[gngrasso]

Won't stop me from going to Germany....

German consumer group blasts World Cup stadium safety

By Philip Blenkinsop

BERLIN, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Germany's World Cup stadiums have serious safety problems as lessons from past disasters seem to have been ignored, a German consumer protection group said on Tuesday.

Stiftung Warentest, respected throughout Germany for its rating of consumer products and services, said safety in general had improved since 1980s multiple fatalities at the Heysel, Bradford and Hillsborough soccer stadiums, but deficiencies persisted.

"The results were sobering. Many of the conclusions drawn 20 years ago have either been forgotten or partly ignored," Holger Brackemann, department chief at Stiftung Warentest, told a news conference five months before the tournament begins on June 9.

Franz Beckenbauer, head of Germany's World Cup organising committee, has rejected the group's criticism.

The consumer group found that three World Cup stadiums in particular -- Gelsenkirchen, Leipzig and final venue Berlin -- were not prepared for a mass evacuation. Officials from several of the arenas said the group got some of its facts wrong.

Crowd panic, set off for example by a bomb warning, could have fatal consequences, the group concluded, as there were no exits onto the pitches.

The stadium in Kaiserslautern, where cracks were discovered in a stand last month, was a fire hazard, with a press area built on a wooden podium and a lack of alarms on sprinklers in the north stand, Stiftung Warentest concluded.

Overall, the group rated four stadiums, including Munich's stunning new arena that will host the opening match on June 9, as having a few shortcomings, four more as having clear failings and a final four, including Berlin, as having grave deficits.

Beckenbauer on Monday criticised Stiftung Warentest, which had indicated it would expose safety problems at stadiums, saying it should stick to testing consumer items such as olive oil, face creams and vacuum cleaners.

"I'm really sick and tired of the army of know-it-alls trying to lift their profile at the expense of the World Cup," he said. Stiftung Warentest argued that its report gave organisers five months to improve matters.

"I don't think such criticism is very professional," Brackemann said. "It would be better if they found it helpful for their organisation of the World Cup."

He added the group had tested stadium safety before, in the mid and late 1980s before Germany's hosting of the European Championship in 1988, and had also looked at safety at other places, such as railway stations.

[El-Professor]

I disagree with Beckenbaur, such criticism has a place and is entirely appropriate. That said, only a neurotic moron would worry about this report. The problems ARE NOT imminent hazards and keeping one's head in an emergency, rather than resorting to the mass panic cited in the report or becoming anxious about said report, is the best defense.

[gngrasso]

Originally Posted by El-Professor

That said, only a neurotic moron would worry about this report. The problems ARE NOT imminent hazards and keeping one's head in an emergency, rather than resorting to the mass panic cited in the report or becoming anxious about said report, is the best defense.

Agreed. I almost hesitated to post it for fear of beaing labled a neurotic moron! Just thought it was interesting info.

[NBlue]

Well that's not good at all. Thank god we don't play any games in Gelsenkirchen or Kaiserslautern. Oh ******** . . .


btw, the criticsm of the stadiums as failing fire standards and not having viable evacuation route are entirely valid -- especially considering the possibility for some kind of terrorist threat. Instead of dismissing them out of hand, perhaps Brackemann could respond specifically to the allegations to provide us attending with some confidence in the facilities. His response that they should stick to criticizing something else does not exactly inspire such confidence.

[El-Professor]

Originally Posted by gngrasso

Agreed. I almost hesitated to post it for fear of beaing labled a neurotic moron! Just thought it was interesting info.

Please don't think that I meant you were a neurotic moron, I only wanted to indicate that this is not something to worry about. I do, however, appreciate the information, thanks.

[bltleo]

Yes Kaiserslautern is probably not our best stadiums. It is not my favorite stadium. I don´t know why USA play in K-town. I wish you played in Cologne or Munich. But I can not change it.

I believe until the World Cup will be everything solved. We Germans try always to do things perfect. So we want to make them just perfect. They are surely very good, but not perfect. We are working that they will be perfect.

I have big respect of Beckenbauer. It is a man I really like. So I don´t want to critize him so much here.

Bltleo
Germany

[El-Professor]

Originally Posted by bltleo

I have big respect of Beckenbauer. It is a man I really like. So I don´t want to critize him so much here.

Bltleo
Germany

I think you can disagree with somebody and still have respect for that person. I've heard very good things about Beckenbaur and enjoyed watching him play. I'm also sure he has his share of headaches.

[dfb547490]

This is excellent, hopefully enough Nervous Nellies will see this and not want to go anymore so that I can get cheap tickets

[NBlue]

Originally Posted by dfb547490

This is excellent, hopefully enough Nervous Nellies will see this and not want to go anymore so that I can get cheap tickets

If you were referring to my post, I want to be clear that I am going regardless of whether the stadium is falling down around me. I'd prefer if the places were up to code and in decent condition -- but I am going to be there regardless. nobody's getting my ticket (assuming i get one )

[bltleo]

Originally Posted by El-Professor

I think you can disagree with somebody and still have respect for that person. I've heard very good things about Beckenbaur and enjoyed watching him play. I'm also sure he has his share of headaches.

yes you are right.Maybe I wrote my message not clear enough. I know you have respect for Beckenbauer, many Americans like him. So I apologize if I told my message not right enough. And you are right Franz zas some headaches because of this World Cup preparation.

Gruss

bltleo