England World Cup bid

[Craig_H]

Summary?

[dom9]

I am all for investigative journalism when it has a purpose, and genuine public interest such as this.

I am completely against the gutter press pursuing celebrities for gossip in 'the public interest'.

[Fredo]

I am all for investigative journalism when it has a purpose, and genuine public interest such as this.

I am completely against the gutter press pursuing celebrities for gossip in 'the public interest'.

Though the article never referred to the latter you mentioned.

[dom9]

No it didn't, but the latter often refer to the former in order to justify themselves and their actions.

I think that FIFA have carefully exploited that blurred line in their arguments.

[Fredo]

No it didn't, but the latter often refer to the former in order to justify themselves and their actions.

I think that FIFA have carefully exploited that blurred line in their arguments.

Certainly for certain newspapers, like the Daily Mail etc ... , not for reputed 'whistle blowers' such as The Guardian etc ...

[dom9]

Yes. Generally tabloids vs 'quality' papers.

[-V-]

Extended winter break for the world cup and then domestic league football through the summer? Yes please, bring it on

[McDermotX]

"England are bad losers"...................Brilliant Sepp, keep it up...love it.

[dww]

English football braced for more government intervention

• Failed World Cup bid has fuelled the appetite for reform
• Government could look to change FA and Premier League

Matt Scott The Guardian, Thursday 9 December 2010

Government intentions to reform English football's Victorian institutions in the wake of the failed World Cup bid have won favour with some of the most senior figures within the game. The stars are aligned as never before in favour of reform, with even the chief executives of two of England's biggest clubs said privately to have urged the government to effect "fundamental change".

Fifa's tarnished reputation in the eyes of English fans has diminished its ever-present threat of expelling the Football Association from international football over "government interference". That has emboldened the government to stand over football while the Department for Culture, Media and Sport carries out a review into the game's governance. The FA effectively ignored a previous review by the former chief secretary to the Treasury, Lord Burns, in 2005. But if Wembley does not deliver this time, warned a source with knowledge of the government's intentions, there will be a "train crash".

As a starting point that looks increasingly like ending the 11-year reign of Sir Dave Richards as chairman of the Premier League. Fulham, a shareholder of the League, is currently fighting a battle in the high court that, according to a ruling by Mr Justice Vos last week, seeks "an order that [Richards] cease to be the chairman or a director of the [League]." It would not be unlike the Premier League if, shortly before the DCMS committee delivers its findings, it underwent a restructure of its boardroom with Richards sacrificed. The source said: "Unlike last time the government is not in football's pocket. Then, whenever DCMS tried to change anything, football people would run to [Gordon Brown] and it all stopped. Not any more."
Parky sends Fifa warning

Sir Michael Parkinson, pictured, avuncular friend of the stars, shed his TV persona at the 62nd annual British Sports Awards yesterday. Having criticised the "politicians and journalists unworthy of the description" who attacked the Sunday Times and Panorama investigations into the activities of Fifa executive-committee members, the president of the Sports Journalists Association said: "We [should] spend the next eight years lifting the rock on Fifa and exposing what crawls beneath. The message to Sepp Blatter and his tribe is that, if they were as shocked as they claimed by the impertinence of the [investigations], they ain't seen nothing yet."

[Reece]

Several fans were injured in central Moscow after fighting broke out with interior ministry troops during a rally in memory of a Spartak Moscow supporter killed a week ago.

The incident, which had racist overtones, is likely to darken Moscow's image less than two weeks after Russia won the right to host the 2018 World Cup.

Thousands of fans gathered at an unauthorised rally on Manezh Square near the Kremlin yesterday lunchtime to honour Yegor Sviridov, 28, who was shot dead during a fight in north-west Moscow last Sunday night. A number of passers-by of non-Slavic appearance were attacked by fans, according to a witness. When troops beat off the fans to rescue the victims, the crowd attacked them with weapons including flares and metal posts.

Many of the protesters chanted nationalist slogans such as "Moscow is a Russian city!" and "Russia for the Russians!". A medical source said that 29 people were taken to hospital.

Itar-Tass news agency said about 60 people were arrested yesterday in a similar rally in support of Sviridov in St Petersburg. Several suspects have been detained in the Sviridov murder case.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/dec/12/spartak-moscow-fans-violence?CMP=twt_gu

[Cormack74]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11983692

England 2018 World Cup bid sponsor seeks compensation

Grocer Morrisons has said it wants Fifa to pay £1m ($1.6m) to grass-roots English football over what it called an "unfair" World Cup bidding process.

It has instructed lawyers in Switzerland to "examine options" over whether compensation can be claimed.

The Bradford-based firm became a backer of England's 2018 campaign in February.

Backed by ex-England star Alan Shearer, the firm gathered 1.6m signatures in support of England, only to see Russia secure the hosting prize.

Despite a high-profile and technically-acclaimed bid, England gained only two votes and went out in the first round of the World Cup 2018 bidding process.

Morrisons' chief executive Dalton Philips has now written to Sepp Blatter, president of world governing body Fifa.

Mr Philips said the bidding process was unfair as Fifa was determined to stage the World Cup in countries which had not hosted the event before.

As well as Russia in 2018, Qatar was named as host to stage the 2022 tournament.

"The FA team put together a fantastic bid," said Richard Taylor, Morrisons director of corporate affairs and communications.

"On behalf of our customer we are disappointed that the merits of the bid were not recognised by Fifa, which clearly was intent on locating the 2018 World Cup in an emerging country.

"As we think the decision-making process was unfair, we have instructed lawyers in Switzerland to examine our options under Swiss law.

"We hope Fifa will do the right thing and offer £1m to be invested in grass-roots football."

But Fifa has stood by its decision-making process since the World Cup decisions were made in Zurich on 2 December.

And last week, general secretary Jerome Valcke, said Fifa had seen no reason to amend the way decisions were made.

He also said he was certain Fifa's voting process was fair.

[dww]

From the BBC gossip column, indication that the English are not the only ones who think FIFA are a bit dodgy:

Fifa executive committee member Franz Beckenbauer says he is losing faith in the governing body after its handling of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup votes, branding the treatment of unsuccessful bidders England and Australia a "disgrace".
Full story: Bild (in German)

[Fernandinho]

Franz He voted for the Aussies. Good man.

[-V-]

Fifa may be dodgy but the English played the same game to buy votes. Russia just played it harder.

England sent the team to Trinidad for a friendly just to try to buy the caribean vote and also arranged a friendly in thailand (now cancelled) in the hope of buying that vote.

[Tee]

Fifa may be dodgy but the English played the same game to buy votes. Russia just played it harder.

England sent the team to Trinidad for a friendly just to try to buy the caribean vote and also arranged a friendly in thailand (now cancelled) in the hope of buying that vote.

Sorry but that is wrong. Playing those friendlies was a way to entice the vote and get some kind of support for the bid. That is not 'buying' the vote is it? Buying the vote would have been England not even bothering to play the games and just paying the greedy ****ers off, which is what Russia probably did.