Know there are people on here who follow soccer and others who don't. Should footy stop for the soccer World Cup?--------------------------------------
World Cup to runneth over AFL
Sam Edmund and Dave Donaghy | February 25, 2008 12:00am
HAWTHORN president Jeff Kennett says the AFL needs to bow to the "national interest" and support Australia's bid to host the 2018 soccer World Cup. The former premier said Aussie rules would have to open up a five-week, mid-winter window for the world's biggest sporting event.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd yesterday gave the green light for Australia to lodge a World Cup bid.
If successful, it would put soccer on a collision course with the AFL and NRL.
Both leagues would have to be suspended or shifted from major stadiums for five weeks to make way for the tournament, which is held during the European soccer off-season in June-July.
Mr Kennett warned the AFL to expect major disruption.
"The AFL will have to understand that to win the World Cup is in the national interest, and the AFL would have to adjust," he said.
"I have no doubt the AFL would recognise this as an international event of significant importance and would do everything they could to co-operate.
Geelong president Frank Costa agreed.
"If we won the World Cup, every other sporting organisation in this country would have to do their best to accommodate it because that would be a super thing for Australia," Mr Costa said.
"Without having spoken to anybody, I would think it was such an important thing for Australia, for a five-week period the AFL would bend over backwards to relocate games."
AFL chief Andrew Demetriou did not want to comment on the World Cup bid until he knew more about what would be required of the league.
Mr Rudd said FFA bosses would meet with senior Australian government officials in the next week to start formalising the bid, which could cost more than $20 million.
"It's time for the soccer World Cup to come to Australia," Mr Rudd said.
FIFA will demand at least 10 stadiums, each with a minimum 40,000 seats.
Victorian Major Event Company chief executive Brendan McClements said the MCG was tailor-made for the final.
"It's a 100,000-capacity stadium which hosts blockbuster events on a regular basis and it's got strong claims to be considered as one of the favourites to host the final if we get to that point," he said.
Australia will compete with England, China and Russia to host the tournament. The winner will be announced in 2011.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,23268785-19742,00.html
