Do we actually deserve to host a Football World Cup?

But humans are evil I tell ya :D The main gist of this article is not right Pip. I understand that it is on a better footing than the other article, but really both articles are just pendulum swing/defensive type affairs. Rather than assuming we all hate AFL Pip and assuming that we're all trying to see it fail and thus that is our motivation to support the bid (as tho we were following the Pope with blind faith by way of an example ;) )you've just gotta chill a bit and trust that there's enough people out there (true sports enthusiasts) who aren't jumping on the bandwagon but are weighing the argument: pros and cons. We may not understand Commerical Law, but intelligence/dilligence come in a variety of colours. Anyway unless we're living in a world order where it is just that the big countries dominate not just the geo-politics of the globe but also the culture too, the idea that FIFA deserves to be appeased/or that Australia inherently deserves/doesn't deserve the WC is wrongheaded. Only the people of Australia can decide what they want. And I don't particularly like Democracy but as I see it it's about justice. Thus maybe we should have a referendum (as much work as that requires) to see the lay of the land...or even get a professional survey project rolling. Otherwise as I said to Freud above it's all just banter, which is fun but sport is more than just about entertainment.

Freud that's why we must all take due diligence in remembering that the Roar is merely entertainment for much of those who post here. People can't be bothered reasoning properly, in the main. It's just so damn fun to attack and riposte and to die on your sword with quiet stoicism or to be stabbed to death extravagantly. But personally I come here to argue about things that I have a personal affiliation/association with. And the FIFA WC is something like that. I'd love to have the tourny here but I want to try and work out FIFA's rationale, their plan of attack if you were. So far the lack of info is a huge handicap but I'd love to hear from more passionate Soccer fans than I why Australia is so important to FIFA and why they shouldn't just hold the event in England, it may give the poms that bit more of a chance not to fail again ;)

which is why it just seems madness that the Govt is backing the FFA on this bid, when, the greatest reliance is totally outside of the FFA's sphere of influence, i.e. the NRL, AFL and large stadiums during winter!!!

what about 2 stadiums in Brisbane, with only 1 stadium in Melbourne? Ballymore could be redeveloped or ANZ stadium.... Tourists would prefer Brissie to Melbourne in July, thats for sure!

What, because England will get both 2018 and 2022? I'm not saying our bid is great but there needs to be two bids better than ours, not just one.

The part I don’t get is how every fan seems to think the other side is completely in the wrong and their side ahs some preordained right. The NRL and AFL fans fail to see the broader appeal, which means broader pressure to facilitate the bid, which means potentially playing hard ball against a much bigger opponent and it may alienate factions that were once allies. Yes they are being hard headed and somewhat childish as they paint themselves into a hardline corner that might potentially lead to a very bad outcome. Then soccer fans cry out how the NRL and the AFL are backward thinking without recognising that they are giving up a major portion of revenue without, from what I’ve seen, much actual return. It is also pretty narrow minded, selfish and childish to suggest other fans should just give up their chosen sport because well it benefits you It is neither the AFL’s nor the NRL’s mandate to do what is best for fans of the roundball game. Why not ask Pepsi to pull out of markets to allow Coke to have free reign for a few years? I think as long as people who are debilitated by “passion” are trying to have this irrational argument of who needs to give and take then there will be no outcome.

I agree with your post and the saddening, sickening parochial philosophy that is underpinning the AFL and NRL objections here and elsewhere. As part of this view, I know we go on about 'the global game' and sure that is one of its strengths but we can't let people forget that football is also very much our game too. How many generations of kids have played it in all Australia cities? How many decades have the Socceroos, Matildas and other teams been performing on the world stage? For how long have we had some structure (however good or bad) of local, state and national competition with accompanying social clubs and community facilities? Lets totally reject this 'ours' vs 'foreign' part of the argument. Football is as much heart and soul to Australia as any other of the codes. But I don't think we are derailed. Out little codes are playing one hell of a bluff and the risk of course is that they will be exposed. For once (and I can't believe I'm saying this) Michel Cockerill has got something righti n his latest article : http://www.smh.com.au/sport/football/rival-codes-powerless-to-halt-cup-juggernaut-20091209-kk51.html

Australia does not deserve a WC. We are idiots. The actions of the AFL and NRL have shown that Australian sport has no soul, no integrity and no understanding of the wider world. May they live in their parochial madness. This country is bidding for the biggest event in the world and all Australian's seem to care about is provincial sport in a country of 22 million. It's absurd. 99.9% of countries would instantly see the benefit of hosting the WC. It's THE global event and would be incredible for placing Australia on the world stage at a time when tourism numbers are falling through the floor. This infighting is a national disgrace and shows us to be backwards, lacking vision and rather dumb. It's astounding how stupid we can be. Forget what code you support, this is about more than sport, it's about showcasing modern Australia as a country that can embrace anything. The whole thing is saddening. We live in a country that is world class at staring at it's own navel. Most of the world think we are stupid. We have just proved them right. Even BBC is now shaking it's head at us. This is a gift for the Poms. A gift.

With a little bit of good ole Australian selfishness thrown in, for good measure. I remember the outcry from the many about the Swan St stadium being built, just as well the Storm was also going to get use of it! I feel your pain and genuine disappointment, Pip... it's a crying shame we look to be letting this slip through our collective fingers.

Tifosi, the England bid has 3 stadia in London and 2 in Manchester, so two or more stadia in the one city is recomended but not a show stopper. Soccer City and Ellis park are both in Johannesburg. The government backing and finacial guarantees and the ability to host an event like this are more important to FIFA.

Too right

Round and round and round it goes, where it stops, nobody knows.

I think it is a big stretch for now. I am hopeful that we will get it for 2018/2022 but if we don't I hope they manage to have put at least a decent bid together to give us a bit of standing for our next try. By the time the host 2026 is decided we would have hosted an Asian Cup hopefully but I think the real onus is on football to produce a few more Melbourne Victory's. Combine with either rugby or league you suddendly have all round usage and a decent case for rectangular grounds. MV have shown the power of this as combined with the storm they were the driving force behind swan street which if not for the docklands clause could possibly be an existing Fifa quality venue. A couple more success stories like that say the Jets, Rovers or Fury doing well with crowds and then all of a sudden the stadium situation gets a lot better. If we fail this time around then that has to be the target, can't expect favors forever and have to create our own momentum.

It's called incompetence.

I don't understand what the rush is? We would be better off bidding for it in the future, once our population has grown, we could build a few more rectangle stadiums in Perth, Adelaide etc once the NRL expands there and the a-league gets bigger, if it ever will that is. Lowy is in a rush I understand, but tough. One mans' dream to do something before he meets his maker is not a reason to rush into this. There seems to be too many hurdles atm. By all means, I think it is inevitable one day that we will host it, but I reckon none and buckleys for 2018 or 2022. 5 or 6 cricket ovals is a killer for the bid.

Good post, Bear.

At face value it seems we don't deserve a world cup. It doesn't seem right that we have cricket ovals being put forward for hosting a world cup. However, I think the play here is to present a bid where the stadia are built - looks better - then invest in some new state of the art football stadia in the intervening years if we are successful in our bid.

After reading Steve's comments, my response is to ask whether FIFA deserves to come to Australia, not the other way round. An organization that comes to a country and bulldozes everything in its path, damaging the sports that most Australians are interested in, isn't what I would like to see. In any case I don't think we will have enough stadiums to satisfy FIFA, so the question is likely to be purely academic.

This ETS is going to cost billions of dollars in the mean time!!

The bid was always going to happen, it's amazing that some people don't understand that. The codes will sit down & discuss the finer details & I hope then the whole of Australia will get behind the bid.