Guys seriously now we have known for years the soccer world cup is coming. This week has seen the move from triple digits to single digit numbers, some of the pitches do not have grass on them yet however every one is told it can be done in 3 weeks. OK cool will have to take your word for it – imagine the mayhem when trying to mow the sand we have for pitches. The past few months have seen excited soccer fans apply for tickets for the opening final and the SA games, great guns, we again were told “the lack of support from SA is worrying?” HUh ? Are you guys serious? The games for SA are sold out and know a few people that have applied for these games to have declined/ rejected applications? Is it really necessary to have a million people apply for 10 000 tickets for these games – so it looks great? So the fat cats are fed properly? Does it really matter how many people apply when you are over subscribed already? Or is it the boasting factor that you need? What is it really? Does it make that much of a difference?

Well done soccer city you take the pie so far for being 1 Billion rand over budget! Guess this is a modest calculation as if there is such gross incompetence in the projections then one must expect that this figure is an understatement and I definitely believe that in line with gross negligence all round that we will be surprised with more figures once the for runners of the projects calculate to drop the bomb shell of the actual figures. Why were the building costs not fixed and negotiated correctly at the start of the project?

OK while we are talking about planning – building soccer fever in the country to be the best hosts of the world cup 2010 – someone came up with the idea of wearing soccer kit on Fridays to see the fever along and show your support. Cool, like diligent South Africans we went shopping this weekend for the replica shirts. First went t Sneakers replica at the Dome – guess what – Sold out – yup sold out and we are just over 3 months away from the opening? They did have stock, training shirts they were however the clerk had no idea what shirts they were, took a guess and read the label? Guys please – know your product – this is surely lesson 101 in any salesman’s handbook!

Next on to sportsmans warehouse – really thought they would not let me down. Should not have got my hopes up, they had 1 shirt left and it was again a training shirt of sorts. Again let me state the obvious, we are 3 months away and you do not have stock! Spoke with the manager on duty – Steven, now Steven’s take on the situation is to blame Adidas directly, they cannot supply enough stock. ” We have ordered 20 000 shirts coming in and they are all reserved”, now Steven I may be a bit green behind the ears however no major offence however I have been on the receiving end of sheer incompetence in your store a few times in my life and really doubt that your store is capable of running a *reserving* system of any sorts – let alone one where you can maintain a list of 20 000 shirt orders , unless of course they are all going to 1 person. So a few things here – 1) Are  you taking the piss Steven and really could not care less about my comments to you and need to shed the incompetence and foresight of your store? – 2)  Adidas – you have made such a mess? Did you not see what happened at the Rugby world cup recently where supports went though a similar draught – that however was just for the final match not 3 months before the start of the event!

Guys the dots are not joining up so nicely, take it any way you want, results and action is what counts not hot air, it is the fans and the guys on the streets that are going to watch the matches, they are the guys that are gonna help in creating the awesome atmosphere in this coutry for the soccer world cup 2010! Have we forgotten about the basics and the actualy clients in this case?