Sunderland | 2018 Host City Bid

End of a journey; now help England 2018 become a reality

Matt — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:34:03 +0000

Six flights in seven days and over 13,000 miles covered during our visit gives you some indication of the scale of the 2010 South Africa World Cup. The trip has been invaluable for the Candidate Host Cities, giving us all first-hand experience of just what will be expected of our cities and our football clubs if England 2018 becomes a reality. Make no mistake, this is not about simply hosting a few football matches, the scale of a FIFA World Cup is overwhelming. Over half a million visitors have flocked to South Africa during the opening two weeks of the tournament, boosting the economy significantly and introducing a whole new audience to this unique country. The logistics of running what is the biggest sporting event in the world should not be underestimated – years, not months, of strategic planning are required to meet FIFA’s exacting standards but it is a challenge that Sunderland and our fellow cities are ready to take on. A huge amount of work has already been undertaken to get us to this stage and when the FIFA inspection team visits later this year England will be ready to show them how we can deliver an outstanding tournament. South Africa faced many challenges to achieve its dream – new stadiums needed to be constructed, existing facilities upgraded and transport infrastructure developed. England’s robust bid already has much of what is required in place. However, what our bid does share with South Africa 2010 is a passion and determination to show the world that we would be worthy hosts of this global sporting phenomenon. If the enthusiasm and belief of the 12 Candidate Host Cities is mirrored across the country then England’s 2018 bid will go from strength to strength. December 2 is FIFA’s decision day and between now and then our country needs to unite behind this bid. Please continue to show your support now by logging on to www.england2018bid.com and help our dream to become a reality.

Legacy in Soweto

Matt — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 08:48:49 +0000

Our last day in South Africa began with a visit to a legacy project in Soweto. The impressive Nike football project is based in the heart of the famous township and opened just two days before the 2010 FIFA World Cup’s opening game. It’s a hugely impressive operation that aims to bring at least 25,000 young people aged between eight and 21 years old through its doors each year. But this is so much more than a football coaching centre; it is a true community facility. Everyone employed at the centre is from the township itself and as well as football coaching, the project offers HIV screening and counseling. Over 5 million people in South Africa are infected with the HIV virus and using the power of football young people are engaged in education and understanding of the disease in order to prevent its spread. Football coaches from across Soweto are taught proper techniques and structures and there is an overall holistic approach, aimed not at just producing better footballers, but better people too. A boot loaning facility means that even those youngsters from the poorest backgrounds can still train in appropriate footwear and make the most of this fantastic facility. As we continue our tour we see a familiar face amongst the children – Sunderland defender Anton Ferdinand is paying a visit and helping out with some coaching – he too is hugely impressed with what we’ve seen and the project is a great example of how football really can change lives. Before we head to the airport for our long journey home we take in more of Soweto, including Nelson Mandela’s house. We learn in detail about the past struggles of this country and its people and a visit to the Hector Pieterson museum is a powerful reminder of how far South Africa has come in recent years. Hector Pieterson was a 13 year old child shot by police during protests in 1976 in Soweto. It was his death that marked the beginning of the end of the apartheid system and was a catalyst for profound change across the country. If you imagine that only two decades ago this country was banned from competing in international sport because of its laws on apartheid then it is all the more remarkable that the FIFA World Cup – the biggest sporting event on the planet, is being held so successfully in South Africa. As the national anthem rang out in the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on our first day here, just before the host nation took on Uruguay, we looked around to see black and white standing side by side, loudly and proudly singing their national song – this is the legacy of the 2010 World Cup. South Africa deserved to host this tournament and if England is awarded the honour to carry the mantle in 2018, then I have no doubt that England will be worthy hosts of this festival of nations.

Rainbow Nation is excellent host

Matt — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:14:37 +0000

Cape Town’s magnificent Green Point Stadium, the venue for England v Algeria, is one of five arenas constructed specially for 2010. Over 40,000 England fans have flocked to the city and it’s a proper home from home. Everywhere you look there’s the cross of St George proudly flying and the strains of ‘Eng-er-land’ are ringing out at every turn. There’s a real carnival atmosphere and the friendliness and warmth of the South African people is a joy to experience. Everything is so well organized, from the traffic management, signage, policing and stewarding. An army of volunteers are on hand to help – this is a job that in 2018 the people of Sunderland would excel at. A feature of all World Cup stadiums is a huge perimeter cordon around the outside. You enter through a friendly but efficient security check and once inside there’s entertainment, music, merchandise stands and sponsors exhibitions. You then progress into the stadium itself. Prior to the start of the tournament the English media questioned South Africa’s ability to host this prestigious tournament but the Rainbow Nation has more than delivered. Green Point is a shining example of a modern football stadium with spacious concourses and a great view from every seat. At all World Cup venues you can drink alcohol in the seated areas – something that English football does not allow. This causes no problems at all and seems to add to the general carnival spirit throughout the ground. As we look around there are flags from virtually every town and city in England on display – and of course Sunderland is well represented. We brought a giant Sunderland AFC flag with us, handing one end to the gentleman on our right to hold. We couldn’t understand his reluctance to help until he spoke – a broad Geordie accent rang out! Everything about the evening was efficient, well planned, well organized and thoroughly enjoyable…and then the game kicked off!

Emotional visit to South African township

Matt — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:02:27 +0000

The World Cup is much more than just a football tournament and today we witnessed how sport can change lives. Our day began with a visit to a pioneering community football scheme, operating in partnership with Charlton Athletic and Dutch giants Ajax. The project, which has been running for a number of years now, mirrors many of the successful community schemes that exist in English football. Like many of the schemes operated by our own SAFC Foundation, football is used as the hook to engage children in learning. We then had the incredibly humbling experience of visiting a township. The visible poverty was distressing and the stark contrast between the excesses of professional football and the lives of these ordinary South Africans was quite hard to comprehend. These people had so little in terms of material possessions but they welcomed us into their homes like family. As we handed out t-shirts, footballs, scarves, pencils and a host of other gifts we were mobbed by hundreds of small children. The excitement and anticipation on their faces is something that will live long in all of our memories. As we readied to leave the children flocked around us giving us the most wonderful heartfelt hugs and thanks – I unashamedly admit to shedding tears as we left. In the short term the FIFA World Cup has brought jobs, tourism and a range of economic benefits to South Africa. In the longer term the improvements made to the infrastructure – new roads, rail links, hotels etc – will ensure that the legacy of the tournament carries this emerging country into a new and more prosperous era. In 2018 Sunderland, the north east and England as a whole will hopefully be the ones enjoying the huge benefits of this global sporting phenomena, economically but more importantly by the difference it will make to the lives of everyone.

World Cup Fan Fest could have Sunderland jumping

Matt — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 10:18:14 +0000

England’s unexpectedly poor 0-0 draw with Algeria is still naturally all everyone talks about. Our hotel concierge tells us not to despair as when Italy won the tournament in 2006 they drew their three opening games – this at least gives us hope and is another example of the warmth, friendliness and caring nature of our South African hosts. We spend our morning attending a presentation from Cape Town’s 2010 organising committee. They share with us their experiences right from being awarded the 2010 World Cup, planning the necessary city improvements and building work, through to running the event itself for the duration of the tournament. Over 450,000 people have travelled to Cape Town for the World Cup, with England fans in particular using the stunning coastal location as their base for the tournament. The Cape Town officials are hugely impressive and it’s rather overwhelming to hear the sheer amount of work that has to be undertaken as a Host City. Of course, added to the improvements to the city infrastructure, Cape Town had to contend with constructing a brand new stadium, something we in Sunderland are fortunate not to have to do. The Stadium of Light, a modern stadium with a 49,000 capacity, already meets FIFA’s criteria . After arriving back in Johannesburg we attend the Stanton Fan Fest site, where Australia v Ghana is being shown live in a giant screen. The Fan Fests are a unique concept to the FIFA World Cup and offer an opportunity for thousands of fans to watch games in an open air environment. There are bars, food, entertainment, camping facilities and a real carnival atmosphere – for the recent South Africa v Uruguay match almost 20,000 fans packed this park to cheer on the home nation. Sunderland’s 2018 bid has identified two major Fan Fest sites – Herrington Country Park and Fulwell Quarry. Herrington offers a capacity of over 50,000 and would provide a perfect base for football fans travelling from all over the world. Plans for the site include live music, camping, giant screens and a variety of entertainment. After another series of meetings with members of the South African bid team we headed off to what was to be the highlight of our visit – the magnificent Soccer City, venue for the opening game of the tournament and of course the final. World Cup legends Brazil took on Ivory Coast and the stadium was a sea of colour. Built on an existing stadium site but extensively modernised and refurbished the ground is a stunning backdrop for this hotly-anticipated clash. We sat alongside a group who had travelled from the Ivory Coast and so for the next 90 minutes we became honorary members of their small but vocal band. A game full of incident saw Brazil score three goals; fortunately though we did get to celebrate one at the other end with our new friends. That’s the joy of the FIFA World Cup, no matter where you are from, everyone is your friend.

Cape Town welcomes England and Algeria

Matt — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 09:05:26 +0000

Cape Town is the second city of our visit. A two hour internal flight or eight hour journey by road is an indication of the vast geographical spread of venues in this tournament. Should England be fortunate enough to host 2018, then travelling between venues will be much less of an adventure! Our hotel nestles underneath the sunny Table Mountain; a truly awe-inspiring sight. Green Point Stadium, the 70,000 capacity arena where England will take on Algeria tonight, is only a few minutes’ stroll away. Cape Town has a very different vibe to Johannesburg. Over 40,000 England fans have descended on the city and the atmosphere is fantastic. The fans are in good voice and equally good humour. There are a few Algerians too and a surprisingly large number of Brazilians, resplendent in their instantly recognisable yellow jerseys. The Host City representatives attended a formal dinner with England 2018 last night. Andy Anson, chief executive of the bid, thanked everyone for their hard work to date but also reminded us that we have five months of intense activity remaining until FIFA make their decision in December. A host of England 2018 ambassadors joined us, including former Sunderland striker Andy Cole, Lucas Radebe and Paul Elliott. However, the star of the evening was Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. Boris gave a rousing speech to the assembled audience and his passion for the bid was very evident. The evening gave everyone the chance to reflect on how far our bid has come in the last 12 months but also served to remind us that the prize at the end of this process is something really worth fighting for. Hopefully, Fabio Capello’s team will show the same fighting spirit tonight.

Haway Bafana Bafana!!

Matt — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 08:05:50 +0000

Johannesburg Airport looked like a meeting of the United Nations – a melting pot of visitors from nations around the globe milled around arrivals and baggage reclaim, ready to start their South African 2010 World Cup adventure.

A bus journey to the city centre took around an hour, taking in the main routes and giving us ample opportunity to see how signage and branding for a World Cup worked. After checking into the hotel – our base for just one night – we ran through our itinerary for the next few days and then headed for a quick bite to eat before the first match of our trip. The visit to the restaurant brought an unexpected treat with the arrival of the Springboks, South Africa’s World Cup winning rugby union team, who duly posed with our Back the Bid scarves and Sunderland flag. We then headed off to the Loftus Versfeld Stadium, where host nation South Africa would take on Uruguay. The stadium is the oldest of the 10 grounds used in the tournament, but nevertheless acquitted itself well.

We arrived two hours in advance of kick off, giving us plenty of time to check out logistics such as ticketing, branding, signage and other commercial opportunities associated with producing a successful tournament. Inside the stadium itself we were greeted with a cacophony of noise, dominated by the now infamous vuvuzelas. Contrary to what media reports will have you believe, the instruments are not an irritant, rather a wonderful celebration of a country that revels in a rich and proud heritage. The wave of noise enhanced the already electric atmosphere and the sea of green and gold around the stadium showed the Rainbow Nation at its best. Small pockets of Uruguay fans were dotted around – there is no segregation at this World Cup – but the night was good humoured and fans from both sides were having the time of their lives.

We discovered that Bafana Bafana means ‘the boys, the boys’ – pretty close to our own affectionate name for Sunderland – the Lads. So Haway Bafana Bafana!! South Africa was there to celebrate but sadly Uruguay spoiled the party. A 3-0 defeat saw the home nation’s chances of progressing past the group stages made even more difficult but the spirit of the people remained unbowed. As we left the stadium the vuvuzelas continued to sound and smiles remained on the faces of everyone. One thing that stands out already from our brief time in South Africa is the warmth and generosity of its people. The friendly welcome from everyone we come across reminds us so much of our own north east region and it is this that will make South Africa 2010 stand out from many previous tournaments and what makes us even more certain that Sunderland would be a perfect Host City for 2018.

The journey begins

Matt — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 07:48:36 +0000

Louise Wanless, Sunderland AFC, from Terminal 5, Heathrow: You can feel the excitement at Heathrow Airport. Throngs of people bedecked in football shirts mill around eagerly awaiting the flight to Johannesburg. In contrast, rather sober business dress is the order of the day for us – no football shirts or face paint, it’s suits and laptops, but the excitement among the party is no less tangible. Even the prospect of an 11 hour overnight flight can’t dampen our enthusiasm! Almost 40 representatives from the Candidate Host Cities and England 2018 make up our travelling group, led by England 2018 Technical Bid Director, Ian Riley. Ian is South African born and bred, so we are in very capable hands for our trip. He’s given us lots of tips and advice already (admittedly, in my case, this was in response to ‘what type of power adaptor do I need for my hair straighteners?’) and as he worked on South Africa’s successful 2010 bid, he knows exactly what is required for England to host the 2018 tournament. As I look around the terminal at all of the fans about to head to South Africa, one of the England bid’s key selling points is very easy to understand – passion for football. We have a passion for our national game that runs broad and deep. That is reflected in attendances at domestic matches and in the seven million people of all abilities and backgrounds who play the sport every week. And here this morning, I can see it reflected in the buzz of anticipation as English football fans prepare to travel thousands of miles to support their team in this year’s FIFA World Cup. From the minute that the England 2018 group lands, every hour of our itinerary will be packed. Our first day will involve a thorough orientation and a series of meetings, capped off with South Africa versus Uruguay at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria – so it’s vuvuzelas at the ready and come on Bafana Bafana!

Hundreds of Youngsters take part in World Cup Fives

Matt — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:27:19 +0000

Sunderland AFC Foundation, in association with Sunderland City Council, gave youngsters the opportunity to play on the pitch at the Stadium of Light in the unique ‘World Cup 5’s’ tournaments this week. Over 660 young people took part in three five-a-side tournaments held Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with teams from age groups under 9’s to under 14’s taking part. World Cup 5’s is a 5-a-side tournament which follows the same format as the FIFA World Cup™ with one small difference – the 16 teams who did not qualify for the knock out rounds will be entered in the ‘World Cup Shield’ knock out tournament ensuring that all teams enjoyed a minimum of 5 games. The tournament was organised as part of a programme of ‘Back the Bid’ World Cup activity between SAFC Foundation and Sunderland City Council which also includes World Cup themed sessions on integration and citizenship and in school coaching. The Mayor of the City of Sunderland attended on the last day of the event to present the winner’s trophy to under 14’s team ‘the Sunderland All Stars’. Jamie Wright, SAFC Foundation Head of Football Development: “We’ve enjoyed a fantastic few days of football with some excellent young players turning up and enjoying the tournaments. We’d like to thank the Mayor for attending, Sunderland City Council and Sunderland AFC for their support in helping us put on such a memorable event that hundreds of youngsters have enjoyed.” Kevin Lynne, manager of Sunderland All Stars (Thursday’s winning team) commented: “The event’s been excellent – for any young kid who later on in life can say they played on the pitch at the Stadium of Light is a fantastic thing for them. I think it’s a brilliant idea and whoever came up with it wants a big pat on the back.”

2010 FIFA World Cup blog

Matt — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:13:29 +0000

Excitement is at fever pitch as the 2010 FIFA World Cup gets underway in South Africa. Hundreds of thousands of visitors are flocking to the tournament itself and millions of fans around the world will be tuning in to cheer on their respective teams. This summers’ tournament takes on extra significance for Sunderland, as members of the city’s World Cup Bid team including Bid Director Chris Alexander and Verity Dodd and Louise Wanless from Sunderland AFC have travelled to South Africa, along with representatives from the England 2018 bid team and the other 11 Candidate Host Cities that make up England’s core bid. The week-long observer tour is aimed at giving the England 2018 Candidate Host Cities first-hand experience of what it takes to host the world’s biggest sporting event. The visit will encompass a trip to an official FIFA Fan Fest site, meetings with members of the South African bid team who will share their personal experiences and expertise and visits to special projects that have benefitted from the World Cup’s legacy. The delegation will also be attending three group-stage matches in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Behind the scenes a huge amount of work continues as England’s bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup enters the crucial final phase. David Beckham delivered the country’s bid proposal to FIFA headquarters in Zurich last month and in the coming months FIFA delegates will be travelling to England for a detailed inspection of facilities across the country, ahead of the hugely anticipated announcement as to which country has been awarded the honour of hosting the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which will come in early December. Sunderland’s Bid director, Chris Alexander said: “ The observer tour will provide the Candidate Host Cities with an invaluable insight not only into the hosting of the tournament itself but also how the South African bid team successfully brought the tournament to their country. It will also ensure that the Candidate Host cities are fully prepared ahead of the visit from FIFA later this year.” Steve Walton, SAFC chief executive added: “Winning the world cup would be fantastic but winning the bid to host the tournament in 2018 would be phenomenal for our club, the region and the country as a whole. No one should underestimate the prize at stake which is why it’s important that we do everything we can in our power to ensure England’s bid is the best it can be.” The Sunderland bid team will be doing a daily blog from South Africa this week.