The Friday List of Little or No Consequence #136

Back the bid...
The 67 Ambassadors Reccruited By The FA To Promote England's Bid To Host The 2018 World Cup

1. Aaron Mokoena (South Africa)
2. Alan Shearer
3. Alexandre Song (Cameroon)
4. Andrew Cole
5. Ashley Young
6. Brian Deane
7. Bryan Robson
8. Carlos Edwards (Trinidad & Tobago)
9. Chris Powell
10. Cyrille Regis
11. David Beckham
12. David James
13. David Seaman
14. Des Walker
15. Emile Heskey
16. Gareth Southgate
17. Gary Lineker
18. Gary Mabbutt
19. Gianfranco Zola (Italy)
20. Glenn Hoddle
21. Graeme Le Saux
22. Graham Taylor
23. Howard Wilkinson
24. James Milner
25. John Barnes
26. John Obi Mikel (Nigeria)
27. John Terry
28. Joseph Yobo (Nigeria)
29. Kanu (Nigeria)
30. Kenwyne Jones (Trinidad & Tobago)
31. Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast)
32. Lucas Radebe (South Africa)
33. Luther Blissett
34. Michael Ballack (Germany)
35. Michael Chopra
36. Michael Essien (Ghana)
37. Muzzy Izzet (Turkey)
38. Osvaldo Ardiles (Argentina)
39. Paul Elliott
40. Paul Ince
41. Paul Parker
42. Peter Beardsley
43. Peter Crouch
44. Peter Shilton
45. Phil Neville
46. Ray Clemence
47. Ray Wilkins
48. Ricardo Villa (Argentina)
49. Rio Ferdinand
50. Robbie Earle (Jamaica)
51. Roberto Di Matteo (Italy)
52. Robinho (Brazil)
53. Roque Santa Cruz (Paraguay)
54. Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast)
55. Sol Campbell
56. Steven Gerrard
57. Steven Pienaar (South Africa)
58. Stuart Pearce
59. Sven Goran Eriksson (Sweden)
60. Teddy Sherringham
61. Terry Venables
62. Tony Adams
63. Tony Woodcock
64. Victor Anichebe (Nigeria)
65. Viv Anderson
66. Wayne Rooney
67. Zesh Rehman (Pakistan)

For more information on England's World Cup 2018 bid, go to www.england2018bid.com.

World Cup Bid 2018: Japan

Many countries hoping to host a World Cup find themselves having to build new stadia in order to meet the strict FIFA standards. Japan, however, only need build an 80,000-seater stadium in which to hold the 2018 World Cup Final, and there are plans in place to do so. There is a problem, however - namely that the stadium will only be built if Tokyo wins its bid to host the 2016 Olympics. No Olympics presumably means no stadium, and no stadium could mean no World Cup for Japan in 2018.

Tokyo's new Olympic stadium will hold 100,000 if it's built, 25% more than FIFA's minimum requirements dictate, but it's a big 'if.' In a recent survey, only 56% of local people were in favour of the Olympics coming to the Japanese capital. It's a fact that won't have gone unnoticed by the IOC, and with many people unhappy at the amount of money needing to be spent on improving the motorways for the Olympic Games, nothing can be taken for granted.

Yet for all that, Japan have some undoubted plus points in their portfolio. They've got invaluable experience of hosting major competitions in the past including the 1964 Summer Olympics, the 1972 and 1998 Winter Olympics and, more relevantly, the 2002 World Cup which they organised in tandem with South Korea.

A benefit of their involvement with the latter is that Japan have ten modern stadia above the minimum capacity of 40,000 waiting to be used. Were it not for a shortfall of 10,000 seats, the Yokohama International Stadium (used for the 2002 World Cup Final) could be used at the start and end of the 2018 Finals too. The possibility of installing more seats where the running track is suggests an alternative is possible, but it'd be an expensive exercise which would take away the multi-use practicality of the stadium.

The co-hosting of the 2002 World Cup has left Japan in pretty good shape overall for hosting the competition again. The transport links are famously efficient and up-to-date, hotel facilities are superb and the state of football at all levels in the Land of the Rising Sun is arguably better than ever.

Furthermore, Japan's hunger to bring home the world's major sporting events is nothing short of admirable. Even the Rugby World Cup will be heading there in ten years time, but one can't help but feel that something akin to Japan Fatigue (or at the very least Asia Fatigue) will soon set in - if it hasn't already. It was only seven years ago that Japan co-hosted the World Cup Finals and just a year ago that the Olympics were held in China. With so many competitions heading out East, a tendency to kick back and give other parts of the world a chance must surely become a likelihood now.

And it's not like Japan need to cash in on the undoubted financial benefits that a World Cup would bring. While South Africa next year will feel the immeasurable boost to its neglected trade and tourism industries, Japan could arguably carry on regardless even without the world's football fans paying a visit.

That's why Japan's bid for the 2018 World Cup has to convey a real passion and determination to host the event. From government support to the humble fan, FIFA need to be convinced that Japan want the World Cup in nine years' time. They'll know that the Japanese can organise the competition with clinical efficiency and they'll know they have the infrastructure in place, but they'll need to see some genuine desire too.

It's perhaps no coincidence that the Japanese Football Association this week paid a visit to Sepp Blatter to remind him of their intentions for 2018 (or indeed 2022, if necessary). It shows the professionalism that's required of a candidate country and again Mr. Blatter will have been impressed by it, but will he have been inspired by the bid? Come to think of it, will anyone be? Only time will tell…

World Cup Bid 2018: Indonesia

Think of the countries that have hosted World Cups in the past and you'll soon find yourself contemplating some of the legendary names from football history. Brazil, England, Germany, Italy, Argentina… the list goes on, but can you imagine that same list featuring Indonesia? If FIFA's committee of representatives decide to take a more adventurous and imaginative line, you might just find them on it in the years to come.

It's only been seven years since the World Cup first decamped on the Asian continent and if truth be known Indonesia may be overlooked in favour of near neighbours Japan for 2018. That said, many may find it an affront to return to Japan again so soon, so it’s possible Indonesia will benefit from playing the novelty card.

As it is, Indonesia can rely on rather more than just novelty to convince their doubters. Its population of 235 million are football mad and television audiences regularly top everything else on offer. It has one of the fastest growing football markets in the world, and the Indonesian Super League (Indonesia's top flight football competition) is expanding more and more with every passing year.

If FIFA wanted to ride the wave of outright passion and enthusiasm for the game over there, the 2018 World Cup might be the best excuse to do so. There are, however, many question marks hanging over key aspects of Indonesia's bid which FIFA will need some assurances over.

Stadia
As far as stadia are concerned, there are only three of any note which could be used if a World Cup had to be held in Indonesia tomorrow. The government-owned Bung Karno Stadium (left) in Jakarta is where the national team play. It has a capacity of 88,000 and was the setting for the Final of the 2007 Asian Cup competition. Elsewhere there's the 60,000-seater Palaran Stadium in Samarinda where local team Persisam plays, plus the multi-use Sriwijaya Jakabaring Stadium in Palembang which can seat 40,000.

Many other stadia in Indonesia have capacities between 25,000 and 30,000 and some of these will be upgraded to meet FIFA's minimum limit of 40,000. In addition, many venues have a running track which the world governing body generally frowns upon and would like to see used only sparingly.

So once the existing stadia are upgraded and the new ones are built, Indonesia will have a decent selection of venues available for the tournament, but with so much work to do to turn them into the finished article, FIFA's bid committee will need a lot of convincing that such a huge project can be completed on time.

Transport
Of course it's all very well having the stadia, but what if you can't travel easily between them? Here lies another issue for the Indonesian bid. Made up of over 17,500 islands, the country relies heavily on air travel to shuttle anyone affluent enough in and out of the country and between any of its major cities. Here, however, Indonesia is well set up with 161 airports and an extensive domestic airline network. What isn't so impressive, though, is the fact that Indonesia has one of the worst air travel safety records in the world. Hardly inspiring, you'll no doubt agree.

Elsewhere, the only decent rail facilities can be found on Java and Sumatra and all the motorways are tolled - not that that'll be a concern as the cost of privately owning a car makes them a rarity on Indonesia's roads.

Passenger ships run regularly between the islands and the best way to get from A to B is undoubtedly by bus but when half the world descends on this place for a World Cup, you have to wonder whether the existing transport infrastructure will be able to cope.

Dishonesty and devastation
Aside from the stadia and transport issues are some altogether more sinister concerns. Indonesia, like several other south-east Asian countries, has a problem with corruption that infiltrates various aspects of everyday life such as politics, economics and, specifically, football.

Anyone hoping to make a living from coaching can expect to be frustrated and put off reaching any level of greatness. Many of the people that run football in Indonesia are administrating the sport to their own financial benefit, as has been reported by foreigners that have witnessed this first-hand.

Peter Butler, a former West Ham player and coach in Asia was recently quoted as saying: “I myself am owed over $45,000 by my ex-club, Persiba Balikapapan, and over 50 players are presently fighting their cases with FIFPro at FIFA to receive what they are owed.

“There is no protection for coaches and players, and sadly many club officials manipulate the system for their own personal gain, sack coaches and players at will and refuse to pay what is owed on their contracts. The Indonesian FA turn a blind eye."

Whether FIFA choose to turn a blind eye remains to be seen, but the spectre of terrorism is one issue that you can be sure they won’t dismiss. In 2002, the island of Bali was rocked by a bomb explosion which killed 202 people and injured a further 209. The bombing was said to be the work of a violent Islamist group and though several people were convicted, a second incident three years later resulted in 20 more people dying from the work of three suicide bombers.

Indonesia has witnessed several other bombing incidents over the years that may or may not have been carried out by the same terrorist organisation, and security has naturally been stepped up to counter this threat. Only a sustained period of calm, however, will assure FIFA that a World Cup can forge a more peaceful path if it arrives in nine years time.

Summary
Let’s not delude ourselves then. Indonesia is without question the rank outsider of all the bidding nations for the 2018 World Cup, and though it isn’t a complete impossibility that the competition will be held there, it is difficult to look beyond the negative issues that need to be resolved.

Yet Indonesia have cleared the first hurdle on the road to hosting glory: believing that they have a right to be ambitious and to submit a bid in the first place. They know that on the football map they are a small entity with an incredibly low profile, but that needn’t always be the case. They are a nation of football-loving people and their appetite for the game deserves to be recognised. FIFA’s body of decision makers will certainly be quick to acknowledge that fact, but the less-palatable realities of Indonesia’s bid will be probably prove a little too hard to swallow.

World Cup Bid 2018: England

Whenever England have taken part in a major football competition of late, one has usually been left with that feeling of imminent glory having been snuffed out by a distinct lack of professionalism. Unless dealt with promptly and efficiently, the very same thing could scupper England's chances of hosting the 2018 World Cup too.

The country which prides itself on being the home of football unsurprisingly has many of its boxes ticked when it comes to the 2018 bid, not to mention its backup bid for the 2022 World Cup. A wide range of modern and well-equipped stadia are ready for use with, at worst, only slight improvements to be made to a few of them. The transport infrastructure is sound (if not perfect) and the bid has the full support of the government and commercial partners alike.

Around £15 million has been ring-fenced to help bring the 21st World Cup to England and a host of ambassadors including David Beckham, Fabio Capello and Prince William are now in position to convince FIFA's Executive Committee that it should do so.

Yet with other strong bids being put forward from Belgium & The Netherlands, Spain & Portugal and Russia, England's case for the right to host needs to be watertight for fear of splitting the European vote. Whether it can do that depends largely on its ability to learn from previous mistakes and to avoid making more in the future.

England's ability to do the right thing has been at times questionable. Having submitted a bid for the 2006 World Cup when they'd already committed to supporting Germany's, they went ahead and spent vast fortunes on ferrying former players such as Sir Geoff Hurst and Sir Bobby Charlton around the world while assuming the arrogance of a country that thought it had the big prize in the bag. It didn't.

This time, no such assumptions will be made. The English Bid Team will know they've got to earn the respect of FIFA's many and varied member nations in order to live up to its top billing as favourites for 2018. There'll be no cocky swagger, no air of superiority - just a resolve to convey with passion the things English football does best and is most proud of.

Of course the biggest success story of the last fifteen years or so has been the Premier League. Reborn from the crumbling wreckage of the old Football League, it quickly became a huge money-making success and arguably the envy of every other country in the world. It therefore makes sense to include a representative from the Premier League on the England Bid Team, but for the last fifteen months or so there wasn't one. Only last month did Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards accept his worryingly belated invitation to join the team at a time when many were wondering if he'd even be invited at all.

A wise move it may be to include someone so intrinsically involved with the Premier League, but the Bid Team is still rife with political figures, all intent to promote their own beliefs and agendas. It perhaps doesn't bode well to have a team dominated in such a way by politicians when they have such an important job to do, and one can only hope that someone with a real feeling for the game will rise above any in-fighting with a necessary word of reason now and again.

But the Bid Team is now complete and looking all the stronger for it. All that remains is to see whether its personnel can conduct themselves in a professional and workmanlike manner as they co-ordinate a serious challenge for the hosting rights. In the forty years or more that have passed since the last time England held the World Cup Finals, it has become a leading force in the global game, but that reputation alone will not ensure success this time. England needs to show it's mature enough to get everything right before football finally comes home again.

World Cup Bid 2018: Belgium and the Netherlands

If a friend of yours said they were about to bet thousands and thousands of Pounds (or indeed any currency of your choice) on a horse that had a 12/1 chance of winning, you'd probably do all you could to talk them out of it - probably just after you called their sanity into question for being so stupid. As it is, that's pretty much what the Benelux countries (including Luxembourg) are about to do, only no-one will be able to talk them out of it and no horses will be involved.

When Sepp Blatter proclaimed that any joint bids for the 2018 World Cup would only be considered if there weren't any better ones from individual countries, you'd have excused Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg for withdrawing their bid and forgetting all about the idea. Yet those same three countries working together in tandem were the first to submit their bid to FIFA and remain determined to show that the smaller countries of the world can host a World Cup just like the bigger ones.

You have to say they have a point. In the interests of equality, there shouldn't be anything wrong with allowing small countries to work together in the name of hosting such a big event. What FIFA have a problem with is the sheer logistical mess that's generated from having two sets of stadia, two sets of administrators, two sets of transport infrastructures and two sets of everything else that's probably complicated even to begin with.

But that's where the Dutch and the Belgians hold a trump card because back in 2000 they proved they could organise a large-scale football competition in the form of that year's European Championships. Everything went off smoothly in retrospect and the end result was a tournament that was regarded very highly among those people who saw it.



This time around, the Netherlands and Belgium will be joined in their bid by Luxembourg, but only from an administrative point of view. The Benelux triumvirate will put on a united front during the bid process, but the smallest of the three countries will only host a FIFA congress and won't be gaining automatic qualification to the finals as co-hosts.

So all seems above board and ship-shape… what's not to like, then? Well if there's any chink in the armour of this, one of two joint bids for the 2018 World Cup, it's that old chestnut of having enough decent-sized stadia. It's a factor that will probably crop up time and again with all the bidding candidates, but Belgium and the Netherlands are already onto this potential banana skin too.

In Brussels, a need for a 60,000-seater stadium has already been identified and any one of three plans could be chosen to achieve this. It's possible that the former Heysel Stadium (now known as the King Baudouin Stadium) will be upgraded but if that's not suitable, a new stadium could be built either in Heysel Park or the Schaerbeek region of the city.

Similarly over the border, a new 80,000 capacity stadium for Feyenoord is likely to appear just a stone's throw away from their existing one, while other Dutch venues are also seeking to upgrade, replace or create stadia that can hold the sort of crowds only a World Cup would provide.

And all these sites will be accessible via a very impressive set of transport links. Whether by road, rail, sea or air, the Benelux countries are easy to reach no matter where you're arriving from around the world. No problems ensuring the stadia get filled, then.

All of which leaves us with the feeling that this bid isn't quite the misguided foregone conclusion we thought it might be. These two founding members of FIFA from back in 1904 (oh - and Luxembourg) clearly know what they're doing, they've got everything worked out and have got their priorities right too.

When you think about it, Sepp Blatter's belief that two countries shouldn't co-host a World Cup is a load of rubbish, especially if those two countries happen to be among the most ardent soccer-loving countries on the planet. Given half a chance, the Netherlands and Belgium could actually surprise a lot of people by hosting in 2018. It's just a pity the short-sightedness of FIFA's top man might prevent it from ever happening.

Do you think Belgium and the Netherlands deserve the chance to host World Cup 2018? Leave us a comment and tell us what you think, or perhaps register your vote in our online poll at the foot of the page.

World Cup Bid 2018: Australia

With the 2010 World Cup barely visible on the horizon, thoughts are already turning to 2018 with many countries submitting bids to host the tournament nine years from now.

Much has already been said about those nations that have thrown their hat into the ring, but Some People Are On The Pitch is yet to give its opinion - until now. Here's the first part in our new series where we'll be weighing up the good and bad points of each candidate bid, and as we do so, feel free to give us your thoughts and opinions on the matter. You can also take part in our online vote at the foot of the page should you wish to express your allegiance.

Australia
If there's such a thing as a long shot that's worth backing, the Australian bid is probably it. When 2018 comes around, it will be the only continent yet to have staged the World Cup, and when you couple that with the fact that Australian football is rapidly on the up and up, FIFA may find it a difficult proposition to resist.

Had Australia put in a bid to host any previous World Cup, it might have won the sympathy vote amongst many of its peers. With only a single appearance in the 1974 Finals in West Germany before 2006, they'd have looked like a nation desperate for any help it could get in luring the World Cup to its shores, but that's no longer the case.

Forward steps
In 2005, Australian football took a few important leaps forward. For a start, it left the Oceania Football Confederation to become part of the Asian section, a move which ensured the Aussie national team would regularly get to play a better quality of opponent. In the same year, the Hyundai A-League was created, ensuring professional football would finally become a reality for players and fans alike.

Then came the cherry on top of the cake - qualification for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Australia made sure it wouldn't just be there to make up the numbers either. Only a narrow defeat to Italy in the Second Round curtailed their hearty attempts to go all the way after a convincing 3-1 win over Japan and a creditable 2-2 draw against Croatia.

Since then, football in Australia has gone from strength to strength. The A-League is attracting more and more fans with every passing season and the national team has just reached its highest ever FIFA ranking - 27th in February 2009. Yet despite so many recent advances in the development of the game, it's the lateness of Australia to arrive at football's top table that may impede its chances of hosting the 2018 competition.

Venues
To begin with, there's the issue of stadia. As we've mentioned before Australia has many a large stadium in which to hold sporting events, but the majority of them are built for Aussie Rules Football or Cricket. Not a problem, you'd think, but putting a square pitch into a space that normally holds a circular or oval one poses all kinds of logistical problems.



Looking at the stadia used by clubs in the A-League, only three of the ten have a capacity higher than 35,000 and with the average capacity in Germany 2008 being around 53,000 it's fair to say there'll need to be some new venues built unless other existing stadia are upgraded.

Appetite for the game
It's said that FIFA have been impressed so far with the growing enthusiasm shown by the Aussie public for soccer, but quite how intent that same public is to withdraw some of its support from games like rugby and the aforementioned cricket and Aussie Rules will be a sign of how far things have really progressed.

And on the subject of devotion to other sports, FIFA's insistence on holding it's World Cup during June and July might upset a fair few people over there. If the big stadia need to be used, that'll mean Australian Rules Football and Rugby League games may need to be postponed to a later date or relocated some place else. Can you imagine Premier League games being dropped in favour of, say, Rugby World Cup matches here in the UK? Thought not…

Location
Any remaining doubts for the Aussies (at least on this occasion) might be in the form of two matters that are fundamentally out of their control. Firstly, the TV market for football is in Europe and as such a World Cup taking place some ten hours ahead of CET won't be viewed upon favourably by the World Cup's many and varied commercial stakeholders.

Secondly, FIFA have said the World Cup shouldn't go to a third successive southern hemisphere country after South Africa and Brazil and has recommended Australia bid for the 2022 Finals instead. On this point specifically, it seems FIFA are standing on particularly shaky ground. The last seven World Cups going back to 1982 have all been held in a northern hemisphere country, and its with this blinkered logic in mind that the Football Federation of Australia are rightly standing firm on their intent to host the 2018 Finals.

Experience
And they have the organisational nous to do it too. Down the years, Australia have hosted two FIFA Under-21 World Cups, the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup, the 2006 Commonwealth Games and the 2000 Olympics. Never let it be said that the Aussies aren't new to this kind of thing.

So with the backing of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, it seems Australia will no doubt be a force to reckon with when FIFA's representatives sit round the table to make their final decision. And why not give the World Cup to a country that hasn't hosted the World Cup before? It's supposed to be a world game, right? So let's see if FIFA can walk the walk on this occasion, not just talk the talk. Over to you, Mr. Blatter...