Portsmouth Out The Running

From Vital England:

‘Should’ the world cup bid be successful then one ‘would have been’ potential host city that definitely will now NOT be an option is Portsmouth, with it confirmed that the cities application to be a host has been removed…

The likelihood of this happening had seemingly grown over the past week or so, with it last week confirmed that the ‘reported’ £24m costs of staging this were something that the city could not afford, and would not justify passing onto taxpayers.

It has now been officially confirmed that the cities council has voted AGAINST submitting its final bid, which had to come today, and the world cup dream for Portsmouth is dead…

Tory leader Steve Wemyss, the Conservative that led voting against the bid, told The News: ‘I would love the World Cup to come to Portsmouth, but not at any cost. We are deceiving the council taxpayers if we think we can afford this.

‘Let’s say no rather than have to cut other services to pay for this. We have to be realistic.’

Whereas Liberal Demarcate leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson wanted the bid to press ahead, despite the risks it might have meant to the city. As these risks were outweighed by the positives: ‘I am sad that we have sent a message out to the world that we do not have ambition in this city.

‘It could bring £130m of benefit to the economy, as well as regeneration and creating jobs. It is a risk, but there are no opportunities without taking risks.’

Council official Mike Hancock feels that Fifa and uefa should be more accountable for these costs, and should not be passing them onto taxpayers to fund: ‘it is a disgrace that organisations like FIFA and the FA with their millions of pounds have passed this burden on the hard pressed taxpayers.

‘But I do not think we can put this on the taxpayers.’

Whilst I can understand, and do appreciate, that passing these costs onto taxpayers is not something that should be done but what about the millions of pounds worth of taxpayers money that has, is, and most likely will continue to be WASTED on crap that is not needed, or wanted, that is of NO benefit to Portsmouth?

Surely bringing the world cup to Portsmouth was something that WAS worth it?

Yep, £24m is a lot of money to pay out but the rewards this would have brought to Portsmouth, and its economy would have been worth so much more – this, for me, is a chance that has seriously been missed.

This is just a sample section, read the full article on this link – England – Portsmouth out the running.