Opportunities and benefits for football, city

Wilson James, of Soccersouth, argues the case for a new multipurpose stadium in Dunedin.

Soccersouth is the recognised governing football organisation for Otago, Southland and South Canterbury.

It is a large-structured recreation provider within the community with 98 affiliated clubs representing about 9000 active players plus thousands of coaches, referees administrators and supporting volunteers.

Our organisation believes structured sport and recreation provides an affordable option to community members who wish to have regular physical activity and social interaction.

Sport generally, and in many instances team sport in particular, can offer important benefits to individuals and society.

Soccersouth believes a new multipurpose stadium hosting local, regional, national and international activities will bring long-term benefits to the community.

The new multipurpose stadium will be an integral part of the community's sporting and recreational infrastructure, alongside the existing swimming pools, sports grounds, walkways and cycle tracks.

The new stadium will encourage the growth of football in Otago, opening up opportunities to bring major new football events to the region and providing an international-quality facility.

Potential exciting opportunities will be evident.

They range from delivering positive first experiences in sport through holding events like mini world cup tournaments for 5- and 6-year-old boys and girls, to engaging with New Zealand's only professional football franchise the Wellington Phoenix for A league pre-season matches against our top local talent.

The ability to offer a fully-roofed venue protected from the elements, an international-quality playing surface and first-class facilities to visiting sports teams and events should entice sports and other organisations to select Dunedin for major activities.

With modern facilities and no weather disruptions, Otago can guarantee a high-quality participant and spectator experience.

The new stadium will improve the region's appeal when bidding for national and international events - opportunities which might otherwise pass us by.

An example of a missed opportunity for the region can be illustrated when Soccersouth and Dunedin City Council officials hosted Fifa under-17 Women's World Cup organising committee representatives in February 2007.

The purpose of the visit to Dunedin was to inspect stadium facilities for the inaugural Fifa under-17 Women's World Cup which was recently held in New Zealand.

The Fifa committee was very complimentary towards Dunedin and its compact nature and general attractiveness for hosting the matches.

However, the Dunedin bid to host group matches for the tournament was lost to Hamilton.

The reason given was that Hamilton had an upgraded international stadium which would look more appealing to the massive television audience watching the tournament.

The event was broadcast to 155 countries translating to 200 million viewers.

The Fifa website is forecast to have 8.8 billion visits over the next five years with nearly two billion hits a year from people interested in all things football including the drawcard Fifa International Tournaments.

Eight trade delegation visits to host cities have been arranged by countries participating in the Tournament.

The opening match was played in front of more than 13,000 spectators and provided a positive image to tens of millions of viewers worldwide.

We should not underestimate New Zealand's attractiveness to international sporting bodies in hosting world events.

Our country offers a comparatively safe, politically stable and secure location for international athletes representing different cultures and religions who come together during a major sporting activity.

Dunedin is a welcoming city that is easy to get around with a stunning harbour setting and, many visitor attractions plus the advantage of being within easy driving range to the scenic Central Otago region which is of world renown.

Looking ahead, Australia is likely to put in a bid for the 2018 Fifa Men's World Cup, and if successful may use New Zealand venues - especially during the pre-tournament build-up.

The ability to offer a fully-roofed venue protected from the elements, an international-quality playing surface and first-class facilities to visiting sports should entice organisations to select Dunedin for major activities.

Soccersouth believes the University-Stadium connection will give the University and the city a tangible competitive advantage in attracting students, aspiring sportspeople and sports researchers, thus further cementing Otago's position for sporting excellence.

Soccersouth believes an injection of community and private sector funds into the new multi-purpose stadium would send a positive message to our society that sport and recreation does matter and that the provision of high-class sporting and event facilities is important to us.

Community members who value their quality of life are likely to be members of a resilient, healthy and socially-engaged community.

The new multipurpose stadium has the potential to provide a focal point for showcasing the region.

In the long-term, the introduction of a synthetic playing surface that could host international rugby and football matches would not be out of the realms of possibility as the gradual development of these playing surfaces evolves.

This could then open up daily use of the facility to the community and many of the 20,000 mostly young tertiary students within walking distance of the new stadium.

This Logan Park precinct with the associated relevant University of Otago departments, Unipol Gym, Academy of Sport and National Competition team franchises would become an unrivalled sporting hub for high-performance and grassroots sport and recreation activities for all southern people to be proud off.

• Wilson James is general manager of Soccersouth

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