Bid for London fighting to be the hosting city for EURO 2012

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Introduction

UEFA is a football association that was established on 15 June 1954 in Basle, Switzerland. The association is charged with the responsibility of promoting football sport in the entire continent of Europe. The association was established with the sole purpose of fostering solidarity and promoting peace, given that the continent had just emerged from one of the deadliest World Wars.

In the modern world, the association still has the same objective of fostering solidarity, even though other objectives have been incorporated into the association’s objectives, among them economic benefits.

UEFA has been so crucial in stemming out discrimination based on race, ethnicity and class. In other words, each person feels safe and part of the game since the national anthems of all participating states are played before the games (Coulter 2008, p. 17).

In the global economic environment, sports happen to be another source of income for various states, organizations, companies and individuals. Some aspects are critical to the economic development of a state such as the time taken by the sport, the scale of the sport, the media aspects, tourism and the impacts of the sport to the host countries are important aspects to sport organizers.

Such aspects are very important since they allow the organizers and participants to compute the profits and losses, as well as determine the effectiveness of the sport. As far as the UEFA games is concerned, urban facilities such as infrastructure would be put in place, including erection of landmark structures and renovation of urban facilities such as game parks and recreational facilities.

Through the UEFA sport, the city of London would benefit in many ways since long-term goals regarding the development of the city would be put in place. Furthermore, the profile of the city would be boosted, as one of the successful cities to host important games.

The most significant outcome is that the sport would boost the economic activities of the city since it would create job opportunities and would increase the number of those willing to invest. All these would uplift the living standards of British and other investors from abroad.

Apart from boosting the general economy of the city, specific sectors such as the tourism sector would benefit largely. Since tourism is closely related to sports, the sector would reap maximally from the presence of fans across the world. Through the UEFA games, the city would achieve its long term, as well as short-term economic objectives (Campbell 2004, p. 14).

Dedication and Roadmap

Before the exact dates of the games, the government would ensure that competition sites and facilities would be ready. This would allow the organizing committee to experiment the pre-games programs.

For those fans visiting to support their teams and fellow citizens, visas would be provided in time to avoid any further delay that would inconvenience travelers. The government of Britain would ensure that all programs are set in place to ensure that the sports are conducted in a peaceful manner (Fitzroy & Hulbert 2005, p. 47).

Executive Summary

The government of Britain is suggesting to the UEFA management to host the 2012 UEFA games, which would last for appropriately one month. In case the proposal goes through, the government of Britain would have achieved some of its short-term objectives aimed at attaining the long-term goals of the city.

On the other hand, the sports would boost the profile of London as a city known for its high quality hospitality services. Through the tournament, the government would augment its relationship with other stakeholders in the hospitality and tourism industries.

Even after the games, the city would follow up on some of the projects established prior to the event to fulfill its goals, both short and long term. Since London has hosted mega events before, it is believed that it has a capability to host the UEFA games successfully.

Apart from its experience, London has a professional body of workforce in the tourism and hospitality sector, which would be needed most before, during and after the games. Regarding the political stability of the country, Britain is one of the established democracies in the world meaning that there is enough security and little threats from illegal groups such as Al-Qaeda.

In fact, other factors such as stable economy of London, productive cooperation among government agencies and availability of sponsorship would allow the city of London to host the UEFA games successfully.

Sponsors would wish to continue supporting the city owing to previous events, which have always been successful. Therefore, with previous experience and achievements, each entity would be willing to play its role faithfully, including sponsors (Wheelen 2004, p. 31).

Profile of London

London is the biggest municipality in the entire Europe mainly because of its population size and the infrastructural development. Romanians founded the city and the name has been used since then. The city is governed by two bodies, one of them being the office of the mayor, which is charged with the responsibility of implementing policies and the London assembly, which is in charge of formulating policies in the city.

London is an international city known for quality works of art, business, music, fashion, finance, press, specialized services and research and development. Apart from the above services, the city is also a global leader in terms of transport, tourism and education.

The city can only be compared with New York economically meaning that it offers employment to a number of citizens. Some scholars view London as the center of cultural capital, owing to its diversity.

In 2011, it is believed that it was the leading city in terms of tourism because many visitors were received, as compared to any other city in the world. One of the busiest airports in the world, the London Heart throw, is found in the city. London will be hosting Olympic Games in 2012, making it the only city to have hosted the tournament more than two times.

This has an advantage to the people of Britain since they would benefit economically. As earlier stated, the administration of London is comprised of two tiers, including a citywide tier and local tier.

The Greater London Authority (GLA) controls the citywide tier whereas the 33 minor authorities control the local tier. Additionally, the two authorities, including the mayor of London and the London assembly, further control the GLA. The GLA is managed at the city hall under the directorship of the mayor.

London is known for its serene climate, characterized by temperate marine weather. This climate can be compared to that of southern Britain. Contrary to believe that London receives a lot of rain, the city receives little rain, as compared to other European cities such as Rome.

During winter, the weather in the city is chilly, with frost that happens in the environs of the city from November to March. Snow is also reported to be taking place approximately four to five times a year, probably in December to February. The city has some of the largest parks in the continent located within the area of London. The most common parks include the royal park and the Hyde Park.

Apart from parks, there are also other recreational facilities such as the 320-hectare space located in North London. Some music concerts take place at the site, which has been categorized as a tourist attraction center.

Going by the records at the Office for National Statistics, 67% of the citizens of London are white (59.5% British, 2.2% Irish and 8% other whites), 13.2% are South Asians, 6.2 Indians and 10.1 are blacks. Concerning religious affiliations, 58.2% are Christians, 15.8% pagans, 4.1% Hindu and 8.5% Islamic.

Economically, London is relied upon by the UK since it generates approximately 20% of the GDP ($446 billion). London is one of the strategic places that global business takes place, rivaling New York.

The city has a well-established tourist industry, with over 350,000 employees and an annual income of approximately $25 billion. In total, an approximated 14 million tourists visit London annually. Transport in the city is highly developed and is managed by the office of the city mayor (Goldblatt 2002, p. 10) The city has a public transport network that is managed by the Transport for London agency.

Achievements of London

London has a good name as far as far sports and games are concerned. Generally, England is proud of its history concerning because it has one of the strongest leagues in the world that is, the Barclays Premier League, with strong teams such as Manchester United, Manchester City Arsenal and Chelsea.

In fact, London itself boosts of some of the UEFA champions league giants such as Chelsea and Arsenal. Moreover, London has successfully hosted a number of internally recognized mega and hallmark events. Such events are known to generate income to the London authorities and can create awareness to the people of United Kingdom.

It is factual that the city can host the 2012 UEFA games successfully. London is one of the safest cities in the world (Gimpel 2008, p. 47). The police force within this city is very responsive to any signal of distress. Its infrastructure is also well enhanced, as is discussed in the SWOT and PESTEL analysis below.

SWOT Analysis of the City

To give a clear analysis of this city as far as its suitability is concerned SWOT Analysis would be helpful. The strength of this city comes from various factors. As stated above, London has some of the infrastructure rated as the best in the world.

The political environment of this country is strength of this city as a preferred city to host the event. Unlike other governments that have been hindrance to the development of sporting events in their countries, the country’s leadership has been supportive towards sports. It has ensured that the security needed for such an event is put in place.

It has also given the moral support by encouraging the players to participate actively in various sports. It would be obvious therefore, that would support this tournament. The fact that football is the most attractive sporting event in this city, it would receive a massive support from the residents of this city and its environs (Grant 2002, p. 31).

However, some weaknesses exist, which should be addressed by the officials of the city if it is to succeed in hosting this event. The first weakness is the expectation of the locals. Most of the citizens would expect to see their team win. As Bowdin (2006, p. 12) states, in some occasions, the supporters of England as a team would withdraw their support from the tournament should their team be defeated at earlier stages.

Because they make the highest percentage of the target market for the sale of the tickets, their withdrawal from the tournament can lead to serious loss by the organizers of the event. The city has some opportunities that further put it into the best position of hosting this match.

The closeness of this city to other cities like Manchester makes it easy for the football fields in these other cities available if there is need. The road network is also good and links this city to other cities hence making it easy to share social amenities.

Despite the above positivity, there are threats that this city has to overcome in order to manage the competition posed by other nations that are also strategizing to win this tournament. The first threat is the competition itself. There are various other European nations, which has put spirited fight in order to win the bid. Some of these countries are just as good as London itself in infrastructure or otherwise.

Moreover, others have better bargaining power because they have never hosted this event, unlike London, and they are just as equal members of this tournament as London or any other European nation. A further analysis of this country, and specifically London’s suitability to host this event, can be done through PESTEL Analysis.

PESTEL Analysis

London can be given a detailed analysis through PESTEL analysis. This analysis would help give the attributes. These attributes would be very important in making the decision on which city would be most appropriate to host the tournament. The PESTEL analysis technique has been used in an effort to analyze some of these factors.

The PESTEL model usually covers the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors that are likely to influence the decision-making processes while planning for an event some of these factors might result in various changes being made in the planning process (Peteraf 1993, p. 179).

Political Factors

This country has the most stable governments in the world. The leadership of this country has encouraged development in various fronts, especially the infrastructure. The government has also been supportive towards sporting events in the entire country. The government has put much effort in making sure that the country and London city in particular wins the bid for the EURO 2012 Cup tournament.

The treasury has for instance set aside around $11 billion to cater for the preparation and renovation cost. The justice minister had made it clear that the government is also willing to step up the security measures to ensure that the event is carried out in a safe and secure environment.

More security personnel will be deployed to the host city and more security equipment are being acquired for the purpose of the event. The renovation activities within the stadiums in London have already started and they will to be ready by the time of the event. The government has also made it clear that it would pay for extra promotion and advertisement activities in the local media (Haberberg 2001, p. 11).

Economic Factors

The world economy has been witnessing instability in the recent past. The United Kingdom is one of the countries that were heavily affected by the recent world economic recession. This has put a lot of pressure on the country’s national budget, especially due to the subsequent inflation.

The inflation rates have been constantly rising across many nations. This has posed a challenge to the country in its quest to host the event. The quoted figure of $11 billion is likely to go up owing to such inflation.

The construction material has become expensive and the workers are likely to demand for an increase in their pay. Even with such inflation, the country has been experiencing some small margin growth and it is bound to succeed in making the event a great success (Wiiliamson 2004, p. 67).

Social Factors

This society highly values entertainment is a form of leisure. Football is one of the most popular sports in this country. The popularity of football has been growing at a very high rate across the globe especially among the young and middle aged population.

Given that the world has very many young and middle age people, the event is likely to become a great success, as more people would be willing to go and watch the game in person (Menon 2010, p. 47).

The society is also appreciates the rights of individuals and this makes it one of the best place to host such a tournament due to the variability of cultures of the attendants. The city is very cosmopolitan and it would accommodate individuals of any cultural practices.

Technological Factors

The emerging technologies have redefined the way things are done in various facets. London as a city has generally embraced technological advancements in almost every sector. This has been advantageous, as technology has made it to be among the best hosts of such an event. In the hospitality industry for instance, hotel bookings have been made easier and less expensive as they can be done online.

Most of them have ultra-modern facilities like touch screen tables for security, high-speed internet connections and satellite dishes (Shone 2004, p. 8). All these have made service delivery effective, convenient and even entertaining. The security department has also employed the use of current technology in beefing up security in the country for the event.

CCTV cameras, weapon detectors and the Robocop style glasses would all be used to screen people during security check ups. It is quite clear a high-speed railway is to be constructed across London and this will make the movement of football fanatics from one point of the city to the other easier and faster (Johnson 2008, p. 67).

Environmental Factors

London is in the country that experience the four different seasons that is; spring, autumn, winter and summer. It is therefore upon the management to make sure that the event lies on a season that will not be difficult for the players and funs to cope with (Porter 1980, p. 43).

It might for instance be unwise if the event shall be scheduled for winter when it is too cold and the snow is falling. This would inconvenience the fun and players and it might not witness a higher turn out as expected. The event would best be scheduled in summer.

The city is very clean and with well-maintained street lighting system. It is therefore easy to host a huge population in this city without any danger to the participants (Mintzberg 1998, p. 34).

Legal Factors

Law and order is one of the most important aspects on the social welfare of a given society. Allen (2005, p. 45) explains that the community that lacks clearly stated laws and regulations cannot make it through successfully. On the legal front, laws have been enacted to enhance environmental conservation and minimize pollution activities.

Transport firms are for instance being encouraged to use electric vehicles and avoid vehicles that use fuel in an effort to conserve the environment and minimize global warming.

This implies that more electric buses and cars have to be purchased for transporting people within and across the towns and cities of England during the event. (Yeoman 2003, p. 32). The law is also very tough on those who breach the right of others either socially, economically or in whichever front. There are laws governing the sports and sporting events.

Business Plan

The United Kingdom is one of the developed countries. Majority of its population are well above the poverty line. This tournament is expected to generate a lot of income through the ticketing program. The tickers would be categorized as the very important (v.i.p.) group, the middle class and the common group.

This categorization is important because it allows all the individuals concerned able to participate in the tournament without the fear of being locked out. To the poor, this groping and different charging of the tickets makes it possible to be part of this tournament. To the rich, it would be easy to attend the tournament physically while still maintaining their high class (Wyludda 2009, p. 51).

Operational Plan

This city has made proper arrangement that would make it easier to host this program. All the visitors are expected organize the way they would spend during this tournament. The visitors would therefore need to make an early booking of the hotels.

They would also ensure that the participants have access to better facilities at the hosting country. The city management would ensure that there is improved security to the visitors. There would be a deliberate attempt to ensure that environmental concerns of the city is maintained, irrespective the population that would be present for the tournament (Tarlow 2002, 87).

Conclusion

Sports are some of the main events that bring people together. Football is one of the most popular events in the world that attracts millions of fans across the globe. As seen from the above discussion, football has undergone a great transformation over time. Originally played without any clear structure and just meant to entertain, there has been a great change in the way football is generally conducted.

Technological changes have infiltrated football in various fronts. However, due to technology, the world has been turned into a global village. This has made football be known world over. Technology has also enhanced the way football is played.

Currently, every country has its own national football team and various football clubs. Europe is one of the leading nations that have well developed football clubs with well-structured calendar on where and when the games will be played. UEFA Championships is one of the main football events in Europe.

Euro 2012 has been considered as one of the mega football events in the history of European football. To host this tournament, a country should not only have the proper infrastructure, but also many other requirements like proper security, a well advanced hospitality industry, goodwill from the government and the citizens of the country among others.

There are many nations in Europe that would be said to pass the above requirements. However, there are considerations that would make one country better poised to host this tournament than others would and this is the basis upon which one country will be selected over others. London stands out as the best destination for this tournament.

There are various reasons that qualify this city as the best destination for the Euro 2012. This tournament requires proper infrastructure in order to manage the expected number of people expected to attend the tournament. London has ultra-modern roads that have the capacity to manage a large number of vehicles with no traffic jams.

The airports are well fed with roads leading to various places within the city. The city is also well served by electric train, which has further enhanced the means of transport. Besides transport, the city has well developed communication system.

From strong and relatively cheap mobile phone networks, to landlines, which are very stable, communication is easily enhanced. Both the landline and mobile phones allows individuals to make emergency phone calls, either in case of need for medical assistance or police attention, at no cost at all.

The city has some of the best hospitals in this region, with staffs, which are well trained, and working for twenty-four hours in a day. The police patrol the city all day, despite the fact that the city is rated as one of the safest in the world.

Most of the public facilities have gadgets that are able to detect such items as bombs or other illegal arms that can pose danger. There is also tight security check-up at the country’s main airports, further reducing chances of illegal arms finding their way into the country. London is well connected to other cities within this country via various means.

With football pitches like Wembley Stadium, Old Trafford, Emirates Stadium, St James’ Park, Stadium of Light, and City of Manchester Stadium among other main football fields, London city stands the best place to be the host of this tournament. Despite the threats posed by the al-Qaida and other terrorist groupings around the world, this city has the best chance to host this tournament success

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