As the 12 host cities put the finishing touches to their preparation to the FIFA World Cup 2006, they await the descent of an estimated 3-4 million fans marking the culmination of some 6 years of preparation, organisation and investment. Whilst internationally recognised German cities such as Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt are used to coping with large scale international events, others will be looking to capitalise on the spotlight this June.

Germany 2006 will see the spotlight fall beyond the most recognised cities and on to smaller and less prominent cities that will be looking to capitalise on the benefits of worldwide exposure and the potential commercial benefits that follow. Gelsenkirchen, in the Ruhr region of central western Germany is one such city.

Gelsenkirchen is set to host 5 matches over the course of the month, including one quarter final at the Veltins arena, home of the local side Schalke 04. The city will play host to fans from the Argentina, Mexico, Portugal and the USA amongst others during this time. But a small city with a residential population of 270,000 has had to develop infrastructure to cope with its