2018 World Cup

[HumbersideDude]

The england bid apparently(SSN and Talksport reporting this) only got 2 votes, and 1 of those was Geoff Thompson, an englishman and FIFA Vice -President.

[PullMyFinger]

It beggars belief that there are some who would censure the BBC to ensure FIFA choose a British venue.

FIFA is beyond reproach and a law unto themselves. One of the conditions imposed on host nations is that FIFA have no (zero, zilch, nada) tax liability. That is not conjecture but was exposed on Panarama by documents provided by a Dutch representative.

FIFA is rotten to the core with corruption, alllegedly.

[+DoofersDad]

Seemed to be universal acknowledgement on Sportsound that the England bid was far and away the best so it is not just the English media whinging about this. Nor can you put the decision down to the desire to give it to a nation which has hosted before. There are nations who have hosted twice since England did in 66. However, Russia is a big nation with a decent footballing tradition and whilst there is a lot to do infrastructure-wise they could still put on a good show. They have over 7 years to get ready and that is plenty of time for all the appropriate bribes investment to be made.

A world cup needs a nation with plenty of grounds and a good fan base, so there is only one word for the decision for the 2022 world cup - Qatarstrophic.

[bauhaus]

It was Labours fault, they are the ones who made a bollocks of it all. Everything Cameron touches cannot be saved.

But they were shouting they had 7 garanteed first votes, only got 2 hmmm, and one of those was their own voter.

Think the rest of the world might be tired of 1966 getting rammed down their throats.

Happy its the Russians, new era for FIFA, and QATAR, dont know much about them. 1.6 MILLION people. Think i would have prefered the Aussies, but let them prove us wrong. Hopefully we have a chance of getting their, both times

[starchief]

I wanted England to win it, so I could go see a few matches but, to be honest, I felt Russia was the right candidate. A big footballing nation, with money that has never hosted the tournament. Perhaps they bribed, perhaps they didn't but England has no automatic right to believe they should be in pole spot. I see no reason why Russia shouldn't be the host - only reasons why it should be.

Qatar? Well, I thought it should have been Oz but Qatar did have more going for it than you'd imagine. Football in the Arab world is big. Qatar will promote the game right across the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi etc. They also have the money to do it properly. That said, it really should have gone south. Mind you, a lot of the sporting federations were against the WC coming as it collides with Aussie Rules. Perhaps it was that lack of support that did it for them?

[TheKnowledge]

Perhaps, as an impartial organisation, the BBC don't have to brown nose FIFA, but have a responsibility to let the people of the UK know just what a farce the whole thing is. Suspend immigration laws and reduce tax levy's on FIFA's commercial partners! We're already getting shafted by the Olympics as it is. At least the Dutch had a bit of dignity about them and told them where to go. Why should Wills, Dave and Becks be pleading to corrupt buggers about the world cup? Did anyone that watched the program not notice that Sepp's statements about payments made to FIFA delegates, kept referring to a Swiss court case that got thrown out because that particular form of corruption (commercial, I think) was not actually against the law, in Switzerland, at that time? As David Mellor says in the program, this was a chance for the FA to take a stand against FIFA corruption, but instead we send out our PM and heir to the thrown to give the whole tongue browning carry on some credit.

Sunday times reported on facts, as did the BBC. The probably did annoy quite a few people but someone has to stand up to corruption and political bullying, otherwise it all goes on unchecked.

[Renegade]

I hope Qatar doesn't get 2022.

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

They give David Cameron a simple job and he bodges it.

They send Beckham out instead of Terry Wogan. The world is bored stiff by Beckham.

Russia should provide a fascinating venue.

[Alex MacLeod]

Englands bid was based around what is already in place. The stadia, the infrastructure, the passion for the game, how much our economy will benifit etc. The winning bidders presentations were based around what they will do. Provide jobs, take people out of poverty, put something back into the game etc. Thats why they lost.

Quatar are going to build 9 new stadia in kit form and dismantle them and ship them to poorer nations after the competition. Russia are going to build stadiums that will become footballing academies of excellence and hotels that will be the envy of the world. England will use the stadia they have and put folk up in university hostels.

Russia and Quatar had real down to earth people making their presentation and talking about what they could do to benefit the game across the world. England had David Beckham with a wee story about his granda.

The BBC could have exposed the whole FIFA committee as peodo's and it wouldn't have made a blind bit of difference to the vote.

[Yngwie]

Quatar are going to build 9 new stadia in kit form and dismantle them and ship them to poorer nations after the competition.

Most nations are poorer than Qatar! Maybe we could get one.

[caleyboy]

Cameron will no doubt lay the blame firmly on Gordon Brown and the Labour Party.

Let's face it tho. The world really doesn't like the UK - which they think is all ENGLAND!

[ictchris]

FIFA are looking to put these events to new hosts and also to ensure a 'legacy'. Russia will be building many new stadiums for this event, as will Qatar which counts in their favour. Also, the World Cup has never been held in Eastern Europe or the Middle East before, another factor for FIFA. It must be pretty hard to take for England, givebut that's the way these things are done.

[The Mantis]

Totally agree Chris. Despite all the politics, FIFA's raison d'etre is to expand the game to all the corners of the world.

Regarding the accusations of corruption, one thing struck me last night on the news: they showed the outside of a hotel and said that Cameron, Becks and Wills spent 3 days inside it 'doing deals'. Whatever does that mean?

p.s. Yes, I know the world has no corners......

Edited December 4, 2010 by TheMantis
looking for 'wiggles fingers under chin' smiley for using 'raison d'etre' in a post

[+Feb82000]

David cameron is puting loads off people on the dole and into poverty so thats why they never got the world cup,if Labour was in charge they would have got it

[Yngwie]

Aye, there's no poverty or inequality in Russia or Qatar.

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

It was announced in the Gulf Times that Qatar will spend 100 billion dollars alone on new infrastructure projects by 2015 to support the football stadia build. That's on top of the new international airport and rail projects etc already underway. Living in Qatar I was split between wanting to see them get it (as I know they can build something special) and the doubts about how they will manage so many fans in such a small country considering there are really only two major towns/cities and they are not that far apart as well as the major hurdle associated with the current alchohol restrictions. Qatar is not Dubai so there are many things that are going to have to change if the requirements (and expectations) of your average football fan are to be met but they have 11 years to do it. Good luck to them I say.

Edited December 4, 2010 by Tichy_Blacks_Back

[TheKnowledge]

David cameron is puting loads off people on the dole and into poverty so thats why they never got the world cup,if Labour was in charge they would have got it

This

[Kirishima]

England didn't get it because they aren't liked by FIFA,for a long list of reasons, some fair, some not. So the others were always in with a better chance, and two were sharing, not popular. Easy decision.

Qatar is a weird one, as Australia were ignored, and I dont know why.

[starchief]

They sent the Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Prince William of Wales and one of the best footballers in America and yet they didn't choose Britain, Northern Ireland, Wales, America...looks at notes... ...England.

It must be a fix.

Mind you, probably best it's held over in Johnny-Foreigner-Land. They're such sore losers

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

Some of the Qatar 2022 stadiums:

Doha Port Stadium on the Corniche

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

Lusail Stadium (Doha)- World Cup Final Venue

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

Khalifa Stadium (Doha) - Existing

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

Al Wakrah Stadium

Stadium will be upgraded - existing stadium was the venue for the 2010 England v Scotland game

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

On January 3rd the 2011 AFC Asian Cup Finals kick off in Qatar using 5 of the existing stadiums (4 in Doha and 1 in Al Rayyan) - there are 16 teams participating including Qatar, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Korea DPR, China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. It should be interesting to see how this tournament goes and how much more interest it will get now that Qatar have the 2022 World Cup. January is always a busy sporting month here with Murray and Co also in town for the Qatar Open and the golfers soon after that for the Qatar Masters and Beckenbauer thinks they can squeeze in a World Cup Finals as well.

Edited December 5, 2010 by Tichy_Blacks_Back

[Yngwie]

We know that every 4 years Scotland suffers a FIFA World Cup disappointment, but in 2010 England trumped us with not one but two failures humiliations.

How can I vote for the FA as "Team of the Year"?