7 October 2009

Only three weeks remain until deadline for journalists to apply for accreditation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw to be held in Cape Town on 4 December this year.

FIFA has issued the following information on the process to be followed and on events surrounding the draw which will be televised live around the world from the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

In addition to the activities highlighted below, Capetonians and visitors can enjoy a day of festivities in Long Street on 4 December in the hours leading up to the Final Draw at 7pm.

A FIFA media accreditation workshop will be held in Cape Town on 22 October 2009. Invitations have been sent out under a separate e-mail.

OC Media Information: Media accreditation for the Final Draw
FIFA is pleased to announce that the accreditation process for media representatives who intend to cover the Final Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa? in Cape Town started on 1 October 2009 via the FIFA Media Channel. The deadline for accreditation applications is 30 October 2009.

The draw event will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) in Cape Town, South Africa on 4 December 2009. Media-related information for the draw, i.e. media accommodation, media facilities and activities throughout the draw week will be published on the FIFA Media Channel.

Thereafter, the applicant's information will be subject to a review process by FIFA, the Organising Committee for the FIFA World Cup, as well as the mandatory security screening conducted by the South African National Intelligence Agency. Successful applicants will be notified by e-mail.

Main media activities during the Final Draw week:

02 December 2009

• 11:00 Media conference following the meeting of the Organising Committee for the FIFA World Cup at the media centre in the Cape Town International Convention Centre
• 14:00 Mayoral welcome at the Green Point Stadium - the first official event at the new FIFA World Cup stadium

03 December 2009

• 10:00 FIFA Executive Committee meeting on Robben Island

Please note that due to limited capacity, a special registration will be required. Further details will be provided on the FIFA Media Channel in due course.

It was on Robben Island where, for many years, political prisoners had to fight for the right to play football, with men secretly playing the game in their cells with balls made of pieces of paper, cardboard and rags tied together with string. The island's authorities finally gave in, granting inmates the right to play football in 1965. The prisoners then built their own goals and would swap their drab prison garb and play in the colours of their teams on Saturdays. The Makana Football Association was founded on Robben Island in 1969. It was a football association which adhered strictly to the FIFA Statutes and principles and the Laws of the Game. On 18 July 2007 the Makana FA became the first FIFA honorary member association.

04 December 2009

• 09:00 Team seminar (open to TV crews/photographers for the first five minutes) at the CTICC
• 09:00 - 12.00 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup Bidding Country Media Expo (see details below)
• 19:00 Worldwide broadcast of the Final Draw, followed by a mixed zone and a Host City exhibition

05 December 2009

• 10:00 - 11:00 Opening of the first Football for Hope Centre in Khayelitsha
• 12:00 - 18:30 First World Press Day at the CTICC to provide media with first hand information on the preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup? and the host country
• 19:00 World Press Day Media Party

2018/2022 FIFA World Cup Bidding Country Media Expo
Within the context of the Final Draw, FIFA has organised a media event in which the 11 bidders for the 2018 and/or 2022 FIFA World Cup (Australia, Belgium-Netherlands, England, Indonesia, Japan, Korea Republic, Mexico, Qatar, Spain-Portugal, Russia and the USA) will be able to present their bids to the international media. This event will take place at Workshop 17 (V&A Waterfront) from 09.00-12.00 on 4 December 2009 and will include interview opportunities with representatives of the bidders. Media transport will be arranged from the media hotels and the CTICC to Workshop 17.

Please note that this event is independent from the Final Draw and that a separate media accreditation will be required to access the event. The accreditation procedure for this bidders media event will be conducted via the FIFA Media Channel, where a specific accreditation form will be available from 1 October to 30 October. More information will be published on the FIFA Media Channel in due course.

For further information on the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, please visit the competition's official webpage on FIFA.com

FIFA Media Channel
Media representatives who have not already registered for the FIFA Media Channel can do so at media.fifa.com

The FIFA Media Channel is the primary communication channel between FIFA, the local organising committee of each FIFA competition and the media. This password-protected online service is designed to provide media professionals with details on activities, including press conferences, team training sessions and other media resources, information on competition media facilities, including stadium media centres (SMCs), ticketing, FIFA and LOC media contacts, and any special media announcements.

Approval to access the FIFA Media Channel does not mean you have been granted accreditation. The media accreditation process for any FIFA competition requires the completion of an accreditation form via the FIFA Media Channel that is specific to the event.

Historic live concert in Soweto to usher in the FIFA World Cup

6 October 2009

FIFA Interactive World Cup 2010 kicks off

7 September 2009 Monday

Ghana became the first country in Africa to qualify for 2010 after winning Sudan 2-0 in Accra

4 September 2009 Friday

The world cup seems to face a accommodation problem, a new plan at overcoming the accommodation problems is at hand where they will take the tourists around the country in 17 hour round trips.

3 September 2009 Thursday (update)

A Brazilian delegation for the 2014 FIFA world cup is currently in South Africa to see how South Africa prepares for the 2010 FIFA world cup. Governor of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, Blairo Maggi the leaders fo the delegation said that Brazil has already started working on their own plans and preperations for the 2014 World cup.

3 September 2009 Thursday

Irvin Khoza had something interesting to say today, he said:

People are saying this World Cup is a defining moment in the history of this country and what is disappointing me is that I'm not feeling this World Cup

amongst some other things.

As I wrote about on Tuesday there was a lot of volunteers from all over the world, today I've learned that country with the highest volunteers was Nigeria, the game with the highest number of volunteers was obviously the final game.

Sentech has announced today that the Comtech EF Data's DVB-S2 CDM-710 broadcast satellite modems were selected as part of the digital broadcast infrastructure for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Sony Ericsson had a press release today:

Sony Ericsson brings excitement to the fans for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™

03 September 2009

Sony Ericsson is launching a host of fan focused activities for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, providing everyone with interactive ways to enjoy the action

London – September 3rd, 2009 – Today, Sony Ericsson announced the launch of its Extra Man campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. The campaign aims to deliver the ultimate football experience to all World Cup supporters across the globe, made possible due to Sony Ericsson’s unique position as Official Mobile Handset of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

Reflective of how the media landscape has changed and new ways that people now consume their media, Sony Ericsson will ensure that handsets will be at the heart of the first social networking and media sharing World Cup. From now until June 2010, Sony Ericsson aims to reward all fans with exciting activities both before and during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ enabling fans to create and share their own content.  This will be either at the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ itself, through the website sonyericsson.com/extraman or directly through Sony Ericsson handsets – experiences that fans can only enjoy exclusively through Sony Ericsson.

Sony Ericsson’s commitment to enhance the fan experience at the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ supports the company’s realigned brand strategy, which aims to build a fun, playful and inclusive interaction with consumers.

“Our aim is to provide all fans of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ a rich and diverse experience including giving away tickets to 2010 FIFA World Cup™ matches.  All of our marketing investment will be used to enhance and improve the fan experience as we believe this is an absolute priority.  We will be working closely with our colleagues at Sony to make this happen and help fans realise their dreams,” said Stephan Croix, Head of Global Marketing Partnerships, Sony Ericsson.

The centrepiece of the fan focused mission will be the launch in 2010 of a unique football application which will deliver the best football experience on a handset.  This will provide fans with instant access to football action videos from the best action from the World Cup qualifiers and the friendly games in the lead up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, football news and games. Fans will also be able to share all their football moments directly with their friends using social networking site applications built into the handset.  Further details will be announced in due course.

Launching today is the action-packed website – sonyericsson.com/extraman – the home for all fan content needs, will host WorldCupedia, the world’s very first football focused search engine with content accessed through Kosmix.  This impressive new application will arm fans with all the football knowledge they could ever need.  The site will also let fans view highlights from FIFA World Cup™ qualifier matches, iconic moments from past tournaments and enjoy exclusive football content and football mobile downloads. From Canada to Australia, Russia to the UK, Sony Ericsson will ensure football followers can experience the very best moments of past FIFA World Cups™ at their fingertips.

Sony Ericsson’s commitment to providing fans with exciting football focused activities has already seen the launch of the Golden Ticket promotion, which offers consumers, from France to Mexico, Taiwan to Australia a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to follow their team all the way at the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa.  

“We are in a unique position to provide fans with more ways to support their team, be heard and get involved. By listening to these fans, Sony Ericsson will be able to energise and innovate their experience, becoming the channel for fan-generated opinion and content on a global scale”, continued Croix.

Sony Ericsson is the Official Mobile Handset of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, which arose through Sony Corporation, as the Digital Life Partner of FIFA. Sony Ericsson agreed to sub-license the category from Sony Corporation and the agreement includes all FIFA events until 2010 including the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa. The Digital Life category includes mobile handsets as well as consumer electronics, professional and broadcast AV and other equipment, personal computers, movies, music and gaming.

Notes to Editors:

The Golden Ticket promotion will be running in various regions across the world, including the Middle East, North Africa, Latin America, Western Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. 

Legal

© Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, 2009.

The liquid identity and liquid energy are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. “ SONY” and “make.believe” are trademarks of Sony Corporation.
Ericsson is the trademark or registered trademark of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson.

About Sony Ericsson:

Sony Ericsson is a top, global industry player with sales of around 97 million phones in 2008. Diversity is one of the core strengths of the company, with operations in over 80 countries including manufacturing in China and R&D sites in China, Europe, India, Japan and North America. Sony Ericsson was established as a 50:50 joint venture by Sony and Ericsson in October 2001, with global corporate functions located in London.

About FIFA:
For more than 100 years, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, founded on 21 May 1904 in Paris and better known as FIFA, has continued to provide the essential leadership role to the international football family. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, the eighth FIFA President, Joseph S. Blatter guides the organisation today with a commitment to the evolution of FIFA as a modern and dynamic association. The basis of the world’s football family is formed by FIFA’s members. From the founding seven, the family has today grown to 208 affiliated football associations, also organised into six confederations spanning the globe.

FIFA’s worldwide activities go well beyond touching the world through its various competitions, such as the world’s biggest single-sport event, the FIFA World Cup™. In football development projects such as the FIFA GOAL Programme as well as in corporate social responsibility activities (including the Football for Hope movement to support through football social and human development) FIFA makes material, financial and promotional contributions to develop the game and to build a better future. For the Game. For the World. To find out more about FIFA and its initiatives please check out FIFA.com.

About the FIFA World Cup™: 
The FIFA World Cup™ is the world’s governing body of football’s flagship event, occurring every four years with the best 32 nations of the six confederations battling it out for the ultimate prize in football – the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy. The brainchild of the third President of FIFA, Jules Rimet, the FIFA World Cup™ was first staged in Uruguay in 1930 and emerged decades later to be the biggest single sports event with a cumulative audience of more than 26 billion TV viewers in more than 200 countries over the 64 matches. In 2010, the 19th edition will be held for the first time on African soil.

The road to South Africa 2010 began in Samoa in August 2007 and from there the road is criss-crossing the globe before its final destination, South Africa in 2010. 203 teams have entered the race for one of the 31 available places in the FIFA World Cup™ final tournament with host South Africa automatically qualified. Even champion Italy must qualify to defend their title. Follow all the action and experience the triumphs, tensions and tears of qualification on FIFA.com, world’s football’s home on the worldwide web.

2 September 2009 Wednesday

Last night the BRT system that is supposed to get the tourists to their football destination was shot at, two busses were shot at by taxi drivers and they aimed for the drivers.

In the one bus there was two people injured, they were hit by bullets. This cant be good for South Africa's image and tourists seeing this might think twice before coming to South Africa for the 2010 football world cup

Tuesday 1 September 2009

Lots of people volunteered for the 2010 soccer world cup and they do need a lot of volunteers but not 68 000, that is the total number of volunteers that opted in for the biggest soccer event of the year.

Monday 31 August 2009 (part2)

Today IOL reported that

Some 70 000 construction workers could be out of work by the end of the year when the majority of the country's 2010 projects are expected to be completed.

With just four months to go until most of the workers' contracts expire, the Campaign for Decent Work Towards and Beyond 2010 has called on the government to intervene.

That sure is a storm in the waiting. 70 000 jobless stadium builders will be a problem for the world cup. Imagine working for so long on the stadiums and getting the free tickets but then comes the last day of work where the contracts expire and the word of the day is jobless.

I think there will be a pretty upset bunch of axe and weapon bearing 2010 soccer stadium builders in December.

Monday 31 August 2009

It seems like the BRT system will be ready for the 2010, to my surprise as well. The minister of transport and other ministers has promised war on the taxis if they try to stop the BRT.

The travelers (actually they are some group but i cant get to the name now) that use the taxis and transport also stood behind the BRT and told the taxis to stop holding them for ransom and threaten all kinds of things. They also said they need reliable transport that's on time.

Wednesday 26 August 2009

Turns out taxpayers will be paying for the 2010 soccer world cup stadium generators, more than R200 million is need to ensure that the soccer stadiums will have electricity during the games, the Minister of Energy said that FIFA requires all stadiums to have backup electricity in the form of generators.

“The government expects ordinary electricity consumers to pay the account for the back-up generators for which R200 million was budgeted. The money will be paid through the increased tariffs payable by consumers, i.e. ordinary people on the street. Financial gains which will be derived from the soccer tournament, will however not go to ordinary taxpayers but into the pockets of FIFA and the soccer community,” Dr. Corné Mulder, Chief Whip of the Freedom Front Plus said.

“Municipalities however are also carrying an extra financial burden because network layouts will, according to the Minister’s answer, be re-configured so that, should there be a shortage of power, the stadiums will not be affected by load-shedding during the World Cup Tournament. Expenses for these changes are being carried by municipalities. The Tshwane Metro Council already owes Eskom nearly R400 million for electricity which it purchased and sold on to consumers. If the Metro is now already behind in payments for power, it can be expected that the debt will increase. Should the national government bail the Metro Council out, the money will once again come from taxpayer’s,” Dr. Mulder 

The Freedom Front Plus is therefore opposed to the application of Eskom which it will be submitting to Nersa next month in which it will be asking for a further 40% increase in tariffs as this increase will place money in the pockets of FIFA and the soccer community.

So ordinary South Africans will have to pay for generators that enables FIFA to make more money, whenever someone wants to make money from FIFA which is the brand and we discussed yesterday they get sued but it is unfair however that citizens have to pay up for a "brand" to make money from "their" games and tournaments.

 Tuesday 25 August 2009 - 289 days, 3 hours, 46 minutes and 29 seconds to go before the FIFA soccer world cup starts in South Africa. I decided today that this will be the official Fromtheold 2010 soccer world cup blog page so bookmark this page for updates.

Not much has happened that has to do with the soccer that you cant really see in the news. Same old story but there is this one thing. That is the BRT system that has to be in place before the soccer starts. FIFA has said that if South Africa cant manage to organize the transport they will get transport themselves, so South Africa only has 289 days to sort this out.

The taxi industry still threatens chaos if the BRT system goes ahead and we have not hears much lately about that except the other friday when they opened it and there was chaos and traffic.

The taxi industry wants full control of the BRT system.

On another note,a few days ago there was these people that made keyholders, the keyholders contained a soccer ball and the year 2010 on it, FIFA then threatened to sue them because of they are stealing their brand or something. I thought that was a bit mean of them, on the other hand they have this event that is their entire business, they only have it once every 4 years and it surely needs to be protected otherwise they might not be able to make enough money to hold it. But i'm sure that's not the case. 

They did however say the 2010 Soccer world cup belongs to everyone, to all South Africans so i guess they cant really blame people for wanting to make a bit of money from it. There are ways to make money from the 2010 soccer world cup but you have to make sure that you dont use someone else's brand.