PM on Football

[midfielder]

Prime Minister on ABC news

Standing with Frank Lowy and Harry Kewell, prime minister Kevin Rudd said

" We intend to take this code of football to the next level in mainstream Australia " Other codes will have to take a back seat as we bid for the world cup " end of quote Hope I got it right . One hell of a statement

Rudd denies playing favourites with soccer cup bid

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/20/2250661.htm?section=sport

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the Government will give all football codes in Australia the same support.

Mr Rudd met members of the Socceroos and Matildas squads in Sydney today to confirm his support for an Australian bid for the 2018 World Cup.

He will also meet a delegation of executives from football's world governing body in Sydney next week.

But Mr Rudd says he is not favouring one code over the others.

"We've got a huge challenge ahead which is to get behind soccer for the 2018 World Cup," he said.

"We know that there are particular development needs that are associated with this game, but when it comes to the other football codes let me tell you we have other things planned as well."

Considerable investment is needed to bring Australia's facilities up to the standard required to host a World Cup.

But Mr Rudd says he will do whatever he can to help Football Federation of Australia Chairman Frank Lowy secure the tournament for Australia.

"This will be a marathon of all marathons, it is going to be tough as hell," he said.

"But our approach, together with Frank's, is you've got to be in it to win it, and if we want the best for this game for the future then bringing the World Cup to Australia's the way to go."

 

[midfielder]

More today in the smh

PM's numbers game prolongs football's moment in the sun


Michael Cockerill

May 21, 2008

ANALYSIS

http://www.smh.com.au/news/football/pms-numbers-game-prolongs-footballs-moment-in-the-sun/2008/05/20/1211182801830.html

THE numbers game is looking good for football, much to the frustration of rival sports.

Frank Lowy was kept waiting for 15 minutes on a sun-drenched afternoon at North Sydney Oval yesterday, and for once he didn't seem to mind. One of Australia's richest men was, after all, waiting for its most powerful, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

At 2.26pm, the PM swept in, surrounded by an entourage of minders talking into their cuff links, and football was occupying centre stage. Again. By the time he departed, Kevin 24/7 had given the game exactly 46 minutes of his precious time - symbolic in itself and enough attention to underline how far this once downtrodden sport has come.

On budget night, while other sports were being cut to pieces by the razor gang, Lowy was making sure the hand that signs the paper made good on a pledge to give football $32 million over the next four years. At a chief executives lunch in Sydney last week, John O'Neill and David Gallop could barely disguise their disappointment that promises made to them had been broken.

But those promises had been made by John Howard, who didn't do too well counting his own numbers. In a sign of Lowy's power and political dexterity, he made sure football had its bases covered.

So there was Rudd, striding onto the North Sydney turf, a huge media posse in tow. Talking to some Socceroos, and some Matildas, he quipped: "This game of football is the world game. The Socceroos, the Matildas, are our diplomats. More people around the world observe what they do than ever observe any speech I deliver, anywhere."

Harry Kewell, just off the plane from England, was there, and the PM said: "No more injuries, please Harry, no injuries." The former Liverpool star presented Rudd with his own Socceroos shirt with the No.18 on the back. Eighteen signifying 2018, the year Australia hopes to host the World Cup.

It's that bid, and Lowy's persuasive powers, that has got our bookish PM on board. At the end of next week, when the FIFA heavies arrive in Sydney for their annual congress, he'll sit down with president Sepp Blatter to press Australia's case.

Rudd also confirmed he would be having "quiet discussions" with his government friends from China about their hopes to challenge Australia for 2018 hosting rights. The PM may not know much about football, but he knows about opportunity. And this is a big one.

"I want to underline again the Australian Government's support for Frank's [Lowy] effort to secure the 2018 World Cup," Rudd said. "This is going to be the marathon of all marathons. It is going to be as tough as hell. But our approach is, you've got to be in it to win it."

So why had his bean counters spent big on football and slashed the wish lists of so many other sports? "Because we've got a huge challenge ahead, which is to get behind soccer for the 2018 World Cup," Rudd said. "We also know there are particular development needs associated with this game. If we are to take this code to the next level, and secure the World Cup, then it means well and truly putting our shoulder to the wheel.

"But we also believe this country is big enough to support all football codes, and we will be behind all football codes in different ways at different times. I don't think it's a question of who comes first and who comes second."

Maybe not, but right now football is enjoying leading the race. For once.

 

[FFC Mariner]

die NRL die.........

He might have shafted pensioners and completely ballsed up private healthcare but if he continues to promote real football, he will do for me

 

[Paolo]

die NRL die.........

Well thats not far off.
back page of telegraph reads "David Gallop's(CEO) chilling message for all Sydney rugby league fans: Clubs will go broke and die"

 

[Arabmariner]

The amount of media coverage the NRL gets is way out of proportion to their crowds and actual interest in the game.By comparison its remarkable the crowds that we get despite the lack of media coverage.Once that media coverage starts to grow.........look out NRL.......you are f**ked!!

die NRL die.........

Hear f**kin hear!

 

[RADINHO]

lol not many people approve him of his party's budget but i approve this for sure.

 

[Paolo]

lol not many people approve him of his party's budget but i approve this for sure.

actually 57% of the people in the Neilsons Poll pulished in Fairfax newspapers approved and thought it was fair