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MP Mark Field |
‘England could host World Cup in 2010’
South Africa unfit to stage tournament, says MP
ENGLAND should step in to act as an emergency back up location for next year’s World Cup if security fears and construction turmoil threaten South Africa’s status as host nation, MP Mark Field has claimed.
The MP for Cities of London and Westminster, a keen football fan and avid Bury supporter, said the Football Association has the capacity to ensure the tournament is held in a “safe and proper manner”, and should submit an eleventh hour bid.
Since South Africa sealed the coveted host nation honour back in 2004, the first country in Africa to do so, the eyes of the world have been watching to see whether its government could tackle the civil unrest, crime and shortage of hotel rooms in time for kick off in June next year.
Writing for his local constituency website Mr Field said: “Building on our tradition we already have an almost unrivalled array of football infrastructure in all parts of the country.
“In stark contrast to South Africa, whose facilities remain incomplete with less than a year to go, we could realistically host the tournament at relatively short notice and without the need for any major alternations to our stadia or training facilities.
“At this stage it is also important to advocate our willingness to provide back-up to South Africa as an emergency host nation should any of the well-publicised construction difficulties and security concerns in that country fail to be resolved in a timely manner.
“Our ability to step in even at this late stage not only highlights our abundance of facilities but also our desire for the World Cup to be held in a safe and proper manner.”
Evidently, the Football Association is not so enthusiastic. A spokeswoman branded Mr Field’s comments “pie in the sky”, and said the FA would not be staking a claim for back-up.
Mr Field, who also called for a marketing drive that focused on England’s footballing antiquity as inventor of the game ahead of the already confirmed bid for the 2018 tournament, is no stranger to football controversy.
Earlier in the year, Mr Field flew in the face of public opinion by criticising plans to form a Great Britain football team for the 2012 Olympics. In one of Parliament’s more unusual speeches he used the example of the failed merger between Reading FC and Oxford United as a tale of caution – in direct opposition to those who wanted to see the likes of Ryan Giggs in a major tournament.
He said: “There would be many unintended consequences from any mergers that might take place. We need to think through those complications at the outset, rather than giving wholehearted support to something that might lead us down a path that we would all find undesirable.” |
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