The Russkies dun gone an 'alf-inched it

[al Roumi]

So, the perfidious (that should explain to any why I've put this in the backroom) Russians have stolen the 2018 Football World Cup from Spangul and England.

I predict many stories of how "it was a stitch up between dem corrupt Russians and dat corrupt FIFA wot done it" etc etc in the Britrish press. Not that either state or sporting organisation (if you count mass inebriation as a sport and a bureacracy larger than the Maldives' as a country) isn't [probably] corrupt, but anyway.

The British media got its knickers in a twist again and somehow got all hopeful. Maybe it was just because of David Beckham and Will Wales being in the same room in fashionable winter clothing somewhere.

I am actually disapointed, despite this veneer of scornful sarcasm. Football should be coming home dammit!

[gaelic cowboy]

I love the quote from FIFA that Russia's bid was supposedly "High Risk" and the UK bid was "Medium to Low Risk" and they still went with the country with hardly any stadiums, hotels etc etc

I suppose wikileaks will be posting some big bribe story soon

[Strike For The South]

QATAR

[al Roumi]

QATAR

Yeah, one fo the funny things in their pitch was "4 billion people within 4 hrs flying time" (or somehting like that). This must be basicaly because of India and some of China -not all of whom (lets face it) are going to actually be in the position to fly to Qatar for the world cup...

[gaelic cowboy]

QUOTE=Strike For The South;2053232546]QATAR[/QUOTE]

I know I was looking forward to visiting my cuz in Iowa now FIFA has gone an kyboshed an Irishmans hopes again

[gaelic cowboy]

Yeah, one fo the funny things in their pitch was "4 billion people within 4 hrs flying time" (or somehting like that). This must be basicaly because of India and some of China -not all of whom (lets face it) are going to actually be in the position to fly to Qatar for the world cup...

There havin a laugh with Qatar really

[al Roumi]

I know I was looking forward to visiting my cuz in Iowa now FIFA has gone an kyboshed an Irishmans hopes again

The last time was surely that tart Thierry Henry, never mind FIFA saying the (crap, blatantly out-of-date) rules are the (crap, blatantly out-of-date) rules.

[al Roumi]

There havin a laugh with Qatar really

At least they've got resources and are likely to put an event on with less sense of impending GBH than Russia, never mind being actually able to afford staying there... Surely the prices in Moscow will only increase now...

[rory_20_uk]

Great news! Now, we just need to ensure the fans don't come back.

Quatar was a good choice. They are prepared to spend billions on the games which except for dictatorships no one else can afford.

[HoreTore]

England will have to realize that it is far from the best football nation in the world, they are top16.

For me personally, I've always had a thing for choosing nations who haven't held event X before. So to me, Russia is a fine choice, while England and Spain would be a bad one.

But in all seriousness....

QATAR???
WHAT THE HELL????

I've got just one thing to say: Bribes well spent.

[Sarmatian]

I love the quote from FIFA that Russia's bid was supposedly "High Risk" and the UK bid was "Medium to Low Risk" and they still went with the country with hardly any stadiums, hotels etc etc

I suppose wikileaks will be posting some big bribe story soon

I suppose that 2.4 billions Russia will invest compared to 1.4 England was offering to invest had nothing to do with it .

I suppose that the fact Russian football is on the rise and the fact that Russia has never hosted a WC had nothing to do with it.

[Beskar]

I am glad England didn't get it. We have the Olympics next year as it is. Be nice and share.

[gaelic cowboy]

I suppose that 2.4 billions Russia will invest compared to 1.4 England was offering to invest had nothing to do with it .

I suppose that the fact Russian football is on the rise and the fact that Russia has never hosted a WC had nothing to do with it.

Sure UK could hold the World Cup tomorrow with almost no effort, everyone knows that the decision is political not practical.

[HoreTore]

I suppose that 2.4 billions Russia will invest compared to 1.4 England was offering to invest had nothing to do with it .

I suppose that the fact Russian football is on the rise and the fact that Russia has never hosted a WC had nothing to do with it.

Russia is a new market, a world cup in England is highly unlikely to attract any new fans.

[gaelic cowboy]

Russia is a new market, a world cup in England is highly unlikely to attract any new fans.

Then the World Cup would have gone to China instead.

Most of these decisions are generally shall we say morally dubious like when the World Cup went to South Africa and loads of people connected to FIFA enriched themselves on the back of it.

[Ronin]

QATAR

no booze and no looking at the ladies.....

the england fans are gonna have a jolly old time over there.

...that is if they qualify!

Then the World Cup would have gone to China instead.

too much of a time-zone difference to the main TV markets for the event.

[HoreTore]

Then the World Cup would have gone to China instead.

Most of these decisions are generally shall we say morally dubious like when the World Cup went to South Africa and loads of people connected to FIFA enriched themselves on the back of it.

As far as I know, China didn't enter a bid.

EDIT: And everyone knows that England just wanted the cup so that they'd qualify automatically.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Western Europe ought to protest. All of the television money, all of the quarterfinalists are Western European. A World Cup is a European Championship with Brazil and Argentina. Just host the thing every eight years in Western Europe. 2006 was awesome, the best ever. As was 1998. Spaintugal, the Benelux or England would've been great.

We can't compete with the bribes anymore. I mean, Moscow has got both the former German chancellor and the current Italian Prime Minister on its payroll. Never mind what they can do with a simple football respresentative from Tonga or Mali.


Not that Russia doesn't have a legitimate claim to host a WC, mind. Russia can reasonably claim it's their turn, and despite the bribery and all that it is well deserved. Should be good.

Qatar by contrast is a joke. A circus. Fifa's having a laff'.

[Furunculus]

it's football, MEH!

if we had to have an event, it might as well be the Olympics.

[HoreTore]

it's football, MEH!

if we had to have an event, it might as well be the Olympics.

"Sports; that's what the people who didn't succeed in football do" ~Rune Bratseth

[Sarmatian]

Qatar by contrast is a joke. A circus. Fifa's having a laff'.

There's also another fact to consider, namely other bids.

1. USA - held in 1994
2. Japan - held in 2002
3. Korea - held in 2002
4. Australia - good chance, I'm sad that they didnt get it but realistically they're too far away from potential fans, namely Europe and Americas which in turn means time zone problems. Also, not densely populated, great distance between population centers and consequently, stadiums. Travelling from one coast to another is big problem for teams and fans...

Qatar is immenselly rich, it invests a lot in football infrastructure, gonna build great stadiums for WC, no big time zone differences, relatively close to Europe etc...

Let's face it guys, from now on we're gonna have every third WC in Europe, not every other...

[Rhyfelwyr]

it's football, MEH!

if we had to have an event, it might as well be the Olympics.

Does anyone actually watch them/care about them/know anything abotu what they are?

[Husar]

I think they're great choices, european countries already get the euro cups every other two years, maybe not as prestigious but if football really is what many say it is then sharing it with others is the best thing we can do, the people of Russia and Quatar seemed very happy about the decision from what I heard about it on the radio.

[Louis VI the Fat]

the people of Russia and Quatar seemed very happy about the decision from what I heard about it on the radio.

What people of Qatar?

There's not half a million of them. Who just happen to sit on a lot of oil, more money than God. What to do with all that cash? Why not buy a world cup and organise it in the world's largest fridges while outside it is an average of 45 degrees.

[Strike For The South]

You want an untapped footie market?

THE UNITED STATES IS THE PERFECT COMBONATION OF UNTAPPED AND WEALTHY

I am pissed off, I will not see a WC game on my own soil until Im at least 40


We're America damnit we shouldn't lose to bloody Qatar at anything, even bribery.

[rory_20_uk]

Although I don't think that England should have got it anyway, the outcries about bribery didn't help either...

Bribery discovered:

UK "Bribery? How dare they!"
Qatar "Bribery? How much?"

Qatar are also going to send the stadia to Africa which is a way of spreading wealth. They are also going to build them on time with their "no nonsense" approach to work projects.

[Banquo's Ghost]

The most corrupt sporting body goes to two of the most corrupt regimes. It's all win.

England should be grateful to avoid the costs, frankly.

Anyone who has dark skin might be best advised to skip Russia and see the World Cup in Qatar. At least there you will be mistaken for a housekeeper rather than kicked within an inch of your life amongst the splendour of St Petersburg's architecture. I'd also advise fans planning to go to Russia to set aside a large amount for daily bribes. The police will allow foreigners to accompany them to a nearby cash machine for withdrawals, but you don't want to be caught without any money at all.

I'm thankful that these places don't play rugger. The worst I'll have to put up with at the World Cup is enthusiastic sheep (not unlike the home life of our own dear Queen).

[Sarmatian]

Yeah, it must have been bribery. I mean how on earth could it have been anything else. In fact, the only way to be sure there was absolutely no bribery and corruption was for England to get the world cup organization.

The hypocrisy of some people is astonishing indeed... Livin' in their own little world, with their own little rules, sad because the days when they could enforce those rules on the rest of the world are gone. The saddest part I guess is that they refuse to see it and cry foul when something doesn't go according to their wishes...

[rory_20_uk]

Are you being intentionally obtuse? Stating that highlighting bribery was present didn't help is not saying otherwise the UK would have won.

There are many reasons that the UK should not have got it - starting with they've already had it and football is already played.

[Sarmatian]

Are you being intentionally obtuse? Stating that highlighting bribery was present didn't help is not saying otherwise the UK would have won.

There are many reasons that the UK should not have got it - starting with they've already had it and football is already played.

And you know bribery was present? You were there? You have inside information? You're 100% sure there was bribery? You'd be willing to stake your life on it?

The fact that Russia has never organized it and England has nothing to do with it? The fact that a WC in Russia is going to do wonders for football infrastructure overall and for football overall has nothing to do with it?

No, we know that it was bribery.