Australia’s World Cup bid work is far from over
Columnist By Davidde Corran, 11 May 2010 Davidde Corran is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- FFA, football, Football Federation Australia, Sepp Blatter, Socceroos
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So Australia’s bid book is done and on it’s way to Switzerland. Excellent. Unlike some other bids (the US bid book was complete weeks ago), the book’s competition is just in the nick of time, but nonetheless, it’s a good thing. That said, I wonder if Football Federation Australia missed an opportunity here.
Yesterday the England bid committee, along with a large media presence, sent off their bid book at a morning function at Wembley while announcing David Beckham will be personally handing it over to Sepp Blatter.
Meanwhile, last week the US bid hosted a function, at which they circulated “mini-bid books” to the press, at the sold-out Mexico v Ecuador friendly. In New Jersey!
Both events helped to garner some positive press for their respective bids. Internationally the focus of reporting on Australia’s bid has been restricted to the AFL and NRL FINALLY signing off on Football Federation Australia’s plans.
So by only announcing the book’s sending on twitter and via a press release to the media, have FFA missed a beat in garnering some extra promotion and momentum behind their own campaign?
I suppose Ben Buckley waving a copy around in front of cameras wouldn’t have matched the profile of having a former Real Madrid, Manchester United and AC Milan player personally deliver the book to FIFA anyway.
Furthermore, between managing the A-League, a Socceroos World Cup campaign and the bid, FFA probably wouldn’t have had the time with so much on their plate anyway.
Don’t be mistaken into thinking that now the bid book is complete FFA’s work is over. It’s not. Now the political wrangling and manoeuvring will really begin.
In other words we have another six months of divided attentions from our game’s governing body.
It raises the question as to why didn’t FFA set up a separate and independent bid committee from the governing body like the US did?
The American’s set up means any “cross pollination” between the US Soccer Federation and the US World Cup bid committee is minor.
Unlike in Australia, the domestic game in the US hasn’t stagnated due to a lack of attention from its governing body. This was emphasised by the announcement last week of a new MLS side, Montreal Impact.
Of course the most obvious answer to why FFA didn’t take this path is resources. FFA is a relatively small organisation and Archie Fraser’s hiring was meant to help in this direction. Clearly that hasn’t worked.
I’d argue that seeing as FFA almost refuses to permit “football people” into its upper echelons, then surely there was someone with the managerial skills of Ben Buckley to help fill the gap.
Instead FFA has spent the last few months negotiating with rival codes as the A-league has stuttered along (most A-League clubs are back in pre-season training yet we don’t even know when the league will kick-off).
No wonder many feel the outlook for Australia’s World Cup is bleak.
As Jesse Fink wrote on The World Game yesterday, “I don’t think Frank Lowy’s famous luck is going to work for him this time around; again, I can’t see England not getting 2018 and USA not nabbing 2022, but good luck to Football Federation Australia.”
I hope my fretting is just pessimism, but I fear another six months will be spent with the attention of many at College Street torn between two monumental tasks.
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- FFA, football, Football Federation Australia, Sepp Blatter, Socceroos
May 11th 2010 @ 7:57pm
matty1974 said | May 11th 2010 @ 7:57pm | Report comment
Davidde, if you want to be taken seriously as a journalist, I would advise against quoting Jesse Fink in support of your argument. That guy has completely lost the plot and seems to write nothing but complete rubbish these days.
The number one reason that Oz is in with a big chance is that it is in the AFC family. 2022 WC in USA would mean 2 USA Wc’s and 4 CONCACAF WC’s, compared to a single Asian WC in 2002. This is something that would seriously upset the AFC and the balance of political power in FIFA.
Asia/Ocenia has 5 FIFA votes, CONCACAF has 3. The greatest potential for football’s growth is in Asia. FIFA could go to USA every 2nd or 3rd WC if they wanted to, but they don’t because it is a political decision, not based on who has the biggest and best stadia.
May 11th 2010 @ 9:23pm
Davidde Corran said | May 11th 2010 @ 9:23pm | Report comment
It really disappoints me when guys like Jesse Fink and Craig Foster are declared to have “lost the plot” just because they are open and forthright in their opinions. They should be applauded, though also argued against when you disagree with them.
They are both very decent people who do plenty for the game behind the scenes. In fact I can’t think of anyone involved in the game I know personally who I wouldn’t be more then happy to both quote or openly disagree with.
May 11th 2010 @ 8:34pm
Spanner said | May 11th 2010 @ 8:34pm | Report comment
What a load of total crap. If you think and act like David Beckham delivering the book personally to Sepp Blatter will help win the world cup hosting rights you are dreaming. There is one thing that will win the rights to host the world cup whether that be in 2018 or 2022 and that will be the head of each bid. Australia has one of the most successful business leaders in the world running our bid. He is not successful cause he inhereted his fortune, he made his fortune from scratch when he ran a deli in Sydney. He now owns around 190 shopping cnetres around the world and is in the top 250 richest people in the world. Frank Lowy knows people (influential people) and knows how to talk and negotiate with these people and that is why Australia is a chance. Speculating on who will get 18 and 22 is just plain boring. Reading that because the US has added a team in Canada to the MLS will give them more of a chance to win is laughable.
Bottom line is that forget whether the A league is struggling, the AFL and NRL were not supportive, that MLS has a new team, that Qatar has Oil, that England has the Prince supporting the bid it will come down to one thing, each countries ability to influence the voting committee. Who would you prefer to be leading your bid Frank Lowy or Sunil Gulati.
May 11th 2010 @ 9:26pm
Davidde Corran said | May 11th 2010 @ 9:26pm | Report comment
I’m not sure what it was about this article but there appears to be more people misunderstanding what I’ve written then normal.
Spanner, no one here has said anything about Beckham winning the World Cup hosting rights for England because he will hand in the English bid book in person. It was about creating momentum behind the bid and some positive press. Australia NEEDS it. All that has been leaking out in the international press has been about internal struggles within Australia.
May 12th 2010 @ 11:13pm
2k4s said | May 12th 2010 @ 11:13pm | Report comment
There is no doubt that if Soccer Australia were still running football in Australia there would have been NO bid, NO support from the government, NO agrreement with AFL/NRL and NO chance of a World Cup in Australia.
FFA, an organisation that is only 5-6 years old, should be congratulated with what has been achieved to date with regard to the bid.
If it comes down to a decision between Austalia and the US for 2022, you would have to say we are a chance. Don’t forget Chicago were faviorites for the Olympics, but were the first city eliminated, even with Barack behind the bid. The USA bid has its own country as its disadvantage.
June 14th 2010 @ 3:48am
johno said | June 14th 2010 @ 3:48am | Report comment
there is absolutely no passion for the current world cup in australia. lots of ppl dont even know that there is a world cup. only one channel promotes. I was watching the opening game in a busy pub on a friday night and only 2 ppl were interested in the world cup. Australia and USA should not be allowed to host the world cup. They both lack the passion for the game. Give it to a country that loves the game
August 2nd 2010 @ 3:04am
michael said | August 2nd 2010 @ 3:04am | Report comment
AUSTRALIA FOR THE FOOTBALL WORLD CUP 2022!!! COME PLAY!!!