NZ Football bids for under-20 World Cup
SHANE WENZLICK/Auckland Suburbans
INTEREST: New Zealand Football chief executive Michael Glading has confirmed that an official declaration of interest had been submitted to Fifa to host the 2015 under-20 World Cup.
New Zealand has formally contacted Fifa declaring a bid to host the 2015 under-20 World Cup.
New Zealand Football chief executive Michael Glading confirmed yesterday that an official, Government-backed declaration of interest had been submitted to Fifa headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.
Glading, who will front the bid, says the pitch is for a "nationwide event" involving six host cities.
Venues redeveloped for next year's Rugby World Cup could also see a slice of the action, including Eden Park and Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium, with the intention of accommodating bigger crowds than traditional football venues, such as North Harbour Stadium, can offer showcase games.
Fifa requires the full "Hosting Agreement" complete with "Bid Book" to be submitted by February 11, 2011. The decision is due to be announced by football's world governing body the following month.
"We're in the race," Glading said. "It would be a nationwide event, it would have to be.
"One of the things we've said to Fifa is that post-Rugby World Cup our facilities are in top shape, for example the new stadium in Dunedin and the redevelopment of Eden Park. It's a very exciting prospect."
With the deadline still open, Glading said it was impossible to know exactly who the New Zealand bid would face, but initially about nine countries were showing interest.
"You had to go through step one, which is committing to certain things, which we've done, and apparently some bidders will normally pull out at that point.
"One of the things obviously is to get Government support, not necessarily in terms of a dollar commitment at this point but that the Government are supportive of it.
"We're looking at getting some assistance from [New Zealand] Major Events and Sparc and I'll be heading the bidding process.
"I've met with Major Events and though we haven't sat down and discussed the exact economic impact, it's my view that the event would attract a significant number of people to this country.
"The men's and women's Fifa World Cups are the prime events, but this is the next best thing. This would be a major event in both New Zealand and on a world scale."
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.
"Both those events were deemed a huge success by Fifa. I was at Fifa congress in 2009 where they gave a presentation on it [2008] about what a great success it was."
At this stage he was not completely clear on Fifa's decision-making process. But he confirmed that on some level it would involve their under-fire executive committee – the same panel of delegates that the Oceania Football Confederation no longer has a seat on since Reynald Temarii was hit with a year-long ban for alleged bribery ahead of this month's senior 2018 and 2022 World Cup ballots.
Glading said he did not see that being a problem for the Kiwi bid.
