News
Soccerex to put SA on world map
06 October - The imminent hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ in South Africa has opened many doors for South Africa, one of them being Soccerex, the biggest football-focused exhibition in the world.
Referees set sights on 2010 World Cup
02 October - Qualifying is already well underway for teams looking to book their place at the 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa™, but it is not just players and coaches of the various countries who are looking ahead to 2010. The world's top referees also have their sights set on South Africa.
2010 plans to be piloted during PSL match
01 October - Saturday’s Premier Soccer League clash between Orlando Pirates and Santos at Ellis Park Stadium will be used to pilot Park and Ride facilities in preparation for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™, the department of transport said on Tuesday.
Transport Month highlights 2010 progress
30 September - Preparations to welcome thousands of fans to South Africa for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ spectacular are at an advanced stage at OR Tambo International Airport.
Government: Politics won’t affect World Cup
29 September - The unfolding changes in the Executive of the Republic of South Africa will not have any negative impact on preparations for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™.
‘Adopt a Nation’ campaign to galvanise kids
29 September - The Local Organising Committee South Africa has invited millions of school children to be part of 2010 Fifa World Cup™. The “Adopt a Nation” school programme was launched at the Nasrec Sports Precinct in Johannesburg on Saturday.
New SA president pledges best World Cup
26 September - President-elect of the Republic of South Africa, Kgalema Motlanthe, says the government remains committed to all the promises it made to Fifa and the international football community to deliver the best 2010 Fifa World Cup™.
Klerksdorp city banks on 2010 spinoffs
25 September - The City of Matlosana is ready to benefit from South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ with sponsorships and football development programmes already in place.
Zakumi: 2010 Fifa World Cup Official Mascot launched
22 September - Zakumi, the Official 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa™ Mascot, has made his first ever public appearance at a media launch at SABC’s Auckland Park studios in Johannesburg.
2010 World Cup Mascot launch on Monday
19 September - The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) – official broadcast partner of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ – will on Monday unveil the long awaited Official Mascot of the 2010 Fifa World Cup. The launch will be broadcast live on SABC1.
02 June 2008
Fan parks set up for Euro 2008
Ndaba Dlamini
Johannesburg - Tavern owner Gladys Gailey looks forward to hosting hundreds of soccer fans during the UEFA Euro 2008 Cup this month.
Thanks to a partnership between the Gauteng Department of Sport, Culture and Recreation and the embassies of Austria and Switzerland, Ms Gailey will be screening all the Euro Cup matches, from 7 to 29 June, at her tavern, The Palace Pub & Grill, in Newclare.
“I am happy that my tavern was picked by Gauteng to be one of the public viewing places ... to show the Euro Cup games to the community free of charge.
“This is my chance to prepare for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™, which I hope will be bigger than the Euro Cup,” she said.
Other taverns and clubs in Johannesburg earmarked as public viewing areas are the Backroom in Pimville, Soweto, the Hot Box in Westbury and the Bassline in Newtown, according to the city’s official site.
Launching the partnership recently, the MEC for Sport, Culture and Recreation, Barbara Creecy, said these venues would bring the Euro Cup to the people.
“All these venues have been used by the department previously in our Jazz in the Taverns programme and we know that they have suitable infrastructure for screenings of this nature and an established clientele.”
The public viewing project was part of the province's programme to "build the love of football" and raise spectator support for Euro Cup 2008 in previously disadvantaged communities, according to Ms Creecy.
Bassline is one of the taverns earmarked for screening all Euro 2008 matches from 7 to 29 June.
“We believe the initiative will attract widespread support because as we all know the winning team from Euro 2008 will represent the European League in the Confederations Cup in South Africa in 2009.”
The Euro Cup, the third largest sporting event in the world after the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games, will be hosted by Austria and Switzerland.
In all, 16 teams from Europe, including world cup champions Italy, will take part.
Austria's secretary of state for sport, Reinhold Loptka, said the Euro Cup was an opportunity for Austria to showcase the country, just as the world cup would be an opportunity for South Africa to showcase itself.
“We are also happy to be involved in the partnership with Gauteng to show all the Euro Cup games to communities.”
The partnership involves more than screening matches locally. South African football experts would also attend the Euro Cup, where they would meet their Swiss and Austrian counterparts, said the Deputy Ambassador to Switzerland, Markus Dutly.
“The football experts will discuss security, co-ordination of the event, organisation of fan parks and other football-related matters.”
Ms Creecy said fan parks were an established part of all major football tournaments and Gauteng would acquire invaluable experience from Austria and Switzerland.
“During the 2006 World Cup, about 18 million people watched games in fan parks, six times more than the number who watched games in stadiums.
“These fan parks large and small offered an important opportunity for local German businesses to benefit from the large numbers of fans through [selling] food, drinks and memorabilia in parks, taverns and street cafes,” she said.
Ms Gailey agreed, saying her tavern would definitely benefit from hosting soccer fans during the Euro Cup. At present, she served on average 150 people a day.
“But I foresee an upsurge in the number of patrons during the screening of the Euro Cup.
“I hope my finances will improve tremendously and [I can] expand my business before the World Cup in 2010.”
Source: BuaNews