World Cup Catastrophe

So the World Cup is heading Russia’s way. Who would have thought that when England’s odds were 2/1 on to get the 2018 World Cup we would only end up with 2 votes from FIFA? Certainly not me. The speculation that has followed this ridiculous decision is in my opinion absolutely right. Whatever happened in that FIFA vote was an absolute joke and has only undermined the organisation and the respect it carried. The panorama show not only highlighted the corrupt way the organisation is run but also the blind eye FIFA shows to any indiscretions against them.

Sepp Blatter is a fool. No matter how you look at it he has ruined what was good about the world of football. He wanted a Russian World Cup and guess what, Russia got it, what a surprise. But the disrespect he showed English football and the integral members of our bid by saying that we had an ‘outstanding bid’ is an utter disgrace. Saying that and then only getting 2 votes is just too far and people seriously need to look at how the committee is run.

Russia are a corrupt country, full of crime, terrorism and bribery. One can only imagine the amount of money they threw at certain FIFA members to get their vote. Not only that but there will be no legacy left in Russia as the pitches from the World Cup will be put back to artificial ones due to their cold weather and the size of the country simply makes it impossible to travel between places, resulting in the atmosphere and continuity of the tournament faltering through the sheer distance between stadiums.

All in all, it is a gutting blow for all England fans and should be a blow to football. England are perfect for the World Cup and I felt certain that we could have put a huge mark on how to run a major tournament, as well as with our performances on the pitch. If we had lost after getting a few more votes people could say that maybe the result was correct, but to lose in the first phase of voting with Netherlands/Belgium above us is a disgrace. Tactical voting, bribed voting...whatever you want to call it, England have been robbed and humiliated by FIFA, at least we have the Olympics to look forward to!