And the winner is...

Congratulations Sepp Blatter and the rest of the FIFA executives for once again showing that you really don’t have a clue. You claim to have the best interests of international football at the heart of your organisation, or should I say idiotic circus.

I say this, of course, because England failed to get the 2018 World Cup. Instead Russia succeeded in their seemly half-baked bid.

Football is an international phenomenon. Excitement, finesse, money and the big stars, it has it all. So that is why I was bitterly disappointed when it was announced that football was not coming home.

In order for a country to get voted to host a tournament, they have usually got to get 13 votes from the 25 delegates of FIFA. This year was different, thanks to the Sunday Times newspaper uncovering certain officials clearly offering to sell their votes for the right bribe, the number was cut to 22. Meaning 12 votes were needed.

Those in charge of the voting, look as if they haven’t had any physical exercise in the last 15 years, let alone kicked a football. So why on earth do they get to make the most important decision in Football? It should be left to people who really love the game. Not businessmen with ever-expanding waistbands and receding hairlines. They get to make the decisions of the games future, when most of them won’t be here to see it, in particular Mr Blatter.

I have criticised him in the past, and this time is no different. Why are people so surprised by him? This is a man who is so scared of the future that he continues to reject the use of goal-line technology. But that is a subject for another time.
He infuriated many, including myself by patronising England. “England is the motherland of Football” is what the confused pensioner said when describing the host candidates. Another thing that has angered the masses is the fact that the vast majority of the FIFA delegates admitted openly, that England had an excellent bid.

There are those who are blaming BBC’s Panorama for tarnishing and damaging England’s chances of having the 2018 World Cup. The programme made huge accusations against the Vice President of FIFA. Did this effect the decision? Who knows?

What has annoyed a lot of people is that there are many reports circulating that Russia knew they had won the bid 24 hours before the announcement was made. Was this because certain Russians gave the big wigs of FIFA a vast amount of Rubles to bulk up their already bulging pockets?

One of Sepp’s main goals is to take Football around the world. That is why in 2002 South Korea and Japan had the honour. And in 2006 FIFA apparently unified Germany. Then this year, South Africa hosted the biggest event in world Football. To this point I am not surprised that the oldies at Zurich choose Qatar to host the 2022 event. I think Sepp Blatter really does want a Nobel Prize for bringing Football to the entire world, but I thought Football was already everywhere.

Two things about Qatar I find interesting. 1) Possibly the only word in the English language which has a Q that isn’t followed by a U. 2) It’s a country with a population of on 2 million people.

So how on earth are they going to be able to deal with the extra people and build 11 new stadiums up to regulations, with a history of bad work conditions?

I know that I have asked a lot of questions, but hey, someone has to ask the blatantly obvious questions. As it seems those in charge totally missed them.