For NON English fans- World Cup bid

[CityGer]

I would have liked to have had a World Cup on so close to home, but looking at the coverage today and Andy Anson whinging that the voting process should be changed because those voting have too much power.

Had England's bid been successful, he wouldn't have opened his gob about the "process". Which does echo one or two things mentioned in this thread...

So you agree that a voting process that sees the nation with the best infrastructure, best commercial bid, best technical bid and the bid with the lowest risk rating get just two votes?

I'm not particulrly fussed that we didn't get it but what Anson said was bang on the money.

Not sure mate.

What I am sure about is that he wouldn't have said a fucking word about it if the decision had gone his way.

Oh come on Dub, that goes without saying. What I'm pointing out is that you can't question what he actually said. Look at the Auzzies, theirs was a far superior bid to that of Qatar but yet again, it was fore gone conlusion.

He was questioning the process and did so in a calm and articulate manner. I can't see any sort of logic that could disagree with what he said. The process is completely flawed.

I've not got an issue with FIFA sending the world cup around the world to new countries, none what so ever. When SA scored the first goal against Mexico it was one of the special moments in football for me. But please, don't let people spend millions of pounds compiling a bid only to laugh at it and award the event to nations who submitted bids that were way inferior.

[ronk]

I would have liked to have had a World Cup on so close to home, but looking at the coverage today and Andy Anson whinging that the voting process should be changed because those voting have too much power.

Had England's bid been successful, he wouldn't have opened his gob about the "process". Which does echo one or two things mentioned in this thread...

So you agree that a voting process that sees the nation with the best infrastructure, best commercial bid, best technical bid and the bid with the lowest risk rating get just two votes?

I'm not particulrly fussed that we didn't get it but what Anson said was bang on the money.

Not sure mate.

What I am sure about is that he wouldn't have said a fucking word about it if the decision had gone his way.

Not sure about that. I doubt he'd have been a fan of the bidding process even if England had won. It's a circular argument but true nonetheless that the bidding process would have worked better if the best bid had won. The fact that it failed demonstrates that it's broken, even if we knew that already anyway.

[HeyMark]

I would have liked to have had a World Cup on so close to home, but looking at the coverage today and Andy Anson whinging that the voting process should be changed because those voting have too much power.

Had England's bid been successful, he wouldn't have opened his gob about the "process". Which does echo one or two things mentioned in this thread...

Gotta agree with this.

I found amusing that everyone is now claiming FIFA is corrupt and demand the media hunt them down. The BBC tried to point this out the night before the bid but then that made them unpatriotic.

Exactly, didnt the suns front page tell fifa to ignore bbc panorama as they were unpatriotic! Now the sun is calling fifa corrupt!

Originally I wished England would have won but now i'm glad you didn't! This shows how stupid and hypocritical british media is.

[Ted Hughes]

The main problem a lot of people in the media have with the BBC report is that it was specifically put out to gain maximum exposure but didn't contain enough solid evidence to bring down the organisation involved, therefore it served no purpose other than to give FIFA more ammo with which to shit on England. It was shit journalism aimed at getting viewers not doing any public service & was broadcast at a time when it would do the most damage to England's bid, so was in fact pretty unpatriotic imo.

I wouldn't have gone through with the bid myself because I thing FIFA are a bunch of criminals but the fact that the bid did continue & the BBC still chose to put out program they knew would most likely harm it, without doing any good whatsoever, is a selfish twat's trick imo. They could just as easily have done all the chasing up of these characxters right now AFTER the bid & if they've got any decency that's what they will continue to do.

[Fish111]

I would have liked to have had a World Cup on so close to home, but looking at the coverage today and Andy Anson whinging that the voting process should be changed because those voting have too much power.

Had England's bid been successful, he wouldn't have opened his gob about the "process". Which does echo one or two things mentioned in this thread...

Gotta agree with this.

I found amusing that everyone is now claiming FIFA is corrupt and demand the media hunt them down. The BBC tried to point this out the night before the bid but then that made them unpatriotic.

You should become a spin doctor for the Labour Party you come out with that much shit you troll. EVERYONE outside of the bid team knows that FIFA are corrupt to the core and The Times and the BBC exposed this but for the good of the bid and for patriotisms sake, something you lack, we all hoped they exposed it AFTER the corrupt commitee voted but it wasn't to be, they went ahead with their stories and i hope they really go for the jugular now because the vice president of FIFA, Jack Warner, has boasted ''No European government can ever investigate FIFA''. This is a cartel within Europe, who run world football that needs to be smashed wide open and laid bare for all to see. They don't even get independently audited for fucks sake.

[ronk]

You should become a spin doctor for the Labour Party you come out with that much shit you troll. EVERYONE outside of the bid team knows that FIFA are corrupt to the core and The Times and the BBC exposed this but for the good of the bid and for patriotisms sake, something you lack, we all hoped they exposed it AFTER the corrupt commitee voted but it wasn't to be, they went ahead with their stories and i hope they really go for the jugular now because the vice president of FIFA, Jack Warner, has boasted ''No European government can ever investigate FIFA''. This is a cartel within Europe, who run world football that needs to be smashed wide open and laid bare for all to see. They don't even get independently audited for fucks sake.

I was watching an Irish TV program earlier where a recently retired rugby player actually hit on the proper response: put pressure on the sponsors. World Cup sponsorship is huge and there are a small number of companies that pay huge money for exclusive rights. If they wade in, it will have a big effect fast.

They're mostly American companies and given the fact that America, Engand, Australia, Holland etc. are pissed off, it might hit the bottom line.

[Fish111]

Some people are calling for us to withdraw from FIFA altogether but i personally think this would be a major mistake and isn't even on the agenda anyway. It would totally alienate us from world football, England would have no opponents and English clubs would not be allowed into any competition. We need a memebr on the executive committee who has the balls to change things from the inside. The bloke we have at the moment is a fuckin weakling and needs replacing with someone like David Dein who has the nouse and acumen to fight our cause from within. Keeps your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.

[ant london]

The subject of the Russian bid/2018 Russian World Cup has been covered and no need to comment but in terms of the Qatar 2022 version.

I have no doubt whatsoever that Russia and Qatar both influenced the votes in financial terms. For the record I don't blame them. They have the means and the willing to work a flagrantly corrupt system and get what they want. FIFA is the real rotten apple.

Qatar had been PR'ing their bid like crazy over the Middle East.....full TV ads, allsorts and I know full well that they will throw the kitchen sink at this to make sure it will be something like no other (think Japan/Korea stadium efforts on steroids/acid) and no expense whatsoever will be spared

My questions (especially in light of the economic conditions the globe still finds itself in) are over the legacy issue.

Football is without doubt massively popular in the Middle East, ridicuously so. There is absolutely a public appetite for such a tournament being held in this region.

However, Qatar is bloody tiny.....it has a population about the same size as Greater Manchester. A whole WC infrastructure (stadiums, training facilities and hotels) will pretty much need to be built from scratch. Now, financing this is clearly not a problem but to what legacy purpose? Who the hell is going to stay in the hotel rooms built for this purpose.....Qatar is clearly trying to position itself as a destination but, whilst I'd go there above (say) Riyadh for a holiday, it doesn't exactly have a reputation for being the most rock and roll place.

The world cup may make football more popular in Qatar/the ME in general but it is already, massively, the dominant spectator sport.

Unfortunately, however, where football/sport is really (IMO) needed in the Middle East is as a participant sport. Public health issues across the whole region are pretty nuts. Poor/excessively rich and unhealthy diet is out of control across the region (notably an issue in many gulf countries), which is why Type 2 Diabetes is such a massive health issue in the ME. If the World Cup leads to a healthier Middle East due to more widespread participation in sport then it would have been a success IMO.

[Ted Hughes]

Ant, the question you're asking regarding a football legacy in Qatar is of course the absolute proof that the whole FIFA World Cup sham is just that; a sham. Are those stadia in Qatar or Russia going to be full of people watching football once the World Cups are over? Are they bollocks. FIFA know that. They don't give a toss about the health side.

The question is; what are we going to do about it? I think we should either not rest until we get the leadership of FIFA sacked or pull out altogether. The 2nd part can't happen now but it can be done imo. It would have to be done over a period of years by persuading most of the main football countries & sponsors to do the same. I don't think that is as far fetched as it may seem. I find it hard to believe that most European countries have a better opinion of FIFA than we do, they're just powerless to do anything about it, like us. Most sponsors would prefer not do deal with criminals if they can avoid it.

Acheiving this would need the help of top politicians rather than just football people. Well FIFA have just lied to & publicly shit on, the Prime Minister of Great Britain for starters. He may be a turd but he's a powerful enemy & he won't forget it in a hurry.

[Swales4ever]

You should become a spin doctor for the Labour Party you come out with that much shit you troll. EVERYONE outside of the bid team knows that FIFA are corrupt to the core and The Times and the BBC exposed this but for the good of the bid and for patriotisms sake, something you lack, we all hoped they exposed it AFTER the corrupt commitee voted but it wasn't to be, they went ahead with their stories and i hope they really go for the jugular now because the vice president of FIFA, Jack Warner, has boasted ''No European government can ever investigate FIFA''. This is a cartel within Europe, who run world football that needs to be smashed wide open and laid bare for all to see. They don't even get independently audited for fucks sake.

I was watching an Irish TV program earlier where a recently retired rugby player actually hit on the proper response: put pressure on the sponsors. World Cup sponsorship is huge and there are a small number of companies that pay huge money for exclusive rights. If they wade in, it will have a big effect fast.

They're mostly American companies and given the fact that America, Engand, Australia, Holland etc. are pissed off, it might hit the bottom line.

Absolutely spot on, as usual... :-)

[Dameerto]

The real question is, why have an indepth selection process costing millions per country when the outcome is clearly pre-determined?

[zuricity]

Having listened to a variety of opinions and points raised about the Cock up and the disgraceful behaviour of FIFA.

I can only conclude that England should use the 'gentlemans' agreement terms and organise a friendly tournament for all interested parties in 2013.

England should invite all Commonwealth countries, any African teams or even European countries that might want to play. Oh and the USA.... All to a three week extravaganza. Under the guise of 'friends among friends'.

Get about 24 teams ready to rock and roll.

The tournament itself gets sorted out on the day of arrival for all teams. Not two years in advance. England is small enough to get all teams to their locations on time. No advanced knowledge of what group your in. All groups decided by a lotto type ball selection. All about Sponteneity....

Everybody accepts that their group could have all the heavyweights, but so what ?

Everyone invited to the party afterwards with a great headlining gig simultaneously played out in Hyde Park London, Heaton Park Manchester, Somewhere in Brum and Newcastle and the pool (Stanley Park ?).

No money to the winners, all proceeds equally distributed to the football associations involved. with the proviso that it's invested in facilties and youth.

[Swales4ever]

Having listened to a variety of opinions and points raised about the Cock up and the disgraceful behaviour of FIFA.

I can only conclude that England should use the 'gentlemans' agreement terms and organise a friendly tournament for all interested parties in 2013.

England should invite all Commonwealth countries, any African teams or even European countries that might want to play. Oh and the USA.... All to a three week extravaganza. Under the guise of 'friends among friends'.

Get about 24 teams ready to rock and roll.

The tournament itself gets sorted out on the day of arrival for all teams. Not two years in advance. England is small enough to get all teams to their locations on time. No advanced knowledge of what group your in. All groups decided by a lotto type ball selection. All about Sponteneity....

Everybody accepts that their group could have all the heavyweights, but so what ?

Everyone invited to the party afterwards with a great headlining gig simultaneously played out in Hyde Park London, Heaton Park Manchester, Somewhere in Brum and Newcastle and the pool (Stanley Park ?).

No money to the winners, all proceeds equally distributed to the football associations involved. with the proviso that it's invested in facilties and youth.

Great Post, Zurich Mate, as most of Yours. Cheers for that, btw.

Only two problems: crowded calendars and - mainly - Football Players and FAs do not share the same socialist feelings most of us do.