 |
Al-Ahram Weekly 7 - 13 October 1999 Issue No. 450 
|
||
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
|
Al-Ahram Weekly 7 - 13 October 1999 Issue No. 450
|
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Interview Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters England wants the cup
By Nashwa Abdel-TawabWhen Joseph Blatter became president of FIFA last year, he announced that the African continent had the right to host the World Cup finals. Since the 1994 finals were held in North America, the 1998 showcase in Europe and the 2002 World Cup is to be staged in Asia, it seemed only natural that 2006 should go to Africa.
Five African countries, including Egypt, initially offered to host the cup finals, but all, save for South Africa and Morocco, backed down. England, Germany and Brazil submitted their official bids in August. The five competitors vying for the right to host one of the world's biggest sporting spectaculars are currently touring much of the world to drum up support for their bid and collect as many votes as possible before FIFA's final decision is taken in July next year.
A delegation from the English Football Association, including Sir Bobby Charlton, recently visited Egypt for two days to promote England's bid to host the cup. Sir Bobby was accompanied by Alec McGivan, director of England's World Cup 2006 Campaign, and other officials. In a press conference at the British embassy, the two spoke passionately of their bid and explicitly denied Africa the right to host the finals. "Africa is not qualified yet to host the World Cup," McGivan said. "We respect our opponents but we financed our bid well to win the World Cup."
"England is the homeland of soccer in the world. We put the rules, we first played it and we want to host it again. We are the heart," said Charlton, who was chosen on the campaign committee after successfully lobbying for Japan during its drive to host the 2002 World Cup.
Professionalism and passion, said McGivan, are the cornerstones of England's bid to host the World Cup. "Our bid emphasises the unrivalled and modern facilities in English football, the unique atmosphere at top stadiums and the extensive expertise in running a major tournament combined with England's strong history and tradition in the game," he told the press conference.
"We believe England is the right choice, with first-class stadiums, the experience of a successful Euro '96, the new Wembley to come, and all the passion and heritage of the nation where football began," Charlton said. "And yet in 2006 we want to give the world something more. In the birthplace of the game we want to look to the future, not look back. We want to put the world's most precious resource -- young people -- first."
Indeed, the motto of England's World Cup bid is "Putting Young People First". From over 200 countries, children in groups of 12, accompanied by up to four adults, will spend two weeks in England attending matches, spending time with local schools, visiting football stadiums, meeting famous players, enjoying coaching sessions and staying with local families. All of the children's air travel costs and other expenses will be met by English football, whose plan, the federation says, is to make the 2006 World Cup the first that young people throughout the world will experience directly. The project, it contends, will demonstrate England's commitment to the future of the game.
Even British Prime Minister Tony Blair has entered the fray. "The FIFA World Cup is the greatest sporting tournament in the world," Blair said in a prepared statement. "Once every four years it brings the world together. It deserves the best -- the best facilities, the best conditions, the best organisation. Like any great football team, a truly great World Cup requires genuine creativity, tireless preparation and outstanding teamwork to make sure it is the best. These qualities are what makes England's bid outstanding. The carnival atmosphere of Euro '96 amply demonstrated our passion for football and our capacity for friendship and organisation. In partnership with the Football Association, the British government has worked wholeheartedly since 1996 to ensure that we can host the very best World Cup possible."
The new Wembley Stadium will be the setting for the 2006 World Cup final should England play host. The new 90,000 seat, £475 million ($760 million) stadium will rise on the site of the old Wembley which for generations has been the place to be for football fans. The new Wembley will be twice the size of the existing stadium, which was constructed in 1923. Construction work is expected to start in 2000 and be completed by 2003.
Sir Bobby Charlton shoots the ball
photo: Salah Ibrahim
England says it has in place the world's most comprehensive system of stadium inspection and safety certification. Each venue employs a full-time safety officer who oversees a team of highly trained deputies and stewards. Security is co-ordinated jointly between the stadium's own security team and the police.
Moreover, England became the first European nation to commit itself to the elimination of standing accommodation. Now, every seat in England's candidate stadiums is an individually numbered tip-up seat with a backrest, fully meeting FIFA's specifications. There are no bench or tractor-type seats.
British sports officials also say they are committed to pursuing a strategy that will help reduce the impact of the tournament on the environment.
Inevitably an event on the scale of the World Cup will have an environmental cost. "We are committed to managing the tournament responsibly by, first of all, reducing the environmental impact and secondly by establishing new standards of environmental stewardship for international sporting competitions," said McGivan. The objective is to make England 2006 a "carbon neutral" event, meaning that the activities connected directly with the World Cup should not create any net release of greenhouse gases. "We will promote clean fuels such as CNG or PLG for public transport," McGivan said. "We will promote energy efficiency. We will fund the planting of trees which absorb carbon dioxide, a programme which would be implemented internationally by recognised agencies and focused on by developing countries facing deforestation."
When asked about British hooligans, Charlton pointed to the 1996 European nations' cup. "The success of Euro '96 demonstrated that England is a safe and secure venue for a major international football tournament."
While in Egypt, the British delegation met Mustafa Fahmy and other representatives of the Confederation Africaine de Football and the Egyptian Football Association to formally present England's bid. They also had the opportunity to meet leading Egyptian sports personalities at a reception hosted by the British Council and hold a question-and-answer session with youths.
In Cairo, Charlton played a football match with members of the mentally disabled Olympic team of Misr Language School and visited the SOS institution for orphans.
Charlton is one of England's sporting legends. He began his career with Manchester United in 1956 and went on to make 606 league appearances during which he scored 217 goals. He represented England 106 times, most famously as a member of the England team which won the World Cup in 1966. His record of 49 goals for England has not been beaten. In 1994 he was knighted by the queen in recognition of his contribution to British sport.
