Sponsored by
Cash required to make this city a world player: SMITH ON SOCCER
THE World Cup at Bramall Lane? Damn right, and at Hillsborough too.
This city, the home of organised football, should be a central part of any World Cup bid and our grounds must be dragged into the future and up to standard so we have a chance to see the world's best players right on our doorstep.
Will it happen? Not easily.
The modern football world does not see Sheffield as a player on the national, European or world stage.
We've no Champions League pedigree, no recent title winners and precious few cups in 100 years.
There's not much we can do about that but the grounds can be upgraded, just look what Sheffield United have done in the last five years and are planning to do in the next five.
It's all about money of course and at the moment Wednesday are not flush.
Their ground was the eighth wonder of the football world the last time we had the World Cup here in 1966, but it's not now.
It's still an impressive edifice but the modern world demands more.
Serious cash needs to be put into both grounds to make sure they are 40,000-seater, all-singing all-dancing stadiums with VIP seats, enough room for 600 reporters, 30 camera points, replay screens, transport and hotels for fans so we can entertain Italians, Uruguayans or Egyptians.
It's a great idea and there may well be a few grants to be had - particularly if our Mr Caborn has any say in it.
Despite his Blades allegiance I'm sure he'd fly the flag for Wednesday as well as United in such a battle...
It's a shame Donny didn't make the automatic promotion places on Sunday but they go into the play-offs in good shape.
Should they eventually be successful there could be a Yorkshire bonanza next year with Leeds or Doncaster, United, Wednesday, Barnsley and Hull City all in the Coca-Cola Championship. That's 20 Yorkshire derbies.
Think of the excitement, the rivalries - the police overtime.
What do you think? Post your comments below.
READ MORE
Football headlines.
More Blades.
More Owls.
More Spireites.
More Rovers.
More Reds.
More Millers.
More Ice Hockey.
More rugby.
More boxing.
Sports columnists.
All sport categories.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: East
