2018 Or 2022 Fifa World Cup Affecting The AFL Season?

[BILC]

If Australia is successful with its bid for either the 2018 or 2022 world cup how would this affect the AFL season?, im guessing that it would be held in either June, July or August, which is smack bang in the middle of the AFL season, games would be held at all major stadiums around Australia, especially the MCG and Ethiad Stadium, so what will the AFL do?, will they have to move games to lower seatings stadiums or would the AFL season just stop dead for a month.

Discuss

 

[HFC082]

It will completely put the AFL season into total chaos.

 

[magic_johnson!]

If Australia is successful with its bid for either the 2018 or 2022 world cup how would this affect the AFL season?, im guessing that it would be held in either June, July or August, which is smack bang in the middle of the AFL season, games would be held at all major stadiums around Australia, especially the MCG and Ethiad Stadium, so what will the AFL do?, will they have to move games to lower seatings stadiums or would the AFL season just stop dead for a month.

Discuss

Docklands won't hold world cup games, the bubble dome will. Having said this, the AFL will not be able to run while the world cup is on. Who would watch? The medias eye will be on the soccer and the AFL will look like the VFL to the news, so that's atleast a 4 week gap in the middle of the season. All stadiums used in the world cup have to be vacated 6 weeks prior to the soccer, so this means no (afl) games will be able to be played at perth, adelaide, the MCG and possibly skilled. It's doable, but it's gonna be a bad year.

 

[Cuzz09]

We wont get it.

England (2018) and USA (2022) as other posters have said.

"IF" we do get it then just play heaps of games at AAMI because SA aren;t going to be part of the whole world cup thing because AAMI and Adelaide Oval arent up to Soccers ghey standards.

Essendon Vs Collingwood at AAMI would be sweet!

 

[BILC]

We wont get it.

England (2018) and USA (2022) as other posters have said.

"IF" we do get it then just play heaps of games at AAMI because SA aren;t going to be part of the whole world cup thing because AAMI and Adelaide Oval arent up to Soccers ghey standards.

Essendon Vs Collingwood at AAMI would be sweet!

Wouldnt be suprised if AAMI gets upgraded if we do get the cup

 

[magic_johnson!]

We wont get it.

England (2018) and USA (2022) as other posters have said.

"IF" we do get it then just play heaps of games at AAMI because SA aren;t going to be part of the whole world cup thing because AAMI and Adelaide Oval arent up to Soccers ghey standards.

Essendon Vs Collingwood at AAMI would be sweet!

We have a better chance then the USA. And you don't think that SA will upgrade their stadiums in the next 13 years, if we win the world cup? It brings rougly 5 billion dollars to a country. I think they could find some loose change under the couch to bring adelaide onto the scene.

 

[BABYBOMBERS2007]

Or they might just have a massive split round over the period of the World Cup, where over 4 or so weeks, each team might only get 2 games.

 

[Inferno]

Use Etihad for AFL (new Swan St stadium can be used for the WC) and make the Victorian teams who sell their games interstate do it during the WC rather than spread over the season, maybe get the Bulldogs or North to play a home game each at Geelong instead of Etihad as well. The WC won't use AAMI or Subiaco as they aren't up to standard and new stadiums will have to be built in Adelaide and Perth for it so the AFL can just use the current ones, while the GABBA and SCG obviously won't be used for the WC because there are bigger, better stadiums in those cities.

 

[Cuzz09]

We have a better chance then the USA. And you don't think that SA will upgrade their stadiums in the next 13 years, if we win the world cup? It brings rougly 5 billion dollars to a country. I think they could find some loose change under the couch to bring adelaide onto the scene.

How so?

USA have been around the soccer world for a long time now and we have only really just come onto the scene.

But yeah I know AAMI more than likely become yet another nursing home in Adelaides suburbs by the time 2018 comes around but in SA things tend to take a while.

We just got the tram line extended by 20m and it took 75 years.

 

[mcgarnacle]

the WC will be predominantly scheduled in june.

as i understand it, i thought domestic football competitions will be required to cease during the tournament.....they certainly wont be able to use WC venues at the very least.

does anybody know of the implications on SA rugby next year? SA rugby (as do the ARU & NZRU) usually host test matches against northern hemisphere opponents at this time of year.

any FIFA requirement didnt affect USA '94 hosting of the event as the NFL, NBA & NHL were/are all in an off-season June/July. baseball however, arent and continued their competition throughout the WC. however, the from and logistics of the MLB are totally different to football sports, i.e., matches everyday, and stadium use wasnt an issue.

 

[nobbyiscool]

we're in a better position than the USA if Asia supports us (which looks a little more likely now that China have pulled out, but a little less likely with Japan bidding again).

FIFA weren't overly impressed with the 1994 World Cup. it wasn't particularly well run, the public didn't support it, it was a haven for boring football, and it didn't lead to an enormous take of football in that country.

the fact that we have the west Asian timezone in our favour is a big coup, and if we can prove that a country of 20million people is a vital cog in world football and it will lead to a growth of football infrastructure in this country, then we're in a very good position.

AFL would need to be delayed for the fact that no one would care, and availability of grounds. Because of FIFAs requirements regarding grounds, and for the the fact that I can't see Australia building 6 new stadiums, it will mean a lot of upgrades to current grounds and use of oval fields.

Docklands would be used along with the MCG and the Bubble Dome, as would Homebush and probably the SCG, and the Gabba would also be used. (if Adelaide doesn't build a new stadium it will be left out). NRL will be even worse hit because a lot of their grounds will need to be used as training bases.

 

[damochandler]

the afl wont have to worry about this until 2022. a european nation will get the 2018 world cup and and i am not so sure australia will get the 2022 world cup. the afl and the nrl will hault their comps for a month when and if it happens

 

[retroparty]

The AFL shouldn't have to change too much if the world cup was to come to Australia.

The world cup goes for about a month, so it would be affecting about 4-5 rounds of the AFL season.

To make it easier for ground availability etc instead of having a split round the AFL has a week off then the week after they do a state of origin game in Adelaide.

By then half the teams are already knocked out so ground availability shouldn't be much of a problem as long as the AFL were willing to cooperate and play some Thursday and Monday night games, then there shouldn't be much of a problem.

Even if there were some issues with ground availability they could just play a couple of games at Skilled Stadium and give Adelaide and Port home games and play another game in Darwin.

 

[that_dood]

It has been talked about before. For those that don't know it is a four week tournament. Lets say the current fixtures were the same in 2018 or 2022. In 2006 the dates for the World Cup were 9th June to the 9th of July so they would probably be the same dates next time round.

http://www.realfooty.com.au/fixtures/


That means it would affect three rounds. You would then take a round off each end for setting up and taking down purposes and we have four or five rounds affected.

Round 11
Port vs Fremantle moved to Adelaide Oval which is being upgraded possibly to accommodate games in the future as a new "Super Stadium" would need to be built and used in Adelaide. Hawks vs Sydney moved to Tassie, West Coast vs Geelong moved to Kardinya Park as a Geelong home game because Perth will need a "Super Stadium to be built and used for the World Cup. Melbourne vs Collingwood moved to the Dome.

Round 12
Adelaide vs North Melbourne moved to Adelaide Oval, Sydney vs Collingwood moved to the SCG, Fremantle vs Geelong moved interstate to somewhere like Darwin.

Round 13
Essendon vs Carlton moved to the Dome, Collingwood vs Fremantle moved to the Dome, Adelaide vs Sydney moved to the SCG as a Sydney home game, West Coast vs Hawthorn moved to Tassie as a hawks home game, North Melbourne vs Bulldogs moved to a surburban ground like a refurbished Optus Oval.

Round 14
Collingwood vs Essendon at the Dome, Melbourne vs West Coast at Optus Oval, Port vs Brisbane at the Adelaide Oval, Fremantle vs Carlton swapped to a Carlton home game in Melbourne at Optus Oval.

Seems like it will be able to be worked around and making sure the least amount of games played in Melbourne the better during this time. Games scheduled in Tassie, Darwin, Canberra, the Gold Coast, etc. will make it easier.

 

[mattwinter]

- Discussion about whether or not we will get it should move to the other thread, we certainly have a chance - so let's assume we do win the bid.

FIFA has a requirement that no professional sport be going on in the country during the World Cup. There has been one exception to this, when in 1994 (held in the USA - which is one of the main reason that anyone who knows football considers the USA unlikely candidates for 2018/2022 - they only had it 15 years ago) the Major League Baseball season continued through the World Cup.

FIFA has a second requirement, however, one that they won't budge on - all World Cup venues have to go unused during the month leading up to the World Cup. This is to ensure the surfaces at each venue can be perfect, and other preparations at venues can be made.

So the AFL would have to take a four week break - they will do this, there will be some sort of backroom deal involving compensation that keeps the AFL happy. Several venues (MCG, ANZ Stadium, quite possibly Etihad) will be out of action for a few weeks leading up to the World cup - so the schedule will be disrupted a bit then as well.

It won't really ruin the AFL season though, it will be a bit different, but the season will still be able to be completed.

 

[McCrann]

- Discussion about whether or not we will get it should move to the other thread, we certainly have a chance - so let's assume we do win the bid.

FIFA has a requirement that no professional sport be going on in the country during the World Cup. There has been one exception to this, when in 1994 (held in the USA - which is one of the main reason that anyone who knows football considers the USA unlikely candidates for 2018/2022 - they only had it 15 years ago) the Major League Baseball season continued through the World Cup.

FIFA has a second requirement, however, one that they won't budge on - all World Cup venues have to go unused during the month leading up to the World Cup. This is to ensure the surfaces at each venue can be perfect, and other preparations at venues can be made.

So the AFL would have to take a four week break - they will do this, there will be some sort of backroom deal involving compensation that keeps the AFL happy. Several venues (MCG, ANZ Stadium, quite possibly Etihad) will be out of action for a few weeks leading up to the World cup - so the schedule will be disrupted a bit then as well.

It won't really ruin the AFL season though, it will be a bit different, but the season will still be able to be completed.

I don't believe FIFA can enforce the "no professional sport during the time of World Cup" rule.

That is a complete restraint of trade and unenforceable - unless the AFL agrees to it. How could they?

They might only play 2-4 games a weekend during the World Cup - but there is no way, or right, for the AFL to suspend its season for 4-8 weeks.

Absolutely intolerable.

They could claim well over half a billion dollars for something like that - take fair slice of any profits made by the FFA.

 

[that_dood]

I don't believe FIFA can enforce the "no professional sport during the time of World Cup" rule.

That is a complete restraint of trade and unenforceable - unless the AFL agrees to it. How could they?

Just remembered that rule. Yes they can and they do. The problem for us is that soccer isn't the number one sporting code like most other places in the world.

 

[Giants FC]

If Australia were to get the World Cup, it would run from the June long weekend and for the next 5 weeks. Any stadium that is a World Cup venue would also be required to be closed off for the 4 weeks before the World Cup.
I guess that AFL would take a 5-week break during the time of the World Cup; but depending which stadiums are World Cup venues could continue to play up until the weekend before the World Cup starts.

That's as long as the AFL finds any deals acceptable. But, as McCrann pointed out, the bans on other codes playing during the World Cup, or on other sports being locked out of stadiums, have never been tested in court - and, although I'm no lawyer, I can't see how those requirements could possibly stand up in a court case.
This is where the AFL's ground contract negotiations come into play. The very same contracts that the AFL are trying to get a better deal on not only allow, but require, the AFL to play on those grounds during the time of the World Cup. If the AFL can't get an acceptable deal, they (in theory) would have the power to sabotage the whole World Cup bid.

If the AFL wanted to, could they come out the day before the bid is due to be voted on and say that on the day of the World Cup final in 2018 and in 2022 they will schedule Essendon v Collingwood at the MCG, West Sydney v Sydney at Homebush and St Kilda v Geelong at Docklands; and that they would sue anyone who tried to lock them out of those grounds?
Legally, the AFL would likely win that fight; and the threat of legal action would frighten the FIFA delegates and Australia's World Cup bid would fail.
I doubt the AFL would do something like that, and I hope they wouldn't. But, in theory, that's the trump card the AFL have in their ground negotiations.

 

[Il Naso De Gastev]

Wouldn't the AFL want to incorporate their season to appeal to the tourist dollar? I mean, it's a great opportunity to appeal internationally.

 

[ep2018]

We have a better chance then the USA. And you don't think that SA will upgrade their stadiums in the next 13 years, if we win the world cup? It brings rougly 5 billion dollars to a country. I think they could find some loose change under the couch to bring adelaide onto the scene.

The US hold the record for World Cup attendence. That could work in great favour for them.

Heck, even a handwritten letter from Obama to Blatter (I think thats his name, CEO of FIFA) would almost seal the deal.

Others have also pointed out our rather horrible time zone (in comparison to the northern hemisphere where the majority of WC support and viewing would come from) which would rule us out unfortunately.

But I'd love it if we held it. I would go to as many games as possible.

 

[ams4crows]

what's stoping us from holding the tournement in say March? does it have to bee June or July?

 

[Giants FC]

what's stoping us from holding the tournement in say March? does it have to bee June or July?

It's not like the Olympics where the home country decides what time of year the event is held. The dates of the World Cup are determined by FIFA, and are then to ensure they don't clash with the club seasons; which run from August to April/May.
Which is a bugger. We'd have the best World Cup ever if we could have it in September-October, and it wouldn't affect the other codes' seasons as much; but for a country to bid for the World Cup it's either June-July or not at all.

 

[Rutherford Hayes]

Which is a bugger. We'd have the best World Cup ever if we could have it in September-October

No, we wouldn't, because it would be the least attended World Cup ever.

 

[mcgarnacle]

I don't believe FIFA can enforce the "no professional sport during the time of World Cup" rule.

That is a complete restraint of trade and unenforceable - unless the AFL agrees to it. How could they?

They might only play 2-4 games a weekend during the World Cup - but there is no way, or right, for the AFL to suspend its season for 4-8 weeks.

Absolutely intolerable.

They could claim well over half a billion dollars for something like that - take fair slice of any profits made by the FFA.

poor AFL, eH?

the fed govt and the ffa will need find out if the AFL, NRL & ARU will comply. if neither dont intend to, then they may as well pull their bid now.

dont disregard the existence of several professional sporting seasons on FIFA's decision to just say '**** you'. remember, our bid reps have to kiss FIFAs arses to get the WC here, not the other way round. if there's a hint of any resistance then it'll be lost.

the AFL may benefit greatly out of a world cup with at least 2 world-class stadiums in perth and adelaide. the facilities in these two cities are currently a joke. the NRL and ARU may win too on the east coast.

 

[Rutherford Hayes]

poor AFL, eH?

the fed govt and the ffa will need find out if the AFL, NRL & ARU will comply. if neither dont intend to, then they may as well pull their bid now.

Yeah, that'll make the AFL popular with the govt..