SWC 'fan parks' in the pipeline

2007-04-23 22:24

Johannesburg - The idea of expanding fan parks in which people can watch the 2010 Soccer World Cup in every local municipality outside the host cities is under discussion.

Dennis Mumble of the World Cup's local organising committee (LOC) said on Monday his organisation was having discussions with Fifa about licensing for the signal required to enable such fan parks.

He was speaking at the national conference of the SA Local Government Association (Salga) in Midrand on Thursday.

"In June, we will have more information about it," said Mumble.

He said the LOC had decided there would be no base camps for visiting teams inside any of the host cities.

"We shall spread the benefits beyond the nine host cities.

"It opens up responsibilities for non-host cities."

Want to leave a legacy

He urged delegates from such centres to consider the security and accommodation requirements, should they take up the opportunity.

Mumble said it was important that SA's hosting of the world cup left behind a legacy.

"We are looking at how and where we can establish artificial turfs in all townships to make sure that football facilities become more sustainable and easier to manage," he said.

Regarding fan parks at the last world cup in Germany, Mumble said 18 million people had watched games on screens - six times more than those who were in the stadiums.

"We would really like to see this idea at its best."

Must think of attractions

He said the idea of fan parks for the African diaspora and Africans on the continent also was under discussion, so that this way of viewing matches was available elsewhere in Africa and in the Caribbean "where there are great numbers of Africans, so they can also see and take pride in what is taking place in South Africa".

Mumble urged municipalities to think how they would draw soccer tourists to their areas apart from the 90 minutes of the matches.

- SAPA