Australia bid faces opposition from home
Reuters - Monday 07 December 2009, 23:38
SYDNEY - Australia's ambitious bid to host
the World Cup could be scuppered by an escalating row
with rival football codes over access to the country's biggest
stadiums.
Long regarded as a football backwater, Australia is vying
with some of the sport's traditional powers from Europe, Asia
and North America to stage the World Cup in either 2018 or
2022.
Australia have developed a strong bid, backed by the
federal government and based around their experience in hosting
other major international events as well as the fact the World
Cup has never been held in Oceania before.
Their best laid plans are already facing opposition on the
domestic front, however, following the Football Federation of
Australia's (FFA) demand for exclusive access to the nation's
largest venues, including Sydney's Olympic stadium and the
Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The FFA wants sole use of up to 12 of the country's biggest
stadiums for at least two months to comply with FIFA's
requirements to stage the tournament, causing major disruptions
to Australia's three most popular winter sports.
Officials from Australian Rules (AFL), rugby league (NRL)
and rugby union (ARU), have all indicated they would agree to
briefly suspend their leagues for the World Cup but fear the
FFA are trying to shut down their entire seasons.
"We are not trying to stand in the way of the World Cup bid
but we are not prepared to fall off the face of the planet
either," NRL boss David Gallop said in a statement on Monday.
Australia's major football codes agreed to shorten their
seasons by a month in 2000 to avoid clashing with the Sydney
Olympics but AFL boss Andrew Demetriou said any extended
disruption would be a financial disaster.
"It affects revenue, we've got broadcast agreements, we've
got agreements with members, we've got agreements with
corporate partners," he said.
"The cost is a monumental cost, and I'm talking hundreds of
millions of dollars."
The issue is unique to Australia because it is the only
major sporting nation where four professional football codes
operate in the same market place and share the same stadiums.
Football struggles to attract as large crowds as the other
codes so smaller grounds are used for their struggling domestic
competition. A World Cup would need all of the biggest
stadiums.
"We need to get access four weeks before the competition
for preparation for pitches and preparation for overlay that
are required by FIFA and the duration of the tournament," FFA
chief executive Ben Buckley said.
"In our estimation, that is six to eight weeks depending on
where the finals are played.
"I am confident there is goodwill and all the other codes
understand there is substantial benefits to Australia as a
nation to host a great World Cup."
SOCCER STRUGGLES
While AFL, rugby league and rugby union have always enjoyed
massive public support in Australia, football has long struggled
for mainstream recognition.
The sport has had a minor resurgence since Australia ended
a 32-year drought by qualifying for the 2006 World Cup.
The Socceroos have also qualified for next year's World Cup
in South Africa and FFA officials were at last week's draw in
Cape Town pushing their bid credentials.
The domestic game continues to struggle, however, despite
the launch of a new professional league in 2005.
Earlier this year, expansion plans were postponed because
of ongoing financial uncertainty and shrinking crowds so the
FFA are pinning their hopes on the World Cup to give the sport
a boost.
"We think the World Cup is bigger than any individual
sport," Buckley said.
"It is the biggest sporting event in the world, it has
significant economic benefits to Australia and enhances our
standing as a nation around the world and enormous social
benefits."