Last week, England faced Slovenia at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, and I was there! It all began a few weeks ago when I took a chance and applied for media accreditation for that specific match.
Last week, England faced Slovenia at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, and I was there! It all began a few weeks ago when I took a chance and applied for media accreditation for that specific match.
And only a few days before the match I heard that my application had been successful. The day arrived and I headed to PE with Abongile Mgaqelwa, the Grocott’s Mail news editor, whose application had also been accepted.
We got parking about three kilometres from the stadium and took the walk down, with dozens of soccer fans, mainly England supporters, and the mood was already ayoba.
We collected our accreditation just outside the stadium and then headed to the media centre to collect our seat ticket numbers.
This was also my first experience at the new stadium, and it really is magnificent. The media centre stretches for about 200 metres where media people from all around the world were already gathering stories, taking pictures and watching one of a variety of TV channels on flat screens.
Speaking to other media contacts, I was told that Fifa lends out camera equipment to accredited media people, so I rushed over and scored myself my dream piece of equipment: a long lens the ones you always see in the background of matches on TV.
I was hooked up with a Nikon D3s with a 200 to 400mm lens, valued at over R150 000 together. So off I went, looking the part, even though it was only for about an hour and a half.
From the media centre it was off to the media tribune on the fourth and fifth floors of the stadium. Here is where all press reporters and a few photographers watch the match.
Reporters are seated at a desk with a TV screen showing seven different channels across the stadium, and the photographers are placed in front with an aerial view of the stadium.
As the stadium began to fill up, the vibe became electrifying, and that’s how it stayed (except for the singing of the national anthems) until after the final whistle blew.
I was seated on the fifth floor, directly behind the England dugout, where England’s coach, Fabio Capello kept leaping up and down when his side made a sudden surge.
As the match began, the crowd broke out cheering, crazily blowing vuvuzelas. But when Wayne Rooney made his first touch of the ball, the crowd virtually erupted.
During the match I spotted Grahamstown’s own Mandla Gagayi who is following the England team around as a team liason.
While David Beckham was in the dugout most of the time, he made a sudden appearance off the pitch as England took the lead, and turned to smile into the now ecstatic (mainly England supporting) crowd.
Directly opposite the media tribune I spotted a stiff, serious looking bunch, and after zooming my 400mm lens into that section, I saw they were a large group of Slovenian supporters in white shirts with Slovenia written in green.
Now that’s a cool zoom lens. During the second half I took a tour around the stadium, often bumping into groups of up to 20 cops, and security members lining up on the ready to surround the field of play at the final whistle, and a few cops with the bobby helmets.
The obvious British supporters red haired, freckled faces and snow-white skins were spotted throughout the stadium looking happy as their team were headed to round of 16.
The game ended with another eruption as England booked their top 16 spot, meaning more time for the England supporters in South Africa.
Even walking to the car, the atmosphere was still abuzz as England supporters praised their side (and lambasted Slovenia supporters), vuvuzelas trumpeted and camermen were spotted running after targets to interview them.
It was truly an amazing experience being part of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.I can say, I truly felt it – I was there.
