2018

[LoyalRoyalFan]

The Nou Camp, is around the same levels as Madejski Stadium to get to.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

Wembley
Old Trafford
Eastlands
St James Park
Stadium of Light
Emirates
Stamford Bridge
Stanley Park
New Tottenham Stadium
Olympic Stadium (West Ham)

There will be TEN stadiums easily good enough to stage games and that's before we even delve into smaller grounds such as MK Dons, Pride Park, the Riverside and so forth (which are still bigger than several grounds which have staged major tournaments recently). Yet we're staging world cups in the likes of South Africa?!

As for having stadiums and infrastructure of to scratch, when was the last time you visited Brazil Rev?

FIFA are an absolute joke and somebody should gather Blatter, Platini and Warner, put them in a room and blow it up - it'll do football the most good it would ever have had.

How Warner is still in a job is the most embarasing thing in football.

Ask the Trinidad players where their World Cup money went?

We don't need the World Cup, let them keep giving it places. Who gives a oxf*rd. We shouldn't even to applying for it. It's a joke.....

[soggy biscuit]

There will be TEN stadiums easily good enough to stage games and that's before we even delve into smaller grounds such as MK Dons, Pride Park, the Riverside and so forth (which are still bigger than several grounds which have staged major tournaments recently). Yet we're staging world cups in the likes of South Africa?!

You do realise they don't just award it to the country with the best facilities right?

[prostak]

I agree with the idea of spreading the wealth of the game, but this should be done through investment at grass roots level which is what should have been done in the case of South Africa - I very much doubt the stadiums built will be fully-utilised after the tournament as they simply do not have the quality of football and demand to fill them, look at how crap the gates were for the Confederations Cup. The FIFA World Cup is the flagship tournament of the beautiful game and should go to a country fully deserving and most importantly READY to host such an event. England is better-placed than most to do this and simply has to be given the green light this time around.

You mean, you would like the tournaments to stay in overwhelmingly white, predominantly European countries. It's a football tournament, not a trade fair - who's to say England 'deserves' to host it more than any African country? If we're to do it on infrastructure alone, I'd imagine it'd rotate between Germany, Japan, Sweden and various emirates - places where things work, eh?

[Seal]

There is a 23 man FIFA panel who makes the decision on World Cup bids.

According to a colleague of mine who is very much ITK on such things, the process needed to win the bid involves many things, some above board, some very very much below board.

The below boards tactics include having a budget of £500k per FIFA panellist, for bribery, cocaine and hookers.

I want to be a FIFA panellist.

[readingbedding]

France, Germany, Mexico, Italy have had hosted a world cup twice and Brazil will soon have hosted it twice. So, I'd say we should be getting a turn soon.

Not to mention that France and Italy have hosted the European Championships twice and Germany once.

France?

That is bollocks.

[Royalee]

I agree with the idea of spreading the wealth of the game, but this should be done through investment at grass roots level which is what should have been done in the case of South Africa - I very much doubt the stadiums built will be fully-utilised after the tournament as they simply do not have the quality of football and demand to fill them, look at how crap the gates were for the Confederations Cup. The FIFA World Cup is the flagship tournament of the beautiful game and should go to a country fully deserving and most importantly READY to host such an event. England is better-placed than most to do this and simply has to be given the green light this time around.

You mean, you would like the tournaments to stay in overwhelmingly white, predominantly European countries. It's a football tournament, not a trade fair - who's to say England 'deserves' to host it more than any African country? If we're to do it on infrastructure alone, I'd imagine it'd rotate between Germany, Japan, Sweden and various emirates - places where things work, eh?

You're the one who brought race into it, Japan and Korea did a very good job of staging the tournament and they weren't 'white, predominantly European countries'. South Africa didn't have the stadiums and infrastructure anywhere close to ours when they made their bid though and what I am saying is that we already have the facilities in place to stage such a tournament, so why is it that Warner and others are dismissing that? As for media image, the Premier League has the most lucrative television rights in the world, which blows Warner completely out of the water as we have the strongest 'brand' out of all of the candidates.

[Royalee]

There will be TEN stadiums easily good enough to stage games and that's before we even delve into smaller grounds such as MK Dons, Pride Park, the Riverside and so forth (which are still bigger than several grounds which have staged major tournaments recently). Yet we're staging world cups in the likes of South Africa?!

You do realise they don't just award it to the country with the best facilities right?

Of course, they award it on who's bribed them the most, but it SHOULD go to countries with the best facilities and capacity to host the tournament.

[Royalee]

There is a 23 man FIFA panel who makes the decision on World Cup bids.

According to a colleague of mine who is very much ITK on such things, the process needed to win the bid involves many things, some above board, some very very much below board.

The below boards tactics include having a budget of £500k per FIFA panellist, for bribery, cocaine and hookers.

I want to be a FIFA panellist.

Oh the irony.

[soggy biscuit]

but it SHOULD go to countries with the best facilities and capacity to host the tournament.

LOLz

[ZacNaloen]

If they don't want to give it to England Ireland and Scotland should make a joint bid.

If South Africa can get it, so can they.

[Royalee]

but it SHOULD go to countries with the best facilities and capacity to host the tournament.

LOLz

[soggy biscuit]

but it SHOULD go to countries with the best facilities and capacity to host the tournament.

LOLz

As someone stated earlier, if that were really the criteria to win the bid then England wouldn't get it anyway.

[Dirk Gently]

If they don't want to give it to England Ireland and Scotland should make a joint bid.

If South Africa can get it, so can they.

They don't like joint bids, and would only consider those as a last resort. They wanted someone in Asia to host it, so were more tolerant for Japan/South Korea, but that was a one-off. They've also wanted Arica to host it for years, hence South AFrica getting it this time.

[ZacNaloen]

I guess that makes it Australias turn.

[Royalee]

As someone stated earlier, if that were really the criteria to win the bid then England wouldn't get it anyway.

How so?

[Royalee]

I've posted more of an in-depth discussion on the bidding countries here if anyone gives a toss http://royaleeblog.blogspot.com/.

[Big Foot]

I've posted more of an in-depth discussion on the bidding countries here if anyone gives a toss http://royaleeblog.blogspot.com/.

LOLZ

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Wembley
Old Trafford
Eastlands
St James Park
Stadium of Light
Emirates
Stamford Bridge
Stanley Park
New Tottenham Stadium
Olympic Stadium (West Ham)

There will be TEN stadiums easily good enough to stage games

Under current guidelines, only one city can have two stadiums (not that some of the guidelines aren't nuts), so having 5 in London is right out.

and that's before we even delve into smaller grounds such as MK Dons, Pride Park, the Riverside and so forth (which are still bigger than several grounds which have staged major tournaments recently).

None are bigger than any stadium which has held a world cup match lately.

Yet we're staging world cups in the likes of South Africa?!

The grounds in South Africa will be ready, and will be terrific. Finding somewhere to stay and a way of getting between the cities on the other hand...

As for having stadiums and infrastructure of to scratch, when was the last time you visited Brazil Rev?

The point is (and it's not is if I was subtle when I made it) other countries look to be showing they are pulling out all the stops to put on a world cup. Look at all the new and improved stadiums in Japan/Korea, Germany and South Africa, and even the plans for Brazil. Too many (hopefully not including the world cup bid team) seem to have this attitude that England's stadiums are the best in the world and nothing needs doing, and we'll get it because we are England. That attitude will kill our bid.

[Wimb]

Have to disagree in part with you Royalee (which is rare for me)

I do agree that we have the facilities and fanbase to host a fantastic world cup and that we should get it sooner rather then later.

But half of the joy of the worldcup is the fact that it is a World event and can go to lots of different countries. We are blessed in this country to be within a few hours of matches that involve international superstars from all over the world and watch them in stadia that are safe, secure and great environments to watch football. The Premier League, 4 Champions League teams and 3/4 Europa Cup teams all play here and bring in further stars from abroad.

But for places like Quatar, Ozland, South Africa, Brazil, millions of people have to watch on TV at best to see their heros. Even the Brazillian national team players barely play in Brazil ffs

A world cup has the chance to provide a population with a great spectacle and provides a key incentive for the national FA/Government to build safe new stadiums and provide long lasting legacies for that country. I'm not saying the World Cup should be a 'charity event' but you can't deny it has that potential.

Yes having the World Cup in established footballing centres is a safer bet, with more chances of full stadiums, 'generally' better security and what not. However, looking realistically, would 2018 in England leave any sort of practical legacy? Do you think the event would inspire people more then watching their club sides week in week out? I'd argue no.

This is why FIFA has such a tough decision on where to award a World Cup and why I'm glad it's gone for 'less traditional' options in 2002, 2010 and 2014. At least one of 2018 or 2022 needs to go somewhere new, either the Middle East or to Australasia or to a lesser extent the USA. However, there is also no reason we shouldn't get a turn, it's all about the balance.