Britain now hot host for top sports events

LONDON — Not so long ago, the world's top sports events bypassed Britain because of a combination of poor finances and arrogance. Now they can't wait to get a taste of Wembley, Lord's, Old Trafford and Twickenham.

A decade ago, England's bid to stage soccer's 2006 World Cup was a flop and, when Britain was effectively handed the athletics world track and field in 2005, it had to pull out as plans to build a new stadium in North London were scrapped because of insufficient finances and poor transportation links.

What a difference a few years make.

London has the 2012 Olympics, Glasgow will stage the 2014 Commonwealth Games and now England will host the 2015 Rugby World Cup and the 2019 cricket World Cup.
England is also one of the favourites to stage the 2018 World Cup of soccer. Although it faces strong opposition from around the globe, if it gets that too when FIFA votes in December 2010, the next decade will become Britain's greatest ever in terms of hosting international sports events.

Keith Mills, who is on the board of the 2018 World Cup bid and helped to secure the 2012 Olympics for London, said the country was hampered by a perceived arrogance.

"The general impression was that we were an arrogant country who thought we knew it all," he said. "We now go into bids with a very different attitude.

"Rather than telling everyone how great we are, we ask them what sort of competition they want. Listening is the best form of selling."

The 2015 Rugby World Cup and 2013 Rugby League equivalent were the latest captures on Tuesday and, with grounds already in existence to stage them, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the nation was ideally equipped to handle all these events.

"The Rugby World Cup is yet another tremendous event to add to the country's decade of sport and another chance to show our nation's passion for sport and what world-class facilities we have to offer," he said.

The rebuilt 90,000 capacity Wembley Stadium is one of 11 grounds being used for the rugby championship and will also host the 2011 Champions League final, European soccer's premier club competition.

The home of English rugby, Twickenham now has a capacity of 82,000 while the Rugby Football Union will also use soccer grounds such as the 76,000-capacity Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United, Arsenal's 60,000 Emirates Stadium, Newcastle's St. James' Park (52,000) and Liverpool's Anfield (45,000).

Although it is in Wales, Cardiff's 74,000-capacity Millennium Stadium is another option.

The soccer grounds also play a major part in England's bid to stage the World Cup in 2018 for the first time since England won the title in 1966. England successfully staged the European Championship in 1996 and it was on that basis that it decided to bid for the 2006 World Cup despite having reportedly pledged to support Germany.

The Football Association's bid ended after the first two rounds of voting when FIFA's executive committee gave it to the Germans, just ahead of South Africa. FIFA did not go along with England's campaign that the World Cup should go to the game's inventors.

Ten years on, the tourism industry is looking forward to seeing millions of sports fans heading to the UK to watch the big events staged here.

"Britain will be the sports fans' dream destination in coming years as a golden decade of major sporting occasions draws millions of people from around the world," said Sandie Dawe, chief executive of national tourism agency VisitBritain.

"A third of potential visitors to Britain would be very likely to watch sporting events here. We have a real opportunity to raise awareness of destinations with unique links to different sports, of our cathedrals of sport like Lord's, Wimbledon, the Millennium Stadium and (Glasgow's) Hampden Park, and our remarkably varied sporting calendar."

Fonte: http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hj5lFNm4K3mmeFX4xhKpwT-yFnPA