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KEIR RADNEDGE: AUSSIE STRATEGY POINTS A WINNING FINGER IN LONDON'S DIRECTION

4:35pm Thursday, 28th January 2010

The latest personnel changes among the Australian World Cup bid team prompt the mischievous thought that perhaps Frank Lowy has missed one last trick: maybe he should propose staging the Opening Match and the Final at Wembley.

This is, after all, maybe the world's most iconic football stadium, it has been rebuilt at a cost of zillions and renting it would guarantee international attention.

Or then again, maybe not.

Football Federation Australia has a problem. As its directors have clearly learned, much of football politics is dictated from Europe and a 'local' presence is essential, along with international expertise.

Hence the FFA has met the challenge of "increasing level of media, advocacy and communications work to be undertaken outside Australia" by appointing the London Sport and Communications consultancy company Square1 Sports Ltd.

Also coming on board is Joanna Burns, a founding partner of UK consultancy firm Alexander Ross, "to manage overseas events and coordinate the international communications and relations aspects of the bid from London."

It was a cheap shot from one critic in a rival bid to ask whether Australia lacked the necessary resources. This is, of course, nonsense. Marketing the message is not an international specialty.

Or is it?

A host of international promotional consultancies operate out of London. One is Vero, whose Mike Lee achieved a significant double success in Copenhagen last autumn when the International Olympic Committee awarded the 2016 Summer Games to Rio de Janeiro and restored rugby union to the programme.

Lee worked on communications for both, following through a similar involvement with London 2012's singular success in Singapore. Now his sights are set - among other targets - on the 2022 World Cup with Qatar.

Jon Tibbs, of Jon Tibbs Associates, has been working similarly and impressively on the major challenge which is Sochi, the Russian host city for the 2012 Winter Olympics.

All of which suggests that - setting aside England's own World Cup bid - the political and commercial context of British sport creates an effective starting point when it comes to promoting, branding, marketing and managing an international sports/business project.

As for Wembley, its hopes of another World Cup - after 1966 - stand or fall with England's own bid. Conversely, of course, the lead design and construction company was Multiplex of Australia.

Keir Radnedge is one of the foremost observers of international soccer. He has reported at every World Cup since 1966 and is a regular contributor to TV, radio, newspapers and magazines worldwide. He is London-based Editor of SportsFeatures.com and is chairman of the Football Commission of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS).