Photos: Ben Buckley must be feeling disappointed about the failure of Australia's World Cup bid; Daniel Hanna, John McGirr and Martyn Wells of TUFC are also disappointed but do not think it will affect their A-League bid [PlessPix]
I don’t know about you, but I feel just like I did the day Australia were eliminated by Italy from the 2006 World Cup.
That day, a penalty sank us.
Today, who knows what sank us? There are plenty of theories.
But, that empty feeling is the same; that feeling that we still haven’t got something right in Australian football; that feeling that we are naive when it comes to the highest levels of the game.
All that money invested, resulting in just one vote and elimination in the first ballot.
Can you imagine how Frank Lowy feels? Can you imagine how Ben Buckley feels?
Some pundits are saying that England lost their bid because of the country’s media exposing corruption in FIFA. They may have a case.
But, what did we do wrong? We had a strong case, but perhaps the prospect of low revenues from a World Cup in Australia counted against us.
I’d say there is some truth in that argument. After all, the game now is all about money.
We aren’t that popular in Asia, either, where we are seen as arrogant upstarts. That perception of us doesn’t help our cause, especially when our own Confederation, the Asian one, doesn’t support our bid. Nor does it help our cause when a vice-president of FIFA is from Qatar, and when the Oceania delegate - Oceania is our former region and the closest geographically to us at present - on the executive committee is suspended from voting because of alleged corruption.
There will be some in this country today who will have smug expressions on their visages because of this set-back. These people wanted the bid to fail because a World Cup here will have threatened their fiefdoms and interests. Schadenfreude hangs thickly in the air today.
It will be interesting to see what this failure does to football in this country.
How will it affect the A-League, which is in a fragile state as it is.
How will it affect the uncommitted sports fan who is looking for something to believe in and something to follow?
Badly, I would say.
A poor showing at the Asian Cup in January will put us back to square one, back to where we were just before we won that trifecta earlier this decade - World Cup qualification, formation of the A-League, and admission to the Asian Football Confederation.
So, it’s back to the drawing board and, hopefully, lessons will have been learned about the world of football and FIFA, where one cannot take everything at face value and where everything is not always as it seems. It’s a world where people of integrity are not always the winners.
But, I guess that reflects life outside of sport, too.
Congratulations to Russia and Qatar for pulling it off, seemingly against the odds.
*****
The Tasmania United FC group have issued a statement following the failure of the Australia World Cup bid.
It reads:
“Despite the disappointment felt by all [sic] Australians this morning after the announcement regarding hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, TUFC offer their sincere thanks to FFA chair Mr Frank Lowy and his team for their endeavours.
“The TUFC believe the successful future of WORLD FOOTBALL here in Tasmania is assured. This result has increased the determination of the TUFC taskforce to establish, for the enjoyment of all Tasmanians, a Tasmanian based A-League team. Our consultants, thanks to continuing financial support from state government, are close to completing the business case.
“TUFC envisage making a presentation to the A-League early in 2011.”
15 comments:
I'm not sure what to say. There are so many things to be said but nothing of absolute substance at this stage.
Why is this? Because nothing is transparent with the deciding process.
Was it politically driven, financially driven, time zone driven or a poor campaign by Australia. Whatever the reason, there was something VERY drastically wrong with our bid to only receive one vote.
I for one am quite interested to know what was the driving factor.
what an absolute joke football in this country is. i do not blame them for not choosing australia's bid. it was poorly assembled and the presentation the other day reflected that so. we did not once mention our football culture and it turned into a ''we've hosted everything else, so we need this'' kind of presentation and not why we deserve the privleage of hosting the world's biggest sporting event, lightyears above everything else in a league of its own. i believe that it showed little respect for the world of football, and overall treated it accordingly. this is something australia needs to understand and deal with before we are ever going to get anywhere.
as for the comments of negativity and who to blame, i find them sad and completely disrespectful also. these issues didn't pop up overnight, so i don't see why you're bickering on about them now. Ever thought that maybe we have a lot to prove to others before we can earn their respect and trust. australia has a lot to learn.
i can't even imagine to think why you are going on about a 'poor showing' in the Asian cup already. it is journalists like you that publish negativity to undo the work of those actually working hard and then complain about.
playing the sympathy card against the rest of the world will not earn us integrity and will get us no closer to hosting football's biggest stage.
One last ramble; i find it even sadder with this whole 'tasmania united' bid. it is absolutley pathetic and is just australia's forray into the football world on an even smaller scale. i doubt it will ever happen and quite rightfully so.
australia is lightyears behind the rest of the football world and the tasmanian footballing culture is even more hopeless and pathetic than the national one.
Anon 11.33am "as for the comments of negativity and who to blame, i find them sad and completely disrespectful also. these issues didn't pop up overnight, so i don't see why you're bickering on about them now."
Then you say:
i find it even sadder with this whole 'tasmania united' bid. it is absolutley pathetic and is just australia's forray into the football world on an even smaller scale.
Soooooo... who's the negative one now? Your ramble (as you put it) is full of contradictions and unfounded assertions. Go back to the drawing board, come back and then i'll bother picking your diatribe apart.
what i was saying is that these issues are only being recognized after the bid decision was made and used as an excuse as to why the decision did not go australia's way.
this tasmania united bid situation is completely different. i'll admit that i was being negative, but some things need to be said and i think that some people should take a step back and look at how dumbfounded the whole situation is and see the bigger picture, if you get what i mean.
This video by SBS's Craig Foster sums pretty much sums sums up why we were never going to get the bid and Australia's lack of understanding in world football.
http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/video/360606/Shootout
Shut up . There isn't enough interest in soccer to host the world cup . There is so many people against it in Australia not enough soccer fans . Afl runs the show
No reason to be negative about this outcome at all, save perhaps the fact we only got one vote, but even that isn't too important considering that 1-11 votes would have gotten us the same prize - not much.
Rather, we can learn from this and be happy that we threw our hat in the ring. As others have said time and time again, we never really stood a chance. Time difference, revenue, distance etc were against us. That's not being negative, it's just fact. But the important thing is we got in there and gave it a real good go, and I'm especially proud and thankful to Frank Lowy who clearly put his heart right out there throughout the process.
Another issue was that the AFC didn't back our bid, and you can understand why to an extent. From the second Australia has gotten into the AFC, we have been a bit arrogant about it, and started shouting to the world about being part of the biggest confed (pop wise) etc. It isn't respectful to do such a thing before you've given back to the confed first yourself. But remember, we are hosting the Asian Cup in 2015. We are hosting A MAJOR footballing competition. We lost the World Cup sure, but we need to put everything into 2015 and make sure we put on a hell of a show. Not only to prove to FIFA we have even more experience in hosting big footballing competitions, but also as a tribute to the confederation we now (too eagerly and too early) call home. A 'thank you for taking us in from the periphery' if you will. Perhaps next time we bid, they may be more supportive.
It's easy to be optimistic if you are in Australia for one fact - it is inevitable we get it (please don't try to call me a hypocrite by saying that sounds arrogant, thats not how i mean it). FIFA loves nothing more than telling the world how they exist to promote the game in all four corners of the world. Now that the Middle East and Eastern Europe have achieved a World Cup there is truly only one region not to have the Cup - Oceania. No country there (football confed-wise) is big enough, so it will be shunted sideways to Australia, thereby hitting every continent. Don't underestimate how much FIFA know this is inevitable, as it would give them the opportunity to prove they are truly global.
2002 - Asia
2006 - Europe
2010 - Africa
2014 - Sth America
2018 - E Europe
2022 - Middle East.
I know FIFA scrapped their rotation policy (and for good reason), but I firmly believe the best thing to do would be to give Nth America 2026 (USA). On the 100th anniversary of the tournament, send the competition to the home of football in 2030 (England). After 100 years, press on into the final frontier, Oceania, in 2034 (Australia).
Like I said, lets not predict the doom and gloom of the sport here in Aus, lets just learn from this, concentrate on 2011, 2014, especially 2015 and so forth and keep getting amongst it. Again, massive sympathy for Lowy who put it all on the line (don't think he was adequately backed up by anyone with the same passion or enthusiasm in the presentations) and lets not ever let Gillard on a video like that again (she was cringeworthy!!!!!) Also congratulations to David Cameron on one of the finest speeches I've heard from a bidding nation in quite some time.
Finally, congratulations to Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.
Qatar offered something new and exciting to the Fifa delegates, Australia's theme was based around being "a safe pair of hands", due to previous hosting experience.
There is not the interest here for FIFA to have made the millions they want. Qatar, though small in population, is central in geographic terms and people will go there to make most games full houses I'd presume.
This could be a blessing in disguise for Oz to get back to gaining interest from States that are predominantly AFL or League.
Hope it's here in our lifetime!
anon 12.43 your a loser afl is a joke of a game get a clue soccer is the best game on the planet even if the guys running the show are a shambles, having been to a world cup in germany in 2006 it would have been the best thing to happen to this country sport wise full stop... walter this hurts just as much as iran and uruguay !! big time
Hooray and thanks the bull is all over with.
As much as it would have been a great spectacle we really are off the planet if we expect to compete at this level with our greats retiring by 2022 and nothing worth getting all exited about stepping up to take there places.
Maybe now they can spend some of those gross dollars on aussie football to develop what we have here before throwing it at futile attempts at greatness
Not sure what to think about the outcome. While I didn't expect we'd get it (lack of profit for FIFA, timezone, FIFA more corrupt than Calcio etc), Qatar is a very poor choice.
Our video was more a tourist promotion than anything else, and didn't show as Casual Observer would say, our understanding of contemporaneous European footballing methodology, or our position of relevance in the world football milieu! haha
The excellent book "Why England always loses" debunks the myth that hosting the World Cup is some sort of bonanza for either the host country or the sport itself. Not winning hosting right is not the beginning of the end.
The A-League is the best it has been for quality of play and entertainment, though ironically crowds are well down. Now that the bid is out of the way FFA need to divert their energies to the promoting and further improving the A-League and grassroots. Talk to many fans on the mainland an they say that one of the reasons crowds are down is because noone knows games are on - really poor promotion and advertising from the FFA, compared to earlier seasons. They appear to have put all of their eggs in the one basket. Time to shift those eggs.
Football is still the most popular particpation sport in the country, and with the right people running the show (and Lowy is one of them), we can keep growing the game. The MLS and J-Leagues weren't overnight successes either.
As for an A-League side in Tasmania, I would love to see it. It would be a great incentive for our many talented local players. Would it be a success? I'm sceptical, but would follow it religiously.
Mike Bassett
England Manager
BRING ON 2046!!
Disappointing as yesterday's announcement was, I say let's look forward to 2046 - because that's the reality of when Australia next stands a genuine chance to host the World Cup.
Why do I say that? In contrast to one of the earlier posts, 2034 will not go to Oceania but rather to CHINA which will be a global dynamite by then with heaps of money to throw at FIFA.
With the 12 year cylces now revolving around The Americas, Europe & The Rest of the World, logic tells you that the World Cups venues can be predicted as follows:
2014 The Americas - Brazil
2018 Europe - Russia
2022 Rest of the World - Qatar
2026 The Americas - probably USA
2030 Europe - maybe England if FIFA have forgiven their journalists byt then
2034 Rest of the World - probably China
2038 The Americas - probably Argentina
2042 Europe - Probably Spain or Holland
2046 Rest of the World - maybe Australia!! This assumes that INDIA hasnt got it's act together otherwise India would get it on economic grounds.
So by 2046 we will hopefully have learnt how to play the FIFA bidding game and get to host the World Cup and India hasnt got its political act together.
The great news is that, probably like most of you reading this, we will be retired and entitled to pensioner discounts - if we are still alive and if in fact FIFA offer pensioner discounts.
I am so disappointed that FIFA once again proved that everything that Andrew Jennings wrote in his fantastic book "FOUL!" is true. After trying to clear their reputations over recent negative publicity they actually worsened their reputations with the bizarre decisions for 2018 and 2022.
Having recently visited Russia on business, let me tell you they do NOT welcome tourists - so this will NOT be a fan friendly tournament. And as for QATAR if you're not in one of their air conditioned stadiums, then you may as well melt. Again this will not be a fan friendly tournament.
So it's off to Brazil in 2014 to at least enjoy a fan friendly World Cup. I may just be the last tounament us true football fans can enjoy for a generation.
Jim, Sydney
Condolences to Mr Lowy and his team.
At a local level (A-League TUFC) an explanation of what TUFC have been endeavoring to achieve for the past almost 3 years.
Early in 2008 a number of interested football people (my self included) met and decided to attempt to establish an A-League team for all Tasmanians - hence the 'UNITED' in Tasmania United FC.
With self funding we created enough interest to get state government funding for a feasibility study. This was completed and sufficient support was found for the state government to again generously fund a business case study which is nearing completion. TUFC envisage being able to make a formal approach to the FFA early in 2011.
Before any one choosing to hide under the"Anonymous" tag makes derogatory comments perhaps they might like to reflect on what they have done to promote WORLD FOOTBALL in Tasmania?.
MARTYN WELLS
Vice Chair
TUFC Inc.
I have heard that it is looking likely that China may get the 2026 World Cup, but that is just rumors at the moment, but then again with their recent decisions it wouldn't surprise me if FIFA went for another 'footballing powerhouse' such as Qatar.
One another some of the reasons that Qatar was able to get the World Cup (which was one of two terrible decisions made by FIFA) was that they struck up deals with the Spain-Portugal bid and many others(maybe Australia didn't do enough lobbying?), through England, Brazil and Argentina to play 'pointless' friendlies there and the promise that they will dismantle the stadiums and rebuild them in countries with poor football infrastructure. Now that does sound quite noble and possibly that, alongside with the air conditioned stadiums won it for them. A major reason why I wouldn't of had the World Cup there is in regards to the training facilities for the teams, are they also going to be air conditioned or will the teams have to book the stadiums, thus ruining the pitch and taking away valuable training time for the teams.
There is something wrong with FIFA at the moment an example of this can be found in the recent reports coming from England that SEVEN members of the voting panel promising their support to England and then stabbing them in the back at the last minute. FIFA has to change from the bottom to the top, there should be no room for idiots like Blatter and Warner. England, Australia and the USA have a lot of questions to ask.
ps. I firmly believed that if Aus did get the World Cup then it would speed up the inevitable emergence of soccer as the dominant sport in Australia, oh well I guess we will have to wait a little longer for that.
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 people accepting that have to convince themselves they’re making their decisions for ethical lofty reasons – thus the whole Middle East peace pitch worked.
As for football in Australia - probably the A-League will limp along, the indigenous Australian Football (AFL) and the NRL will power along, Rugby will have its highs and lows, occasionally every few years the Socceroos will grabe everyone's attention.
Think you will find China can not get it in 2026 now because the same conferderation cannot have the world cup twice in a row
Thats why they started talking about hosting it before the vote so they could swing votes to the USA
Post a Comment