2018 World Cup
It seems that the fallout from England’s failed bid to host the 2018 World Cup is set to rumble on. What’s more, the debate about whether we have genuine reason to feel aggrieved or whether we’re just wallowing in self pity will split football fans across the nation.
Media pundits are predictably spinning out their forthright views, amongst which are some interesting comments and support from unlikely sources. Blackpool’s colourful gaffer, Ian Holloway, suggesting (tongue-in-cheek of course!) that The FA would have been better dividing the estimated £15M they coughed up, into brown envelopes marked for Fifa’s attention!
And, with Manchester United’s dyed-in-the-wool Scots manager Sir Alex Ferguson, being quoted in today’s Sunday Express labelling the decision as ‘an insult to English football’, sympathy hasn’t been in short supply.
However, what always appeared to be an awkward alliance between Prince William, David Beckham and PM David Cameron, is now being questioned retrospectively by one of the trio themselves.
Not surprisingly, the felon is a certain Mr Cameron, using his political powers to act like a teenage boy reacting to being dumped with claims his ‘ex was a munter anyway’ – he’s said to be furious at being associated with the bid for what was a major embarrassment and is demanding an overhaul of The FA’s heirarchy. Maybe you should’ve stuck to polo or rugger Dave!
No doubt though, the conspiracists have every reason to brood – despite it appearing to be the best technical submission, England’s bidding power appears to have gone backwards with a paltry two votes received in Zurich – even its similarly unsuccessful bid for the 2006 competition managed three more than that total.
Whatever peoples’ opinions, the only thing we can be sure of is that we’ll never really know the truth. So, let’s wish the Russians luck and look forward to turning up at someone else’s party in eight years time!