World Cup Bid

[Kitsondinho]

Agreed.

[PlasticRoyale]

How the fcuk have we lost control of a game we invented

[soggy biscuit]

Anyone on here been through all the detail of the bids to see who has the best or shall we all go with the 'England can only lose because they were wronged' like we do on the pitch?

Not looked at any of them myself but the Spain/Portugal one was being raved about on R5 a couple of days ago

[papereyes]

Guardian did about a week ago.

[Mr Angry]

England's has the highest rating for profitability; Russia the lowest.

As I understand it, there isn't a single stand out MUST WIN candidate in terms of the bids; there are pro's & con's to all 4 of them.

The biggest negative towards Spain/Portugal is that FIFA have said they are against joint bids (they weren't overly inpressed by Japan/Sth Korea in 2002 apparantly). Same obviously goes for Holland/Belguim. Fo Russia, the biggest negative is travelling distances between host cities, whilst for England it was a lack of hotel rooms already booked for FIFA delegates (!!!!!).

As a result, it will come down to the politicking - and thats where we will get shafted.

Frankly the Panorama piece last night was designed simply to throw a spanner in the works of England's chances. Why say that? Well, the content was hardly current (some members of the current executive probably took back handers from a company that no longer exists some 20 years ago ) the journo who did it is so despised by FIFA that he is actually banned by them from entering their HQ, and hand on heart, why wait until 3 days before the vote to show it? They could have done this a Year ago, or even in 6 months time; it wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference to the currency of the allegations.

Sadly, the BBC has form; they did a similar muck raking piece on the IOC prior to the 2012 decision going to London, the difference being it was 12 months before the vote so the London 2012 bid team had time to rescue the situation.

The Beeb learnt from that, so aired the programme as close to the vote as possible.

As for their reasons? Who knows? malicious Scotsman making the call? Don't want to spend huge sums on covering it? Elitism (eg: its not rugger)?

[Barry the bird boggler]

Cameron, Bex and Wills are going out there to rescue it...

...while Vladimir Putin can't be arsed to go

So that's it settled then

[Silver Fox]

As for their reasons? Who knows? malicious Scotsman making the call? Don't want to spend huge sums on covering it? Elitism (eg: its not rugger)?

Teh scotsman comment is so ridiculous it's untrue. As for the expense of covering it, are the BBC not going to bother going if it's in Russia?

[Mr Angry]

As for their reasons? Who knows? malicious Scotsman making the call? Don't want to spend huge sums on covering it? Elitism (eg: its not rugger)?

Teh scotsman comment is so ridiculous it's untrue. As for the expense of covering it, are the BBC not going to bother going if it's in Russia?

SF - I haven't said those WERE the reasons; I was just speculating tongue in cheek as to why the Beeb did what they did.

[Silver Fox]

Fair enough

As for the BBC could have shown this at any other time, why not show it now? It's more relevant this week as it's the week the host for 2018 is decided and if that upsets FIFa then it just proves their up to no good. I'm a lot happier that nobody would put pressure on the BBC not to show this (at least nobody whose opinion would make a difference) and that the BBC is still doing investigative journalism

[6ft Kerplunk]

Cameron, Bex and Wills are going out there to rescue it...

...while Vladimir Putin sorted the voters out months again

So that's it settled then

[Uke]

Cameron, Bex and Wills are going out there to rescue it...

...while Vladimir Putin has their children in a cage tied over a pit full of hungry bears

So that's it settled then

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Cameron, Bex and Wills are going out there to rescue it...

...while Vladimir Putin can't be arsed to go

So that's it settled then

I know a fair few Russians on a different board are taking Putin's non-appearance as confirmation they won't win. He likes to be associated with success, and only with success. Add in press reports stating he doesn't need to go as a Russian win is certain, and they are convinced it's over.

Amid all the corruption allegations, I think somebody should have also reminded the South American contingent that it's not the Eurovision Song Contest, and voting for a bid because the hosts speak your language and have cultural ties to you is not really the idea.

[Victor Meldrew]

as one that is difficult to get to as is the next largest Arsenal's Emirates in this crowded country of ours.
What about Wembley itself?-a diabolical location.
Personally I have no great desire for us to hold it again but maybe I'm being a bit selfish having been to 2 of the games in 1966.

How is Emirates Stadium difficult to get to? There's three tube stations near by, Finsbury Park rail and busses going up and down Holloway Road.

I see from your avatar that you live in North London-not everybody lives in North London nor indeed would ever want to.

[Victor Meldrew]

To be fair to Meldrew getting to OT can be difficult when wearing a tracksuit with a perm and tash

Getting out might be more difficult.
BTW not being anti Man Utd (well not today anyway)Old Trafford is a bit of a ramshackle and tired structure these days (as are Anfield and Goodison) so I would suggest that Eastlands is the only decent ground of any size in the North-West that should be hosting world cup games.

[prostak]

How the fcuk have we lost control of a game we invented

HTH

[Maguire]

Which Hobnobber was heard on Radio Berks this morning discussing Reading offering themselves as a training venue?

[soggy biscuit]

Sky saying England are favourites, R5 saying they have it as a draw meaning Blatter gets the vote and he gives it to Russia.

Hope we get it, would love to see a world cup here. Stil, only a few hours to go until a potential downpour of self pity and sour grapes from England.

'Blatter/FIFA hates England' etc

[Once were Biscuitmen]

Sky saying England are favourites, R5 saying they have it as a draw meaning Blatter gets the vote and he gives it to Russia.

Hope we get it, would love to see a world cup here. Stil, only a few hours to go until a potential downpour of self pity and sour grapes from England.

'Blatter/FIFA hates England' etc

Given the Russians generally excel at the kind of practices that get you a prime time slot on Panorama ("Mafia state"- copyright the State department and latterly Wikileaks) FIFA may think to give it to Putin and chums would invite further investigations. The press may end up helping the bid.

[Svlad Cjelli]

A couple of people I know who are generally ITK are saying that support for Russia has "collapsed" in the last week, which is why Putin is not going - he doesn't want to be publicly associated with something that loses.

[Row Z Royal]

Which Hobnobber was heard on Radio Berks this morning discussing Reading offering themselves as a training venue?

LOL@ being on or listening to BBCRB.