Cape Town: Man U better than AFCON

[cr@zydude]

CAPE Town has chosen Manchester United ahead of Africa because it's cheaper and more popular.

HOWZAT! Hosting Afcon matches would have cost R20m but Manchester United - the world's most popular football club - would cost less than R7m

That was the rationale given by the Mother City for agreeing to stage a match involving the English Premier League giants rather than any side at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations finals that will be hosted by South Africa.

Cape Town city councillor Grant Pascoe, a member of the mayoral committee, defended Cape Town's decision to reject that chance to host any of next year's Afcon matches while agreeing to host Man United.

Pascoe said staging the Afcon matches would have cost R20m but United would cost "less than R7m and still make money".

United will play AmaZulu at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on July 18 and take on Ajax Cape Town on July 21 at the Cape Town Stadium.

"We look at iconic brands, that is our strategy," said Pascoe. "Man U will probably travel with about 100 foreign media and they are going to have TV and broadcasting live even though this is a friendly. And that helps us and puts us on the map.

"And we probably got a bargain," he said. "If Durban are spending R7m, we will spend less and still make some revenue."

He hit back at Safa and the Afcon Local Organising Committee for poor communicationt.

"The questions we asked were never answered. But Manchester United chose us."

Gate takings will also add to the revenue Pascoe referred to, with tickets priced at R150 to R350.

"On the Cape Flats and across town, Man United is the most supported European team. So it is going to be very easy to fill up the stadium," he said.

The Sowetan

In the sense that white people are rich are more likely to watch a Man United match, a great choice. As for showing that you care about being part of a South African event, not good at all.

As for making money, earlier reports said that Man U will be taking the gate, at least in Durban. At least they are being honest about their choice.

 

[burn]

Afcon is a mere irritation compared to the might of Man United, and United are a quarter of the cost. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

 

[Stickfigure]

I wouldn't go watch an Afcon match but I'd stand in a queue for hours just to get a ticket to watch Manchester United.

 

[R13...]

I wouldn't go watch an Afcon match but I'd stand in a queue for hours just to get a ticket to watch Manchester United.

Afcon is a mere irritation compared to the might of Man United, and United are a quarter of the cost. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

It is cheaper to host united because it will be just one game, won't it? Against a few during the Afcon.

That's the point crazydude makes there, Capetonians will pack the stadium to see united by can't be bothered turning up for their local teams or the Afcon. Sad really.

 

[b_crazy]

I'm more interested in the Afcon than this friendly Man U game .

/moves along

 

[fishfly]

"We look at iconic brands, that is our strategy," said Pascoe. "Man U will probably travel with about 100 foreign media and they are going to have TV and broadcasting live even though this is a friendly. And that helps us and puts us on the map.

"And we probably got a bargain," he said. "If Durban are spending R7m, we will spend less and still make some revenue."

He hit back at Safa and the Afcon Local Organising Committee for poor communicationt.

"The questions we asked were never answered. But Manchester United chose us."

Fek is it me or my bad english but I don't understand wtf this section is about... something about getting a bargain then hitting Safa?

Damn

 

[JungleBoy]

How is that Dbn can afford to host both AFCON and ManU ?

 

[fishfly]

How is that Dbn can afford to host both AFCON and ManU ?

seems to me like the problem is not about hosting the AFCON but about SAFA being a biach

 

[RexxGrim]

It is cheaper to host united because it will be just one game, won't it? Against a few during the Afcon.

That's the point crazydude makes there, Capetonians will pack the stadium to see united by can't be bothered turning up for their local teams or the Afcon. Sad really.

United is playing Ajax Cape Town. I was under the impression in Cape Town, Ajax Cape Town was a local team.

 

[I.am.Sam]

It is cheaper to host united because it will be just one game, won't it? Against a few during the Afcon.

That's the point crazydude makes there, Capetonians will pack the stadium to see united by can't be bothered turning up for their local teams or the Afcon. Sad really.

the price and quality of any prduct you buy in any store is the difference

 

[Mr G]

How is that Dbn can afford to host both AFCON and ManU ?

its not about affordability. last I heard it was SAFA that said CT was something like 6th on the list of cities chosen to host afcon matches, and only 5 were chosen ... or whatever the number is. So its not really our falut that we never got any afcon matches, but it just works out better that united chose ajax. Dbn just got lucky I guess

 

[cr@zydude]

It is cheaper to host united because it will be just one game, won't it? Against a few during the Afcon.

That's the point crazydude makes there, Capetonians will pack the stadium to see united by can't be bothered turning up for their local teams or the Afcon. Sad really.

Yeah, it's pretty sad though not unexpected. It's not just Cape Town though. Durban will be packed for this game, something which doesn't often happen for Amazulu.

Also, whether or not hosting Man U is better in revenue terms, I still think that it's dumb for an official to say it.

 

[Mr G]

isnt it also the fact that MTN is an official mobile sponsor in SA for mufc ... I know ajax are sponsored by them, I would imagine amazulu are too?

 

[RexxGrim]

Would Cape Town stadium have hosted any Bafana games, if they made themselves available for Afcon?

 

[R13...]

United is playing Ajax Cape Town. I was under the impression in Cape Town, Ajax Cape Town was a local team.

Don't be obtuse, you know exactly what I mean.

When united last played in CT, the stadium was full to capacity with people who have never been to a local football game. So the fans to exist and are clearly willing to pay (the united games then cost a lot more than a PSL game, I know because I paid R350 to see united in Durban) to go games just not when local teams play.

 

[RexxGrim]

Don't be obtuse, you know exactly what I mean.

When united last played in CT, the stadium was full to capacity with people who have never been to a local football game. So the fans to exist and are clearly willing to pay (the united games then cost a lot more than a PSL game, I know because I paid R350 to see united in Durban) to go games just not when local teams play.

I appologize, was trying to make a joke.

 

[Eskimos]

isnt it also the fact that MTN is an official mobile sponsor in SA for mufc ... I know ajax are sponsored by them, I would imagine amazulu are too?

That is pretty much the main reason they are coming here.

But even without that, if Bafana Bafana showed 0.1% of the dedication or at least drive that United have shown, they would get a hell of a lot more supporters. I have watched pretty much most of the Bafana Bafana games and yet even when United play horrendously, they still give it their all. Honestly you can't expect people to go support a team that doesn't even care. You really couldn't blame a city for choosing to host a team that people actually want to see play.

That said SAFA have an issue with Cape Town, which is why they don't get the oppurtunity to host Bafana Bafana or why they were ranked so low in possible Afcon cities.

 

[hj2k_x]

Local footy is rubbish and so is Afcon. Why would South Africans flock to see other African teams play in Afcon? I mean really.

 

[smokey]

I like AFCON tbh, but local footy is dreadful. Our approach to the game is so stupid it's a joke. that's not even taking into account the youth structures. Once people wise up and learn that diski is not the way forward, then we can see an improvement. We have the "best" league in Africa and yet we get trounced in the talent stakes by countries with 1% of our possible infrastructure.

 

[akescpt]

Don't be obtuse, you know exactly what I mean.

When united last played in CT, the stadium was full to capacity with people who have never been to a local football game. So the fans to exist and are clearly willing to pay (the united games then cost a lot more than a PSL game, I know because I paid R350 to see united in Durban) to go games just not when local teams play.

is it 350 to go? damn..