Football News - Sven, Sex, Gold and Russians
Discount Tickets on Japan Railways
Japan Railways (JR) announced on April 26th that its six subsidiaries
would be offering discount tickets during the June World Cup period. In
Tokyo, Osaka, and other areas round-trip tickets will be offered to and
from venues at discounts totaling as much as 27.8% in some cases. There
will also be all-you-can-ride ticket packages within each of the regions
for limited, pre-set periods of time.
For non-Japanese visitors, a five-day JR ticket package that will allow
unlimited passage in all six regions on bullet, express, and all regular
service trains will be selling for 22,000 yen (US $172).
Japan Matches to be Screened
All Japan's matches will be broadcast live on a 7x18 meter screen
at the 55,000 capacity Tokyo National Stadium. Tickets costing 2,300 yen
will go on sale in early May.
In Saitama, seven matches will be shown live and free of charge at four
venues in the prefecture, including the 15,000 capacity Saitama Super
Arena. 13.5x7.5m screens will be used.
Volunteers
Volunteers for the Japan World Cup Organizing Committee (JAWOC) began work April 20 at the newly opened accreditation center at Pacifico Yokohama. The center will oversee the issue of admission cards for the media and official sponsors which will begin from May 24. 16,500 people have volunteered to help out JAWOC during the tournament with 400 working at the International Media Centre.
Korean Tickets Available
Beginning in May as many as 160,000 tickets offered for sale to overseas fans for matches in Korea will go on sale online again to overseas buyers including this time to residents of Japan. 430,000 tickets remain unsold, as so far only 542,570 of the 807,570 allocation set aside for Korean fans have been purchased. Over 1000 tickets are available for the opening match between France and Senegal, as well as tickets for the quarterfinals, semifinal and third place play off. As many as 12,000 tickets remain unsold for Paraguay v South Africa (Busan), and Denmark v Senegal and South Africa v Slovenia (Daegu).
Russians Get Expensive Tickets
The Russian Football Union has allowed it allocation of tickets to be sold through a local tour company, the Football Tourist Agency (FTA) that is marketing the tickets for Russia's 3 group games for up to US$1,380 way above the cheapest official price of US$198. FIFA regulations forbid a mark up of more than 10% but the FTA denied the allegations in the Moscow Times replying that the packages cost between US$130 – US$330 and they were taking a party of 1000 Russian fans to Japan.
Sponsors' Tickets Will Have No Names
Most of the 525,000 tickets allocated to FIFA officials, national football associations and World Cup sponsors are to be issued without names. FIFA's original plan was to print the name of the ticket holder on every ticket but it has made an exception for itself and its sponsors.
Sven Plays Away
England's Swedish manager Sven Goran Erikkson has ended his love
match with fellow Swede, Ulrika Jonsson and committed himself to long
time Italian girlfriend, Nancy Dell'Olio, who he now intends to wed after
the World Cup. Sven's affair with TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson was
a tabloid feeding frenzy in the UK just over a month before England kick
off their campaign in Japan.
Some quotes on the affair from the British press:
"completely untrue"
"very much in love"
"Tony Blair's right-hand man Alastair Campbell may have been the
man who introduced Sven"
"Downing Street was unable to comment"
"Eriksson and Ulrika to be an item"
"could do with someone steady"
"Swedes are 'amazed'"
"closer than ever"
"has changed nothing"
"refused to comment"
"diamond engagement ring"
"portrayed as a tart"
"a stable man"
"Nancy Dell'Olio is pictured in the Sun"
and, er, this:
"Beckham has left the marital bed he shares with his Posh Spice wife
to sleep alone in the sealed low-oxygen tent."
Sex Update: ‘Celibacy Period' on Tap for Japanese National Team
The Japanese media reported in late April that the boys in blue will
be required to refrain from any sexual activity from May 20th until after
the team's first match in early June. Until the Japan squad leaves
its Shizuoka Prefecture, base camp to play Belgium on June 4th, Hidetoshi
Nakata et al will be enrolled in a soccer seminary. According to Sports
Nippon, the three weeks of abstinence is intended to help the players
stay focused on soccer. Ever practical though, "refresher periods"—in
which in watch conjugal visits will be permitted between World Cup matches—are
being set up for the players. One official said, "We're making
arrangements for family visits during the tournament."
In the past, many countries have prohibited their players from having
sex during the entire month of the World Cup. Because of the length of
the tournament, though, such draconian measures are now thought to have
backfired and hurt the performance of players. In the 1998 France World
Cup, for instance, England instituted such a policy only after getting
through the first round.
Report by R.Sanborn Brown
Welcome England
A
forum attended by representatives from the British consulate, Japan-based
journalists for the British media and Kevin Miles, international coordinator
of the Football Supporters Association was held in Nagai, Osaka on April
25 to provide reassurance to local people before the arrival of thousands
of football fans in the city.
England Unwelcome
According to sources in the Osaka Prefectural police force English hooligans have already arrived in the city and they are keeping an eye on British pubs in the Shinsaibashi and Namba areas. An officer told Japanese tabloid Shukan Shincho. "Of course, we've worked together with the British police, but the hooligans apparently do reconnaissance, checking out the best places for brawls or drinking beforehand. If we look at those sorts of places now, we should be all right on the day." Police plan to close elementary schools in the vicinity of Osaka's Nagai stadium and will ban cars in the vicinity of the stadium from 9.30am-8.30pm on match days.
‘Hooligan' Arrested Then Released
A 42 year old British businessman suspected of being a hooligan on a list of banned people was arrested in Korea after he had crossed over by ferry from Japan. The man was later released.
JAWOC Confident
The Japan World Cup Organizing Committee (JAWOC) is confident that it
will balance the books despite spending over US$4.3 billion on new stadiums
and other World Cup facilities and infrastructure. Tournament director
Junji Ogura, vice-president of the Japan Football Association believes
JAWOC will show a profit on their investment in the years following the
World Cup.
"We have an operating budget of US$437m and we have every faith that
we can balance the books," he said. "However, the first goal
of JAWOC is to stage a memorable World Cup, not to turn a profit."
The Japanese economy is expected to receive a US$23 billion boost from
the event. Co-hosts South Korea have spent $1.7 billion on stadiums and
other World Cup related infrastructure and the French spent US$1.5 billion
in 1998.
Visitors
The Japanese authorities revised down its estimate for foreign visitors to the country and put the figure at 400,000, as some 46,000 tickets were purchased overseas by Japanese fans. The new figure includes 337,000 fans and around 60,000 officials with 161,000 people expected to cross over into Korea from Japan.
Korean Fair Trade
The Korean Fair Trade commission will monitor businesses and restaurants
serving foreign visitors during the World Cup to insure they are not overcharged,
the BBC reported. A complaints hotline will be set up for tourists and
fines imposed on the offending companies. Over 210,000 fans and officials
are expected to visit the country in May and June.
The country also announced an official clean-up campaign to remove litter
before the tournament kicks off.
Korea Incentives
South Korea's coaching staff and players have been offered large cash bonuses if they progress to the second round of the tournament. Manager Guus Hiddink stands to receive a cool million dollars and the players US$77,000 each plus a luxury car.
We're On the Ball
‘We're On the Ball' by Art & Dec featuring the England
Supporters Brass Band and backing vocals from englandfans (the new official
supporters club) has been chosen as England's official World Cup
song. It will be released May 27.
To order Soccerphile's own World Cup CD visit
our Soccer Shop
Dog Meat Sandwiches
Despite opposition from local action groups South Korean dog meat restaurateurs plan to distribute free samples of dog meat soup, hamburgers and sandwiches to visiting fans at the country's 10 World Cup stadiums.
Fancy a Flutter?
The 2002 World Cup promises to be the biggest bet in history with Ladbrokes
the bookies predicting US$292 million wagered in Britain alone. US$124m
was bet on the 1998 World Cup in France and US$58m on the 1994 tournament
in the USA.
Cranes for Beckham
The
Osaka Supporters Club, an NPO dedicated to assisting visiting fans to
the city have sent an English flag made from 6,000 red and white origami
cranes to David Beckham as he recovers from a broken foot. The OSC has
also produced a ‘I'm not a hooligan' T-shirt to distribute
to foreign football supporters.
Japanese Post Offices to Exchange Won
1426 post offices nationwide will offer yen-won exchange services during the World Cup.
Awaji Island May Sell Gold Ingot
Tsuna-cho, host to England's training camp may sell a 63kg solid gold ingot, purchased in 1989 for ¥100 million with funds provided by the government of Noburu Takeshita, to meet the rising costs of providing security for the team. Out of the town's initial budget of ¥75m, ¥40m was set aside for security but this has now increased to ¥100m. The small town of 17,000 inhabitants was already in debt before it bid to host a World Cup team.
Tokyo Police Get New Weapon
The Daily Yomiuri reported that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department would have a new weapon in their arsenal. 1.5m telescopic ‘pole-mounted wire noose foot traps' will be used to snare and ground taller hooligan opponents who can then be dealt with on the ground with net-firing guns, special batons and plastic shields.
British Business Faces World Cup Losses
Due to the 7 or 8-hour time difference between Korea/Japan and Europe, UK factories and businesses face the prospect of losses totaling US$580m per match if employees decide to skip work and watch the early morning and midday matches at home. The British Trade and Industry Secretary has urged bosses to take a flexible attitude and allow workers to catch the game in the office. There are similar fears in the rest of Europe with German bosses supposedly adopting a hard-line stance.