Triesman quits World Cup bid over bribery claim

England's hopes of hosting the 2018 World Cup finals may have suffered a fatal blow thanks to the Mail on Sunday's allegations about bid chairman Lord Triesman, which prompted his resignation as chairman of the FA.

The former Labour minister, who has also stepped down as head of the bid committee, was caught on tape apparently claiming that Spain and Russia were planning to bribe referees during next month's tournament in South Africa.

The devastating allegations came just hours after David Beckham (pictured above with Triesman) had handed over England's official bid to Fifa president Sepp Blatter in Zurich amid renewed optimism that football would be coming home once again in 2018.

Triesman has now been replaced on the bid committee by Geoff Thompson, a former Football Association chairman, who is one of the 24 members of the Fifa executive committee, whose job it is to decide the World Cup host.

The former Arsenal vice-chairman, David Dein, has been given the task of expanding his role as the bid's international president.

At the FA David Sheepshanks and Roger Burden have taken over as emergency co-chairmen

Triesman's downfall came after he suggested that Spain and Russia, who are England's main rivals in the fight to host the 2018 finals, had struck a deal whereby Spain would pull out of the race if Russia agreed to help them bribe referees in the 2010 tournament.

Triesman was recorded telling a former aide: "If Spain drop out, because Spain are looking for help from the Russians to help bribe the referees in the [2010] World Cup, their votes may then switch to Russia. There's some evidence that the Spanish football authorities are trying to identify the referees... and pay them."

The veracity of Triesman's allegations has provoked little debate, although Jorge Perez Arias, who heads Spain's joint bid with Portugal said: "The idea Spain is trying to bribe World Cup referees is of course ridiculous. We like to compete and participate fairly and try always to do the best we can."

Apologies were faxed to the Russian and Spanish bid teams on Sunday morning after the story had appeared in the press and the bid team launched a damage limitation exercise - although it may not be enough to salvage England's hopes. ·