Australia set to host the 2015 Asian Cup
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By Tifosi, 18 Sep 2009 The Crowd is a Roar Pro
Australia's Harry Kewell heads the ball during their World Cup qualifier match Against China at ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Sunday, June 22, 2008. AAP Image/Dean Lewins
With Australia’s bid to host the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup in serious jeopardy after reports that funding for stadiums has become a major problem, the 2015 Asian Cup appears to be Australia’s best bet in hosting International football on our shores.
A technical committee from the Asian Football Confederation has been in Australia undertaking an inspection tour of facilities and infrastructure for Australia’s bid for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.
The delegation visited key stadiums, training sites and hotels around the country as part of the inspection tour.
Unlike the World Cup bid, Australia has suitable stadiums and training facilities to host an Asian Cup.
The stadiums under consideration include the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Canberra Stadium, Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney Olympic Stadium, Suncorp Stadium and Skilled Park on the Gold Coast.
Unfortunately for Perth and Adelaide, they once again miss out due to the insufficient state of their rectangular stadiums. The tournament will, therefore, be an East Coast affair only.
The tournament is scheduled for January 2015, which means these stadiums will be free from the other football codes ensuring top quality playing surfaces.
Football in summer also provides a better atmosphere and will ensure less competition for fans.
Another advantage of a summer tournament is that the sixteen training centres for the teams that will be required can include rugby league stadiums such as Parramatta Stadium, CUA Stadium, Toyota Park, Kogarah Oval, Bluetongue Stadium and AFL training centres, such as the Lexus Centre in Melbourne.
Academy of Sport centres such as the Australian Institute of Sport, Queensland Academy of Sport, NSW Academy of Sport, and the Victorian Institute of Sport, can also be utilised, along with football centres around the States, such as Central Coast Stadium and the NSW Football Training centre.
Australia hosting the FIFA World Cup is increasingly unlikely to happen, but the Asian Cup wont be a bad consolation prize.
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David V. said | September 18th 2009 @ 1:56am | Report comment
It can be a useful testbed. Smaller stadia can be used well for “less attractive” fixtures.
Kurt said | September 18th 2009 @ 5:05am | Report comment
Ah yes, the romantically named “Melbourne Rectangular Stadium”. We really have to do something about a name for that thing.
Tom said | September 18th 2009 @ 8:46am | Report comment
Melbourne Victory fans have taken to calling it the Swan Street Stadium, which I think is pretty good.
But I shudder a bit when I think about what it could be named. Melbourne Victory’s current sponsor is Intralot. Can you imagine Intralot Stadium?
AndyRoo said | September 18th 2009 @ 9:20am | Report comment
Could be worse you could have ANZ deciding to sponser the SFS after previously sponsering homebush and be totally confused everytime someone says ANZ stadium
I think they even sponsered a stadium in Brisbane too.
danny said | September 18th 2009 @ 12:37pm | Report comment
not to mention when telstra had both docklands and stadium australia. or skilled having grounds in geelong AND on the gold coast. it’s as though only four or five companies are interested in stadium naming rights around here.
for interest, check out the opening scene in BASEketball (a brilliant, intellectual film starring trey parker and matt stone). features the maxi tampon blimp. hilarity.
albe said | September 18th 2009 @ 6:21am | Report comment
all for bidding for the World cup, but the Asia Cup suits where we are in our football development so much more. It’d be a great tournament to host.
If we can do this well, it’ll give Australia the sort of cred in the AFC that will garner support for a WC bid in future years. Even if we miss out on 18/22, there’s plenty more potential bids down the track, with much of the ground work already done.
Not entirely convinced on the January date though… the African nations cup has a tough time getting players back for their January tournament.
danny said | September 18th 2009 @ 8:52am | Report comment
unless the face of asian football changes dramatically over the next 5 years, i don’t think it will be an issue. at present, australia’s the only nation with the majority of its first-choice players based in europe, and teams would struggle to convince players to not want to represent their nation in an international competition in front of their own fans. a few other teams have a number of players in europe, but the vast majority of asian national team players are asian-based. the afc would certainly encourage domestic leagues to make allowances in anticipation. i don’t reckon things will change too much by 2011. The Qatar Asian Cup will be a good indicator of how it will go though.
albe said | September 18th 2009 @ 11:26am | Report comment
yeah i think teams like japan and s.korea will be ok (along with the rest of afc) … the jan date actually suits the local leagues better, which is the point long term….
Kenny said | September 18th 2009 @ 8:38am | Report comment
The World Cup stadium issue seems so fundamentally important you’d have thought they’d have worked it out before putting in a bid. It’s like going for your driving test without a car.
Chuq said | September 18th 2009 @ 9:24am | Report comment
Kenny, we never expected to host a WC with our current venues, the plan was always to build more for the event. However I don’t think the FFA expected the SA and WA governments to be as inept as they have been.
Michael C said | September 18th 2009 @ 11:44am | Report comment
It’s a bit hard to blame the WA and SA govts, after all – the inept Victorian govt has bungled the new Melb (Swan St) bubble roofed stadium…..looks great, can’t grow.
The Robina stadium in QLD can’t grow,
WA and SA have no overwhelming business case for a stand alone venue out of state funding.
Given the GFC, it’s only right for them to hold back and see what they get offered. If the FFA and Fed Govt want it so much – then, the SA and WA govt should be able to avoid a massive state budget black hole. That’s not inept. That’s saying “Show me the money”.
David V. said | September 19th 2009 @ 1:58pm | Report comment
Victorian government “inept? Michael C? Then what words do you have for the NSW government, one of the world’s worst at this moment?
At least WA has done something with its road and rail infrastructure.
Chuq said | September 18th 2009 @ 9:26am | Report comment
Regarding the AC venues, I thought eight were needed? One per group and the two final matches in each group to be played simultaneously?
danny said | September 18th 2009 @ 12:39pm | Report comment
the FFA have listed 8 on the shortlist. 2x melbourne, canberra, 3x sydney, gold coast and brisbane.
i’m surprised newcastle didn’t feature on there though.
AndyRoo said | September 18th 2009 @ 9:35am | Report comment
There is only 4 groups of 4 (16 teams total)
They need 8 training venues, that might be where you got the 8 figure from.
Chuq said | September 18th 2009 @ 11:24am | Report comment
I think I got it from the way the 2007 one was done – each of the 4 group had 5 matches in one venue and the 6th match in a different venue (since it was played at the same time as the 5th match). I guess this was a necessity due to it being in 4 countries, as someone else mentioned, Qatar is using fewer.
Brian said | September 18th 2009 @ 9:56am | Report comment
Qatar are hosting the ntire event in 2 cities and 5 venues so anything possible. I personally don’t see why Hindmarsh or Bluetongue stadiums couldnt be added to the list to make 8. If the AFC insisted on more world class stadia you could of course use Etihad as well.
The problem in January is that of getting our players back. Japan & Korea also have their best players now in Europe.
Alextman said | September 18th 2009 @ 12:45pm | Report comment
I imagine the situation with our players coming back would be similar to that of the African Cup of Nations, which is also held in January/February. Clubs must release the players if called up.
Midfielder said | September 18th 2009 @ 9:39pm | Report comment
Agree Alextman
Grobbelaar said | September 18th 2009 @ 11:21pm | Report comment
By 2015 there will be no Aussies in the Premier League, so there won’t be an issue there.
Criebo said | September 19th 2009 @ 12:52am | Report comment
Not in the running for 2018/2022? Australia was then so eager to take 2010 away from South Africa!! What happen there??
Pippinu said | September 21st 2009 @ 9:58pm | Report comment
Tifosi
no doubt you would have seen Sunday’s CAnberra Times, on page 3 no less:
“World Cup stadium scuttled: Failed A-League bid will ruin ACT’s hosting chances”
The interesting thing about this article is that it talks about a minimum stadium capacity of 43,000. Now, all this time, I thought that number was 40,000. Somewhere along the line, it has changed.
Why did it change?
It’s interesting from an Australian point of view because that extra requirement makes it very difficult for some of the smaller stadiums who were pushing it just to increase the capacity to 40,000, let alone 43,000.
There’d only be maybe 10 countries in the world who’d have eight modern stadiums with a minimum capacity of 43,000.
It looks like Bruce would be ok for the Asian Cup, maybe just requiring a minor upgrade.