World Cup 2018 bid. Options

[Iommi]

Where is 2014 happening? It didn't get mentioned once (as a reminder) during all the coverage about 2018 and 2022. To avoid all the fuss (and the expense - presumably lumbered on the taxpayer), they should run it like the Eurovision Song Contest, so that the winners get to host the next one!

What, and remove a useful revenue stream for FIFA executives? Coincidentally, I was going to suggest that the World Cup selection process had come down to little more than a sporting equivalent of the Eurovision song contest.

[Mattman]

Where is 2014 happening? It didn't get mentioned once (as a reminder) during all the coverage about 2018 and 2022.

To avoid all the fuss (and the expense - presumably lumbered on the taxpayer), they should run it like the Eurovision Song Contest, so that the winners get to host the next one!

2014 will be held in Brazil.

Its a shame we didn't get the 2018 one, but England were not prepared to sign off some of the FIFA clauses in the contract such as Taxes and temporary VISA waivers. Russia were more prepared to bow to FIFA's demands.

[Ozzy]

And with English "fans" behaving like this do you really think we deserve to host it. I don't like football but it makes my blood boil when people behave in this way. It seems they use football as an excuse to behave like animals. We have a bad reputation and I wouldn't want to attend a match for fear that these people have tickets and are going to kick off.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-11894728

Sorry but this comment isn't necessarily fair. I think you will find that the UK has generally worked very hard to clear up its act over the years. I admit rivalry does sometimes spill over to unacceptable levels like the example you make. However, if the comment was made as to form a basis for us not hosting the World Cup then I think you will find Russia's record on hooliganism is currently a lot worse than ours

http://observers.france24.com/content/2009...w-spartak-zenit
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7048137.stm

Add a dreadful infrastructure, poor police record and poor transport links to that and it's a struggle to see why FIFA chose the Russians.

I had a feeling we wouldn't win it (shame!) as we upset to many people with that Panorama programme.

Quite clearly that Panorama programme touched a raw nerve with FIFA. Whether it affected the bid or not should make no difference. We have a relatively free press in this country and they uncovered corruption at the highest levels, therefore the documentary was right to go ahead. FIFA just can't take it that some of the fatcs were true and have punished us for uncovering it.

Speaking frankly, if what I have seen and read is true, I'm embarrassed that we grovelled like we did for it. Like the Olympics, we seem prepared to overlook corruption for the vanity of hosting such events. I'm please FIFA stuck two fingers up at us...bent trash.

We didn't grovel. In the past we have been known to do so. We have used the line 'football coming home' and 'back to the home of football' in past campaigns. This was perceived as arrogant in the past and we opted to not take that line this time. England received a stronger evaluation report than Russia and their final presentation on Thursday was described by Fifa president Sepp Blatter as "excellent and remarkable". Equally our bid was listed as 100% profitable yet the Russians were only 80%.

What changed in just a few hours? Politics, corruption and money. Three things that unfortunately make the world go round.

[Iommi]

What changed in just a few hours? Politics, corruption and money. Three things that unfortunately make the world go round.

Something that won't change while countries patronise such events.

[pinkfluffyclouds]

Where is 2014 happening? It didn't get mentioned once (as a reminder) during all the coverage about 2018 and 2022.

To avoid all the fuss (and the expense - presumably lumbered on the taxpayer), they should run it like the Eurovision Song Contest, so that the winners get to host the next one!

I was thinking that exact same thing myself that the winners host the next one. Might stop all the arguments and corruption !!!

[Guest_Bill1_*]

Very dissappointed with the result.

I think it was all done and dusted long before yesterday and I don't think either the trouble at Birmingham v Villa (a bad thing, but thankfullty very rare inside stadiums these days) or Panorama (our only non-English vote came from one of the two members of the panel named in that programme as being under suspicion of corruption).

It's a real shame as a lot of time, money and effort was spent on our bid and we would have hosted a great tournament.

[Roost]

Very dissappointed with the result.

I think it was all done and dusted long before yesterday and I don't think either the trouble at Birmingham v Villa (a bad thing, but thankfullty very rare inside stadiums these days) or Panorama (our only non-English vote came from one of the two members of the panel named in that programme as being under suspicion of corruption).

It's a real shame as a lot of time, money and effort was spent on our bid and we would have hosted a great tournament.

Shame that the same couldn't be said about Beckham's haircut..........

[Bloggo]

Shame that the same couldn't be said about Beckham's haircut..........

Yes, whatever was he thinking of? Posh must have hidden all the mirrors.
That's his knighthood gone out of the window.

[Ozzy]

Something to get the conspiracy theorists working:

PEPSI splashed out £2.4BILLION on a Russian drinks firm just FOUR HOURS before the World Cup vote was announced.

[GMR]

Quite clearly that Panorama programme touched a raw nerve with FIFA. Whether it affected the bid or not should make no difference. We have a relatively free press in this country and they uncovered corruption at the highest levels, therefore the documentary was right to go ahead. FIFA just can't take it that some of the fatcs were true and have punished us for uncovering it.

In theory you are probably right, in reality, then that is a different matter. According to Newsnight we concentrated on too much what we would do for Football, instead of what we can do for FIFA. They also speculated that it was payback for pointing the finger at FIFA for being corrupt. Personally I think it is a bit of both. To be honest; after all the revelations about FIFA the last couple of weeks did anybody really believe we would win it?




Another theory was put forward by Newsnight: that their (FIFA) objective was to help countries that either have never held the world cup or to help underdeveloped countries. But if that was the case then our bid was doomed right from the beginning. As somebody said on Newsnight we had the best bid (in every department); therefore it had to be one of the reasons I said above. It seems all the papers have been leading on that; we are ‘mugs’ or have been ‘had’.

[GMR]

Watching the BBC news just now it seems we lost out because of our media coverage (i.e. our criticism of FIFA committee members). So it was revenge time. Everything else was tiptop. But Chief Executive Andy Anson said 'it woul be totally pointless of ever putting another bid again in unless they change the voting system.'

[blackdog]

What, and remove a useful revenue stream for FIFA executives? Coincidentally, I was going to suggest that the World Cup selection process had come down to little more than a sporting equivalent of the Eurovision song contest.

Members should take it in turns to host the cup - our turn will come up again in about 800 years.

In terms of a 4 yearly event we hosted it very recently.

[JeffG]

Members should take it in turns to host the cup - our turn will come up again in about 800 years.

Of course that would be true if we followed the Eurovision method of winner hosts the next one.

[GMR]

Of course that would be true if we followed the Eurovision method of winner hosts the next one.

So England will never get it

[JeffG]

So England will never get it

Don't be so negative. I thought 800 years was quite reasonable.

[gel]

Fifa/Blatter/Russia/Putin

spot a common theme!!

[GMR]

Don't be so negative. I thought 800 years was quite reasonable.

Well, putting it that way.... I agree.