Congratulations to the bold people behind the Qatar bid that won the right to host the 2022 World Cup. The taste this morning is bitter and tinged with a touch of sadness for an opportunity to give the game in Australia a massive shot in the arm.
So why did we lose? Were we simply screwed over at the nexus of football and politics by powerful people with hidden and questionable agendas? Is the result a indictment on those who run the world game or is it simply a bold move to take the game to the Middle East?
The governance issues within FIFA are for another discussion, but we do well to look in our own backyard first. There were matters we could influence and we should stop and reflect on just how our bid stacked up and what it means for the future. Minus the rose-coloured glasses.
This of course is with the benefit of hindsight. I readily admit that I too held optimism for the bid. Would I have dragged myself out of bed at 1am if I didn’t have a sliver of hope, however unfounded, that we might just pull this thing off? No. Naive? Indeed.
Legacy, what legacy?
I was among the crowd at Gabba during the 2000 Olympics watching the class and might of a young Brazil take on the technically adept Japanese.
By pure chance I was seated near the throng on Brazilian fans who were singing and dancing their way through the match. At one point their bouncing caused the tier they were standing on the flex a little too much and it split the glass of the members section below. The fun police moved in and their drums and horns were promptly removed.
Boos rained down on the stunned security guards who were not used to any continual celebration in the stand during a sporting match. That stadium, to the best of my memory, has not been used for football since it was renovated for the Olympics.
So it would have been with the World Cup.
There were three new stadia in the bid: Perth, Western Sydney where, we can only assume, a A-League team would have been rushed in to the competition to fill the void, and Canberra, also sans A-League presence.
The AFL and cricket would have been beneficiaries of upgrades to the MCG, Geelong’s Cardinia Park, Adelaide Oval, the Gold Coast stadium and the new-build in Perth. Rugby league, and to a lesser extent union, would have enjoyed seeing Townsville and two Sydney stadia upgrades and a new venue in Canberra.
That’s not a legacy; that’s football on borrowed time and money.
Again.
Paying the cost to the boss
We were squarely in the sights when AFC president Mohammed Bin Hammam announced that his home nation would be bidding for the cup. In the latest batch of diplomatic cables released on whistleblower website Wikileaks has taught us anything, it’s that powerful people spend a lot of time and money telling hiding their real opinions of other powerful people.
Much less reveal their actions.
The nexus of football and politics is a cruel world where ends justify the means, however much we may feel aggrieved at the process.
The Australian bid won a single vote. Our weakness was that we did not have an executive committee member of our own and despite high-priced lobbyists to get us access to the inner sanctum we were politically clobbered.
We took a gamble of putting up our bid despite the boss of our confederation no doubt working the room to see the threat nullified (I’m not at this stage suggesting that was done improperly). We were ripe for the picking and picked we were.
It’s about the game, stupid
This is not a critique of the cringe-worthy and clichéd-ridden video shown on the eve of the vote. We’d be foolish to think that lost us the bid. It was mere window dressing.
But it’s content was revealing in the overall approach of the bid in the lack knowledge by those hired to push it about the game in this country, its history, its people and its value to those who have followed it through its “terrifying lows, its dizzying highs, the creamy middles…”
Where was their story.
We recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of John Aloisi’s magic penalty that catapulted us to the 2006 World Cup.
It still sends shivers down our spines and no doubt if it had been told in the context of the pioneers who made it first in 1974 through to the images of a distraught Tony Vidmar after the 1997 loss to Iran, it would have no doubt touched the football heart of executive committee members.
We told a tourist story.
Frankly, who cares. People know that story. What they don’t know, is our passionate, proud and troubled football story. It was an opportunity missed.
Where to now, Cap’n?
Despite the naysayers and the plateau in crowds (lets wait for the end of season numbers before we label it a decline), the quality of football in the A-League is at an all time high.
This is a game that at times has done a better job of self-harm than any outside the game. Losing the bid won’t kill the game but continual neglect of domestic league will.
We have moved from Oceania to the realm of the big boys. We played, we got bruised. Its harsh lesson for football during its maturation, but learn we must.
To borrow the words of US football great Alexei Lalas: “The sky is not falling,” he said. “You dust yourself up. Onward and upward. It has never been an easy road for … Soccer. This just continues that.”
How to respond to the setback?
Get out there, support the game in numbers.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
Interesting looking back sometimes. The stadium legacy - at the time seemed a bit feeble. From 2009 to 2018 (let alone to 2022) - that's a very long time in stadium land in Australia. "There were three new stadia in the bid: Perth, Western Sydney where, we can only assume, a A-League team would have been rushed in to the competition to fill the void, and Canberra, also sans A-League presence." Well - without the distraction of a FIFA WC - we have a brand new Perth stadium with Subiaco demolished. West Sydney Wanderers exist and have a new stadium. "The AFL and cricket would have been beneficiaries of upgrades to the MCG, Geelong’s Cardinia Park, Adelaide Oval, the Gold Coast stadium and the new-build in Perth. Rugby league, and to a lesser extent union, would have enjoyed seeing Townsville and two Sydney stadia upgrades and a new venue in Canberra." And - Adelaide Oval has been done; Gold Coast stadium has been upgraded and hosted a Commonwealth Games; Kardinia Park (with a K) has continued to evolve with monies from 3 tiers of Govt, the AFL and Geelong FC. The MCG - well - the AFL has locked in the GF there until 2057 to access a bit of an upgrade......but.....should they really? It's not their ground after all. And then there's Sydney.....
Ben
Guest
Yeh, I mean Australia beating Namibia 150-0 and New Zealand beating the might of Tuvalu 225-0 is just incredible for promotion!
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
The FIFA WC is the most prestigious football event played amongst the nations of the world. If every footballer were asked, which one trophy he/she dreams of winning, I have no doubt the unanimous response - across all 208 FIFA member nations - would be: the FIFA World Cup.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Tortion You say we came last b/c we got 1 vote. We, England, too, came last and only got 1 vote ... other than the vote of the England member on the FIFA Ex-Co. The USA came 2nd last after the 1st round of voting and only got 1 more vote than Australia ... other than the vote of the USA member on the FIFA Ex-Co. ... but, isn't it funny how things change after the 1st round of voting! The USA went from 2nd last to 2nd after further rounds of voting. In my opinion, anyone, who thinks "Australia came last", is extremely naive and doesn't understand the strategy behind this type of "preferential voting".
Betty B
Guest
if Fifa wants to change the world they could start with their own processes, and some transparency. Until they do, any ideals they flout are mere lies
Tortion
Guest
What do you think we did with our dirty money?
ruckrover
Guest
So many similar threads - but this excerpt I posted on another makes good sense here too: As for Qatar – I think one commentator got it right – their bid won the hearts of the FIFA execs by pitching it as bringing the World Game to the Middle East – and implicitly bringing peace and helping integrate the Islamic culture with other cultures. Given the current geopolitical crises, that must have seemed far more lofty a call for FIFA than going to the antipodes for beach, outback and Sydney harbor side views with a bloke called Hoges and a super-model of yesterdecade. No matter how safe a place Australia is. “Safe hands” and “come play” don’t cut it with FIFA wanting to change the world for the better. Of course Qatar could also win the money game and the greased palms. But even so the FIFA execs accepting that have to convince themselves they’re making their decisions for ethical lofty reasons – thus the whole Middle East peace pitch worked.
TCunbeliever
Roar Guru
What are you talking about? The RWC is a great event and an excellent promotion for the game! All your other points are correct, however.
TCunbeliever
Roar Guru
Yeah I wonder if this is another heading edited by the moderators.. There's been a rash of them lately..
maximus
Guest
Ya dumb title. But if FIFA wants to give the game to underdeveloped nations, then just tell the developed nations to save their time and money. As someone said, the best thing about the FIFA was the look on sepp's face when he realized there was no money in the Qatar envelope. On to the Asia Cup then the Wallabies!
Australian Football
Roar Guru
"We recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of John Aloisi’s magic penalty that catapulted us to the 2006 World Cup." Grant----excellent article. I awoke to the news that Qatar won the hosting right and I was shatter like every other real Australian Football supporter. I found that out on TWG website. Of course our fate was predetermined before the final presentation was made. However, to illustrate our niaviy from the persons responsible to win the bid for us----they were not Football People in charge of proceedings, apart from Frank Lowy, who gave that responsibility to Ben Buckley and his film producers.. One glaring example of that, which did not go unnoticed by me was the absence of the Iconic vision of John Aloisi penalty. What I saw in its place was a Collingwood AFL player opening a series of other sporting vision that had nothing to do with football following the travelogue... Then I had a look what Qatar produced----a Hi-tec serious Football Presentation that made our Presentation look foolish. Although the Presentations in themselves had nothing to do in the end results. But what it did demonstrate we had AFL folk in charge of preparing our Football case for the Football World Cup.. When we should have had real Football people in charge lobbing the FIFA WC executive panel.
Wall-Nut
Guest
What's your sport chris? -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
DiCanio
Guest
We came last because Aust and USA were the major threats to Qatar, so their dirty money targeted our voters first.
Roger Rational
Guest
For pity's sake, can we quit the over-analysis? We need only one sentence to explain this farce: FIFA is corrupt - the Aussies, Americans, Dutch and English aren't and so had no chance. End of story.
Sammy22
Guest
Agree DS great piece, thanks Grant. As England and US have just found out (again) each country worldwide has its own well meaning understanding of its own culture, and despite best efforts this does not translate across the the wider community that is the world. In the same way as doing business with a new customer you have to 'walk in their shoes' to know how you will do that business. When we dont we get bruised, we can walk away from this having learnt something rather than sulking, then we will play better with the big boys next time
chris
Guest
All the biggest sporting events are shit anyway with The corrupt FIFA Soccer world cup. The Olympics with each country leaving a trail of white elephants which your average person on the street couldn't name most of the medal winners in this 2 week short lived comp. The Rugby world cup as the finals are a stinker and not a good advert for growing the game. The Cricket world cup as no-one cares unless the coach gets murdered.
The Guru
Guest
Good piece - ridiculous title.
Darwin Stubbie
Guest
Excellent piece - unfortunately the heading does it no favours Time to stop the whining and moaning of yesterday and put away the holy attitude about human rights and migrant abuse - as if Aust is some beacon all that's good in these areas - well done to the winners
Tortion
Guest
I don't know what so many people are so bitter. It isn't like we were pipped at the post. We came last. There was something clearly something very very wrong with our bid. I would also suggest that a big part of the problem is that Australia is, like Qatar, a relatively insignificant nation most respects, but unlike Qatar we are also in a relatively unimportant region. Neither fact would have helped.