Will the AFL cooperate with FFA for World Cup bid?

[Guido]

the most correct and non-delusional post in this thread.

Im a big fan of the major international football competitions, but this is a pipedream.........and a major waste of our $$$ if the pollys decide to bid.

FIFA will look at the cost-benefit of staging a world cup here, and the goals of the organisation will be better served awarding it elsewhere.

Population has little influence on dollars at the tournament itself.

Will the stadiums be full? Yes. Can the country provide a comfortable, secure environment for fans, media, players? Yes. Does it have the infrastructure to support an influx of 2 million tourists across 8 cities? Yes.

The money lies in packed out stadiums/Sponsors/TV rights - the tournament reaches a cumulative audience in the billions of people ... 30-40 million more people in the home country will make f*** all difference to any of those factors. In fact, the only significant monetary difference it would make would be more people buying official home merchandise, which would be rank about #200 in considerations for choosing the most deserving bid.

While I support an Australian FIFA World Cup bid, I do have one reservation about it, that being the Europe/South America obstacle. Oh, yes trying to impress Sepp Blatter may be one thing, but getting the OK from the key heavyweights of FIFA-Europe & South America-is another thing. I reckon dealing with the AFL, NRL, ARU about suspending their comps are small fry in comparision to lobbying the European & South American delegates to get their votes in regards to any Australian FIFA World Cup bid in 2018-not easy. Remember, those two FIFA orgainisations-UEFA and its South American counterparts-do have a huge say about where they want the FIFA World Cup to be staged at.

The most important hurdle is convincing China to bid for a later tournament - if that happens, with all of Asia backing us all the way, you can bank on the bid getting to the final stage of the process, with the most likely scenario being us against England.

Europe will vote with England, Asia and Oceania with us, leaving us slightly behind (Europe has more votes on the panel). So it would come down to how the Americas and Africa vote - anyone who thinks these confederations and their delegates "love" Europe and will side with their bid no matter what has NFI.

Keep China out of it, and we're in with a solid outside shot.

 

[Grunty]

Wow, great logic, simpleton.

Rice is the BEST food in the world! Chinese are the BEST people in the world. I could go on and on, and maybe I should because your logic is not a strong point.

In any case, it's not gonna happen. FIFA have bigger fish to fry and if they are gonna sacrifice tv by playing it in the wrong time zone they'll do it somewhere where they can benefit by growing the game. 20 million aint gonna cut it.

By playing the soccer World Cup in Australia, it will be in the same time zone as half the population of the world. China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia etc. with India not far off.

These are all markets that FIFA wants to develop, and this is the region where the majority of FIFA's major sponsors come from.

By pushing for the 2018 World Cup, even if Australia loses out to England, this will strengthen our bid for the 2022 World Cup.

One thing in Australia's favour is that we are almost guaranteed to get the 2015 Asian Cup, which could turn out to be a trial run for the 2018 World Cup.

A few years ago Australia tried to get into the Asian Football Confederation, and were outvoted 190 to 1.

Along comes Lowy and we are welcomed unanimously into the same confederation.

Lowy operates on a different level.

 

[crippler]

I was thinking for adequate compensation to AFL and NRL fans.

Any AFL/NRL season ticket/ member holder who has consistently held their memberships for 4 years prior to the world cupto be guaranteed a chance to buy a socceroos match ticket.

Reason being AFL/NRL fans will be compensated for their comps being stopped by being guaranteed a Socceroos match.


ALso the diehard soccer fans would be willing to put money into AFL/NRL memberships for 4 years knowing that they will get a guaranteed socceroos seat at one of the tournament matches.

 

[The Frederick]

I was thinking for adequate compensation to AFL and NRL fans.

Any AFL/NRL season ticket/ member holder who has consistently held their memberships for 4 years prior to the world cupto be guaranteed a chance to buy a socceroos match ticket.

Reason being AFL/NRL fans will be compensated for their comps being stopped by being guaranteed a Socceroos match.

**** off. Why would we give seats to people who don't even care?

ALso the diehard soccer fans would be willing to put money into AFL/NRL memberships for 4 years knowing that they will get a guaranteed socceroos seat at one of the tournament matches.

Feh. We already get priority buy.

 

[pazza]

Another thing I thought about was: You know how so many of us have complained about there being a pre-season competition - basically saying we don't need it or whatever...well, here's a way the AFL could accommodate the FFA, that would certainly please the fans.

We start our premiership season in the middle of February, like we do now for the pre-season and you'll have about 2/3rds of the season done by the time the World Cup comes around. Players get back to full fitness and then you have a 4 week mad scramble to the finals throughout August. Would be one very exciting season with the 5 weeks off as a break. Many clubs in contention would really benefit for the break.

 

[Grunty]

I think the World Cup would lead to increase crowds in the AFL. Lots of tourists would visit a game.

Precisely. Rather than opposing the World Cup, Australia should embrace it and use the opportunity to expose half of the world's population via TV, to all things Australian, including Aussie Rules games.

The visitors are not going to be watching soccer all the time, and would no doubt want to taste some of Australia's native delicacies, including footy.

On top of that, a million extra visitors to Australia, spending an average of $3,000 is not to be sniffed at. This would be a cool three billion dollars pouring into the Aussie economy.

 

[finders]

Yep, denying Australia billions of dollars, hundreds of jobs and the chance to host the greatest sports event on the planet. That'll make the AFL REAL popular.

You are deluding yourself mate .

Australia just dosent have the population, support .or money to put on a worthy soccer World Cup event.
The Olympics have done Sydney very little good apart from some great PR for two weeks In fact the tourism numbers have dropped there since 2000 and nowhere near the OS visitors turned up as expected to the Games - ditto World Cup.

As an Australian taxpayer I dont like any government spending MY money favouring any one sport over another like this.
I see moneybags migrant Lowey sucking up to Rudd in Sydney today .He didnt take long to flick his mate Howard. LOL

Oh and by the way if soccer wants bigger rectangle stadiums let them build them with there own money and not bludge off the taxpayers.

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Easy Solution.The Soccer to be played as curtain raisers to the AFL games.

Hilarious

 

[Grunty]

I see moneybags migrant Lowey sucking up to Rudd in Sydney today .

.

It might have been the other way round. I'm sure Rudd has seen the potential of supporting a sport that can build bridges between Australia and Asia, particularly China, one of Australia's biggest markets. I think Rudd speaks Chinese.

No doubt Rudd will be the guest of honour and interpreter for Lowy at the Australia- China World Cup qualifier in June.

 

[bedford]

Cue the bogans shouting "**** orf! Fairyball is for ****tas!"

Try to look at the bigger picture, and consider how huge this would be for OUR country, instead of pouting like children and living in your own little bubble. I'm not the biggest "soccer" fan, but I can see how great this would be for Australia, and I'd also love to see some of the greatest sportsmen in the world!

and some of the greatest sooks in the world.
just because people don't like soccer it dosen't mean their bogans.
i like EPL but the stuff here is ethnic dominated crap.

 

[eddiesmith]

A couple of points that need adressing -

- the MCG is irrelevent because it has already been rejected as a possible venue for not meeting FIFA stadium requirements becuase spectators are more than 190m aaway from the action in some areas

- the AFL and NRL would have to suspend their seasons for 8 weeks because FIFA requires the playing surfaces to be unused for 4 weeks prior to the tournament.

- The AFL and NRL will have no say in the above matter as FIFA and the Government will flick them away like an ant. If the AFL or NRL are stupid enough to continue play during the tournament they will have to play at regional grounds or the MCG as it will be available.

SO bring on not just the worlds biggest sporting event but the worlds biggest event. I would love to have it in Oz

Umm, what the hell are you crapping on about? The only worry for the AFL is losing the MCG, as you are saying they wont, then they wont be affected at all

SCG, GABBA, AAMI, MCG, TD, Subi, Skilled, Carrara all unsuitable for Soccer so they wouldnt need to go to different venues

Its the 20 or so games that would have to be removed from the MCG if they cant use it for 6-8 weeks that is the only issue

As for the AFL just extending their season, wishful thinking, if the AFL has to take 5 weeks off then they can go with a 17 round, play each team once season because there are other sports who actually use the same grounds as AFL who cant cram their season into 3 months 2 years running as would be required with some suggestions of Feb-Nov season

NRL has more to worry about than the AFL

Would be a great opportunity for the AFL, hold a Bulldogs v Roos match the day before or after a big WC match in Melbourne and they will probably double the usual crowd

 

[Ron]

Ok just having a look at where the next two cups are held, at the saffies and then Brazil, there is no way that they would have three world cups in a row away from Europe. Not a chance.

If we are serious about this wouldn't 2022 be a better option?

 

[The Frederick]

Ok just having a look at where the next two cups are held, at the saffies and then Brazil, there is no way that they would have three world cups in a row away from Europe. Not a chance.

If we are serious about this wouldn't 2022 be a better option?

That's the plan. If the 2018 bid is decent, it'll strengthen the 2022 bid, which is what they're really aiming for.

 

[The Frederick]

and some of the greatest sooks in the world.
just because people don't like soccer it dosen't mean their bogans.
i like EPL but the stuff here is ethnic dominated crap.

Yeah, Melbourne Victory and the Central Coast Mariners are REAL ethnic.

 

[bedford]

Yeah, Melbourne Victory and the Central Coast Mariners are REAL ethnic.

melbourne are,how many aussies throw flares

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

and some of the greatest sooks in the world.
just because people don't like soccer it dosen't mean their bogans.
i like EPL but the stuff here is ethnic dominated crap.

It's got nothing to do with not liking soccer, it's their reaction that makes them look like bogans. If they were saying "I don't like soccer, but the World Cup would be great for Australia", then I could understand. All this "Tell 'em to get stuffed" attitude, is so backward.

 

[The Frederick]

melbourne are,how many aussies throw flares

Umm... the ones at the SANFL Grand Final?

 

[Guido]

Ok just having a look at where the next two cups are held, at the saffies and then Brazil, there is no way that they would have three world cups in a row away from Europe. Not a chance.

No offence, but if you had to look up who's hosting the next two World Cups, there's little chance you're going to provide any knowledgeable insight on the matter.

And who's "they" ? It's not a small FIFA committee that just "decides" who they like (/has paid them) the most - it's entire federations all having a vote on their preferred bids, with over 3 quarters of votes not in Europe's hands. The only federation that will care that it won't have been in Europe for 2 world cups, is, well, Europe. Rest of the world couldn't give a f***, and if anything, view UEFA with a fair degree of cynicism/dislike.

 

[Visions]

why cant the World Cup be held in late september early october like sydney 2000 olympics?


2006 world cup was held in summer so why cant it be held in our spring.

All domestic leagues (well the majority) have their breaks in June/July, so that's why all the major competitions are held at that time.

With a few of the other posters out there complaining that soccer isn't a popular game, and that AFL is the only game that should be played, etc, to me they have the same simple minded attitude as anyone from the United States, they live in a closet and cannot see outside their border.

The fact is, if Australia does obtain the rights to the World Cup, there is nothing the AFL will be able to do about it, they are not powerful enough. During those 4 weeks, the AFL would take a back seat if they tried to play games in that period. The media would be all over the World Cup.

 

[Ron]

No offence, but if you had to look up who's hosting the next two World Cups, there's little chance you're going to provide any knowledgeable insight on the matter.

And who's "they" ? It's not a small FIFA committee that just "decides" who they like (/has paid them) the most - it's entire federations all having a vote on their preferred bids, with over 3 quarters of votes not in Europe's hands. The only federation that will care that it won't have been in Europe for 2 world cups, is, well, Europe. Rest of the world couldn't give a f***, and if anything, view UEFA with a fair degree of cynicism/dislike.

I might not know much about Soccer, but no one can be naive to think this is about sport and not about politics.

Why would a South American country or African country vote for us over England?

Especially when by doing so they will be forced to watch their countries games in the early morning.

They only chance we have is to convince the Asian countries to vote for us, not a chance the rest will.

 

[bzparkes]

The AFL will co-operate because it would be political stupidity to do otherwise.

Yep, because the AFL is a democratically elected entity

 

[Guido]

I might not know much about Soccer, but no one can be naive to think this is about sport and not about politics.

Why would a South American country or African country vote for us over England?

Especially when by doing so they will be forced to watch their countries games in the early morning.

They only chance we have is to convince the Asian countries to vote for us, not a chance the rest will.

A lot of ballots go down to the wire (eg: 2006 was decided on a single non-vote from a New Zealander), sometimes with some federations' votes going against their own region's bidders (internal bickering). It's nowhere near as cut and dry as you think.

I'm not for a second denying that it's about politics - but there's a million things that can influence each vote between now and then, and there's plenty of the game's stakeholders who'd prefer to burn their own eyeballs than support an English bid. If you think South America will just automatically support England because they can watch it at a better time ... lol

There'll be twists and turns that even Blater won't see coming - stop trying to talk so authoritively on the process with this "not a chance" crap when 5 minutes ago you didn't even know who was going to host the 2010 World Cup (it's been known for 4 years FFS).

 

[Ron]

Of course we are not a chance, tell ya what i'll give you 10,000-1 odds of us hosting the 2018 world cup. Not a chance.

 

[wce4premiership]

That is the stupidest thing I've ever read. Everybody knows that the FIFA World Cup is the biggest and greatest sports event in the world. Anybody who says otherwise is just deluded and lying to themselves.

Yeah, I'm sure the AFL GRAND FINAL is a bigger event than the World Cup. The world just can't wait to see the Power take on the Bombers, or the Crows play the Magpies.

LOL it's bigger not greater.

 

[Valve Bounce]

Australia officially launches its bid for the 2018 FIFA World Cup today. In order to win the event, the FFA will need a lot of support and flexibility from the AFL and NRL. Do you think the AFL will be willing to do what it can to help us stage one of the biggest events i the world, or will they do exactly the opposite to hinder the development of football/soccer in Australia?

I am sure that the AFL will record the cheering from the Anzac Day game and let the FFA play it over the sound system to cheer the Socceroos on.