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.
michael
Guest
AUSTRALIA FOR THE FOOTBALL WORLD CUP 2022!!! COME PLAY!!!
michael
Guest
As if they will, USA put the world into the GFC and stuffed up the football world cup for South Africa in 2010 and the whole of europe. The USA deserves nothing but zero votes, certainly no countries from the middle east will vote for the US and neither will Europe. Oceania also will not vote for the US. Who the heck is going to vote for the US? Africa? yeah right. USA has no friends and has done very little for the development of football since hosting the world cup, only reason to send it there is for money but FIFA already will have their cash cow with Europe in 2018 they'll send the world cup to a place that truly deserves the game and who has done a considerable amount of work for football development, not only in their own country but also it's ex confederation and current federation i.e Australia. Football has grown at a rate of over 60% per year in Australia and now has over 600000 registered players, it's the number one junior sport and struggles to find enough grounds,coaches etc for the amount of player involved. AUSTRALIA FOR THE FOOTBALL WORLD CUP 2022!!!
johno
Guest
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
2k4s
Guest
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.
Davidde Corran
Roar Guru
It's not honest? Not appreciated but putting that aside almost everyone you mentioned is not what I'd consider a senior administrator nor in a position related to the bid. The one exception being Archie Fraser who hasn't exactly impressed, whether that is his fault or FFA's is open to debate. He isn't a "football person" in my definition as he hasn't been continuously engaged with the game over the long term. The reason I feel all of this is important is because another one of the people you mentioned was responsible for a humongous political gaff about two years ago that severely damaged Australia's reputation in Asia. He isn't a football person and didn't appreciate what he was doing until it was far too late.
Joe FC
Guest
Answering a question with a question might be clever Davidde but it’s not honest. I still don’t know what to make of your comment and nor do I have any idea as to its veracity. But lest you think I’m not prepared to do as I say let me answer your question: Jack Reilly is on the board & Han Berger is on the management committee. Archie Fraser was on the committee before his resignation and John Boultbee and Rob Abernethy have extensive sporting backgrounds. Ben Buckley as we all know has a strong AFL background, which is exactly the model association football in this country needs to replicate if it is to be successful.
JamesP
Guest
"If the bid fails it will be because we were white-anted by the AFL, beaten by a better bid and/or out-played in FIFA" Defintely the last two You love sticking the boot in to the AFL don't you....
JamesP
Guest
This is true. Keeper11..read the "US Bid Looking good" article (or words to that affect) on TWG website.
Davidde Corran
Roar Guru
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.
Davidde Corran
Roar Guru
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.
Davidde Corran
Roar Guru
Name one person with a football background involved in a senior administrative role at FFA?
Davidde Corran
Roar Guru
Art, loving the "Do the Right Thing" reference. Top marks!
Davidde Corran
Roar Guru
That's a very interesting perspective Forgetmenot. You could well be right. Possibly they didn't want to take away from today's announcement either.
Spanner
Guest
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.
matty1974
Guest
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.
mahony
Guest
One final point is that only cowards look at difficult challenges, 'bravely' underrate a competitors ability to succeed - and IF it does not work out argue 'I told you so'…… If the bid fails it will be because we were white-anted by the AFL, beaten by a better bid and/or out-played in FIFA. If the bid succeeds it will be because people of vision thought Australia should dare to do so. The latter is demonstrative of the Australia spirit - not the provincial, fearfull, insecurity that is often demonstrated by many contributors this site.
mahony
Guest
You clearly do not understand the long back story to the bid, the purpose / timing of the taskforce, the adminstrivia of a bid and the politics of FIFA or the difference between funding something and actually doing it. The FFA is a very small organisation at this stage in its development, and for it to put together this WC bid took a Herculean effort. I, for one, congratulate them for a bid, that despite domestic white-anting, has clearly put us in the race. I don't believe the pessimism is warranted, even though as FW always tells us - it is a very difficult thing our nation is trying to achieve here.
Joe FC
Guest
-"seeing as FFA almost refuses to permit “football people” into it’s upper echelons". Exactly what does this mean Davidde and more importantly can you substantiate it?
Joe FC
Guest
"The FFA consists of Lowy and yes man Buckley, as i understand it." Then you don't understand much.
mds1970
Guest
The other codes have undermined the World Cup bid? On the contrary, the other codes have agreed to give up their main stadiums for 2 months mid-season in order for the World Cup to go ahead. They have made the stadiums available - is that not enough? If the bid fails, it won't be the AFL and NRL's fault.