Who will fill the stadium?

Where were you at about 4.15pm on Tuesday, January 13, 2009? No, that won't be a question that is asked too many times. It was a significant moment for me as I pulled my car to the side of Adrain Road in Morningside to watch the moment many of us have been waiting for - the final piece of the Moses Mabhida Stadium arch being wedged into place.

Living nearby the stadium and watching its daily progress, I have been fascinated at its construction.

Even my 16-year-old daughter makes a comment every time we drive by, and there she was taking pictures from her cellphone camera on Tuesday as we waited for the tallest crane in the world to hoist the last 60-ton piece of the arch above the structure and then slowly lower it into place.

As someone who was against the building of this stadium because of the huge costs involved and one who was in the camp for those who wanted the Absa Stadium upgraded for the World Cup, it was indeed a stirring moment.

So, perhaps, I was wrong - or, perhaps, not. For whatever emotion and pride many of us felt on Tuesday when the arch was completed, the fact is that at just less than R2 billion, it is a lot of money to spend on a structure that has no guarantees it is going to be financially viable once overseas fans have departed our shores after the completion of the World Cup.

I know that authorities have started building some huge retail outlets and that the stadium is going to be visited and used by many once the soccer is over. People will be able to walk on the arch and all sorts of activities have been mentioned.

Long-running

The future, apparently, also lies with the long-running debate in which the eThekwini municipality want the Sharks to move across and take residence at Moses Mabhida, which means that for at least eight months of each year, crowds of about 20 000 to 55 000 will fill the stadium.

And if the Sharks continue to play like a champion team and get into Super 14 finals, yes, it will be easy to get 60 000 to 70 000 bums on seats.

Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates can reach that amount, but we are talking about only a couple of times a year.

Certainly no local PSL club could even fill a 10th of the capacity at Moses Mabhida, such is the lack of support for these teams.

So besides the Sharks (and that matter still has a long way to go before an agreement is struck), Chiefs, Pirates, the odd pop concert, the stadium (on the inside anyway) is not going to really pay for itself.

But for now, let's put that aside and salute the construction company which is building this wonderful-looking stadium and dream of a World Cup semi-final being played there. How about South Africa v Brazil?

Now that would be a day no-one would forget.