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FA humiliated as England come last in 2018 race
Fifa motives and media influence questioned as World Cups go to Russia and Qatar
England's doomed bid to host the 2018 World Cup failed to get beyond the first round of voting in Zurich, humiliating the FA and making 2010 a disastrous year for English football after the national team's dismal showing in South Africa.
As Fifa president Sepp Blatter announced that the tournament would be held in Russia it emerged that the English bid, for which there had been high hopes thanks to the efforts of Prince William, David Beckham and David Cameron in Zurich, was the first to be eliminated. It finished fourth out of four.
The fact that the bid, once the favourite, fell at the first hurdle is hugely embarrassing for the FA, but indicates how low England's stock has fallen with Fifa.
As the inquest into England's defeat gets underway, questions are being asked about Fifa's motives in awarding the 2018 tournament to Russia - and sensationally choosing Qatar as the hosts in 2022 - and about the media's influence on England's chances.
Earlier this year the England bid was rocked when FA chairman Lord Triesman was forced to resign after a sting by the Mail on Sunday. The eventual winners Russia were also angered by negative reporting about their fans and infrastructure in the British media.
However, the most damage appears to have been done by investigative pieces exposing corruption inside football's governing body.
Two of the men who should have been voting on the bids in Zurich were absent because they had been suspended following an article in the Sunday Times which accused them of offering to sell their votes. The newspaper claimed Amos Adamu from Nigeria and Reynald Temarii from Tahiti had asked for favours from undercover reporters posing as lobbyists.
Then, on Monday of this week, the BBC programme Panorama alleged that three other senior officials had taken bribes in the 1980s and 1990s. Fifa dismissed the allegations out of hand.
But much of the negativity around the bid was dispelled in the final hours before the vote as Beckham, Cameron and Prince William pressed the flesh in Zurich, while England's final presentation on Thursday morning was widely accepted to have been the best of the contenders. Yet it cut no ice with the delegates.
Within minutes of Sepp Blatter's announcement, the backlash began and cynics were quick to suggest that Fifa's decision to choose Russia and Qatar was influenced by more than footballing concerns.
Times sports writer Oliver Kay tweeted that Fifa was a "joke of an organisation" and golfer Rory McIlroy summed up the thoughts of many by announcing: "Fifa only interested in the CASH!!"
Observers also pointed out the irony of Russia winning the tournament on the same day that the latest WikiLeaks revelations had the country being described as a "virtual Mafia state". ·
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Personally I don't think Qatar should have won the bid, but this kind of narrow-minded ignorance might well change my mind. A key element of the Qatar bid was that the "half a dozen FIFA standard football stadiums" will be designed such that they can be dismantled after the event and shipped off to deserving third-world countries, where they might do some good. The comment about public stonings doesn't deserve a response, except maybe to note that it's the kind of antediluvian attitude that confirms the suspicions of many in the Middle East.
Talk about sour grapes! When will narrow minded people realise that it is after all a 'world cup' and many take this to mean that it could be held anywhere in the world. And let us not forget that every country in the world is susceptible to terrorists attacks, 9/11 is proof of that. When South Africa was selected as the venue for 2010 the world media, especially in the UK, never let up, predicting all sorts of disasters and problems. Thank God it went off well, despite their dire expectations. Is it always to be held in Europe or the USA or perhaps some other place which meets with the UK media and fans' approval? Despite all the talk of FIFA corruption ( and which international organisation is free of this charge, to some extent or another, including governments?) I am glad that they did not pander to the bullying and dictates of the British media and made their own decision. If Qatar is linked to Al Qaeda they well may be able to arrange a truce with them for the duration of the tournament. Look on the bright side!
I can just about tolerate Russia being given 2018, it is after all a big country full of football fans and the infrastructure investment would benefit many poor people, but Qatar?
Qatar is a pure example of cash winning through. How can a country with a population of only 1.5m utilise the half a dozen FIFA standard football stadiums they will be left with? You could fit the population of the 4th, 5th and 6th largest cities into Wembley stadium. I suppose the stadia could be used for public stonings.