Germany or the US have been touted as possible hosts for the 2010 World Cup as South African preparation goes a bit Wembley on them. But the real scandal is the rumour that the organising council were forced to drop 2 stadiums from their list of venues because of their proximity to townships. According to a Johannesburg reporter, a Fifa representative had said ‘a billion television viewers don’t want to see shacks and poverty on this scale’.


So instead of upgrading existing stadiums in football-loving but deprived areas, the organisers are going to build new stadiums in rich, white areas where people are in to … rugby and cricket. What’s even worse is that after the tournament is over, the new deluxe stadiums will probably be used for rugby. Three of the new stadiums being built are in places where they do not even have a first division football team. The World Cup could have been used to regenerate poor areas, but instead Fifa looks to line it’s own pockets.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2091484,00.html