By Jesse Fink
October 9th 2009 @ 3:12am
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Time for Australia and Indonesia to unite
Over at Goal.com, my mate John Duerden has a fantastic piece up suggesting Australia and Indonesia combine their World Cup bids to have a shot at either 2018 or 2022.
With the Rio Olympics going to Brazil and the chastened Americans firming as a favourite for 2022 with 2018 inevitably going to Europe, the chances of Australia getting anything at all are looking decidedly gloomier.
Sorry, Kate Ellis. We look f***ed.
Something the Indonesian bid has always been. It hasn’t stood a chance in hell.
So, why not do as Duerden suggests and make the most of this bad situation and get a little creative?
As readers of this column and my work at The World Game and ESPN STAR Sports well know, I have long been an advocate of closer Indonesia-Australia ties, so what Duerden is proposing warms the cockles of my heart. When Australia joined the Asian Football Confederation, one of the mantras of FFA chairman Frank Lowy was “football diplomacy” – that football could achieve things in our region that politics and trade could not.
I believed him. It was one of the main themes of a book I wrote back in 2007 – how Australia was using football to get closer to Asia; that through football we were slowly coming to realise what were really were and had been for some time: an Asian football nation.
But “football diplomacy” apropos Asia seems to be a low priority at the moment. All the buttering up is being done in the halls of FIFA, with Lowy angling to get his World Cup.
In my view it’s the wrong approach. If Lowy really wants to bag a World Cup, he’d be better off doing away with trying to charm Jack Warner and cosying up to Indonesia, one of the most important markets for football in the world.
As Duerden writes in his story, “Indonesia has the population and the passion… Australia has the knowhow.”
Combined it would be a formidable bid, covering all the important bases and spread the tournament across an impressive geographical area. Australia and Indonesia boast between them three of the biggest
stadiums in the world.
More importantly, though, it would be uniting two antithetical cultures: Christian and Muslim, West and East, and that would be a considerable advantage to the bid. FIFA likes to think of itself as an organisation that promotes peace and fraternity through football, so what better opportunity than Indonesia-Australia 2022?
Obviously the massive disadvantage is transportation – Indonesia is not up to par by any measure – but cheap labour could solve that problem thriftily and inexpensively by the construction of new roads and rail networks in the major cities.
Security issues, too, would be a concern but what better incentive to finally smash Jemaah Islamiyah than the promise of a World Cup on Indonesian soil?
The terrorists’ cause would actually be ill served if they tried to do anything untoward during a World Cup. If there’s one thing Indonesians love more than anything else it’s football.
Indonesia-Australia 2022 might seem pie in the sky, but so was Rio 2016 not so long ago. Lowy’s motto in life is to “push the limits”. Well, let’s see what he’s made of.
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(19)
Football_Wunderkind said | October 9th 2009 @ 5:21am | Report comment
I love reading your articles and oppinions Jesse. They are thought provoking at the very least, but …. if for some odd reason Australia was to submit a joint bid with Indonesia that would be the end of Indonesia micro chances of securing the rights to host the world cup and it would destroy our 10-1 chance at hosting it as well. I read your article about dismissing the indonesian bombings as a reason why Indonesia won’t get the the chance to host the World Cup. It was a sound agument… no doubt. Like you said, if bombings is one of the reasons Indonesia is likely to be dismissed then the same argument applies to England. That is true however England and more to the point Australia have the resources and organisational skill to implement appropriate security. To be honest, and is speak from the priviledged position of having and Balinese girlfriend, Indonesian could not organise a p-ss up in a brewery. I have been to many events ‘organised’ by Indonesia’s at a consular level. The amount of time standing around wondering what is going on and the amount of down time is incredible. Fifa have already stated they are not in favour of joint bids. Indonesia’s bid will have already been dismissed in the corridors of power and Australia’s bid needs a lot of help. A joint bid would dash any chances. I love your opinions and pot stirrings but this idea is fanciful at best.
albe said | October 9th 2009 @ 6:22am | Report comment
its a great idea… it would increase our support within AFC for hosting if we were to link up with Indonesia. We are still the newcomer in Asia, and making this move would certainly surprise a few people in the region. Particularly those who view us suspiciously as Euro-Anglo outsiders.
I’d say we’d have to give up the Final to Jakarta though, perhaps in exchange for hosting five groups over their three. (We’ve got more cities, tho Jakarta has the bigger stadium for the final.)
But realistically its unlikely to happen for 18-22 as i think Lowy would prefer to bid alone this time. We can always go for it again down the track, as Asia WILL get the next one if Europe and Nth America take these two.
Ben said | October 9th 2009 @ 8:15am | Report comment
Sorry, I don’t really have time to write something a little more eloquent (I’ve got to read Father Brennan’s human rights report), but no flaming way – what an absolutely stupid, unmeritous idea!
jessek said | October 9th 2009 @ 9:12am | Report comment
FIFA have said before that Spain/Portugal probably won’t get up because they prefer a lone bid.
Jesse, I reckon you do a great job with your blogs and I agree with most of your ideas, but this one won’t float.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=a..4iyUQGYKk&refer=latin_america
Joining Indonesia would see us IMMEDIATELY ELIMINATED from the bidding process
Ben of Phnom Penh said | October 9th 2009 @ 11:37am | Report comment
I’m unsure as to the joint bid concept as I believe it is too late in the day. As an idea, I love it, however I believe the boat has already left the harbour.
I would, however, love to see a cup competition with all the clubs from the A-League and the Super League in the mix.
sheek said | October 9th 2009 @ 1:44pm | Report comment
Yeah, & the final can be held in Dili, East Timor…..
Is today 1st April???
True Tah said | October 9th 2009 @ 1:48pm | Report comment
Silly idea, Australia is going to struggle as it is, with the only decent stadia on the east coast.
If we were going to go a joint bid with anyvody, I would have thought it would have to be New Zealand, at least they will have some good stadia from 2011.
football lover said | October 10th 2009 @ 1:35am | Report comment
im surprised ive never thought of that, really good point
Tom said | October 9th 2009 @ 2:29pm | Report comment
Its 5500km from Sydney to Jakarta. Slightly more than London to Doha.
Geographically, it would make more sense for England to run a joint bid with Qatar.
Midfielder said | October 9th 2009 @ 4:54pm | Report comment
Jes
Has some merit … send it off to BB….
melbvictory87 said | October 10th 2009 @ 1:40am | Report comment
mmmmmmm you make some valid points and there are some positives, im just not sure it outweighs the negatives. australia and indonesia would be the most bizarre mix ever, i can understand korea and japan but this is about as diametrically opposed as usa and el salvadore haha. look it would be great for relations between our neighbours but i really doubt you could allay fears of anyone not willing to have an open mind on this one. i would be hesitant to travel to indonesia (maybe i am misinformed) and the terrorism threat could spook off key parties. by the way, we are not dead in the water we do have a chance. ive read opinions on goal.com/en that we should not getit because were not a football nation, well neither is america! and they have already hosted it.
Alex said | October 10th 2009 @ 9:24am | Report comment
But America is a much much bigger market to crack. It is immeasurably more important than Australia. Commercially having it in Australia will produce very poor returns. Furthermore, Australia has nothing like the funds to buy the World Cup from FIFA.
Most Europeans hardly know that we play the game seriously.Im thinking 2022 at best.
albe said | October 11th 2009 @ 5:46am | Report comment
with their history japan and korea are way bigger rivals than we are with Indonesia. If those two can join up to co-host, anyone can.
Mr cheese said | October 10th 2009 @ 4:08am | Report comment
My posts have been blocked, which is a shame because I haven’t sworn or anything, but…..
I would like to know if people in Australia are actually behind the bid or not. I assumed that they would be against.
There is a RL journalist ( whose name, I think, is Phil Rothfield ) who says that the whole thing is a monumental waste of money. Isn’t that what Aussies think ????
Alex said | October 10th 2009 @ 9:26am | Report comment
I think yes and no. The football public are definately there but it seems to have sunk into the background with the wider sporting public.
Mr cheese said | October 10th 2009 @ 9:49am | Report comment
If Aussie has the stadiums and enough host cities etc. ( I’ve no idea if it does or not ), I don’t see why they shouldn’t be in favour of it.
Tell ‘em it’s good fun. England is expected ( and expecting ) to win 2018.
Apparently, America will get 2022. Sad, really, because they all hate the sport.
Robbos said | October 10th 2009 @ 10:08am | Report comment
I think when you mentioned Phil Rothfield RL journalist, this should explain everything to you. I would even use the word Journalist loosely when mentioning the name Phip Rothfield.
Simone` said | October 12th 2009 @ 1:12pm | Report comment
Not sure if you know but there are travel warnings for Australians not to go to Indonesia. And they don’t like Australians, what chance do you think this has of wokring at all…
Also if you hadn’t heard thier were some attacks on Australian embassy and the such… Seriously, think about it. Why not joint bid with Iraq we get along so well
pH said | December 22nd 2009 @ 10:03am | Report comment
As a newcomer to The Roar, glad to see that my little foray into sports articles – http://www.theroar.com.au/2009/12/18/australia-indonesia-world-cup-2022/ – backed up by similar views.
Jesse writes before the fracas blew up between the FFA and the AFL and NRL – all this conflict and bitterness threatens to derail the bid too, or at least sour the occasion. See http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/14/2770679.htm?site=thedrum for how hard the AFL are likely to fight for their rights. This problem would be partially solved by no need to poach AFL’s Etihad stadium in a joint bid and maybe free up some of the NRL’s stadia too.
The other problem I wrote about is “Peak Oil” and by 2022 airlines may only be for the rich. The building costs of white elephant regional stadia are predicated on a return in 100,000s of tourists/fans who may not eventuate. The peak oil debate is wider than just sport and the WC – but this issue could help focus Australia onto how we need to transition to other transport energy. Again the costs would be less in a joint bid – insurance against too little return – as the outlay would not be as great.