Kentish Football 
COMMENT: IS TODAY THE DAY THAT FOOTBALL REALLY DOES COME HOME?
Thursday 02nd December 2010
Being born as part of a generation after Geoff Hurst’s hat trick won England the World Cup in 1966, today really could be the day that FOOTBALL COMES HOME, writes Mike Green.
At 3:00pm this snowy Thursday afternoon, football fans not only here in Kent but right across the country could finally hear the news that some of us have only dreamed of all our adult lives – the greatest football competition in the World is Coming Home, and FIFA have “awarded” the Football Association the rights to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
ENGLAND UNITED, THE WORLD INVITED is the logo for the 2018 bid and seldom can there have been the amount of interest and column inches over football meeting in Zurich, even if Panaroma did their level best to de rail things with that ridiculous programme on Monday evening that highlighted alleged corruption nearly 20 years ago!
On that train of thought for a moment, it was clear that the programmes editor doesn’t care about the bid being successful as he was asked on the TV on Tuesday why the programme wasn’t delayed, and his response was "At any other time it wouldn’t have been news!"
Fair enough but if that programme (god forbid) means that the English bid isn’t successful, just how much in visitors revenue and jobs has 30 minutes on BBC1 on Monday 29th November 2010 cost this country as it tries to regain its footing after some of the toughest economic times that anyone has ever known!
I still remember the buzz and the excitement that went around the country in 2005 when the International Olympic Committee awarded London the 2012 Summer Olympics – there was a buzz that lifted the whole country.
And after what we’ve been through in the country over the past few years with many people losing their jobs and being placed due to no fault of their own on or near the poverty line, the country needs a lift and sport is great at doing that.
As I’ve said already remember that buzz that July afternoon when the IOC gave London the 2012 games. Remember the buzz and excitement the last two times that we won the Ashes in this country – at least with the snow shutting a lot of things many more of us can watch the Second test in Adelaide tonight (11:00pm Sky Sports One) and there is undoubtedly a buzz that only Sport can generate.
OK the grounds themselves all belong to the higher reaches of the game that we all know and love, but there is little doubt in my mind that all of the clubs that we cover on www.kentishfootball.co.uk will benefit from an English World Cup.
I live in the Medway Towns and you just have to look at the way that sports venues have improved in this part of the county since the Olympics announcement. The old Black Lion Leisure centre has now become “Medway Park” and does look and feel a better place and that is just in Medway. All around the county Sports Venues are being “tarted” up to welcome the World in just 20 months time.
And the same will surely happen within the football world all the way down to the very grass roots and will surely be very high on the “to do list” of the new KCFA Chief Executive Paul Dolan when he begins work next month, when the legendary Keith Masters finally retires. And having known Keith he will be one of the proudest if in his legacy he could leave behind than a County FA, which is poised to be part of the greatest football show on earth. And if the bid team are successful in bringing Football Home it will be as a testament to people like Keith for all the work that they have done down the years whilst at the same time a challenge to the new order led by Paul.
There will be benefits to all levels of football I am sure – it’s just a case of having the right people in the right places to make full use of and take full advantage of it. And we here in Kent will do just that, I’m sure!
Does the ordinary football fan that goes to the Belmont or Martyn Grove or Longmead really care about whether or not we host the World Cup? That I don’t know, but one thing I am convinced of is that there will be a brushed away tear of pride from many a football person this afternoon if the bid is successful.
A very good friend of mine and someone a lot of people reading this will know celebrates his 40th birthday today. And he put it to me so well last night in a text. When I asked what it would be like if Blatter reads out “our” name just after 3:00pm this afternoon, he replied, it would be like being given a fantastic birthday present that he couldn’t open for eight years… If the England 2018 bid is successful, today will be all of our birthdays.
The views expressed in the above article are the views of the author and may not reflect on the views of www.kentishfootball.co.uk
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd