Andy Anson, the head of England's failed bid to stage the World Cup in 2018, has said that the blame lies squarely with The Sunday Times and the BBC for investigating corruption in F.I.F.A.
It is possible he is right. England got only two votes, one of which was from our own delegate (we assume). For myself I should rather have a free press than the World Cup, but there can now be no barrier to a comprehensive investigation and I hope that our investigative journalists get to the bottom of the matter.
Showing posts with label World Cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World Cup. Show all posts
03 December, 2010
30 November, 2010
The World Cup
There is talk that an investigation by British television reporters into alleged corruption in F.I.F.A. (Fédération Internationale de Football Association - why does it have a French name?) may lose Britain the opportunity to stage the World Cup in 2018. You might have thought that they'd be grateful to our chaps for rooting out corruption in their ranks, however no: they don't like being investigated, you see.
Why on earth didn't we think about this at the time of being awarded the Olympics? There is massive corruption in the International Olympic Committee and our journalists, with a bit of pot-stirring, could have saved us billions of pounds and got the thing won by the French.
'You cannot hope to bribe or twist
Thank God! The British journalist
But seeing what the man will do unbribed,
There's no occasion to.
(Humbert Wolfe)
Why on earth didn't we think about this at the time of being awarded the Olympics? There is massive corruption in the International Olympic Committee and our journalists, with a bit of pot-stirring, could have saved us billions of pounds and got the thing won by the French.
'You cannot hope to bribe or twist
Thank God! The British journalist
But seeing what the man will do unbribed,
There's no occasion to.
(Humbert Wolfe)
26 June, 2010
Football factoid
I am indebted to Dizzy for the information that the last time Italy got no further than the Group stage in the World Cup (1974), the only goal in their final match was scored by Fabio Capello.
No team has ever won the World Cup with a foreign manager.
No team has ever won the World Cup with a foreign manager.
22 June, 2010
World Cup: technology to blame
I am indebted to Mr.Eugenides, who reads the Chosun Ilbo newspaper, for this:
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il "gives regular tactical advice during matches using mobile phones that are not visible to the naked eye," the team's manager Kim Jong-hun told ESPN Thursday. The coach dutifully told the sports channel that Kim Jong-il developed the James-Bond technology himself.
Due to a faulty mobile signal in capitalist South Africa the brave N.Korean team lost 7-0 to Portugal
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il "gives regular tactical advice during matches using mobile phones that are not visible to the naked eye," the team's manager Kim Jong-hun told ESPN Thursday. The coach dutifully told the sports channel that Kim Jong-il developed the James-Bond technology himself.
Due to a faulty mobile signal in capitalist South Africa the brave N.Korean team lost 7-0 to Portugal
03 June, 2010
The World Cup
First in an occasional series of 5,486 posts.
The World Cup starts on 11th June, so only 8 breath holding days left to go.
This blog would like a final between England and Italy, or failing that between North and South Korea, a lively match, but expects it will be between Spain and Brazil.
The British are sending 23 players, which puts us in with a chance if the others are decent enough only to field the usual 11. The team is reported to have arrived in South Africa, to be greeted by a traditional African welcome.
Presumably a request for bilateral aid.
The World Cup starts on 11th June, so only 8 breath holding days left to go.
This blog would like a final between England and Italy, or failing that between North and South Korea, a lively match, but expects it will be between Spain and Brazil.
The British are sending 23 players, which puts us in with a chance if the others are decent enough only to field the usual 11. The team is reported to have arrived in South Africa, to be greeted by a traditional African welcome.
Presumably a request for bilateral aid.
02 March, 2010
The horrors to come
It is 70 days to the final date for a general election in the UK, and 100 days until the Football World Cup.
All I'm saying is, have a think about your holiday plans
All I'm saying is, have a think about your holiday plans
05 December, 2009
The World Cup: it has started
The World Cup Football (soccer) tournament does not begin until June but like the commercial institution of Christmas has been started artificially early. Six months early, for last night was the draw to decide who plays whom, when and where.
Similar in style to an Italian game show, there was a celebrity (David Beckham) a pretty girl and a Frenchman (how is it they always seem to get involved?) with a microphone attached to his ear, doing nothing for the supposed independence of the draw. The girl called out numbers, the wired grenouille something unintelligible. Somosas! (why is it when we can’t understand a Frenchman we assume he is talking about food?) And there was another little chap running around with rolled pieces of paper like you find in Christmas crackers. So the long evening wore on. ‘Six two’ said the lovely. ‘Petits Pois’ cries the froggy.
As a televisual spectacle this was buttock clenchingly awful, trying to manufacture excitement where there could be none – we might have simply read about it in the morning papers.
There again, this is not about sport.
Similar in style to an Italian game show, there was a celebrity (David Beckham) a pretty girl and a Frenchman (how is it they always seem to get involved?) with a microphone attached to his ear, doing nothing for the supposed independence of the draw. The girl called out numbers, the wired grenouille something unintelligible. Somosas! (why is it when we can’t understand a Frenchman we assume he is talking about food?) And there was another little chap running around with rolled pieces of paper like you find in Christmas crackers. So the long evening wore on. ‘Six two’ said the lovely. ‘Petits Pois’ cries the froggy.
As a televisual spectacle this was buttock clenchingly awful, trying to manufacture excitement where there could be none – we might have simply read about it in the morning papers.
There again, this is not about sport.
05 February, 2009
Another shameful disaster?
My reactions to the news that we are sending a team to bid for the 2018 Football World Cup alternated between humour and horror.
Could we please come back down to earth? It is going to be bad enough with the Olympics. Britain has a shameful record for bringing these grands projets in anything like on time or within budget. We have a transport system the quality of which would embarrass Cairo. The standard of the hotels is abysmal, it is near impossible to get a decent meal except at fantastic expense and, most important of all, listen to me, WE HAVEN'T GOT ANY MONEY.
Stop it! Lord love us!
Could we please come back down to earth? It is going to be bad enough with the Olympics. Britain has a shameful record for bringing these grands projets in anything like on time or within budget. We have a transport system the quality of which would embarrass Cairo. The standard of the hotels is abysmal, it is near impossible to get a decent meal except at fantastic expense and, most important of all, listen to me, WE HAVEN'T GOT ANY MONEY.
Stop it! Lord love us!
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