stadium? Could it have been saved? | Are you in Sheffield? How do you feel about the closure of the stadium? Could it have been saved? |