Canada bidding for FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015

[CoachRich]

Personally I'd rather see the Feds give the WP more money each year than host the WWC. I've already seen what the CSA can do with hosting events and they loose money that should go into the programs. Events like this are usually break evens and economic impacts are guesses at best. If we could get a great forecast on the patriotic and sport benefits like 2010, then take a look at it. Bottom line is what benefit was the U20 Men's to the CSA programs?

[Macksam]

If you listened to the It's called Football interview with Montopoli, one of their goals with this World Cup is to build infrastructure across the country.

[Alex D]

Personally I'd rather see the Feds give the WP more money each year than host the WWC. I've already seen what the CSA can do with hosting events and they loose money that should go into the programs. Events like this are usually break evens and economic impacts are guesses at best. If we could get a great forecast on the patriotic and sport benefits like 2010, then take a look at it. Bottom line is what benefit was the U20 Men's to the CSA programs?

BMO Field and Toronto FC

[Vic]

I read a funny comment today from a guy in Moncton: "Also, people in this city are fat. Watching young women play sports may inspire some to exercise."

The biggest benefit of hosting is taking our young girls out to see the best players in the world in stadiums full of people cheering them on. And a month of the same for them to watch on tv, and in the papers, etc. I'm also really skeptical of any 'official' financial statements. What comes out after the cleaning is usually quite different from the party line.

New Zealand is going after the U20 Men's World Cup in 2015 as well (i.e. the one we hosted in 2007). The early comment was they were about 8 years behind us in the cycle. You would think they would be the leading candidate for the Women's in 2019.

NZ Football bids for under-20 World Cup

- initially 9 countries showing interest

- 6 cities in the NZ proposal

- using venues from next year's Rugby World Cup hosting

- bid book submitted by February 11, 2011

- U20 decision announced in March

"[New Zealand Football chief executive Michael] Glading said playing in New Zealand's favour were the hosting of two successful FIFA youth tournaments previously - the under-17 women's World Cup in 2008 and the U17 men's World Cup in 1999.

[Vic]

But wait, It gets odder

[argh1]

Moncton bid gains momentum

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/12/22/nb-momentum-growing-for-monctons-fifa-bid.html

[Robb]

New Zealand is going after the U20 Men's World Cup in 2015 as well (i.e. the one we hosted in 2007). The early comment was they were about 8 years behind us in the cycle. You would think they would be the leading candidate for the Women's in 2019.

I worked on the U-17 Women's World Cup here in 2008, after talking to some of the higher-ups I heard word that NZ Football were going to consider bidding for a Women's World Cup at some stage, but not much else after that. The mention of NZ as a potential competitor for the 2015 WWC was interesting as I'd heard so little else since then, but obviously the U-20 Men's bid rules us out. Needless to say I'll be crossing fingers for both respective bids.

[DigzTFC]

http://eventsnovascotia.com/userfile...Dec24_2010.pdf

This is the first rendering of the Halifax soccer stadium. However, the Mayor has spoken about a larger facility in public discussions. Mostly to house a CFL team.

[paul-collins]

Link broken but easily found.

http://eventsnovascotia.com/userfiles/file/StadiumConceptWHW_Dec24_2010.pdf

[Alex D]

^ It just shows up as a blank PDF for me

[Vic]

It's working now. Where is the money coming from?

[argh1]

It's working now. Where is the money coming from?

The tax payers of Nova Scotia.... where else?

With the stadium in Moncton and the refurbishment of the Canada Games Stadium in Saint John... although a 7,000 seater on turf rules out international soccer. But the CFL negotiations have come down to a 3 or 5 year deal and provincial funding wants exhibition games in Saint John. With a Feb deadline.

The raw numbers for the Moncton Stadium is that a profit was made on the IAAF event and a loss of $66,000 before adding in HST on beer, hotel rooms and general sales tax. Of the 21.000 who attended the CFL game only 4,000 came from outside NB. Expect similar nimbers for an event held in Halifax.

Moncton is only asking the province for $200.000 in it's bid to host the Womens World Cup.

It is essential that a new stadium gets built in Halifax.

Competition breeds success and more events to the Maritimes

[Vic]

The last time I was there I played on a couple of turf fields that I was told were built with federal money. Most of the big 15 stadiums in Canada have come from provincial, municipal, private or philanthropy. The city won't have that much money, and barring Irving, Sobey or McCain or someone like that, do the provincial taxpayers have the will to spend that kind of money? Has there ever been a provincial government statement on that amount of an investment?

Halifax Bid Overview & Requirements

This was one of the comments I read on The Coast:

Why can't Atlantic Canada put in one bid to FIFA? Make Moncton the venue and offer training and practice facilities in HRM. Moncton is the most central locale and fairer to ALL of the region's soccer fans. HRM [Halifax] has already committed hundreds of millions to a library, Canada Games, 4-pad rink and a convention center.

[kmacphee]

Moncton is not central to me. Halifax is central.

I grow weary of self pro-claimed "bigtime" Moncton. 126,000 people, no hotels, no amenities..... Can it do an event of this type? Yes it probably could. Is it a better location than Halifax? Heck no.

As for money for a stadium, some federal money *is* warranted along with provincial and local. Is anyone going to seriously going tell me that the federal taxpayers of Halifax and Nova Scotia are not due this?

[Vic]

I believe Nova Scotia and New Brunswick both do quite well nationally in terms of transfer payments. Perhaps the billions there could be utilized. The best avenue would have been the RInC but the deadline passed last summer. If the projects quoted below are accurate you wonder what the temperature would be in the legislature for another infrastructure project.

[argh1]

Moncton is not central to me. Halifax is central.

I grow weary of self pro-claimed "bigtime" Moncton. 126,000 people, no hotels, no amenities..... Can it do an event of this type? Yes it probably could. Is it a better location than Halifax? Heck no.

As for money for a stadium, some federal money *is* warranted along with provincial and local. Is anyone going to seriously going tell me that the federal taxpayers of Halifax and Nova Scotia are not due this?

As a Monctonian I disagree.

Halifax just hasn't learnt how to cope with what's happened in Moncton in the last decade.

That's good for Moncton as Halifax is less agressive in going after things.

No hotels? no amenities?

Well I know there's no Atlantica and NBers are NBers and Islanders are Islanders and NSers are NSers and Newfoundlanders are Newfoundlanders.

But that's just funny or ignorant of what's been built in Moncton n the last decade.

Moncton successfully held the largest sporting event EVER in Atlantic Canada in July past. Where do you think the people stayed in campgrounds?

But keep bringing the lack of hustle and moving forward and living with a past sense of entitlement...........Moncton will love ya for it.

[Joe MacCarthy]

I have to say that as someone who has lived in both Halifax and Monkeytown, I have to agree with argh1. I have been critical of Moncton in the past but the past few years especially, have changed my outlook.

Where once it was one way traffic Moncton to Halifax for shopping, university, casinos and partying that is not necessarily the case anymore. Moncton has become very ambitious and is matching that ambition with results. I never would have thought the CFL could attract 20,000; I have reservations that could happen on a permanent basis but I wouldn't dismiss it as well.

Moncton has become the hub for Northern NBers and Islanders to visit. If only they had a formidable English speaking university within the city, that would be a tremendous boost.

[argh1]

With Mount A only being 20 minutes away in Sackville and the small private Crandall U (run by the Atlantic Baptist Convention) at thier new campus on Gorge Rd........

Probably won't see another English speaking uni.

IAAF used Mount A residences and UdeM residencies for the Worlds in July. Also used practice facilities in Shediac and Sackville as well as Moncton/Riverview/Dieppe.

Sackville and Shediac even though only a few minutes from downtown are not considered part of the Greater Moncton area.

There are two stats that can't be denied.

HRM is the largest municipality and the Greater Moncton area has close to a million people that have to drive through Moncton to get to Halifax not counting northern NS that's closer to Moncton than Halifax..

Pick your argument.

But I believe both have to have venues to co-operate on bidding for various events and to keep competition for events strong/

[HaliCanuck]

There's no way that Halifax will ever host an event like the WWC. The city can't even commit the money to build a real pool in the new Canada Games Complex when they had Federal help. Unlike Halifax, Moncton has vision and the province and the city want to make something big happen. They figured out how to get the money to build a small stadium, where Halifax doesn't take up those opportunities.

When it was said that Halifax is more central than Moncton, I think that's the attitude why Halifax isn't going anywhere. Halifax is the centre of the the Maritimes, but it doesn't seem like anyone wants to progress from the status-quo. I talked to Mark Cohon this year about Football in the Maritimes and he simply said, Moncton wanted to do something about it at all levels, where it seemed as if only EH/WTCC people cared about getting events to the city where the municipal and provincial gov't did not.

I hope Halifax gets its act together, but if there was a venue for the WWC in Atlantic Canada, you'd have to put it in Moncton of St. John's as they both have existing stadiums bigger than Halifax, making them easier to expand.

[DJT]

Just officially announced by FIFA in the last hour or so:

- Only 2 bidders for the 2015 WWC: Canada and Zimbabwe.

- The winning bidder will also host the 2014 U20 WWC.

http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/releases/newsid=1366322.html

[ray]

2 bidders and the other is Zimbabwe!? Isn't it odd there are no bids from South America or Asia (including Australia)? Chile and NZ seem to have put all their eggs into winning the male youth championships.

I like our chances . If this isn't a huge boost for soccer in terms of media, sponsorship and popular interest then I don't know what it will take. This looks to be our chance for the WNT to become the best in women's soccer. It will help the men's program, too.

[terpfan68]

Unless of course FIFA in its infinite wisdom wants to encourage women's soccer in Africa in which case our bid is toast.

[Alex D]

Since we are the clear smart choice, I almost expect us not to get it.

[tovan1]

Zimbabwe?? well... there go our chances of getting it...

Blatter and Mugabe, now those are two 'reputable' people...

[Vic]

Zimbabwe's football association Zifa has faced administrative chaos recently and allegations of match-fixing have been made against the national team.

"We look forward to winning the bid. We are rising from the dead in women's football and we hope that Fifa will have a soft heart towards us," Zimbabwe Women's Football League chairperson Mavis Gumbo told BBC Sport.

Final bid documents for all the tournaments have to be lodged with Fifa by 11 February and a decision will be made at the beginning of March.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/9364411.stm

Zimbabwe Football Association suspends chief executive

Thursday, 29 July 2010

The chief executive of the Zimbabwe Football Association has been suspended over match-fixing allegations. Henrietta Rushwaya is being investigated on betting allegations relating to the national team's tour of the Far East in December.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/8867947.stm

Zifa head charged over match-fixing allegation

Tuesday, 17 August 2010

It is alleged players masqueraded as members of the genuine national squad, known as the Warriors and Rushwaya failed to intervene to stop the fraud. The Zimbabwe team lost 6-0 to Syria and 3-0 to Thailand during the tournament.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/8922447.stm

Fifa asks for action in Zimbabwe match-fixing scandal

Wednesday, 20 October 2010

Football's world governing body Fifa has asked the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) to take urgent action on the match-fixing scandal that has rocked the country.

An investigation by Zifa has concluded that national team players were paid to lose matches by an Asian betting syndicate in December 2009.

And now, Fifa has directed Zifa to sanction anyone involved.

The report also said money was sent from the betting syndicate to Zifa chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya.

Zifa programmes officer Jonathan Musavengana is also accused of receiving "a bunch of US dollars" from a representative of the syndicate.

Method Mwanjali, who captained Zimbabwe on the tour, says that a man from Singapore, alleged to be the agent of a betting syndicate sat on the bench during some of the games.

"Raja [the agent] had come to our dressing room before kick-off and told us to lose to Thailand by 1-0. We were supposed to concede a goal in the 20th minute," Mwanjali told the Zifa inquiry.

"We were scored in the 44th minute but not by design. For that Raja was visibly angry and came to the dressing room at half-time and blew his top."

"We were handsomely paid $1,000 [about £600] for losing. The money was paid at the airport as we were about to go home."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/9110878.stm

Zimbabwe FA fires chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya

Wednesday, 27 October 2010

The chief executive of the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa), Henrietta Rushwaya, has been fired. She was found guilty of failing to account for a loan made to Zifa of US$103 000 and authorising a 2008 trip to Malaysia where elite club Monomotapa masqueraded as the Zimbabwe national team. The match-fixing scandal - which implicates a string of the country's top players, coaches and administrators - has yet to be heard.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/9129175.stm

Chaos reigns supreme in Zimbabwe

Thursday, 11 November 2010

Let me start this article by outlining the positives in Zimbabwean football at the moment.

Er, to be honest, I cannot think of any, so let's move on. The chaos in Zimbabwe appears to have reached a peak after the collapse of attempts to appoint a foreign coach. Tom Saintfiet will not be coaching the Warriors because his application for a work permit has been rejected.

The Belgian left his job as Namibia coach in October to take up the Warriors post, but was forced out of the country last month.

Incredibly, Saintfiet has a four-year contract with the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa). He is, therefore, likely to press for substantial compensation from the cash-strapped association. After years of following Zimbabwe football, it is great to note that Zifa can still stupefy me.

Finding the right word to describe their efforts to engage the Belgian coach is difficult but take your pick from 'bizarre', 'shambolic', 'bewildering' and 'clueless'. Four different adjectives with one underlying theme - they point to an organisation bereft of ideas and plans to drive the game forward.

I am totally flummoxed by the surrealism of it all. It is quite simply an alarming state of affairs. As a Zimbabwean, I am frustrated, dejected and angry.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/9179709.stm

Zimbabwe minister calls for action on match-fixing

Tuesday, 14 December 2010

Zimbabwe's Minister of Sport, David Coltart, has called for a police investigation into claims of match-fixing made against the national team. Minister Coltart told the AP news agency that Zifa "must initiate [a] police investigation right now" because of what he called "very serious allegations".

But the Zifa President Cuthbert Dube said that no action had yet been taken because the investigation had widened to take in a previous trip to Asia in 2007. The BBC's Steve Vickers in Harare says that the sports minister's call for the police to take action is not a surprise given the extent of the findings of the Zifa inquiry into match-fixing, and that Zifa itself has still not handed out bans to the players who are implicated.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/9282965.stm