England with it all to do

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

The british tabloid media is an embarrassment, it's not journalism it's bullying, finger pointing and shameless lies... it's a disgrace.

Sounds familiar doesn't it? English media ruining football for us again? They seem to be surprisingly good at that!!

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Typicall English journalism, always looking for scandal to sell a paper. BUT if there is collusion between bidders then they should be brought to justice but at the end of the day the english governement have been doing bids and collusion for years so it's not surprising that others will follow. Lets not get carried away that it's anything to do with sport.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

#8
Agreed and you are right about FIFA

That said well done to the Sunday Times for rattling their cage. Superb journalism.

Brilliant.

An English paper exposes questionable practices by FIFA (I'd phrase that differently, but I've fallen foul to the moderators before on this topic) and our bid suffers as a result. What fantastic reasoning.

So, by that logic, the police should take against the victim of crime if someone associated with the victim uncovered the culprit's wrongdoing by stealth.

It beggars belief. This isn't the school playground so telling tales is perfectly fair and, indeed, right, so long as the tales being told can be corroborated.

That shambles of an organisation simply shouldn't be allowed such power.

Well England can kiss 2018 goodbye. Blatter dislikes the English and hates its premier league financed muscle. Moronic journalists targetting members of the FIFA old boys club before the vote simply played into Blatter's hands and gave him the excuse he needed to influence the voters against the England bid. If they hadn't he would have found it harder to influence them without being called for his bias. I will be stunned if Englkand wins now. The journalists should have had more sense and saved their attacks for after the bid was won.
Ah well, going to have to book flights to Russia or somewhere now.

I feel sick to my stomach that once again the media are responsible for negative developments in English football. Having previously claimed the scalps of England managers (e.g. Hoddle, Eriksson, the Scolari debacle), captains (e.g. Terry), players (e.g. Beckham), they may now have cost us the entire 2018 World Cup tournament. And made a pile of short-term profits in the meantime, without considering the long-term social, economic and morale losses this causes. On principle I might just never pick up a newspaper again.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

It's been 54 years now. You'd have to say that if FIFA decides to once again overlook the home of football for the world cup that the anti- English conspiracy theory will start to look increasingly credible.

This is ridiculous. What has the UK press got to do with the England bid for the World Cup? This highlights the complete lack of any transparency and disclosure shown by FIFA, both historically and even more importantly now.

The fact of the matter is that FIFA don't like anyone challenging them on anything. The fact that the UK press has forced FIFA to review its internal policies for awarding/voting on who should get tournaments is the point. The whole thing seems a bit like the Eurovision Song Contest - we know who is going to vote for whom even before the contest has begun!

I thought that we were getting rid of unelected useless quangos?

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

David

As a starting point, isn't it odd that you blog about the issue as if it's ok to do so (which it is) and yet people's perfectly reasonable reservations about the whole nature of this issue are moderated? Hardly a right to reply is it.

Anyway, you say that Spain and Portugal may have done a deal with Qatar but then say that an English/USA deal would be against the rules. What is the difference?

Overall though, the whole process is surely farcical when the decisions for football, which is a game that no one owns, are so politicised rather than being based on reason and logic.

England has not held the tournament in decades, has the facilities (stadia, infrastructure, security, fans etc) to hold it tomorrow and is open.

Simples.

I am tempted to say that do we really want it when the whole shebang seems to create so much hassle, but, heart rules over head. We should have the World Cup!

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

The methods or "tricks" employed by the sanctimonious British media to set up suspects are considered not only unethical but illegal in many countries. The journos only publish the result of their “uncover investigations” without disclosing the methods employed. Also the hysterical way the British media, including the BBC, pursue other countries organising these big events has become a hindrance.

A lot of comments aren't being allowed through by the moderator... Censorship already beginning?

Of course, if FIFA was squeaky clean then there would be nothing to investigate - but it is not. On any logical football basis, England should get the World Cup - but it won't, because too many people are willing to be complicit with FIFA in ensuring that money, not football, remains the principal focus. The way in which South Africa was forced to pass ludicrous laws to protect the 'brand' and the use of a ball, totally unsuitable for the game, to rake in the sponsorship cash are just two examples of why FIFA is unfit to govern the game.

The British Media has embarassed FIFA, and they don't like it. Rather than say thank you for highlighting this, they're going to punish us. It's been 54 years since the home of football has hosted the tournament - which is a disgrace itself, but if we miss out this time, it'll be closer to 75 years - scandalous.
The awarding of any major sporting event should be made transparent - with each and every voting country submitting a written justification for their vote. That's the only way we - the 3 billion people who watch football live / TV - can have faith in FIFA and their processes.

The vast majority of the media in this country are scum (with the overall majority working for the rags)

Whilst we have this type of mindset with them, and the moron's who buy these papers we dont deserve as a country to have these events held here.

David

Incidentally, you say 'They feel they are being persecuted, one source told me'.

Who is your source? Who is this person that wants you to do their bidding for them? They seem happy to use the media for these little leaks but when the media uses it's position for good, they don't like it!

#10 - has hit the nail I'm afraid. What seems to be forgotten is that FIFA is an old boys club which has absolutely no interest or desire to modernise, become more egalitarian, transparent or ethical.

It's an ultimately incestuous arrangement, where the fate of a global multi-billion pound industry is controlled by a team of meglomanical power-hungry jackasses.

If there was nothing to hide, there'd be no concerns about investigative journalism of any kind.

Looks like it's off to Russia for more of the same backhanders, brown envelopes etc.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Well of course the media have a right to publish this and shouldn't be condemned for that but timing is everything.

On the letter idea, I think the editors et al should not only say that they support the bid, but that they will spend the next 7 years looking very closely at FIFA if it doesn't come to England. Just to make sure that they realise it will be the same whether England get it or not.

But let's be honest England won't be getting it.

#24 Breadman

Completely agree. As I said at #17, no one 'owns' football and FIFA are merely trustees of the World Cup.

Maybe we shouldn't bother turning up. (Although of course, on this years evidence, maybe we've already tried that!)

Not sure why people are blaming the press. It's a free world and they are entitled to investigate whoever they please. The fact that FIFA appear to be punishing those in question would seem to back up the substance of the reports.

Also the press do not represent the FA or its employees and ambassadors.

Typical FIFA can't handle their power being questioned. They are an absolute disgrace and the sooner someone creates a breakaway (and democratic) organisation the better.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

I always think we are on the right track when Sepp Blatter blusters. Forget the idea that the media are spoiling our chances. The simple fact is that FIFA don't like scrutiny, criticism or most importantly, the spotlight. Corruption is corruption, and it is part of the media's remit to expose double dealing and other shady practices. If the bid is scuppered because FIFA don't like the fact that our press is free from constraint, then that says it all about the organisation it is exposing, not the press. I would acknowledge that some of the media exceeds good taste and decency, but does no one remember Watergate? I bet the Nixon administration howled in similar 'outraged' protest.

#7

They don't have any hatred of England at all, there is only a section of the public in England that uses their 'imagined' dislike to their own anti-johnny foreigner ends, combined with their view that the world revolves around them.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

The problem is simply that the British media has forgotten what patriotism and pride in country are all about. They don't care if England loses out on hosting the World Cup so long as their slimy underhand muckraking sells papers. They keep trotting out their hackneyed claim that "The British public has a right to know", when THEY know themselves that the British public doesn't give a damn because they have more important things to worry about.

You forget another reason why FIFA are not seen as pro English.

Our Frankie scored a "goal" which relit the technology torch, damn unsporting that Mr Lampard.

I also seem to recall on the day earlier this year that technology was discussed and so called put to bed, at a press conference to announce it was dead as a dodo, someone mentioned that earlier on that day in a British league game someone had scored a goal that was over the line and not given !!!!!

Us Brits really should be more thoughtful.

What is the difference between John Higgins sting (suspended), the Pakistani cricketers sting (suspended) and a sting in football ? Who remembers Grobbelaar.

I have no time for the British press, they are part of the reason why we have a garbage football team because they create "Gods" out of our useless lot. Trouble is there is copy in the antics of the likes of Rooney, there is not with the likes of Scholes BUT surely the point is this

Those in charge should be doing all they can to weed out corruptive practices by making things such as bid processes more transparent. You produce a murky process with no clear lines, surely you invite this kind of journalism.

What next ? Bank robbers complaining that CCTV footage used to capture them is immoral, it invades their human rights !!!!!

Why the surprise, as to the ethics involved, from a press organisation that has a history of stings, nothing new .As for philosophy surely a moral issue of method. T he bigger question surely is both the competence of Fifa and its own ethics committee to police itself . Should be enough money swilling around to sue News corp if allegations are false.
It would seem to be the case that Fifa is largely too unwieldy and self regarding to monitor itself , parallels with other sporting bodies are invited and other bodies in general. THERE no allegations easy really

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Congratulations to the Daily Mail - Lord Triesman Sting
Congratulations to the Sunday Times - Fifa bung Sting

When is the media going to understand and appreciate that the English football public and fans would love to see the World Cup played on our shores again.

This kind of derogatory journalism should have been put to one side until the completion of FIFA's voting

Hold your heads in shame ..................... You have lost not only our Nations credibility but probably destroyed any opportunity of hosting the tournament and when the vote takes place and England fail to win the tournament, how about writing a piece on yourselves rather than look for every excuse under the sun of why England did not win the bid.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

The British media has been too big for its boots for years. Everything now has to be controversial and if there is no controversy it is invented or inflammatory, emotional language is used which completely distorts the real situation.

In my opinion, too many journalists on this site overdo the 'freedom of the press' angle and no longer seem content to relay facts and genuine information to the public accompanied by a reasoned, balanced, professional argument but rather set themselves up as judge and jury passing judgment over managers, players, officials with scant regard for the fact that these people are experienced professionals in their own right who shouldn't have to justify every action, thought and deed to the satisfaction of a mere journalist.

The sports media thrives on hype (eg. Premier League being the best in the world we read time and time again. As a PR exercise it is brilliant but it is a FOOTBALL league and football statistics do not back up this argument at all). You write powerful, controversial, derogatory articles about people (the national coach or any manager is an excellent example)which enflames public opinion, tell everybody he's under pressure when it's only you who has the power to create such pressure but now you have the gall to say 'we're only the press why should what we say influence the vote'. How typical!! You're happy enough to conduct campaigns against individuals when it suits you but now it appears to be rebounding in your face you hide behind the good old 'freedom of the press' tag! I, for one, wouldn't blame FIFA for choosing to avoid the intrusive, holier-than-thou scrutiny of the British press

#14
You'd have to say that if FIFA decides to once again overlook the home of football for the world cup that the anti- English conspiracy theory will start to look increasingly credible.
------
Nonsense.

Do FIFA have conspiracies against other 'failed' bids as well?

There is not a shred of credible evidence for any conspiracy against England by UEFA/FIFA.

The problem with UEFA/FIFA is transparency and accountability, and it is this that breeds daft conspiracy theories.

British Media is rubbish (including BBC). In EPL, they will be telling all good things about ManU or Arsenal and every thing will be anti-Chelsea. There will be all kind of argument in favour of ManU. The same rubbish media which have no influence outside UK is exposed.

Go back a few years and you'll see the IOC acted properly when the BBC did an investigation like the Times'. No IOC members spoke out publically about "unethical practices" or the methods of the "English press", the member was thrown out of the IOC and London 2012 ultimately chosen. Even if London had lost to Paris, it wouldn't have been because of the BBC's Panorama investigation because the IOC simply did not hold that against the bid; they were able to seperate the journalism from the bid and not hold one responsible for the other's actions. The noises coming out of FIFA seem to imply very strongly the opposite and this to me is yet more proof that the people at the top do not know (nevermind want) to hold a transparent bidding process.

In other words, FIFA have a choice as to how to react, just as the IOC did back in 2004. It won't be the Times' fault if they make the wrong choice.

I am though, quite certain (and indeed heartened) that if England loses this and it looks like the reason for the loss is a grudge, our press will tear FIFA a new a-hole over the next few years, and deservedly so. If FIFA plays this wrongly, whoever does win 2018 and 2022 is going to end up working with a severely troubled organisation.

Platini and Blatter are obviously anti-English - even Scots like myself who spends time in England and Scotland realise this. They have some justification in their criticisms of the Premier League but otherwise, most complaints are quite obviously anti-English.

They make the Scottish hatred look timid in comparison!

Ridiculous to blame the media for reporting on real scandal in the game.

I wish they would stop reporting what the Rooney's had for breakfast that kind of jounalism sickens me.

FIFA/UEFA despise British football and would do anything to block any bids we make.
Blatter runs FIFA like his own small country, electing sycophants to maintain his position.
In the 70 & 80's we probably did not deserve a tournement due to crowd issues but after Euro 96 which ran seemlessly and was graced with some very good games, it is ridiculous we have not had another major tournement.
The SA world cup was a shambles with additional funds required to make the pitches semi playable and then the introduction of the worst football in history put the final nail in the coffin.
It would be great for the game and the economy for the UK but knowing how FIFA run things.....Good drinks and breweries spring to mind.......

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

So you can criticise The Sunday Times for it's allegations and undercover work, but then make this statement, which has no evidence to prove it's true.

"But now, thanks to a possible voting alliance with Qatar which is bididng for 2022, Spain's joint bid with Portugal is looking strong."

You're all as bad as each other. Start reporting facts and not fiction. English football fans deserve better than the drivel that appears in the media.

Just got back from Russia. I have seen what they are building/ planning to build and they aren't doing that for their own amusement.

The Olympic Stadium in Sochi is being designed as a football stadium not an Olympic stadium

The phrase done deal springs to mind.

It seems Blatter's legacy will be to take a world cup to africa and one to the biggest country in the world where ice hockey is still king!

there is no merit in him awarding it to England, we have the stadium, the infrastructure the fans the most expensive league. Its too easy.

When will some of you realise that the English football public are a minority within the population.

If we win it won't be FA that pays for the staging but, like the Olympics, millions of taxpayers, many who couldn't careless about who stages it.

However, it's quite laughable the way Sep Blatter is trying to turn wrong doing by his officials against the FA. Just like wrong doings by delegates in previous WCs the charges will be swept under the carpet.

FIFA is like the EU, a gravy train for those on board.

When you see these FIFA delegates treated like Heads of State, with no expense spared on VIP treatment, pampering to their every need and whim, a fully funded gravy train is it any wonder that this mess has occurred. The very nature and format of this process is open to abuse. It is good that these allegations of corruption and vote rigging are being exposed, irrespective of who it implicates, embarrasses or annoys. And BBC, to not censor or shelve the PANORAMA programme on this issue.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

This suggests FIFA is essentially agreeing the bidding process is corrupt, and that any investigation that threatens to unveil the corruption therefore negatively affects any bids from that country, basically an attempt to blackmail the media in each country to avoid this being made publicly.

It's a great shame that there are so many posts slating the media for this. None of us should lose sight of that fact that FIFA should be under the spotlight, not our bid team nor our newspapers. This country has a free press and this should be celebrated, not criticised.

There is a very simple way of avoiding coming across as corrupt during an undercover sting: when the undercover reporter asks 'if I gave you money, would that influence your vote?' you get up, offended, and reply 'no!'

How FIFA has got the nerve to criticise the newspapers' methods for uncovering their questionable practices (sensitive vocabulary being used here, for fear of being modded...) I don't know. There would be no reason for newspapers to conduct undercover investigations into FIFA's dealings if there was nothing to investigate!

Surely no-one can deny the truth of the above?

When England is the most blindingly obvious country to host the World Cup for a great number of years, it will be a sad day for world football when England are not on that piece of paper. If England don't get the world cup in 2018,they never will.

It may be time for England to split from FIFA and go their own way, not sure of the legalities of this, but just a thought.

Look at the way the top tier of English football has blossomed since the top division split from the FA into the Premier League, not everybodies cup of tea I know. But no denying it has been a success.

Is David Bond going to come back and respond to any of the 57 comments so far?

If the press have done anything wrong here, then the World Cup bid team should be looking at legal action.

The fact is, the press did their job. It's a shame they don't do it with such distinction when investigating the actions of those outside sport, but that's a fact of life - sport and football in particular are popular.

If FIFA wants to play the game of blaming the papers and awarding the World Cup elsewhere, then frankly England should boycott the competition. The newspapers were doing their jobs, FIFA members got caught. It's not a difficult one to work out.

And to those saying how this entrapment is illegal in other countries - the UK allows footballers and other celebrities to take out high court injunctions to prevent details of their personal lives from being published simply because they can't keep their hands to themselves, a privilege not available to them abroad.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Stew10 you wrote

"#7

They don't have any hatred of England at all, there is only a section of the public in England that uses their 'imagined' dislike to their own anti-johnny foreigner ends, combined with their view that the world revolves around them."

If you bothered to read my post properly, you would see that I am in fact Scottish. I don't hate England, but enjoy a wee laugh at their footballing misfortunes.

Try learning comprehension skills before commenting.

The tabloids annoy me(to put it politely) when they try to do in our national teams. FIFA however are perfectly fair game as far as I'm concerned.

What we have is someone blowing the whistle on possible/probable corruption in the corridors of power. What is the reaction of The Powers That Be? Seemingly the same as at least one situation I've personally been involved in - it's seen as easier to lynch the whistle blower than have the Mr Bigs clean up their act.

We shouldn't lose the 2018 World Cup on these grounds but if FIFA are in a snit then we may well do so, no matter what our efforts at recovery are.

Fingers crossed it doesn't play out that way though.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

#61 malwhereartthou

I agree that if we have the best bid but we don't win for other factors, then something is wrong and we should play no part in it.

However, you say 'We should immidaitely withdraw our bid and announce we won't be bidding again until FIFA is independently audited and agrees to a root and branch overhaul of how it is run' and presumably it would be the FA that did the withdrawing. However, how is the FA's root and branch review promised after England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008 coming along? It's all gone a bit quiet hasn't it.

a bit of a witch-hunt going on here, whatever the rags say, these are ALLEGATIONS and as such are being investigated, evidence obtained by deception does not stand in any court

but Do carry on, FIFA bashing is a national sport

Does anyone really expect the media in this country to actually support England's bid? There's more mileage in lurid headlines leading up to & during the world cup than in a well run campaign. But FIFA's stance is even worse. There isn't a member of FIFA outside of England who wants us to have the world cup here so why should we bend the knee to them? Our bid appears to be as good if not better than anyone else's so we should push on & let FIFA know we won't be put off by their members whingeing about privacy etc. They are the world governing body for football. They should be under scrutiny at all times regarding their actions.

England got everything ready now for the bid for the 2018 World Cup. Before today's news England would have been slight favorites against Russia, but once the news can today, I guess Russia are now slight favorites to host the 2018 World Cup

Under a month left now, should be interesting

Let's consider a recent comparison example. The News of the World recently used a kind of sting operation to implicate three cricket players in a corruption scandal. The ICC, mindful of its reputation and knowing that a reputation for corruption would make the game suffer, took immediate action, even going so far as to thank the newspaper in question for exposing the story.

Sepp Blatter, on the other hand, almost legitimises the actions of the people under investigation by attacking the media instead. He's saying, 'Those guys are poor victims of the questionable practises that the media employ.'

Which is kind of ludicrous. If the members of the bid committee in question had not acted improperly, where would the story be? There wouldn't be one, because no matter how dirty the dirty tricks involved in the operation by the newspaper, they wouldn't have found a story.

Sepp Blatter should be reminded that he is a public servant, as are all of the people who run FIFA, and as such, proper media scrutiny should not only be expected, but welcomed. If they, as standard practise, evade such scrutiny, the only conclusion one can reach is that the organisation is corrupt. What have they got to fear from newspaper investigation, other than being caught doing something they shouldn't have been doing?

I'd understand the irritation if the story had been a personal one, but it wasn't, it was purely about bribery and corruption in business terms. The only embarrassment brought on these people is of their own making.

Actually, they probably have more to fear by avoiding this than they do by engaging with it. If England doesn't get the bid, and England fans who buy newspapers believe the bid process to be corrupt, there will be a much greater motivation for the English press to find corruption in their ranks than if England win. If they think the media are running a campaign against them now, they have seen NOTHING!!

And I actually don't want England to win. It's unlikely I'll be able to afford a ticket for any matches, and therefore, if I must watch it on telly, I'd rather watch it on telly being hosted in another country to keep the streets a little quieter!

I despise the tabloid media in this country, but anyone who things this was the fault of the Times investigation is barking mad.

The Times made a legitimate investigation, raising questions about influence for favours in FIFA's upper echelons which is now being investigated with FIFA's ethics committee. Well done to the Times!

We need more of this kind of news reporting instead of the lazy (for which read inexpensive) news gathering which passes for journalism we sujected to day in day out. It used to be the 24 hour news and the News International stable who were the prime culprits, but now the BBC is the worst of the lot, and of that bad bunch the sports desk is worst of all. The problem is it's easier to report on a conflict than to investigate why there's a conflict. Who cares as long as it selling newspapers/preserving viewing figures/getting page hits? In fact the more polarised the debate the more the story can be strung out as it see-saws one way and then the other. Much simpler than actually trying investigate, putting a bit of effort in to work out what's going on!

So the Times should be congratulated and encouraged to do more of the same and the BBC should get on board as should the rest of the UK press. If there's corruption to be exposed it should be.

Last comment from me, does anyone actually care if the World Cup comes to England? Really? I'm an avid Spurs supporter, but I actually quite like the odd hours and different atmospheres you get from watching football in far flung places. Let's have it staged in Russia, I reckon it could be good for Russian football and fun for the rest of us!

Keep it up Tabs, you'll eventually create such a backlash the Prime Minister will call for a throttle on you and nobody will come to your rescue.

Basically the British media have NOTHING to do with where the World Cup is hosted, so why are FIFA officials allowed to let this affect thier decision, nevermind allowed to come out publicly and state that.

You are and always have been a joke Blatter. You have done nothing as president expect stick your foot in your own mouth and make a fool of yourself and FIFA.

Allegedly FIFA are now saying that our bid for the world cup is under threat because they don't like the way certain elements of the British media behave. Some people would call that blackmail. If FIFA as a body is so confident in its own housekeeping then surely it has nothing to worry about. Maybe they are so used to managing their own publicity to the nth degree that they don't realise we still have a reasonably free press in this country. No smoke without fire perhaps or are they really that anti-English?

Why are the papers intent on ruining England's chances when it comes to World Cups? With the stories about players, managers, fake sheiks, prostitutes etc. etc, and now this, the papers have done a fine job of undermining our chances of winning the world cup and now staging the world cup. The 2018 World Cup will go to Russia and it is such a shame.

mrblueburns

Don't get me started on the FA! As bad as FIFA in terms of mendacity and secrecy, who knows what is going on there. The FA should have been overhauled years ago bu the previous governemt seemed to lose the will to challenge them.

guyastral

You are quite right these are allegations and no-one is claiming they have a water-tight case against FIFA. But that being the case, isn't it peverse of FIFA to react as they have done and suggest the very fact these unproven accusations have been made will be damaging to our bid?! Why should it, as you say, they're only accusations right?? It suggest implicitly that FIFA are gulity by reacting in such a fashion. And get a grip; FIFA deserve to be bashed. Evidence of corruption has been proven within the organisation for years! I suooopse you think that we're all better off living in blissful ignorance! I suggest you change your username to Walter Mitty!

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

If there is a proven backlash surely this would confirm that Fifa are corrupt. IF no evidence of malpractice, then it would confirm that certain sections of the press are also.
Of course a wider debate on the morality of football may be welcome.
Have the bbc had to tread carefully with regard to critical comment on both of the aforementioned parties???

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

I should have added that I'm heartbroken that, by their apparently carefully planned action, the Sunday Times has most likely destroyed any hope of another English world cup in my lifetime. I can't even begin to understand how they balanced this outcome against the assumed extra sales and came to the decision to go ahead with the sting. Unbelievable.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

In about 20002 a Russian player was tested positive for drugs in a UEFA qualifier. I would have thought that most paople would be bemuesed and angry that Russsia should even be allowed to bid for the world cup. If they win it will be victory for supporters of drug taking and cheating in sport.

I get the feeling that FIFA would much rather opt for a country which doesn't have a free press. Which says a lot about FIFA - and none of what it says is good.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.

Just thought i'd save you the bother. My view of FIFA and its associates would never be printed.

I read an interesting piece about this at:
https://raycee123.blogspot.com/2010/11/corruption-within-fifa.html
Says it all really.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

so very very predictable -
im english but it infuriates me how evrything is against us its just pathetic, whenever we dont get our own way its a conspiracy and everyone is against us. the media play this jingoistic card and people just lap it up.

Why should Russia not get it? or Portugal? neither have had the world cup before. Thepress think its our god given right to get the world cup - what just because we have a lot of fans (who dosn't) because we have stadiums (who dosn't/can't build them?) because we are the "home" of football (so what - it's an international game)

Yet again we are making excuses so that its not our fault - like when lampards goal wasn't allowed and it was that that knocked us out of the world cup (not that we were well beaten by a much better side)

we here how uefa/fifa are so much against us while at the same time as much is done as possible to ensure english clubs (4 of them) reach the latter stages of the champions league. Platini says things should be a bit fairer and clubs shouldn't have debt - and he is painted as anti-english. Well ask liverpool, man u, and portsmouth fans if they like being in debt - its not rocket science is it!

of course fifa shoul be more transparent but the british press make me sick

This is great isn't it, you English are complaining that your media has damaged your bid...........If I remember correctly it was the media that exposed the Pakistanis during their series there, I did not hear too much talk about 'unethical' methods then.

Point is, is you are straight, then you are straight no amount of undercover work will get you into trouble, have no sympathy for those two guys who were caught.

Now to the bid, England may have a useless team, but truth be told they have the best facilities at the moment, only Spain and Portugal can match them, so it is between the two.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

85. At 5:49pm on 04 Nov 2010, plasticmanc wrote:
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.

+1 - It is a sad day indeed for the free press. The BBC fear FIFA on this one.

Do we want a transparent, corruption free sport? I do, and a lot of other people do, but the beneficiaries don't, and there are more of them than I think we are admitting to ourselves? If FIFA are not going to do anything about this, would we like the press to do it for them? I would, and a lot of other people would too.

Do we want England to win the bid? I do, and a lot of other English people do too. If we don't get it this time, is there another one next year, and the year after that, and the year after that...? NO, there, isn't. We might have left this mortal coil before we get our next chance. In light of this, would we like our press to hold their horses and help out the country? I would, and a lot of other English people would too.

Did these reporters give a ****? No, they didn't. They were more concerned about the big story and making a name for themselves, and the best way to do that, just like with the Triesman sting, was to time the stories to cause the maximum damage to England. AGAIN!!!

These people are TRAITORS. And the people who keep them in business by buying their publications are not much better.

'the prospect of seven years of scrutiny by the British media fills many of the Fifa members with dread.'...why if they've got nothing to hide plus what better way to stop any scrutiny than to be completely honest and transparent and giving the tournament to a country renowned for fair play? ;)

I doubt very much most of them are worried about a small island nations media in the global scheme of things...are they all gonna be there in eight years time anyway!?

Two things to comment on really, we really should be allowed another tournament as the two we have hosted were very successful and being a large player in the international game it's about ime it cam eto us again. That said if the English Media do have a n impact on the decision then it will anger me for these two reasons;
1. Why should Media affect a bid? - my only thought would be that those who decide have brought their personal life into the equation rather than just their opinion
2. When are the English media going to realise that hounding individuals is NOT what the English public want. I do not want to read about someone who was tricked into saying somehting - I'm surprised at the Times I thought it was only the NOTW that went for that sort of approach. Don't tell us, tell FIFA and provide the evidence, let them decide what to do with it, its their job!!!

David - who is this 'senior member' of the bid team? Are you allowed to name him? Probably not!!
It is completely incredulous that after the diabolical handling of its various affairs over recent months (years actually) that such a statement can be issued on behalf of the FA, before the result is even known.
What is the purpose of this statement?
1) Could it be the FA knows it has failed with its bid and is therefore looking for a 'scapegoat' in the form of the Press & Media?
2) Could it be, the FA believes that by making such a statement now then pressure would be exerted on FIFA and it would somehow be afraid NOT to award the 2018 WC to England, because it would then face allegations it had something to hide all along and is just getting its 'own back' on England for allowing the press to investigate in the first place???
3) Could it be, that by excepting it has lost the bid already, the FA is giving FIFA an 'out' for 2018, but laying down a marker for 2022?
The mind boggles at the apparent stupidity of the FA issuing such statements at this time -but there again did we honestly expect anything different?

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

My first thought when I heard the story was that the world cup bid would suffer, so this news is no surprise. We can dress this up any way we want, but the inescapable fact is that in most of the world the tactics used here by 'investigative' jounalists would not be tolerated.

In the 2006 world cup Engalnd went there with a manager already about to leave his job, which has to have affected the squad negatively. Why? Because of the 'fake sheik' scandal. This was compounded by the farcial debate about the appointment of the next manager and the Scolari debacle. The winners on that occasion were the papers who will have sold a few extra copies; the losers the British public.

The run up to the 2010 world cup included the captain who had led the team through qualifying being stripped of the job, again something that must have affected the team. Once again this was the outcome of articles published in the press. The winners will again be the people who benefitted from selling a few more papers; the losers the British public (in particular the nations football fans).

We are now approaching the votes to decide who hosts the 2018 and 2022 world cups and once again we find stories that sell a few more papers, but which might we mean that England's bid loses. Doubtless if that happens this will provide more to write about for some, and a big disappointment for others. Does anyone see a pattern here?

We really need to wake up and realise that when we buy into a product - be that a newspaper, or a ticket to watch a football match. Then we tacitly agree to the way it goes about it's business. Whilst I personally find the way our media works quite shocking, I also recognise that they work this way because people buy the product. Some clear headed thinking about the what we buy from the news stands is the only way to change this. I'm talking about arts and entertainment, politics, all walks of life and not just football, all of which are frequently reported in a certain way. If you like the product just keep buying it and nothing will change. If like me you don't like it, just stop buying it. They will soon get the message!