Is 2010 still ours?
Posted by Don Packett under Uncategorized on June 27 2006 at 4:27 PMIn the previous post‘s comments, ../Ant linked to a story which poses a serious question:
Will South Africa be ready to host the 2010 World Cup Soccer?
On a security front, the SAP are confident that the tournament will be crime-free. There’s talk of Zimbabwe hosting visitors, because of our shortage of accommodation. Business opportunities on the boom. Add-on’s and plans for Soccer City. But some are concerned. And rightly so. Even one of the world’s top guns is trying to help.
Plans, discussions, meetings. They all mean crap if there IS NO ACTION!
Excerpt from story:
“Faced with questions about South Africa’s suitability to hold the 2010 tournament, Joe Phaahla, the head of the organising committee for the African National Congress government, admitted: “Issues of safety and accountability of event organisers need to be tightened.”
Tony Leon, the official leader of the Democratic Alliance opposition, said the country was two years behind in its preparations, due to government sluggishness in processing all the legislation necessary for a successful tournament.”
What if, for argument’s sake, (and I’m anicipating one), South Africa realises in 2009 that everything won’t be ready on time. What then? Back to Germany who are more than fit to host it? Is there a backup country preparing, just in case? How long does it take to build or renovate a stadium to suit international standards? And if they are built in record time and then crumble like most building projects of late, then what?
All these questions worry me. I am a South African. I have nothing to do with the tournament whatsoever, but if things flop, I’d feel like a disgrace, because it’s my country. What can I do? Nothing. Just sit, and watch, and hope that things come together, because how awesome would it be to watch the World Cup Finals in your own country?
On the big plus side, some new teams are ready and willing to stop at nothing to take the 2010 trophy home! Awesome.
June 27th, 2006 at 6:45 pm
[...] As the guys over at Jo’Blog said, unfortunately as ordinary citizens we can “Just sit, and watch and hope that things come together.” Mmmmm, Rome burning comes to mind! [...]
June 28th, 2006 at 9:40 am
No doubt! How it all unfolds is going to make super amazing viewing! Whether it’s a tragedy, comedy or master piece it will surely be so of epic proportions. Can’t wait!
June 28th, 2006 at 9:49 am
Ditto!
June 28th, 2006 at 9:49 am
If rumours are anything to go by, England is rumoured to be put on standby to host the 2010 World Cup if SA can’t cope.
I really hope that we can put on a good show and make it all work.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:34 am
Just remember that although we were awarded the 2010 world cup, we haven’t sealed the deal just yet. After this world cup is finished, a FIFA delegation comes to SA to do a review of our progress. Only if they are completely happy that we will pull it off will they give us the final go-ahead.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:40 am
Oh okay. Thanks Crusoe. Leaving it a bit late don’t you think? Well, I suppose if we started with all the preps in the meantime, when FIFA arrived they would’ve been happy.
Oh well, we’ll see…
June 28th, 2006 at 3:03 pm
Ok so tell me Im not concentrating on the issue at hand, but I think its pretty relevant when discussing the thought processes going into planning this major event…
BEER! Thanks to the great people of SAB sitting on their asses doing SWA and expecting shit to just land in their lap, guess who is the official beer sponsor of WC2010?? Frikking Budweiser!!
WWAASSSSSUUUUUUUPPPPPPP South Africa???
WAKE UP !!!
June 28th, 2006 at 3:11 pm
Silly. I’m not the biggest fan of Bud I must say, but then again, live action football, the greatest teams in the world, bring on the cat pee!
:: glug glug ::
June 28th, 2006 at 3:26 pm
Rumor Alert: I’ve heard SAB has never contested the bid for the primary liquor sponsor.
Who ever brings in the dough to make things a success I’ll support. I’ll chug that cat pee like nobody’s business.
June 29th, 2006 at 11:04 am
The whole issue just depresses me.
June 29th, 2006 at 11:25 am
Ditto Wezzo!
I dig Bud so its all good stuff for me, if Bud pumps big money in I’ll be a lifelong supporter.
I have had Bud in India, South Africa, China, USA, Europe and it tastes different everywhere, particularly India and SA. Tastes best in Europe if you ask me!
June 29th, 2006 at 4:00 pm
Panic mongers !
June 29th, 2006 at 4:44 pm
[...] It seems like the talk at Joblog and Wozafriday is World Cup 2010, and are we ready for it? A debate my brother and me had the other day, a loud debate might I add, with two very opposing sides. [...]
June 30th, 2006 at 5:28 pm
You say that you can’t do anything to change the outcomes, but then in your next breath you show little confidence in South Africa pulling off the 2010 Soccer World Cup. You ARE doing something. Your doubt and the doubt of others in this country is the only thing that will prevent it from succeeding, and *thats* what you’re doing.
Did you know that South Africa in 2001, was assessed as being a better choice for the 2006 world cup than Germany was, but unfortunately, it didn’t go our way. Right until the last minute, the FIFA execs were going with South Africa and then it swayed.
Talk to the people in the know. Lots of things happen behind closed doors. Just because you don’t see a brand new stadium when driving along William Nicol, doesn’t mean that nothing is in motion.
A couple weeks back before Danny Jordaan went over to experience the World Cup fever in Germany, I happened to be seated next to him at a dinner thrown at his house. He assures me (and the rest of South Africa, I’d imagine) that we WILL be ready, and that things are most definitely in motion. Speak to people like him when you want to know the real happenings towards the world cup. I assure you, it is his entire life at the moment, and he’s not sitting on his hands.
South Africa can and will do it, so long as people stay positive about the whole idea. So no, we don’t just have to “sit back and wait”, we can all do something towards making 2010 a success. We can all be positive.
June 30th, 2006 at 9:06 pm
See, now I think that there is a bigger problem than not being ready in time. A couple of years ago, there was a big football match in Turkey. After the game, there was a fight in a bar, where an England supporter was stabbed. With the press spotlight so firmly on the game, the fan became headline news. The British government issued a formal advisory not to travel to Turkey, which forced all travel agencies to refund any people that wanted to pull out of their trips due to the advisory. The impact on Turkish tourism was so great that the Turkish goverment had a witchhunt to find the guy that was responsible, and prosecute him in record time. Even then, it took 6 Months for the British Government to revoke the travel advisory.
Now look at SA – with the worlds media focussed on football. If a fan from another country gets pissed and violent (which believe me they do), they’ll get shot. Then theres hijackings, murders, rapes, road accident deathtolls on easter weekend that eclipse the entire total for the UK in a year… You see where I’m going with this. In Europe, the crime in SA is just background noise at the moment. Even then, it takes 12 people dying in a shoot-out to make a minor news story. Wait until the worlds media is there. I just hope that South african tourism will survive, because if it doesn’t – that really could kill the economy…
July 3rd, 2006 at 10:59 am
Kyle – Firstly, I’m very happy for your lovely dinner next to Uncle Danny, well done. Secondly, looking at timings of construction and development, it looks like things won’t be ready on time. Being positive doesn’t make a building. Time, hard work, cement and bricks do.
If you’re our local miracle maker, please, by all means, Abra Cadabra a couple stadiums together and then we can host a kick-ass event. While you’re at it, Hocus Pocus all the criminals into a big no-way-to-get-out room so there’s no crime too!
Look, there’s obviously doubt, if you can’t see a little glimmer of maybe-we-can’t-do-this-on-time then good for you, but if, and I said if this doesn’t happen, I’ll tell you I told you so. And if it does, I’ll be buying you a Bud at the Final, apologising profusely.
July 3rd, 2006 at 11:18 am
Don, is that a promise?
For sure, I see your point of view. BUT, you have to also see mine: I am tired of people being so negative about the whole idea of a World Cup in South Africa. Whenever someone shows even a hint of doubt in this country when it comes to 2010, I’m the first to step in and slap hands. What I was trying to get at, and I’m sure you picked up on it, is that negativity gets you nothing. Yes, positivity doesn’t construct buildings, but the statement was in response to your we-may-as-well-sit-on-our-hands comment, and trust me, positivity goes a long way in a developing country like ours.
Remember, that whilst Germany looks hunky-dory on the tele screens, I’m sure that the goings on behind scenes (people before the matches, people after the matches etc) is probably not as pretty a picture as the RGB you’re watching on your flat screen. For sure, one of the greatest challenges for South Africa will be the crime in the country during that time, but thats not entirely the point that you were originally making. Neither is it the point that I was discarding through careful positivity.
Never forget South Africa’s ability to rise to challenges. The stadia will be built. The masses will arrive. The people will be, mostly, happy. Happiness is good. Happiness kills germs. Germs are bad. Die germs. Die.
July 3rd, 2006 at 11:29 am
In Danny’s name,
Amen.
I do see your point, I’m really pro SA too man, I just don’t like looking bad. It’s awesome to have people like you fight for this, it must brush off on a helluva lot of people, heck, even me a little bit.
I obviously do hope it comes together, it’ll rock big time.
July 3rd, 2006 at 1:12 pm
Kyle, optimism is good. Blind faith is bad! What you describe as being positive is actually blind faith. So Danny Jordaan told you at a dinner party that SA will be ready. Ready to host a tournament, yes, ffsakes, we are ready NOW. The problem is the tournament we host in 2010 will be a logistical shambles for the supporters.
Danny and his cronies, who actually lost the 2006 world cup and were awarded the 2010 by default because FIFA had to award it to an African country, are a useless bunch of lipservice muppets who have no influence over crime and infrastructure or even the building of stadiums as witnessed by the current debacles in Durban and Cape Town.
You make assumptions about Germany’s World Cup but clearly you have not watched it, have not read about it and don’t know a single person who was there, as a fan, not like Danny “Gravy Train” Jordaan.
I know over a dozen people who were there, they have all said it was the perfect sporting tournament, safe, easy to get around, brilliant stadiums and superb hosts.
Next time you’re sitting next to Danny ask him if he’s ever been through a turnstile to a ground!
315,000 England Fans in Germany for the World Cup. Ask Danny how many cars there are for hire in the whole of SA?
That said, it will still be a fantastic tournament for me because: I know SA, I will have a car, I will have a house, I will be able to get tickets, I know how to handle the crime, I know what areas to stay away from etc.
F*&$, why bother, people like you have no idea what a major tournament should be like anyway, never been to one before outside of SA have you? World Cup – Rugby/Cricket/Soccer? Olympics ?
No matter what you will still think SA have done well. Its a pity, imagine if we had got off our arses a few years ago and started preparing properly!
June 30th, 2010 at 6:31 am
Did any of you see David Villa’s goal for Spain against Portugal? Wow! In the 63rd minute, believe it or not!