Our World Cup bid lacking a united vision
Columnist By Adrian Musolino, 17 May 2009 Adrian Musolino is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- 2018 World Cup, 2022 World Cup, FFA, football
Australia's Mark Viduka with Soccer Australia President Frank Lowry after Australia defeated Uruguay during the 2006 FIFA World Cup Qualifier match at Telstra Stadium, Sydney, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2005. Australia defated Uruguay in a penalty shoot out qualifying them for the World Cup in Germany. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
Question marks over stadiums, aside from the politics of the bidding process, were for many the biggest impediment to Australia potentially hosting the 2018 or 2022 World Cup. Well it certainly is for Adelaide with the city given the blunt declaration from the FFA: build a new stadium or forget being part of the World Cup. The states officials aren’t budging.
The FFA declared that the three possible alternatives in Adelaide are all unsuitable.
AAMI Stadium is too far from the CBD and the grandstands too far from the action, Adelaide Oval doesn’t have the capacity, likewise Hindmarsh Stadium.
However, the State Government rejected FFA’s suggestion for a rectangular 40,000 plus stadium to be build on the outskirts of the CBD, reaffirming their already held position that they will seek to possibly redevelop AAMI or Adelaide Oval and will not commit to a new stadium, at least not until the World Cup bid was won.
Despite the frustrations of South Australian football fans it’s an understandable dilemma in a state with stadiums adequate for its sporting sides and in an economic climate that has resulted in governments running at record deficits.
But the impasse points at a greater problem, the lack of a united vision of the World Cup and the frustrations of doubt.
What struck me most in the response to the stadium dilemma was the ambivalence many felt towards a World Cup, the scepticism that it’s just not going to happen.
Is this the result of ambivalence toward the world game or is the FFA not doing a good enough job in drumming up support and enthusiasm for what would be the greatest sporting event ever held in Australia?
Regarding the stadiums and in this regard we are paying the price for our divergent sporting culture that for the past hundred years that has favoured our indigenous codes such as Aussie Rules and our stadiums are a mere reflection of that culture.
Only now is football getting on an even keel, a process that has only just happened in the past half a decade and therefore we don’t have the infrastructure in place. And now we want to stage the game’s, if not all of sport’s, biggest tournament.
Such dilemmas were always going to be apparent therefore.
The problem with Adelaide’s example is it damages the World Cup bid process.
Putting cynicism aside about why World Cups are handed out to certain nations when they are, on a purely infrastructure standpoint we still have a way to go and waiting on a successful bid will naturally impact the bid process itself and our chances.
While some may say the eastern seaboard can manage without an Adelaide, assuming FIFA is flexible with its city and stadium requirements, it won’t be a true Australian bid.
The World Cup is about more than economic concerns.
It should result in a lasting legacy for football in this country and that should include all major metropolitan areas.
While most focus on 2018, we should instead hope for 2022, not just as a more realistic target with 2018 surely earmarked for Europe, but also so we have that extra time to get the state governments on board and also the sceptics.
Thankfully FIFA allowed multiple bids for the two World Cups.
Let’s hope by then the public is a little more in touch with how big this event would be.
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- 2018 World Cup, 2022 World Cup, FFA, football
May 17th 2009 @ 8:16pm
Dave said | May 17th 2009 @ 8:16pm | Report comment
Err Cameron…heard of Melbourne Victory? 4 years old close to 20,000 members and ave 28,000 incl finals with 53,000 plus capacity at GF. Start laughing!
BTW Socceroos are the biggest and most popular of all the football code national teams in Oz! Bet you cant wait for the SA WC to begin?
May 17th 2009 @ 9:08pm
Michael C said | May 17th 2009 @ 9:08pm | Report comment
Should we win the right to host -
there will be plenty of time to build a venue.
But, why the heck would the SA Govt go down the path of a minimum 40K rectangle venue?? On all present evidence, it would be a white elephant. Can’t be justified. (in a QLD, NSW or Vic maybe – - but, not the SA economy).
FIFA is happy enough for the 2006 FINAL to be held at the Berlin Olympic Stadium, what with a full running track around it which leaves the fans too far from the action………..so,……what’s the issue.
Reality in Adelaide, it’s not a ‘simple’ equation including the tensions b/w the SACA and SANFL around Adelaide Oval and AAMI.
Dave -
MVFC, didn’t they drop back to 17K members this year and avg crowd at Docklands down to around 24K from 32K (H&A matches) a couple of years ago – - despite winning the whole thing again this year. And, MVFC are the biggest soccer club in the country by a long….long….long way.
the Socceroos are great, but, A. aren’t based here, and B. only rarely appear here, and invariably play 1 game here, 1 there etc…..hardly justifying a SA govt to build a venue on the odd chance that the Socceroos might appear there once every 3 years.
Adrian -
ambivolence towards a soccer world cup might include a couple of things:
A. many don’t feel Australia ‘warrant’s it as a ‘soccer nation’ – - i.e. the boost the local game might get would be in essence a huge and undeserved free kick (on several fronts)
B. we don’t need to keep ‘proving ourselves’ to the world, we’ve done the Olympics, twice
C. many perhaps don’t think we’re a realistic chance to ‘win it’ anyway – so, why go building very hard to justify stadia for the rectangle codes (just in case), when the issue of stadia in Perth and Adelaide is presently more an issue of the size limitations of Subiaco and AAMI stadium (other than for the Power!!)
the reality is that whilst there can be a healthy respect for soccer – - the world is more than just that, so, it’s not a case of ‘drop everything’….at this stage anyway. For now, just have the plans for a couple of options.
And Adrian – the call for ‘unity’ etc – - your simply line It should result in a lasting legacy for football in this country and that should include all major metropolitan areas. is pretty clear. Soccer advocates see a huge potential upside – - that will undermine the ‘competition’. A simple point is, is this the way ‘soccer’ want’s to ‘win’ Australia. i.e. can’t do it without hosting a world cup and getting ‘free’ infrastructure??
May 17th 2009 @ 9:55pm
keeper11 said | May 17th 2009 @ 9:55pm | Report comment
oh cameron …..haha
might see you at one of the outdoor marquees with the rest of tens of thousands of australians who will support australias national team in next years ‘fringe’ sockah WC…
you know the same outdoor screens that were meant to cater for the supposed thousands of fans that were meant to turnout for some world cup i recall was held here last year by one of ‘your’ native aussie sports….
May 17th 2009 @ 10:07pm
jub jub said | May 17th 2009 @ 10:07pm | Report comment
LMAO@ Cameron
South Africa are in a VERY similar situation as Australia and are on track to host a successful WC. I believe we mostly have the stadia in place.. we’d only need to upgrade a few/build a few. For Adelaide, a multipurpose stadium which could be converted between rectangular/round would do the job before, during and after the world cup.
To say that soccer in Australia is a fad is a very, very ignorant view.
May 17th 2009 @ 10:31pm
jimbo said | May 17th 2009 @ 10:31pm | Report comment
Soccer Australia and FFA’s position has been not to become owners of football grounds and Stadiums and to rent them when football needs them. We will need them to stage a successful WC and upgrade some of them too.
As we’ve been discussing previously, to stage a successful WC in the middle of the AFL, Rugby and NRL season will take a lot of goodwill and cooperation to host the world’s biggest sporting event.
We definitely need a united vision that can look beyond the current economic downturn and imagine what can be achieved if we all work together, but unfortunately a lot of sports administrators and politicians are as narrow-minded as Cameron, so it’s not going to be easy.
May 17th 2009 @ 11:50pm
Captain Random said | May 17th 2009 @ 11:50pm | Report comment
Cameron!
I posted that code wars article specifically to get the thoughts of people like you! Why did you hold out on me? WHY?
May 18th 2009 @ 1:37am
Julius said | May 18th 2009 @ 1:37am | Report comment
Hello from Brazil, I have stepped on this article and its discussion and I can´t resist giving my opionion (perhaps a fresh one from the other side of the world!).
Well, I really wish Australia gets 2018 or 2022. After 2006, Australia got my heart. I am delighted whenever your national, and I have Japan x Australia on my schedule (schedule: day of drinking lots of beer), lol.
Now to the world cup. My opinion is that Australia, particularly Adelaide, should make some modifications to its already existing stadium. To avoid a white elephant? Just don´t make it look like something that can be seen from the Moon, as were all German stadium before the crises. Make a simple one, but beautiful. Australians are known worldwide for their passion for nature. Make it the theme of this new stadium. As for the 3 new 5-star hotels. That´s something that FIFA demands for its personnel and all the upscale traveller that surely will come. I think the best solution for this, is the same that Rio is adopting for bidding for 2016 Olympics: don´t have enough money or see any use in building 3 white elephants, then they decided to use cruise ships, 5 stars ones, as hotels. Wow! Even I would like to stay in , say, Queen Elizabeth ship. After the games are over, then there she goes crossing the seas, and no white elephant in the middle of the tea room! And what´s better: no money spent in something you see no use afterwards. As for the maximum use of this stadium, and with the problem that our French friend cleverly showed us above – the continental size of Australia – then the sole solution would be this: FFA makes an agreement with FIFA asking that Adelaide and Perth receive more games and always with the same groups. For instance, Adelaide could host group E which will comprises 4 teams, and all the matches within this group would be played in Adelaide solely. This would avoid tourists having to travel to, say, Sidney. They would stay in just one city and this surely would create a mini-world cup in Adelaide, attracting the tourists of said group. I would be delighted if Brazil could come to Adelaide. We are a bit noisy, but we are fun!
Well, good luck with your bid! Australia is my favorite.
May 18th 2009 @ 6:15am
Michael C said | May 18th 2009 @ 6:15am | Report comment
Hmm, airlift some cruise ships into Lake Burley Griffin.
It just might work.
Anyway – I always reckon there’s a test that should be applied before stadia development – and that is ‘would the private sector build it’. If NOT, then, why not? Bad business model? Is the public sector supposed to bank roll it into the future?
A soccer world cup is a nice tournament, goes longer than the Olympics – - but, still, after the event the same issues apply. So, the more Australia could get away with upgrades, temporary seating, etc the better. But – - still – - the amazing thing right now is for people to have a go at a cash strapped state govt for NOT building something now that isn’t overly needed and is really just an ‘in case’ justification……..when the state govt has other stadium concerns to deal with – - and would obviously prefer a cash efficient one size fits all or a cash efficient upgrades program.
May 18th 2009 @ 6:18am
Kurt said | May 18th 2009 @ 6:18am | Report comment
Julius
A very interesting post, but I see one flaw in your suggestion about using cruise ships as floating hotels in lieu of building new ones. The city in need of the hotels is Canberra which happens to be roughly 100 km inland. Apart from that full points for lateral thinking.
MVDave – I’m pretty sure there were new stadiums built in Germany in the lead up to the world cup such as Bayern Munchen’s new home ground. Although I admit I don’t know if that would have been built regardless, I guess they are a big enough club to support such an investment.
May 18th 2009 @ 7:02am
Robbos said | May 18th 2009 @ 7:02am | Report comment
Michael C in a another negative post on Sokka, another spin & another infactual post based on his fear of this game expecially his last line ‘can’t do it without hosting a world cup and getting ‘free’ infrastructure’.
Most football fans & even non football fans, even the government wants the football WC in Australia, WHY? You are bringing the biggest sporting event by along way to Australia, no not to prove to world, only inferior people or countries need to keep proving themselves Michael.
The Government is willing to make this investment of ‘free infrasturure’ because of the huge potential income it can make from hosting this event in this country.
Oh yeah, so apart from hosting the greatest sporting event that any proud sports follower in Australia would be excited about, the potential creation of jobs, infrastruture, sporting infrastruture & huge business growth, yes, you biggest fear, a freekick for football in this country.
I’m sure there is a blog about Crean’s view on how Australian business can benifit once China adopts the FOREIGN game played in Australia only.