FIFA President Sepp Blatter, left, talks with Football Australia chairman Frank Lowy as they arrive at the opening ceremony for the 58th FIFA congress in Sydney, Thursday, May 29, 2008. AP Photo/Mark Baker
Here is a fearless prediction: England will win the rights to host the 2018 Football World Cup tournament, and Australia will win the hosting rights to the 2022 tournament.
In 2018 it will be Europe’s turn to host the Football World Cup and England’s bid is for all sorts of reasons, financial, geographical and historical, far and away the best and most compelling bid.
That leaves 2022 and the fact that the Football World Cup, after South Africa next year, will have been played in all of FIFA’s regions except one. That exception is Oceania.
Australia moved from the Oceania region to the Asian region of FIFA some year ago. But it’s bid will be promoted (and rightly so) as an Asian/Oceania bid.
In an intriguing article recently in the Sydney Morning Herald, Mike Cockerill, that newspaper’s long-time football writer and Fox Sports commentator, made the point that ‘ever since Joao Havelange ascended the throne in Zurich on 1974, the overriding strategy of FIFA has been to complete the global footprint.
Havelang’a mantra was embraced even more wholeheartedly by his successor, Sepp Blatter, when he took over in 1998.
According to Cockerill, football outspends the two football codes in Oceania by 10 to one in terms of infrastructure. A great deal of this money has come from FIFA through its “hugely successful” GOAL program.
The final boot to drop for FIFA in its Oceania/Asia ambitions, then, is a Football World Cup tournament in Australia, with possibly a round being played in Auckland.
After the renovations made for the 2012 Rugby World Cup, Eden Park in Auckland will be a superb rectangular ground that will conform to the FIFA guidelines by holding 50,000 spectators.
Australia’s main rival for 2022 will be the United States. Right now the USA is on the outer with the world sports officials.
A pointer to the hostility of the international sporting community to the United States can be gauged by its abject failure to get Chicago up for the 2016 Olympics (despite the presence of President Obama). The winner for 2016 was the virtually dysfunctional city of Rio.
With Australia having hosted the best Olympics in 2000 and the best Rugby World Cup tournament in 2007, the nation has an international reputation for running superb international events. The delegates who vote for the Football World Cup tournaments will be aware of all of this.
FIFA’s game plan to spread the football code as thickly as it can into all parts of the globe will also play a part in the final vote.
In the interests of nation-building that will come from hosting a Football World Cup (the biggest sporting event on earth) in Australia, the NRL and the AFL should do what the ARU is doing and support the bid while keeping a watching brief on its own interests.
The main task of the FFA is to present a compelling selling brief to FIFA when it makes its bid next year. This needs to conform to FIFA’s requirements about rival codes and rectangular stadiums. But once the bid is accepted, then the negotiations will take place with FIFA over changes that need to be made.
But the bid has to be won first before this can happen.
And it will happen, once the bid is won. For instance, FIFA requires bans on competing ‘major events’ during the Football World Cup tournament in the host country. But Major League Baseball was allowed to be played in the United States in 1994 when the World Cup was held in that country.
Berlin Olympic Stadium, where the 1936 Olympics were held, which is more round than rectangular, hosted the final of the 2006 Football World Cup held in Germany. So much for the rectangular stadium requirement. In fact, two of the Socceroos matches in the 2006 Football World Cup were played in round stadiums.
Back to Mike Cockerill’s article for a final point. He reckons that FIFA is starting to see a great deal of merit in pushing into its final frontier of Australia and the Oceania nations: “Thanks to the posturing of rival codes, it’s listening more than ever. Threatening the World Cup bid equals threatening FIFA, and FIFA doesn’t take kindly to being threatened.”
So here’s an irony.
The more Andrew Demetriou and David Gallop threaten, the stronger becomes the resolve in the football world to give them something, a Football World Cup in Australia, to shout about.
pH
Guest
No I'm not pippinu, and I don't know who "Mr Football" is who does the blog. It may be out of date on the ticket sales, but the other points made strike me as fair, and I had thought of them also when Demetriou described the situation with Etihad. Buckley implying the FFA would lobby the govt to evict the AFL from their own HQ and stadium alarmed me, not just as an AFL fan but as a citizen. The peak oil and likely demise of cheap long haul flights is a scary fact of life and should be factored in to everything, let alone a World Cup in the antipodes 13 years from now.
Art Sapphire
Guest
Is this the ghost of Pippinu coming back to The Roar to flog his own blog :)
pH
Guest
Sorry Brian et al but the damage to AFL and NRL is real and unfair in current proposal - see http://barklystend.blogspot.com/2009/12/australian-government-supports-foreign.html I think the idea of teaming with Indonesia has a lot of merit as above - it will stop the Asian vote being split and give us a good chance over USA for 2022. Matty 1974 - utter bulls**t I'm sorry to say - because from the AFL's perspective you include Etihad and "probably Subiaco" as available to the AFL during a FIFA World Cup. Demetriou made very clear that if this was the case then no real problems - some minor negotations about compensation for other losses. But without Etihad it cripples an AFL season and affects revenue for years around that season - again see the barklystend blogspot. So Matty 1974 Demetriou is in agreement with you if you're statement was correct, sadly at present it is not and the FFA threatens to get government to decree that AFL get evicted from their stadium. MV Dave - maybe the world will cope with the looming energy crisis and coming permanent oil shock. My heart says yes, my head after reading about this for years and talking to several oil engineers tells me we're in for big changes and cheap airfares will be a distant memory by 2022.
Redb
Roar Guru
yeah like people like you were going to give the AFL a go anyway? There is no way the MCG will not form part of the WC bid - but by all means pointlessly lobby the FFA about that.
jimbo
Guest
One of the options is not to play any games in Melbourne at all and build new rectangular stadiums north of the Murray which suits us just fine. Its just all the negative hype from the AFL that has been picked up by the international press. Don't worry, Demetriou will get his back when he tries to play some AFL games in Sydney and start a new team up here.
Brian
Guest
I think the US will get 2022, and FIFA will have their eye on China for 2026. Having said that the hyperbole coming from the AFL and lapped up by the pro-AFL media has been sickening. Demitriou claimed that the whole season may need to be scrapped. Yet no-one asked why he couldn't play in early March with a GF in October. Further, he said the WC would threaten thie viability of AFL clubs. Given that his organisation has been the biggest danger to Melbourne's AFL clubs this is quite amusing. The AFL did kill Fitzroy and had similar designs on NM. What's sad is that not one journalist asked him why the whole season would be cancelled. Even if the MCG & Dome were unavailable for 10 weeks does anyone thing the AFL would cancel the season? I also doubt this "skirmish" was not planned for December when no AFL is being played. The idea is for the WC bid to die whilst us football supporters forget the fuss by the time following the AFL comes around again in March, and especially in September
Midfielder
Guest
Spirio Remember we are chasing and hoping to get the http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAVqknI7GGI
Dan
Guest
English soccer fans are the ones primarily responsible for giving the games' fans on a whole a bad name... I don't know what it is about them, but English Rugby fans just aren't like that.
Brian
Guest
Unlike AFL Rugby would benefit from vastly improved stadiums if a WC bid was won. 40,000 rectangular stadiums in Newcastle & Canberra, an upgraded Suncorp & ANZ. The NRL & ARU should get a lot more from a WC than the AFL.
matty1974
Guest
Gabba, SCG, Geelong's stadium, AAMI, Oval stadia in Tasmania & NT, Manuka, Etihad & probably Subiaco, Skilled park (maybe),Mt Smart stadium, bluetounge, Win stadium, Penrith Stadium, Parramatta Stadium, Oki Jubilee, Brookvale oval, Toyota stadium, Hindmarsh stadium, Members Equity stadium, Leichardt oval, campbelltown stadium (have i missed any?) all hosted AFL or NRL matches this year and will not be required for the 2022 Australian FIFA World Cup. Throw in ANZ and ballymore in brisbane and proposed new AFL stadia in Blacktown and possibly melbourne and that makes at least 25 stadia available to NRL and AFL. If the admistrators of these codes can't figure out a way to run their comps in 2022, then i reckon the fans of these codes shoud demand they step down. I am happy for the AFL and NRL to benefit from the biggest sporting event on the planet, at the very least they will benefit from upgraded facilities. If they are smart they will seize the opportunity to introduce overseas sport fans to their games. They will be permitted to run their comps against the WC, it is only events of major international importance that are not permitted. It remains to be seen if they feel it is in their best interests. Of course it is convienient to blame FFA, FIFA, the government for the fact that a lot more people will be more interested in the WC than the AFL or NRL at this time. The Timmy Cahill beat up, the hysteira about FIFA 'overtaking our cities' etc are noting to do with the NRL/AFL and everything to do with an anti WC agenda from the the country that is widely seen as the most passionate sporting nation in the world. Relax, the NRL and AFL will survive the WC and we will all have the greatest party ever in 2022.
MV Dave
Guest
You truly have no idea! What a load of bollocks...you forgot to add 'The Sky is Falling' and 'Pigs Might Fly'!
pH
Guest
BTW should've mentioned - Indonesia is bidding for 2022 - it will divide the Asia vote in FIFA and make it more likely for USA to get the WC. Thus another extremely good reason for FFA to liaise with Indonesia FA - as chances of actually getting the thing would go up. But FFA wants to unfairly cripple its business rivals with taxpayer dollars and by government decree. This may well end up in the High Court and sad and embarrassing for the whole nation. FFA should've consulted properly before submitting the bid. But Lowy thinks as richest man in the nation he can do what he likes and furthermore make both sides of politics do what he likes.
pH
Guest
By 2022 peak oil will have well and truly hit - aviation fuel and air tickets could be 10-fold current cost. There is a risk of only the rich being able to come. We pay $5billion of taxpayers money (or more - see recent press) and half fill many games with only Aussies. A financial nightmare. The world in 2022 would be better to go to USA. Best is to change bid to joint Australia-Indonesia bid. This would meet Lowy's main pitch to FIFA to take the game to Asia. It would half costs or more - as wouldn't have to build extra stadia so much. It would allow some justice to the AFL and NRL so they won't be ordered out of their stadia by government decree at behest of their competitor the FFA and create such a sour taste re the WC for vast numbers of AFL and NRL fans and financial hardship, job losses and club failures for AFL and NRL - unless government comes up with another half billion compensation. A joint bid would leave lasting benefits for Indonesia-Australia relations. Far better than stadia that sit like white elephants. UEFA cup has had valid bids from dual countries - UEFA 2008 by Scotland-Ireland, 2016 by Norway-Sweden. Alternative bid would be ANZ bid - seeing as A-League and FFA really are both ANZ bodies - why was NZ left out - in order to purposely not have enough stadia so AFL and NRL could be hacked??? But ANZ bid would still have trouble from peak oil and vastly higher air fares than we enjoy today.
K B
Guest
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ bed time... Pippi I shall wake you up for the opening of 2018 FIFA WC ceremony.... ~~~~~~ KB
Redb
Roar Guru
You miss the point. It's not anti WC. It's anti the FFA plan for the AFL and NRL competitions in a host year. Get it? Trust me the FFA will negotiate with both comps for the best outcome for all whether soccer fans like it or not.
K B
Guest
Jimbo, the gals from the CRSL have been also asking about Pippi ... "Is it true? Did he say he was leaving---he has said that so many times before" :lol: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJoi2QpbiF4 Nice song Pippi boy... and nice note... (Kurt who said the ROAR has lost its humour) :lol:
MV Dave
Guest
Going by the tone of your post it would appear you are against the WC in Oz...doesnt really matter l guess but it would be nice to have more support from the other codes. No doubt the FFA would support any bids for the AFL or RL WCs. BTW The fact that Football in Oz does need some assistance in promotion and to show off the best talents live to a new audience is a very strong positive for the Oz bid plus the small factor of hundreds of millions of Asian fans able to watch in the same time zones. BTW2 Most of the moaning (certainly in Melbourne anyway)in the last week or so has come from the AFL and their compliant media strategically timed to take the attention away from the WC draw and the Socceroos.
K B
Guest
"The Roar used to have at least a modicum of civility and humour about it, now it’s just another soccer forum filled with hatred, resentment and bitterness towards Australian Football and Rugby League. Enjoy your victory chaps" Kurt ... are you serious...? :lol: All of your posts have been on the Football thread----I actually thought you were one of us---a Football Zealot... I had no idea your preferred code was Marn Grooky.... :lol: ~~~~~~~ KB
matty1974
Guest
Ray Gatt is a relic from 'old soccer' and easily the worst football journalist in Australia. The thing is, the opinions of Ray Gatt, the doubters on this site and all the one eyed AFL/NRL fans, NRL/AFL media journalists, Andrew D etc really don't matter. The only people whose opinions matter are the 24 FIFA EXCO members. I promise you, the oppostion to the bid from sections of the AFL & NRL communties are not going to convince them to miss the opportunity to have a WC in Aus. If they even bother paying any attention to the whingeing or the lower crowds in the A league they will somply come to the conclusion that there are even more compelling reasons to help out the FFA by giving us a WC. The anti WC campaign began with the ridiculous beat up about TImmy Cahill on the sunday that the WC bid was launched last June. The anti WC hysteria and whingeing will continue right up to Dec 2010, so we all better get used to it, though it is starting to get very boring.
The Answer
Guest
Surprise, surprise, Spiro backs another fairfax writer. It is nteresting that Ray Gatt of the Australian, who has been around just as long as Cockerill, believes damage has been done by the in fighting and felt Australia may have lost their chance, while the Herald's Richard Hinds points out lots of good will was lost by the antics of the sneering mass of soccer fans proclaiming their code will eventually conquer the country (while continually ignoring their own league). Will those deciding the bid look at domestic crowds? Good luck to you Spiro, you made your predictions, we'll all remember them come December next year...while in the meantime we'll no doubt read dozens more articles from Cockerill fawning over Frank Lowy and moaning about feral sports editors running league and AFL stories over the A-League.