The Big One - World Cup South Africa, 2010
It's hard to admit that football, of all things, has been deprioritised in my life behind work, but that is the only real excuse I have for barely blogging last year. I remain emotionally attached to the QLD Roar, and fret whenever they're playing whether I can watch it or not, and surf the soccer media regularly to punctuate my day. But I can't say I'll be blogging much for a while at any rate.
Moreso next year though. Jacob and I are going to the World Cup. I'm sure I'll write a bit in the lead up, but covering the experience in my own ridiculous way will be an important part of the experience for me at least. That's still a long way away.
What I want to attempt to get at here, in typical blog-tradition, is a discussion about what the hell I should do to organise this (to me) ambitious adventure. Is any of the handfull of people who read this blog going themselves? Have any of you been before? So far I'm thinking of finding a tour deal, but are there ways of getting the best deal and the best chance for Australian-game tickets?
Of course I fully expect, from reading about people's experiences of the 2006, 2002 and other Cups, that regardless of how well we have tickets, accomodation and transport organised, that it will be chaos. Jamie Trecker (Love & Blood at the World Cup with the Footballers, Fans and Freaks), a notable and card-carrying journalist with expenses, found himself struggling and once had to sleep on a train station with dozens of other fans after a riot stopped the trains for a while. This was in Germany. Germany might be said to be among best practice in the world when it comes to efficiency, organisation and security. South Africa would not be included in such a list.
Now I consider myself a worldly and resourceful person but this one makes me a little anxious, and Jacob has never been outside very safe boundaries. On the other hand I will be at the quixotically auspicious age of 42, and Jacob will have just turned 15 - not old enough to drink, have sex and make up his own bloody mind, but at the same time old enough to... um... drink, have sex and make up his own bloody mind. Anyway, an adventure it will be, and I have briefed the lad that nothing will be guaranteed, that we will wear colours and use any groups of Australian fans as security, especially if we beat England on a dubious ref decision, and we will make absolutely certain that we meet a Norwegian single mother with her teenage daughter. Apart from these key things, we might have to wing it.
Anyway, if anyone reading has any advice at all, serious or otherwise, lay it down please.
Moreso next year though. Jacob and I are going to the World Cup. I'm sure I'll write a bit in the lead up, but covering the experience in my own ridiculous way will be an important part of the experience for me at least. That's still a long way away.
What I want to attempt to get at here, in typical blog-tradition, is a discussion about what the hell I should do to organise this (to me) ambitious adventure. Is any of the handfull of people who read this blog going themselves? Have any of you been before? So far I'm thinking of finding a tour deal, but are there ways of getting the best deal and the best chance for Australian-game tickets?
Of course I fully expect, from reading about people's experiences of the 2006, 2002 and other Cups, that regardless of how well we have tickets, accomodation and transport organised, that it will be chaos. Jamie Trecker (Love & Blood at the World Cup with the Footballers, Fans and Freaks), a notable and card-carrying journalist with expenses, found himself struggling and once had to sleep on a train station with dozens of other fans after a riot stopped the trains for a while. This was in Germany. Germany might be said to be among best practice in the world when it comes to efficiency, organisation and security. South Africa would not be included in such a list.
Now I consider myself a worldly and resourceful person but this one makes me a little anxious, and Jacob has never been outside very safe boundaries. On the other hand I will be at the quixotically auspicious age of 42, and Jacob will have just turned 15 - not old enough to drink, have sex and make up his own bloody mind, but at the same time old enough to... um... drink, have sex and make up his own bloody mind. Anyway, an adventure it will be, and I have briefed the lad that nothing will be guaranteed, that we will wear colours and use any groups of Australian fans as security, especially if we beat England on a dubious ref decision, and we will make absolutely certain that we meet a Norwegian single mother with her teenage daughter. Apart from these key things, we might have to wing it.
Anyway, if anyone reading has any advice at all, serious or otherwise, lay it down please.
Labels: World Cup 2010
posted by Hamish Alcorn at 10:21 am
4 Comments:
Fantastic Hamish. Something great to do. I had only really been thinking about 2018. My son will be 23 and the magic could be gone.
Do it.
Sorry no advice but do look forward to your writings. I myself am looking to go to Brazil 2014 so will be looking to you for some pointers.
At least there will be two Queenslanders at the World Cup...even it there are none in the team!
No advice, but will be a great thing for you and himself to do.
Great news.
For Germany, FFA ran its official tour (it was hastily arranged) through the Fanatics...thats the one I did, although there were a number of other tours through the Green and Gold Army (for the hard-core Socceroos fans) and others sports tours companies like Australian sports tours...
FFA had a couple of options - tour and tickets (to the aus games) or tickets only....my friends and i went the former and we were one of the luck ones, but i tracked all the news and made sure I got my applications in on time...
Not sure what exactly they'll do this time around, but my only advice would be to track all the news and apply earlier..
Dot your i's and cross your t's.
If you're after ticks to non aus games (assuming we're there), make sure you track fifa site, i understand expressions of interest might already be up...
Drop me an email if you need any more advise.
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