This summer’s FIFA World Cup – the first to be held in Africa – will come under incredible scrutiny. In the build-up to the event, question marks have been raised by an increasingly critical European media, identifying concerns over the preparedness of stadiums, ticket arrangements and slow sales, security fears, transport and accommodation. Indeed back in 2006 rumours circulated that the tournament were to be moved to another country following fears, including reportedly amongst some FIFA executives, over the lack of progress in South Africa’s preparations. This drew a ferocious outburst from FIFA President Sepp Blatter who accused ‘the Old World’ of prejudice and a lack of respect for the hosts.
Of course Blatter – whose World Cup in South Africa has long been understood to be his personal ‘pet’ project – has a huge emotional investment in the tournament, meaning that he too, and his tenure as FIFA President will come under the spotlight.
To some extent the level of examination represents nothing new. As the level of competition by nations to host sporting mega events such as the World Cup or the Olympic Games has intensified, so too have the calls on the organisers to justify the public expenditure and prove that they have fulfilled their often inflated promises of what their event will deliver. It is now the norm to talk about a sporting legacy, a nation that will become enthralled by the sporting drama, as well as the by-products of regeneration and national prestige. The language of legacy enveloping South Africa is no different in that regard. In return for the £800 million public investment, the hosts will be hoping that the country will enjoy a substantial economic boost, swelled by the expected masses of visitors to the tournament, as well as basking in the prestige that such mega events purport, broadcasting to a global audience a positive image of South Africa.
Sceptics have already questioned whether such aspirations are realistic. It is unarguable that former hosts Germany produced a sizeable profit (believed to be around 135 million Euro) as well as significant tourist revenues, but then relatively little had to be spent on infrastructure in preparation for the tournament. South Africa is however facing a very different scenario, having to invest hugely in building new stadia, a massive road expansion programme, and rail links specifically built for the World Cup. In addition, the hosts have had to spend significantly on allaying safety fears, investing more than £100 million on extra security, as well as a promise of a blanket deployment of police and security officers.
So as the curtain rises on Africa’s biggest sporting moment, critics will be waiting for their ‘told you so’ moment, whilst supporters will be hopeful that the World Cup will be a catalyst for positive change.
Dr David Hindley, Nottingham Trent University
To speak to Dr Hindley, call the University Press Office directly on 0115 848 8751 or email worldcup@ntu.ac.uk
[To view Nottingham Trent University’s team of World Cup experts go to www.ntu.ac.uk/worldcup]
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