Why on earth are people saying that the World Cup bid is the waste of money then?

That movie made me embarrassed to be Australian.

it’s owned by the MCC,

managed by the MCG trust (govt appointed)

and over charges the AFL.

how does that provide a victory for Aussie Rules should it host the FIFA WC final????

Why do you see it that way? Are you blind to the MCG as Australias FIRST Olympic stadium??

are you blind to the huge soccer and rugby crowds that have attended there?

re the ‘showcase AFL’ aspect – - – whether playing a game or two as a ‘warm up’ (perhaps even a TAC cup under 18 game – - – with the Tas19 vs NT20 ‘expansion’ sides!?!?!)…..

or

simply that the AFL ensures that overseas tourists with FIFA WC tickets had a chance to purchase special deal tickets to AFL matches…..

……if tourism works, many people come for the soccer, and many more just for the party atmosphere.

Is anyone here forgetting that the MCG is not just a ground. It also contains the Melbourne Cricket Club, as well as the National Sports Mueseum.
The National Sports Mueseum in my mind should be a major attraction, and a major part of the advertising for any games held at the G’.

I also fully expect the President of FIFA to acknowledge that the AFL and NRL have given up their stadiums to help the soccer WC. Thats IF Australia gets it ever.

Absolutely believe that a WC here would be a great opportunity for AFL to showcase itself to the world. Why not?

Happy for new stadiums in Adelaide and Perth to be multi purpose but if that means building with moveable seats then make sure they are used unlike the farce at TD.

Sam’s attitude is not typical of all both in the all for football stance nor the Sydney final over MCG final. The WC here would be great for tourism (interesting to note the Feds gave $40m to Big Bad Baz to promote the “Oztralia” the movie believing it will promote tourism here). Unless they are planning to expand Telstra Stadium then the final has to be at the MCG…but lets get the tournament first.

I also remember a few posters here suggesting sometime ago that the World Cup should be seen as an opportunity for Aussie Rules to showcase itself whilst the “world’s eyes are upon us”, a form of compensation for moving AFL games away from it’s premier venue for two months.

Redb

Not saying the MCG is perfect, just that — should it remain our largest venue — there’s no reason for the final not to be there.

As a sobering thought, in Durban, South Africa for the 2010 World Cup they are currently constructing a brand new purpose built stadium – right next door to Kings Park (ABSA Stadium), one of the best rugby grounds in the world with it’s big capacity and vertiginous stands. Australia would be lucky to have such a ground but it’s still not good enough. And the thought of sharing the tournament with NZ simply results in the same problems – crap stadia, except maybe the revamped Eden Park.

Maybe all of this is irrelevant as FIFA are up there with the IOC for appalling corruption and politicking – it will got to whoever funnels the most money to Sepp Blatter and Jack Warner

Others, thanks for the positive feedback.

Wherever the final is I hope that the world game is the only thing that is advertised. Yes I know Melbourne is the sporting capital, but Sydney is also a world famous city. Maybe I don’t like the ‘cricket ground’ bit in the name. Like I said though I think Sydney has the inside running with Frank Lowy and the fact the FFA has all its set up in Sydney (including the Asian and FIFA conferences which were both held there). We will wait and see..

Playing the final at the MCG a victory for aussie rules? AFL people will use it to spread the “gospel to the rest of the world”?

Please, give me a break!

(will the AFL encourage overseas visitors to sample some local culture at the Dome – probably!!)

Let’s give the final to whoever is most likely to get the biggest crowd – if it’s Sydney – fine.

I tell you what folks – what are the chances of Brazil as a host nation falling over a la Colombia circa 1984?

“Sorry but for me the final at the MCG would be a victory for Aussie Rules over football.”

I struggle to see how this has any relevance. Was the 2006 final in Berlin a victory for athletics because of the running track around it? Was the 1994 final at the Rose Bowl (in LA) a victory for college football?

This is a football tournament. Nothing to do with AFL or cricket. I very much doubt FIFA would let any other sport overshadow their showpiece event anyway.

Parochialism aside, at the end of the day Frank Lowy is a Sydney boy. Having the final at the ‘G’ is like Ron Walker handing over the Australian Tennis Open to Sydney.

I don’t have a problem with that except one problem.

Bin Hammen may have a problem with that.

He’s seems pretty reluctant about the idea of Australia helping Oceania.

Sepp Blatter even once said about joint Australia – New Zealand bid – You can’t just join Asia and then have a world cup bid representing Oceania.

Strangely enough being a Sydneysider myself I think there is some value in making sure that the whole nation shares in the World Cup. I would not like to see, for example, both ANZ and SFS used, plus Energy in Newcastle just up the road, at the expense of Perth, Adelaide or Canberra getting a piece of the action.

Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Gold Coast, Auckland, Wellington, Newcastle – 10 venues in 10 major population centres yet with no duplicates, and Sydney’s large football audience is served through proximity to Newcastle and Canberra should the one resident stadium not be enough to satisfy the appetite there. Seems like a good footprint to me. Oh by the way if the final is in Sydney or Melbourne then I hope there is the foresight to give the semis to Brisbane and Auckland.

I live on the Gold Coast and we have a Sate-of-the-art Robina Rectangle Stadium 27k with foundations to build a 45k plus refurbishment that has already a rail link to Brisbane Airport and CBD .. Eventually the proposed rail link will link up to the Gold Coast Airport.that is not far away now, its almost there.. Great Beaches and a fibrant tourist destination all add to a spectacular proposed WC location ..

I don’t expect it will be considered for the semis or final.. However, it will stand in good stead and capable for a quarter final supported with our amenities; hundreds of tourist hotels and resorts etc .. This Gold Coast Stadium will be a stand out in 2018 the home of the Gold Coast United FC that, will take the HAL by storm in 2009-10 .. I can’t wait for 2018…

~~~~~~~~~
KB

Finally, a number of comments on the Road have suggested Melbourne host the final due to the size of the MCG and its history. I don’t think so. MCG should definitely be on the list for those reasons but is terrible for watching association football and should not host the final. Sydney is it.