The post-event function of world cup stadiums as contribution to the 2010 International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup legacy

Abstract

In the sport environment, a mega-event such as the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup, encompasses major costs for the hosts. High demands are signified for all organising stakeholders to ensure successful implementation. Despite the excessive costs associated with hosting the FIFA World Cup, bidding for the event, remains highly competitive. It is still considered a valuable catalyst for delivering long lasting positive impacts and legacy benefits. Analyses indicate that new stadiums are often built to host these events, requiring longterm planning and sustainable use to ensure successful operations. Problematically, stadiums succumbing the challenges of operational and maintenance costs, are referred to as ‘white elephants’. After the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the hosting local municipalities in South Africa, encountered challenges. These challenges involved ensuring that stadiums remain sustainable after the event and that the maintenance costs of these facilities are reimbursed. Although literature focusses on various types of legacies from the FIFA World Cup, few studies explore the post-event functions of world cup stadiums, particularly from local municipality facility managers’ perspectives. The views and perceptions of local municipality facility managers in the post-event context, offer valuable insight and understanding into world cup stadiums as legacy contributors. The aim of this study is to determine the local municipality facility managers’ perceptions of the functions of the 2010 FIFA World Cup stadiums as contributors to the legacy of the tournament. A qualitative approach was adopted, using semi-structured interviews to gain in-depth perceptions from local municipality facility managers. A standardised interview schedule was developed (based on four themes), derived from the aims and objectives of the study. The data were analysed through thematic analyses. The results were presented according to the themes. The findings reveal that participants perceived a strong relationship amongst the post-event functions of the stadiums and the 2010 FIFA World Cup legacy. The roles of stadiums and their strategic positioning in the local municipalities, are mostly associated with value adding as community facilities. These include contributing to economic activity, building relationships with professional sports teams and driving legacy benefits. Participants raised concerns regarding the sustainability of stadiums, particularly the lack of content and the need for financial support. The study recommends further research to examine the feasibility of constructing stadiums in host cities and identifying the crucial success factors intended for sustainable legacy of stadiums during the post-event period. This may inform future bidding processes and minimise the risks associated with stadiums becoming ‘white elephants’ after mega-events, such as the FIFA World Cup.

Keywords: Legacy, municipalities, stadiums, FIFA, facility managers, perceptions