I apologise unreservedly to Seb Coe, London 2012, and the Northwest Regional Development Agency.

About a year ago, while still working for the Manchester Evening News, I gave Lord Coe - who was a delightful interviewee and remembered me from the Commonwealth Games - a hard time for not sending the cycling to Manchester.

I accused him of patronising us by promising a few scraps from the Olympic table when it was Manchester’s 2002 success which won London the Games anyway,

Now, as a businessman looking for work, I went to the same venue (City of Manchester Stadium where they were getting ready for Ricky Hatton’s fight) to another NWDA event about winning Olympic contracts.

It was brilliant and I now firmly believe that they are serious about spreading the work around.

Sorry.