Germany started the concept of fan parks at the 2006 World Cup. All nine South African host cities are preparing fan parks for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Recently Dr Danny Jordaan, chairman of the local organising committee ( LOC) for next summer's World Cup in South Africa, said London was one of the first venues being considered for fan parks in addition to those in the nine host cities.
Watching the Beautiful Game Together
Inclusiveness has always been part of the African’s philosophy and by creating fan parks in public areas across the globe, the South African LOC feels it will be able to ensure that many more fans will be able to join in the camaraderie by watching the beautiful game together, like they do in South Africa, with vuvuzelas, singing and dancing.
The economic climate and the fact that South Africa is a long way to travel for many European fans, will prevent the large number of passionate England fans to follow their team to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup.
Internationalizing Fan Parks
If all goes according to plan with the International fan parks, soccer fans will be able to follow the matches on giant television screens at the hosts target cities in which most interest is likely to be focused, including London, Tokyo, and Accra, Ghana.
"The images from our country will have a broader reach," Jordaan explained to the Daily Telegraph, "We are looking at internationalizing the fan park experience – we want this to be an African World Cup."
2010 World Cup - Worldwide Appeal
Jordaan and his team are confident that the 2010 World Cup will have a worldwide appeal even if the economic downturn continues. They confirmed that for the 740 000 tickets released in the first phase of sales last month, there had so far been 506 000 applications across 103 countries.
Sensitive Timing – Live Screening of 2006 World Cup Matches Abandoned in UK
What makes Jordaan’s announcement a bit sensitive for England is that the bidding process for the 2018 World Cup is in the home straight before FIFA announces its decision in December. And the UK knows that as much as Jordaan talks about the brotherly love of football and bringing African soccer to the people, live open-air screening of matches from the last World Cup in 2006 by the BBC had to be abandoned after 16 people were injured at Canary Wharf when fighting erupted in the 6,000-strong crowd. There were also two arrests in Liverpool's Clayton Square as fans threw bottles and cans.
But in South Africa, where fans are used to watching soccer, weekly, in large crowds, violence is not part of the culture, and the 2010 LOC have promised top-notch security to keep unruly fans in their place.
Durban – Beachfront Fan Park
Durban, on the East Coast of South Africa has a year-round tropical climate – the Indian Ocean water temperature rarely drops below 19C and the main Fan Park is right on the Beachfront, on Durban’s Golden Mile. This means that soccer fans will be able to have a dip in the ocean at halftime while they are watching matches.
All the main South African Hosts Cities will also have great fan parks with exciting facilities for the 2010 World Cup.
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