Hyde Park could host outdoor screenings of World Cup matches

Hyde Park could become a huge World Cup football fan park next summer with matches shown on giant television screens.

World Cup organisers want the 2010 tournament in South Africa to be a global event, despite the fact many fans are reluctant to book expensive long-haul flights during the recession. The suggestion comes after outdoor screenings of the last World Cup in 2006 were abandoned when they descended into riots.

The BBC scrapped screenings in Canary Wharf after 16 people were injured when fighting erupted among the 6,000-strong crowd.

London is among several world cities being considered by officials as fan park sites. Others include Accra and Tokyo. The plan was revealed yesterday by Dr Danny Jordaan, chairman of the local World Cup organising committee in South Africa.

He said: "The images from our country will have a broader reach. We are looking at internationalising the fan park experience — we want this to be an African World Cup."

If London is chosen for screenings, the timing will be sensitive. Next summer the capital will be nearing the end of the bidding process to host the 2018 World Cup and fans' behaviour will be under heavy scrutiny.