I know plenty of Aussie Rules fans would have been happy to see us win the World Cup but I am glad soccer in tis country is not getting a free kick from FIFA.

The fact that 300 people in Sydney turned up to a live site for the announcement sums it up. Three hundred gave a damn, but when it came to the Olympics 10,000 turned out for the announcement. It simply ain't a dominant sport here.

It is hilarious that whenever Australia bids for one of these events (Melbourne 1996 another example) many people suddenly believe we deserve it. FCS this is the first time we have shown interest in the World Cup and we have barely ever qualified. Knocked out in the first round while Qatar scores in every round should tell you something.

TV scheduling may have turned FIFA voters off, but let's not forget these international circuses are totally corrupt and we don't know how to play these games so well.

Fundamentally, it's good for our indigenous game - footy - that Australia missed out. Maybe they can go back to calling it soccer again.

It's all about oil and political footballs, not computer generated kangaroos and alleged tax cheats.

Heaven help the sport (and the rest of the world) if the Iranians take over Qatar before 2022.

Gee England really were the big losers out of the results weren't they? They threw the kitchen sink at their bid and were totally outpointed by Russia. Only one other delegate outside of their own member voted for them. Big, embarrassing political slap in the face for the Brits. One can only imagine this morning's headlines on Fleet Street.

I'm also glad Qatar won 2022. Corrupt as the process obviously is, anything that might help to bring about some change for the better in the Middle East (however small) should be encouraged.

Hindsight is wonderful but really Australia was never in the hunt. A vast waste of money in the end.

Paul Hogan? I mean really, what were they thinking ...

  On 02/12/2010 at 20:44, Range Rover Realism said:

Gee England really were the big losers out of the results weren't they? They threw the kitchen sink at their bid and were totally outpointed by Russia. Only one other delegate outside of their own member voted for them. Big, embarrassing political slap in the face for the Brits. One can only imagine this morning's headlines on Fleet Street.

I'm also glad Qatar won 2022. Corrupt as the process obviously is, anything that might help to bring about some change for the better in the Middle East (however small) should be encouraged.

Hindsight is wonderful but really Australia was never in the hunt. A vast waste of money in the end.

Paul Hogan? I mean really, what were they thinking ...

Apparently Chips Rafferty wasn't available and Rolf Harris had a prior commitment.

I don't care what the round ball lovers here will say. I'm pumped that we missed it... Why? The last world cup was torture. The only games that were bearable were the US ones... the rest of it was appalling to watch IMO. In its current state, it's an awful, awful game to watch.

It was painful to have major matches in the tournament decided by poor refereeing and a flat refusal to use the technology available to get a correct ruling.

Unfortunately, every World Cup seems to be marred by some ugly controversy.

I love the game (not as much as AFL) but it really does have some ugly elements to it.

It's like a beautiful girl who wears too much makeup and fake tan.

  On 02/12/2010 at 23:22, E25 said:

It was painful to have major matches in the tournament decided by poor refereeing and a flat refusal to use the technology available to get a correct ruling.

Unfortunately, every World Cup seems to be marred by some ugly controversy.

I love the game (not as much as AFL) but it really does have some ugly elements to it.

It's like a beautiful girl who wears too much makeup and fake tan.

I do not believe it E25 this is the second time this week we are in agreement.

I am glad we are not donating Aussie Tax payers money to this mob.

They run the Olympics a close second in the honesty stakes!

  On 02/12/2010 at 20:50, daisycutter said:

Apparently Chips Rafferty wasn't available and Rolf Harris had a prior commitment.

What do you mean Chips was not available!

And why was "Skippy" not included.

We did not have her "clicks" in the presentation, a major gaff

and I am sure she would have been better than the cartoon version.

  On 02/12/2010 at 23:35, old dee said:

What do you mean Chips was not available!

And why was "Skippy" not included.

We did not have her "cliks" in the presentation, a major gaff

and I am sure she would have been better than the cartoon version.

Can't understand why Sir Les Patterson wasn't used. He would have been invaluable on the cultural aspects and bribery.

  On 02/12/2010 at 19:34, pitmaster said:

FCS this is the first time we have shown interest in the World Cup and we have barely ever qualified.

Fundamentally, it's good for our indigenous game - footy - that Australia missed out. Maybe they can go back to calling it soccer again.

How many times have Qatar qualified for the World Cup? 0

They're the 51st ranked side in the World.

I'm sure Demetriou and co down at City Hall are rubbing their hands with glee right now.

With all his botox, Paul Hogan looked like Australia's answer to Joan Rivers.

And couldnt we have fitted Lara Bingle saying "Where the hell are you?"

Notwithstanding the result, Australia seems poorly advised to have ever made an attempt for the World Cup.

For the money spent ($45 million) there should be an investigation into we got to Zurich still realising we were a chance. We clearly werent.

With honestly or otherwise the Qatari bid of USD 50 billion and the "promise" to transfer the infrstructure to developing countries is impressive indeed. If only Australia had more oil!

Anyway back to the AFL.

  On 02/12/2010 at 23:43, DemonDave said:

I'm sure Demetriou and co down at City Hall are rubbing their hands with glee right now.

I don't they'd give it that much thought to be honest.

In 72 hours it will have faded from the news and be remembered only for the waste of time and money that it was.

Making the`AFL the scapegoat is ludicrous. It was all about money and the FFA were naive in the extreme to think otherwise.

  On 02/12/2010 at 23:43, DemonDave said:

How many times have Qatar qualified for the World Cup? 0

They're the 51st ranked side in the World.

I'm sure Demetriou and co down at City Hall are rubbing their hands with glee right now.

Understand, the World Cup would have been painful for the AFL for 1 single season, but they wouldve loved to have free upgrades on a string of their stadiums and other associated benefits.

The point was to make it seem undesirable so the AFL had a better bargaining chip, when negotiating the compensation.

In reality, the drawbacks weren't that great.

  On 02/12/2010 at 23:39, daisycutter said:

Can't understand why Sir Les Patterson wasn't used. He would have been invaluable on the cultural aspects and bribery.

Yes exactly...Sir Leslie Patterson would have got the World cup to Australia!!! Hahahaha! Have seen Les live a few times over the years. What a man. B)

  On 03/12/2010 at 00:13, why you little said:

Yes exactly...Sir Leslie Patterson would have got the World cup to Australia!!! Hahahaha! Have seen Les live a few times over the years. What a man. B)

Seems our "cricketers" are upset at the result too!

  On 03/12/2010 at 00:25, daisycutter said:

Seems our "cricketers" are upset at the result too!

Don't start me on the Cricket DC!! Last summers Test Matches should have been used far better to get this side up for the Poms.

We are paying the price now....Grrrr

  On 02/12/2010 at 19:34, pitmaster said:

I know plenty of Aussie Rules fans would have been happy to see us win the World Cup but I am glad soccer in tis country is not getting a free kick from FIFA.

The fact that 300 people in Sydney turned up to a live site for the announcement sums it up. Three hundred gave a damn, but when it came to the Olympics 10,000 turned out for the announcement. It simply ain't a dominant sport here.

It is hilarious that whenever Australia bids for one of these events (Melbourne 1996 another example) many people suddenly believe we deserve it. FCS this is the first time we have shown interest in the World Cup and we have barely ever qualified. Knocked out in the first round while Qatar scores in every round should tell you something.

TV scheduling may have turned FIFA voters off, but let's not forget these international circuses are totally corrupt and we don't know how to play these games so well.

Fundamentally, it's good for our indigenous game - footy - that Australia missed out. Maybe they can go back to calling it soccer again.

So it isn't as big as the Olympics and we shouldn't even have felt entitled to win the Olympics in 96 but then we won it 4 years later.

Ok.

  On 02/12/2010 at 23:17, Dappa Dan said:

I don't care what the round ball lovers here will say. I'm pumped that we missed it... Why? The last world cup was torture. The only games that were bearable were the US ones... the rest of it was appalling to watch IMO. In its current state, it's an awful, awful game to watch.

Here Here. Try watching a replay of say a 1-0 game. For 10 seconds you might see some brilliance, other than that, it sends you straight to sleep. Hell if want to watch zone football, i'll stick to AFL. Sure soccer might be the 'world game', but AFL just blows it out of the water in terms of spectacle, plus it's a much more exciting game to watch for neutral fans. The round ball will never ever get anywhere within kooee of AFL in this country, those who think otherwise are clearly smoking some really good stuff.

  On 02/12/2010 at 23:35, old dee said:

What do you mean Chips was not available!

And why was "Skippy" not included.

We did not have her "clicks" in the presentation, a major gaff

and I am sure she would have been better than the cartoon version.

I thought that was Skippy standing next to the Kangaroo, the one with the red hair.

  On 03/12/2010 at 00:31, rpfc said:

So it isn't as big as the Olympics and we shouldn't even have felt entitled to win the Olympics in 96 but then we won it 4 years later.

Ok.

I think what he means is that if we win it's ok but if we lose the process is corrupt and all wrong. That seems to be the big gripe most have.

Personally I couldn't give a rats about Soccer and one way or the other I couldn't care. Mind you the fact we have to pay $45m for the right to even put in a bid is disgraceful. These guys are worse than ..... Politicians and can't get their hand out of the cash register.

  On 03/12/2010 at 00:31, rpfc said:

So it isn't as big as the Olympics and we shouldn't even have felt entitled to win the Olympics in 96 but then we won it 4 years later.

Ok.

Actually, it is bigger than the Olympics with a much larger worldwide viewership.

"The World Cup was first televised in 1954 and is now the most widely-viewed and followed sporting event in the world, exceeding even the Olympic Games.The cumulative audience of the 2006 World Cup — including all of the matches — is estimated to be 26.29 billion. 715.1 million individuals watched the final match of this tournament (a ninth of the entire population of the planet). The 2006 World Cup draw, which decided the distribution of teams into groups, was watched by 300 million viewers."

  On 03/12/2010 at 00:31, rpfc said:

So it isn't as big as the Olympics and we shouldn't even have felt entitled to win the Olympics in 96 but then we won it 4 years later.

Ok.

That Sydney got it was not my point or relevant to it.

I was making the point that WHENEVER we bid for one of these international events we somehow think we have an automatic entitlement to it. (Look at the Hun website today - it's a joke) And I was saying that we don't play these games well. Melbourne was cheated out of the Olypmics in '96 by Atlanta and within the Melbourne bid there was a belief that our own Australian delegates worked against us to Sydney's benefit four years later.

But my point was about EXPECTATION and ASSUMPTION.

The World Cup of soccer might actually be bigger than the Olympics but most countries that host it don't profit financially anyway.

  On 03/12/2010 at 02:31, hardtack said:

Actually, it is bigger than the Olympics with a much larger worldwide viewership.

"The World Cup was first televised in 1954 and is now the most widely-viewed and followed sporting event in the world, exceeding even the Olympic Games.The cumulative audience of the 2006 World Cup — including all of the matches — is estimated to be 26.29 billion. 715.1 million individuals watched the final match of this tournament (a ninth of the entire population of the planet). The 2006 World Cup draw, which decided the distribution of teams into groups, was watched by 300 million viewers."

Interesting stats. So, at least 1/9 of the world's population are masochists. Interesting.

  On 03/12/2010 at 03:32, daisycutter said:

Interesting stats. So, at least 1/9 of the world's population are masochists. Interesting.

Well, it's kind of like watching the diving at the Olympics on a grand scale... "diving for oscars"

  On 03/12/2010 at 03:42, hardtack said:

Well, it's kind of like watching the diving at the Olympics on a grand scale... "diving for oscars"

Interesting too how people will turn on their TV sets to watch empty stadiums

I don't think Qatar will be any different at 50C despite all the free tickets they will give away

I know you are only the messenger but those figures are a bit hard to believe, but I suppose lying with statistics is not just the province of politicians.