Thanks for the replies... I was expecting an e-mail notification if/when someone had replied, but didn't get anything and have only just thought to check back...
Firstly, the questions being raised in the media are not about whether stadiums/infrastructure will be ready, I think everyone agrees that won't be a problem, thanks to the money. The real concerns are over attitude, and whether Qatar is ready to welcome people from all around the world for what is the biggest party on earth.
The World Cup is so little about football and so much about bringing people together. After all, without the fans, there is no point. You need 'fan zones' (basically massive street parties) as seen in Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010 (and as will be seen in Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018) before you can even consider hosting a successful tournament.
So, in answer to a question above, if London had been asked if it was ready for the 2012 Olympics back in 2002, the powers that be would have said yes, of course. There's so much more about being 'ready' than having some shiny new stadiums...
Thanks for the replies... I was expecting an e-mail notification if/when someone had replied, but didn't get anything and have only just thought to check back...
Firstly, the questions being raised in the media are not about whether stadiums/infrastructure will be ready, I think everyone agrees that won't be a problem, thanks to the money. The real concerns are over attitude, and whether Qatar is ready to welcome people from all around the world for what is the biggest party on earth.
The World Cup is so little about football and so much about bringing people together. After all, without the fans, there is no point. You need 'fan zones' (basically massive street parties) as seen in Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010 (and as will be seen in Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018) before you can even consider hosting a successful tournament.
So, in answer to a question above, if London had been asked if it was ready for the 2012 Olympics back in 2002, the powers that be would have said yes, of course. There's so much more about being 'ready' than having some shiny new stadiums...