Bristol World Cup bid backed by Germany
Bristol has an unlikely ally for it's World Cup bid – Germany.
The Germans have twice knocked England out of major football tournaments in recent memory and beat us to the right to stage the 2006 World Cup.
But they could help win Bristol host city status for 2018.
Bristol has been twinned with Hanover, a city nestled in the Northern half of Germany, for 60 years. Both populations are around the 500,000.
And the fruits of our international connection are being harvested in the form of a visit by the head of its international unit, Paul Burkhard Schneider.
Mr Schneider met with officials from the Bristol bid team yesterday to share critical knowledge on how to bid for – and stage – games in a major international football tournament.
And his message was simple: Harness your history to make history.
Not only did Hanover win host city status for the 2006 World Cup, stage four group matches and a second round clash, it also championed another sister city, Poznan, in Poland, to selection for the 2012 European Championships.
And its team was on hand to advise various South African cities before FIFA's decision to grant the 2010 World Cup to Africa.
Now the men from Hanover who masterminded the complete redevelopment of the AWD Arena to win host city status have turned their helping hand to Bristol.
Mr Schneider told the Post: "Bristol should be promoted for its history. You won't find a city more international, outside London, than Bristol.
"Bristol was and is host to people from different countries, you have a special history and this is something you should focus on.
"I don't doubt that you can build a good stadium. It will be the sole stadium in the South West and you should be proud of it."
He added: "We want to have the chance to exchange ideas and experiences. It (The World Cup) was so important for our city and I think for a city like Bristol, to be host for the World Cup, would fit perfectly."
The people of Hanover were treated to Italy v Ghana (2-0), Mexico v Angola (0-0), Costa Rica v Poland (1-2) and Switzerland v South Korea (2-0) in the group stages of the tournament.
The stadium was full and the fan park put on by the council was brimming with up to 20,000 enthusiasts.
They then hit the jackpot with France's 3-1 victory over Spain in the second round, staged at the specially revamped AWB Arena.
"It was one big party," said Mr Schneider, who stressed to the bid team the importance of marketing before and after the World Cup itself, to capitalise on tourist potential.
Guy Price, development adviser to Bristol City Football Club, who is working closely with the bid team, described the meeting as "very helpful" and confirmed the team's intention to travel to Hanover to learn more in August.
The Football Association visits Bristol on July 13 but their final visit is not until September 10 and the council has up to November 6 to finalise their bid.
"We discussed a lot of ideas concerning transport and accommodation," said Mr Price. "For example, in Hanover they included the cost of fans' travel to and from the ground in their match ticket. They then used their ticket as a pass on all forms of transport. That is obviously something we need to explore."
They also learned how Hanover became very adept at handling a large influx of people at short notice.
"We had 2,500 Mexicans suddenly decide to visit Hanover without accommodation," said Mr Schneider. "It was an ad hoc decision. We were overrun, but we got them accommodation in one of our shelters reserved for medical emergencies and gave them clothes and T-shirts and toothpaste. We didn't want them to leave."
Mr Schneider came armed with a letter of support from the Mayor of Hanover, Stefan Weil.
It read: "I am delighted to support Bristol's application to become a host city for the FIFA world cup in 2018.
"I am especially pleased to be able to share the expertise and knowledge Hanover gained through being a host city for the World Cup in Germany in 2006."
Let us all hope the German's success in securing host city status rubs off.
10 Comments
by Matt, Keynsham
Wednesday, June 24 2009, 10:32AM
“The German Lord Mayor has got it right, "we need to harness our history to make history".
We have got so many things that should be tourist attractions (Redcliffe Caves, Clifton Rocks Railway) that even most Bristolians don't know about because they are closed, except for one day every year. These sorts of things would be attractions in other cities, why not here? Are we ashamed of our city?
Probably due to being let down by our 'not so forward thinking leaders' throughout time Bristolians seem to have become a cynical lot, but with recent developments (Cabot Circus) that have already taken place we should perhaps be thinking a little more positively.
I am a Rovers fan, but would love nothing more than to see City get this stadium. The World Cup is an awesome experience!
To the disillusioned Rovers fans...maybe the thought of 'their' fickle fans rattling around inside a large stadium when they aren't doing so well will give you stregth to back the bid.”
by derek, Nuremburg
Tuesday, June 23 2009, 8:48PM
“We had the World cup here a few years ago and it was great!No violence,the fans mixing together.Wealso only have a 40,000 capacity stadium but all over town,huge screens were set up and very little trouble from hooligans.The whole city was alive for two weeks.I hope if Bristol gets it,they will all enjoy it,but seeing the countless moans about the Portway I suppose there are some who are never happy unless they have something to moan about!”
by nick carvallo, chippenham
Tuesday, June 23 2009, 5:32PM
“all i've heard on this subject is pro bristol this and great for the city this, lets get down to the facts, tesco will get permission now because everyone is getting hysterical about the stadium being ready for this bid, so the city council better not say 'no' to anything! If its so important for the whole of bristolians to get behind then make the stadium (with council money available to both teams to build it, no, of course not, once again its something we dare not say anything bad about but its only going to be one set of supporters who will crow & bask in the glory of hosting tongo v nigeria or some such game! Incidently, i want city to get this ground, at least they have directors with ambition & money, but don't dress it up as a ground for the world cup to ram it through the planning process, its a ground for Bristol city fc, thats it.”
by MKH, Bristol
Tuesday, June 23 2009, 3:37PM
“Wey Hey - Bring it on!
I love the World Cup!”
by lee, bristol
Tuesday, June 23 2009, 2:16PM
“reality therapy ! have you forgoten that bristol has been a host city for the rugby world cup also the cricket world cup before and with a stadium with 42.000 seats also bristol is bigger than portsmouth , newcastle , nottingham so we would have more hotels and space plus with the airport expansion it would be capable of holding such event can people start be positive for the good of bristol !”
by david, Planet Earth
Tuesday, June 23 2009, 12:15PM
“Reality Therapy - I think it's you that needs a reality check.
Get your facts right before sounding off, you obviously have no concept whatsoever of the criteria that FIFA lays down for a host city.
I can't be bothered to educate you - go to FIFAs' site and find out for yourself. When you do you will find that, out of all the prospective host cities, Bristol has the best chance of winning a bid - other than London obviously.
You will also find that we will get a minimum of 5 group games which have as much chance of hosting Brazil or Spain as much as one of the smaller nations because of the way the draw is designed.
I do wish people would get their facts right before posting such ill informed and ignorant rubbish.”
by Space Monster, Bristol
Tuesday, June 23 2009, 11:33AM
“"Bristol has an unlikely ally for it's World Cup bid "
It's "its" BEP, not "it's". I'm used to seeing such elementary punctuation errors in posters' contributions but you're meant to be professionals ffs.”
by Reality Therapy, Bristol
Tuesday, June 23 2009, 10:56AM
“Oh do wake up and get real. You are all looking very very silly. Bristol hosting any part of the World Cup is about as real as Elvis appearing at the first concert at the Lansdown Arena. Everyone who knows anything about football has said that Bristol does not have a single chance of hosting any part of the World Cup, not even the minor games which no one wants to watch anyway. Even if by some bizarre and inconceivable reason they were given a match to host, the chances of anyone from Bristol getting a ticket is as remote as finding an England Ticket in a haystack. So get real, please and let us all go back to the halcyon days before football fever came to town. I am sick of it.”
by roversteve, Clevedon
Tuesday, June 23 2009, 10:07AM
“Well done Mr.Schneider,can you personally come over to Bristol and shake the negativity out of some of the cities inhabitants. Most people can't understand the attitude of the minority into not wanting to stage the Worlds biggest sporting occaision and not wanting large developments that would benefit large sections of the population(I don't include Tesco's in this however).Cardiff isshowing the way with both a national stadium,a new stadium for the Bluebirds opening in a months time and all the dockside development that's making it a fresh,up and comming city. There are those that are against European involvement in too many areas of British culture but surely a good kick up the jacksy from a well-meaning German is what some Brits need.”
by il raderino, Cesena Italy
Tuesday, June 23 2009, 7:58AM
“Good news!!
It's great to have the support and input from a city that has 'done it'.
Fingers crossed this all goes through, because it would be a fantastic opportunity for Bristol, despite what the gloom merchants say.”