The Gardeners' World Blog

London 2012’s new logo has got the country talking - not in the manner the organisers would have hoped - but it has certainly made a splash, which may not be a bad thing in the long run.

Calls to the press office this morning met with replies that appeared to confirm that this was not a publicity stunt – as some feared/(hoped?) - but a genuine attempt to break new ground.

More than 200 people commented on my post yesterday; our 606 debate garnered more than 3,000 comments and our online vote showed a consistent level of about 80% against the logo (until it malfunctioned and reset itself to zero - nothing sinister I assure you. But apologies for the annoyance).

On my blog post, Michael Sutton-Long (commenter number 117) was an almost lone voice of support for the Wolff Ollins-designed icon.

I thought, as a first-hand witness to the launch, I would pass on what it was Seb Coe & co were trying to convey.

A year ago today, England had just thumped Jamaica 6-0 and were about to head to Germany on a tidal wave of hype and expectation. A year from now, we hope it's come full circle and they're boarding a plane to Austria/Switzerland full of optimism. Ideally, accompanied by one or more of the other home nations.

Given the weekend's results in Group E, a win in Estonia looks more or less essential if England's hopes are to remain intact. We have extended highlights in Match of the Day - our last of the season - at 10.40pm on Wednesday. We will also be able to feature a five-minute edit of Faroe Islands v Scotland, while BBC Scotland will have their own longer edit of that game.