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DAN SILKSTONE
December 8, 2009 Comments 40
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AUSTRALIA'S bid for the soccer World Cup is in danger of being derailed after AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou declared Etihad Stadium off limits for the world's largest sporting event.
In an extraordinary outbreak of war between the codes, Mr Demetriou has lashed out at soccer authorities for ''trumpeting'' their plans to use Etihad Stadium as a World Cup venue without consulting the AFL.
He said the AFL had already offered to give up the MCG for part of a season and could not afford to do without the Docklands stadium as well.
In response, Football Federation Australia has threatened to strip World Cup games from Melbourne and send them interstate.
Soccer needs the Docklands venue as part of its World Cup plans and had already been struggling to meet the requirements of soccer's international body, FIFA, for at least a dozen 40,000-seat stadiums.
But Mr Demetriou signalled yesterday he would not compromise on the Docklands stadium, which is under contract to the AFL for 25 years.
''It's impossible to run a football season without Etihad,'' Mr Demetriou told The Age. ''We have put up a suggestion of the MCG being unavailable for 10 weeks, which would require our agreement, but we need Etihad to have a season,'' he said.
Mr Demetriou accused the World Cup bid team, led by his old friend and former AFL teammate Ben Buckley, of being disrespectful.
He said he was not interested in working out a compromise for the World Cup. ''It's not for the AFL to come up with solutions for FIFA and the FFA. The language has to change,'' he said.
''We've come up with a proposal to be an accommodating, collaborative partner to support the World Cup bid.
''Our solution is (they use) the MCG for 10 weeks, we play our season around it and play in other areas and other grounds, but you need Etihad. It's the only way it works.''
A shocked Mr Buckley said last night the AFL's stance could mean Victorians would miss out on their share of World Cup action. ''Our preferred position, and the one we've worked towards, is to use Etihad Stadium as one of our venues,'' he said. ''It is one of the best stadiums in Australia and in the world.
''If Etihad is not included we would have to relocate a significant amount of games away from Victoria and that would be a real shame for the people of Victoria.''
Mr Buckley, the former AFL No.2, said he still hoped a deal could be reached with the AFL for access to the stadium.
But that prospect seemed remote after it emerged last night that the FFA had yesterday received a letter from Etihad Stadium chief executive Ian Collins saying that he did not wish the stadium to play any part in the World Cup bid. Mr Collins would not comment last night.
The FFA had initially believed it would not need the venue, instead using the MCG and the new rectangular stadium on Swan Street as World Cup venues.
That stadium was supposedly ''future-proofed'' so that it could be enlarged to 40,000. But the FFA turned back to Etihad after it emerged that the distinctive bubble roof of the rectangular venue meant it would cost a prohibitive $150 million to enlarge it.
Etihad Stadium featured in the glossy book and film handed out to FIFA delegates as part of Australia's lobbying effort at the World Cup draw in South Africa last week.
It was also shown off by the FFA to an official party of international journalists brought to Australia by the FFA for a familiarisation tour last month.
Mr Demetriou said he only learnt that Etihad was being targeted for the World Cup when he read in The Age that visiting journalists were being hosted at the venue.
''Suddenly we have them trumpeting Etihad as a stadium for their bid. It's completely disrespectful to us, it's completely misleading to people, because it's completely untrue,'' Mr Demetriou said.
''It's for them to go away and work out solutions. It's not for us to come up with a solution of what to do about Etihad.
''We've got Etihad and we've got the MCG. People forget there are things called agreements in place.''
On Monday, Mr Demetriou complained about FFA plans to convert the MCG to rectangular seating, which he said would rob the AFL of its home for 16 weeks.
But those plans were always regarded as a long shot by soccer authorities, developed as one among several options. Mr Buckley immediately stressed that it was not a serious proposition for the bid.
http://www.watoday.com.au/sport/socc...1209-khub.html
They better tell the WAFC - they are trying to use the World Cup as a reason to redo Subi. Maybe they wil soon realise the concept of rectangles and ovals.
they should take the afl. To regional centres for half a season......
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It' will all be about nothing in the end anyway. 2010 WC s in ZA. 2014 is in Brazil. The chances of either of the next two also being in the SH are none and Buckley's.
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
Shasta - not quite all about nothing. To me, this whole thing has given the AFL a wonderful opportunity to display their true nature and intentions in spectacular style. The AFL comes off as whiny, petulant and aggressive all at once. If they're like this when a FIFA World Cup is the merest glint in the eye of the FFA, how bad would it be if Australia actually had to host the event?
Surely all this pouting and stamping can only be a good thing for rectangular codes, as the AFL comes off as the "bad guy" "denying" the punters.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal:
it is the courage to continue that counts.
- Winston Churchill
I'm not much of a soccer supporter ... in fact I'm not a supporter at all, but how often does Australia host the world cup? ... probably once in a life time ... if we are lucky! And to tell you the truth I only got into rugby because of the 2003 world cup, somoa and uraguy ... my first ever rugby game!
I'm with Slomo, take the AFL regional. They want to promote the game, so why not take it to remote places who barely get to see a live AFL game.
"Believe in the best, think your best, study your best, have a goal for your best, never be satisfied with less than your best, try your best, and in the long run things will turn out for the best."
Because then the poor widdle things at AwFuL HQ lose so much money, because of corporate agreements with the grounds and not getting any back from places they'll go to promote the game, like Alice Springs and Western Sydney....
On another forum I visit, one person (from Western Sydney) said he would be happy for Victoria to be excluded from hosting any World Cup games.
"12 Years aSupporter" starring the #SeaOfBlue
yeah, it wouldn't worry me too much if they were excluded, they should have them all over in WA :p put us further on the map and bring in the big bucks!
"Believe in the best, think your best, study your best, have a goal for your best, never be satisfied with less than your best, try your best, and in the long run things will turn out for the best."
once again they think that life revolves around AFL![]()
actuallly ... they can have all the soccer riots/hooliganism in vic :p
"Believe in the best, think your best, study your best, have a goal for your best, never be satisfied with less than your best, try your best, and in the long run things will turn out for the best."
I say take the World Cup games off Victoria and give them to WA and Adelaide.
then get Federal funding to build suitable stadiums to host the games.
I'm sure we'll take two if they're offered!
C'mon the![]()
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Just to clarify then : sucks to the AFL and Victoria, move all the games to WA and SA, 'cos they don't mind not having their Super Rugby matches and midyear Tests....
But they don't allow other sports in the same town at the same time, even in another stadium. Rumour is that the SA v Frogs Test will be moved for starters...http://www.sport24.co.za/Content/Rug...nce_Test_moved