Now that the curtain has closed on the FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa, www.Islandstats.com spoke with the Bermuda Football Association’s General Secretary David Sabir about his involvement in the Tournament. Today we bring you Part Two of a Three Part Interview.
Q. What was your most memorable moment at the World Cup?
A. This might come as a surprise but because of my duties I maybe saw a combined total of between 5-10 minutes of each match played in my stadium. Therefore, my most memorable moments relate strictly to the role that I played during the World Cup. So, I would have to say that when it was determined that England and Germany were going to play their Round of 16 match in our stadium, everyone was elated because we would have the opportunity to demonstrate that we could successful deliver our safety and security plan during such a high profile match. To see the joy and happiness of the LOC staff members from the City of Bloemfontein showed just how much this match meant to them. It was a moment to show the world and the rest of South Africa that the City of Bloemfontein was ready to deliver! I can’t forget the singing and dancing of the almost 1,400 stewards and security staff as they paraded into the stadium for duty on each match day! Truly an emotional sight to remember!
Q. How successful was your mission?
A. The Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein had a capacity during the World Cup of 42,000. Before the start of the World Cup, a leading newspaper in Bloemfontein was criticizing the LOC stating that they were not prepared for the World Cup and that security will be a disaster, etc. etc. After the first match on June 14th, that same newspaper proclaimed that our stadium was the “gold standard” and that we were the example for the other venues. Apparently, they reported the same sentiments after each match played in Bloemfontein. This was very pleasing to the security team and confirmed that we were doing what was expected of us. Additionally, we received congratulatory remarks from most of the teams regarding our operation especially for taking a proactive stance in eliminating and resolving the many issues that arose before and during the match. Finally, we had no major incidents take place in our venue, for which we were extremely pleased!
Q. What are some of the things you intend to share with the BFA’s Executive Council and Clubs about the things you learned during the World Cup?
A. Firstly, FIFA’s Safety Regulations are applicable to the football operations in every country. Therefore, BFA’s Safety and Security Regulations mirror what is expected at the highest level. The one thing that we must realize is that people make the security operation a success or failure. It is also the ability to react in the appropriate manner to any eventuality that may arise, which means there must be a functional safety and security plan in place during each match. Above all else that is our challenge in Bermuda! We must continually communicate the message that everyone should come to football games in Bermuda to celebrate in victory and to be respectful in defeat but also we must implement the appropriate level of readiness in case individuals choose not to respect these values.
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