Not because of sour grapes at not being selected but because of the out and out corruption in FIFA. England pulling out would cause some others to follow and maybe a clear out of FIFA could emerge.

Totally agree, we are forgetting how much power we have in the game and shouldnt stand for this jumping to the tune of FIFA and the corruption in the organisation.

We should take a leaf out of the darts and the Indian Cricket board, they realised that they held the power in the game and didnt like what was going on as a result, the darts players broke away resulting in a better federation and the Indian cricket board got the most lucrative cricket competition there is the IPL.

The FA was here before FIFA they should remember that and also who brings the most money into the game. It was said that they are looking towards the developing countries ot have a legacy of football, how this works in Qatar I dont know, therefore unless your a tin-top nation whats the point in putting a bid in.

I think the england players should get together and agree not to win another world cup ,in fact I reckon they should agree to play badly on purpose in an england shirt,this should start from 1991

you mean the same IPL that had the huge corruption scandal over the summer?

We got 2 votes, one of them was us!

and the other was USA who voted for us as we agreed to step aside from the 2022 bid. I am just delighted that the vote was based on the individual bids and nothing to do with FIFA's 'outing' at the hands of the english press

It gets more ridiculous the more you look at it that the world cup will go to either place. You just cannot imagine a festival of football with fan parks etc in either of these places. Its just bizarre. And god knows what kick off times will be. Both bids were classed as high risk. Why should any country bid in the future when the process is so clearly corrupt?

I would have liked to see it in Spain/Portugal, because at least my kids will grow up knowing they could have gone there.

I am with Mr I, I think its time Egland and others just told FIFA to get stuffed. I doubt we will see the major football event in the UK in any of our life times.

Unless someone has a cheque book the size of Roman's.

Time to slip the lead and let loose the dogs of investigative journalism.

Absolutely. And you just know they are going to do it now.

yes.

Yes

I don't particularly care that we didn't get the world cup.

I would rather the FA put the not inconsiderable money they have and more time and effort into ensuring the actual team is good enough to win a world cup rather than ensuring we host one.

concurring to an extent. i half expected us not to get it, but the depth of the hatred of all things english amongst the FIFA vultures just boils my piss, and the award of football's major trophy to two countries that are probably amongst the most unsuitable in the world to host a competition of this sort is beyond belief. what next, north korea2030 ?


i would rather we withdrew from FIFA, scrapped meaningless friendlies and spent a fookin fortune on grass roots coaches and football at local level.

oh, and before anyone bleats about the Tories cutting sports funding, let's not forget it was the previous government that sold off hundreds of our playing fields to fund the feelgood factor and artificiall the inflate housing market.

Yeah we should sign that Messi bloke from Argentina.

.....have'nt we boycotted every World Cup since 1970?

Exactly

I'm betting at least 3 dozen foreign footy fans are murdered/ attempted to be murdered in Russia when it's on over there
Which will be a lot less than in Brazil I suppose

...picture the scene......"and based in the Siberian area......will be (opens note holder)... "D" ...England.

David Beckham. Bobby Charlton. William Windsor. David Cameron. Seb Coe.
Your boys took one he'll of a beating:):)

Was there any issues with stabbings, muggings and murders in South Africa. If there was I didn't see much in the press. I would of rather seen Holland get it or Spain but nevermind.

One thing that we also have to face is that our stadia really isn't as good as people make out or seem to think, apart from Anfield, Goodison, Hillsborough, Vila Park and White Hart Lane our stadiums generally lack character and atmosphere.

As for crime, things are pretty shite here at the moment, stabbings and theft is quite common and as a country we aren't exactly renound for being welcoming.

A lad from work was stopping with his brother who lives in Cape Town, while he was there 3 blokes broke into the house and robbed them at gunpoint of everything but the first thing they demanded were the World Cup tickets

news blackouts are a piece of piss to arrange

Ah Russia ... nine time zones... I'll be setting the alarm to get up at four in the morning to watch Indonesia v Syria .... nah.

...Yeah, Russia's full of really nice and friendly people......like this chap here....

Look, I know the result of the vote was dissapointing beyond belief.

But I don't know why the British media (The Sun for one) are having a go at the BBC for being unpatriotic by broadcasting the programme before the Vote.

If they think there is corruption in the system, then have got to expose it, irrespective of how England's bid does.

It was very interesting when I found out last night that Putin said he would not be in Zurich for the vote today.

2022: USA - President Clinton in Zurich - LOST.

2018: England - PM Cameron and Prince William in Zurich - LOST.
Netherlands/Belgium: Ruud Gullit in Zurich - LOST.

2018: Russia: No dignatries in Zurich - WON
2022: Qatar: No famous people in Zurich - WON.

What does that mean to me?

A bid should be good enough to win by itself and not need appearances by all these famous people.

I am expecting a lot of people to criticise Cameron in the media tomorrow for not being as persuasive enough as Blair was for the Olympics. A lot of people may criticise Cameron for going out there and seemingly wasting people's time.

I know if we'd won, it might have been a different story, but....

Sorry, typo. Netherlands/Belgium: Ruud Gullit in Zurich - LOST.

in other words, your theory is utter shite ?

Putin didnt attend as he know it was in the bag... FACT!

Exactly. If you think your bid's good enough to win, then you should let it do the talking and not you.

No kent he knew it was in the bag for other reasons.

I'd like to see some proof.

How about that Panorama programme in which FIFA members are shown to be corrupt?

In light of what investigations carried out by the BBC and the Sunday Times have shown would you honestly rule out the possibility of Russia being given the 2018 world cup on account of their bribes were the biggest?

There ya go

Proof?

You cant handle the proof

I haven't been able to see the documentary because I've been in France.

When I come for Christmas, I'm going to watch the documentary.

Matt Monro, From Russia With Love, 1963

From russia with love I fly to you
Much wiser since my goodbye to you
I've travelled the world to learn
I must return from russia with love

I've seen places, faces and smiled for a moment
But oh, you haunted me so
Still my tongue tied, young pride
Would not let my love for you show
I case you say no

To russia I flew but there and then
I suddenly knew you'd care again
My running around is through
I fly to you, from russia with love

He's toned it done a bit recently aido, thats good for him that.

....just once a year then POK?

just when you thought it was safe to respond to his posts..............

Ruud Gullits a dignatary????

eh?

russia sent Arshavin.........


I'm missing your point there kent lad

Having Cameron involved was a mistake..............no one takes him seriously.

Well, he doesn't seem to have the powers of persuasion Blair had when we were bidding for the Olympics.

Lets just hope Chechnya qualify for the finals

Very true young man.

Compared to Russian and Qatar stadiums the Darlington Echo area can be described as a vibrant atmosphere

Wasnt Dmitry Medvedev there or was I mistaken?