Taking a leaf from Germany's book, Joburg is to set up a soccer fan park at Mary Fitzgerald Square. Here, fans without tickets to the Telkom Challenge matches can watch all the action.

Fan park: This year's Telkom Challenge soccer matches will be screened live in Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown

MARY Fitzgerald Square in Newtown will be turned into a fan park for the Telkom Challenge matches taking place in July as part of the province's preparations for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup.

Soccer lovers who can't get tickets to the matches will be able to watch the live action, playing out on a large screen at the square.

Gauteng's MEC for sport, recreation, arts and culture, Barbara Creecy, said that an agreement was reached between the City of Johannesburg and the Gauteng government to turn Mary Fitzgerald Square into a fan park.

"A lot of lessons were learned at the 2006 world cup in Germany. We saw many people who could not afford match tickets going to watch the matches at fan parks."

The idea was raised by Premier Mbhazima Shilowa during his state of the province address at the opening of the Gauteng Legislature on Monday, 19 February. "We are working with municipalities and business to develop fan parks where members of the public will be able to view matches," he said.

"The success of the concept will also allow us to plan for cup final matches featuring Gauteng teams that are played outside the province."

Discussions between the Gauteng government and the Premier Soccer League are being held to identify other potential sites where the fan park concept can be piloted.

Meanwhile, an Integrated 2010 Framework for Gauteng to ensure that all government departments and local municipalities work together to create a lasting legacy for the community will be launched at the end of March.

"We will also use the occasion to inform the private sector about the economic opportunities that will be available," Shilowa said.

"Hosting Soccerex, the largest football business exhibition in the world, over the next three years, provides us with the platform to showcase the province's readiness to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup".

"The forthcoming world cup holds prospects for us to provide a world class event, while dealing with our priorities such as accelerated economic growth, job creation, poverty alleviation, stadia, road and transport infrastructure, and safety and security," he concluded.