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There’s a few football matches happening soon in case you’ve not heard. Jonathan Clegg outlines the fans guide to the planet’s biggest tournament; the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
With Ronaldinho, Beckham and the rest going head-to-head in a country determined to provide as much fun off the field as possible, you need to have the insider’s knowledge of where to go and when. A fun-filled, successful trip to Germany 2006 isn’t quite easy as; go to vibrant ‘Deutschland’, watch great football, sample some bratwurst and beer, then go home. No, sadly that is not quite the case. Rivalry on the field will be fierce, and there will be similar competition (if a little friendlier) off it—for tickets, places to stay and things to do. So if you don’t want to sleep rough and watch the games through the window of a bar, this is what you’ll need to know.
Millions of people will descend on Germany this summer and while a handful might be there to sample the sauerkraut, it is a fair bet that football’s on the menu for the majority.
Contrary to popular belief, a limited number of tickets will be available once the competition kicks off. Phase five of a ticket allocation process that has been planned with a mind-boggling precision begins on 1st May and tickets can be purchased in each of the host cities right up to the final on 9th July. Granted, you are unlikely to get a chance to see Brazil or any of the more glamour teams, but with Togo, Angola and Trinidad & Tobago all represented for the first time, there’s a chance to catch one of the competition’s newcomers.
Alternatively, you could try the World Cup’s official ticket exchange—an online portal for buying, selling or swapping unwanted tickets. Designed to combat black market dealing and ticket touting, all available tickets will be priced at face value, so you will not have to pay over the odds to watch your team in action.
Even if you cannot get your hands on a ticket, Germany promises to be the place to watch the world’s best teams battle it out, since each of the 12 host cities will be organising official public viewings that organisers claim will take the stadium atmosphere onto the streets.
Inspired by the unforgettable image of 200,000 South Korean fans following their team on big screens in Seoul at the last World Cup finals, each city will host a Fan Fest in the central square, providing live broadcasts and plenty of noise.
If you have somewhere more tranquil in mind, Germany 2006 offers the opportunity to watch games in local places of worship! Up to 16,000 churches and public halls will broadcast all 64 games free of charge. It could be the perfect place to appeal for a little divine intervention if your side are taken to penalties.
Hundreds of players, thousands of journalists, and hundreds of thousands of fans will all be heading to Germany in June, so finding a place to stay won’t be easy. Fortunately, there should be no shortage of well-priced accommodation thanks to two initiatives designed to bring fans from the competing nations closer together.
Fan Camps in each of the host cities will offer campsites, large tents or halls for supporters on a modest budget. Tourist offices in each of the 12 World Cup cities will provide full details. If hours spent tossing and turning in a sleeping bag is not exactly your idea of a restful night’s sleep, Germany’s ‘Roof for Fans’ initiative aims to establish friendly contact with football fans from around the world looking for free private accommodation.
The multilingual www.edff.net website comprises a database of individuals offering private rooms in return for a thank you or a small present. You can search the database using a range of criteria, including distance from the stadium, language abilities and even smoking habits to ensure you find a perfect host.
Smokers should be warned, however, that Germany 2006 is aiming to be the first smoke-free finals, and TV adverts and PA announcements will be broadcast in every World Cup stadium politely asking spectators to refrain from the habit.
With 32 teams playing 64 games over 30 days, Germany 2006 will be a festival of football. But like it or not—there will be times when the football runs out. Germany 2006 will offer a host of activities to keep football fans entertained during the days—and nights—when the teams are resting.
It is a fact that spectators from 31 competing nations will not see their team lift the trophy on 9th July, but that does not mean you can’t catch a glimpse of football’s Holy Grail yourself.
This summer the original solid gold FIFA World Cup trophy—not the replica used in 1998 and 2002—will be touring the host nation, visiting 21 towns and cities until the start of the competition—giving you the chance to be photographed with football’s most prestigious prize.
Some of the sport’s most-cherished possessions will also be on show in the Football Globe, an enormous sphere offering visitors the chance to familiarise themselves with the beautiful game.
Designed by Austrian multimedia artist Andre Heller, the football-shaped pavilion has toured each of the World Cup venues over the past year and welcomed nearly one million visitors in that time.
On the ground floor, football fans can see cult objects such as England captain David Beckham’s boots and German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn’s gloves, while visitors can put themselves in the shoes of a referee on the upper floor, or have a go at virtual penalty taking on a 360-degree screen.
For a list of officially licensed ticket vendors: www.fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/tickets
For a list of people looking to trade unwanted tickets: www.wcticketexchange.com
For the fan fest details, with Berlin’s Fan Fest set to hold 100,000 fans, Hamburg offering 50,000, and Dortmund and Munich 40,000 each: www.fanguide2006.org/en/public_viewing
For a list of churches broadcasting games: www.ekd.de/english
For information on Fan Camp Dortmund (pictured below), which holds 4,000 fans and costs €35 per night, and Fan Camp Berlin, which accommodates 2000 fans at €12 per night: www.fancamp-dortmund.de www.wm-fan-camp.net/berlin
Tent Cities have also been established on the outskirts of three of the World Cup host cities, each offering space for a sleeping bag at a cost of €18 a night. The Tent Cities will also show games on big screens and provide shuttle buses to matches being contested in their respective venues.
The Northern Camp is in Brandenburg, 10 kms from Berlin, and holds 4,000 people; the Central camp is 10kms from Dortmund and holds 2,000; and the Southern Camp is an hour from Stuttgart and holds 5,000. www.fanproject2006.com/home
The Football Globe arrives in Berlin on 1st June and welcomes fans daily from 9am–6pm right up until the final on 9th July.
If you’re feeling nosey, why not go player-spotting: www.fanguide2006.org/en/fussball-fieber/team_bases has a list of all the hotels where the teams will be staying, so you can maybe catch a glimpse of David Beckham in the middle of his morning beauty regime. Everything you nee to know about the beautiful game: www.fifaworldcup.yahoo.com
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