Fifa volunteer experience — part 1

For an oke who usually goes to the stadium to scream my lungs out from the stands while giving unsolicited coaching instructions, the match between Bafana Bafana and Norway was a completely “unique” experience. For the first time I had to watch a football match from the perspective of an “organiser”, rather than a “spectator”.

As media volunteers, our main duty on the day was to make sure that photographers adhere to the set rules in terms of pre and post-match photo sessions. This was something an ordinary Joe like me would never take serious until you note an ugly scenario that could occur if you were to have photographers invading the field or climbing all over each other just to get “that picture”.

What happens is that before the game photographers are supposed to be located right behind the posts on either side of the pitch. As the players come in for a pre-match warm-up session the photographers then move towards the centre of the pitch where they can get pictures of the players as they walk onto the field. This also includes pictures of the dignitaries and others as they walk onto the field for the rendition of national anthems.

I gather from experience that the most important picture is the team photo at the beginning of the game for which the photographers have just a couple of seconds to capture a good image. This is one moment where a lot of pushing and shoving happens.

Right before kick-off the photographers move back to their positions behind the posts. None are allowed on the sides of the pitch during the game. This goes on until the end of the match where the earlier movement to the centre is repeated again.

Though we were fortunate in that we worked with fewer photographers (+- 50) having Jacob Zuma attending the game did not make our job easier. The demand for Zuma’s picture was so high one Safa official almost got a hot “klap” from an enthusiastic photographer who was clearly prepared to “kill” for Zuma’s picture.

There could be a lot of ways to describe the experience of working for the Fifa Local Organising Committee, in simple terms, any volunteer must be someone with an ability “to have fun watching other people have fun”.

It might sound difficult on the face of it but it is indeed one hell of an experience!