[Archived] 2018/22 World Cup bids

[tony gale's mic]

Why do you think it would be the "worst decision in history"? If South Africa deserved a WC out of sentiment, and the US got theirs, and so did the Far East, then why doesnt the Middle East deserve one either? Especially a country that has been investing heavily in a sporting programme for the better part of a decade, and positioned itself as a sporting country if you will.

I still dont think they will get it cause of the size; however, if its the heat that worries you then I am pretty confident its something that they will have worked out, otherwise there is no way FIFA would agree.

Yes they've worked out a solution in the stadiums, but to borrow the words of a representative from the USA bid, you can't cool a whole country. The experience for the fans will be poor - you talk about staying in Bahrain but it's hardly going to be the most enjoyable World Cup. FIFAs own technical committee have rated the bid high risk for many more reasons than I can list - sadly technical qualities of the bid take a back seat in this process.

There's plenty of areas of the world with countries that just aren't suitable for a WC - the Caribbean, the South Pacific, and unless Saudi opens up then the Middle East is another one.

However I still consider Egypt and Morocco to be part of the Arab world, and I think either could host a great Cup the next time Africa have a go.

[philipl]

I think the Qatar bid is the most exciting one of the whole lot.

[AlanK]

Sky sports now reporting England have been made favourites

[Tom]

I agree that's its arrogant to assume we should have more right to it than Qatar, they may have little Footballing tradition but it has to start somewhere

[tony gale's mic]

I agree that's its arrogant to assume we should have more right to it than Qatar, they may have little Footballing tradition but it has to start somewhere

Not if it is likely to produce a sub par World Cup.

FIFA's own technical committee have rated it as high risk meaning it's got the highest chance of producing a poor World Cup, surely this should form the crux of any decision?

Anyway it's not an England vs Qatar decision, it's an

Australia vs Qatar decision. Australia don't have a huge tradition but there's enough there to make a hugely successful World Cup.

Good to see England have been made favourites though.

[BuckyRover]

I don't want us to be favourite!

We are the underdogs!

It's probably because the news have been saying that talks have been going well, England fans will be putting a lot of money on it.

[philo]

it qatar hosted it they would play in it and their team's terrible (proberly)

[Tom]

it qatar hosted it they would play in it and their team's terrible (proberly)

Alrighty then!

[Bobby G]

Not if it is likely to produce a sub par World Cup.

FIFA's own technical committee have rated it as high risk meaning it's got the highest chance of producing a poor World Cup, surely this should form the crux of any decision?

Anyway it's not an England vs Qatar decision, it's an

Australia vs Qatar decision. Australia don't have a huge tradition but there's enough there to make a hugely successful World Cup.

Good to see England have been made favourites though.

Wasnt Australia high-risk too?

[Balwer]

Wasnt Australia high-risk too?

I'd be surprised. Remember it just hosted the Commonwealth Games (Melbourne) 4 years ago and the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Countless other sporting events, Formula 1 GPs, Grand Slam Tennis, etc.

[tony gale's mic]

Wasnt Australia high-risk too?

Nope, it got a medium risk and a lot of that was due to the time zone issues. Qatar's report was by far the worst of both 2018 and 2022 bidders.

I can totally understand why you want the World Cup in your backyard, any football fan would. Regardless of that though surely you can see objectively that Australia stands a much better chance of putting on the better World Cup?

[Stuart]

Forget Panorama, a load of numpties from Birmingham might well have just blown our chances of hosting the World Cup.

[Blackburn Ravers]

Forget Panorama, a load of numpties from Birmingham might well have just blown our chances of hosting the World Cup.

i think so as well

[tony gale's mic]

Numpties yes, but it's hardly going to make world headlines. This sort of rubbish happens every so often in every country.

[Stuart]

Numpties yes, but it's hardly going to make world headlines. This sort of rubbish happens every so often in every country.

Timing is everything.

This will be front page news tomorrow.

[Blackburn Ravers]

the night before the vote is hardly the best time time is it

[tony gale's mic]

Timing is everything.

This will be front page news tomorrow.

One or two papers in England MAY carry it as front page news - not as the main headline but as a secondary story.

No papers in Switzerland will report on it, or else itll be a footnote at the end of an article.

The vast majority of the delegates have already made their minds up.

They've got the presentations in the morning from 8am til 1pm and the vote straight after. Unless someone bursts into the room saying "everyone - some people threw a couple of flares at a local derby in England!", I bet most of the committee won't even hear of this till the process is over, let alone have it influence their decision.

Silly timing though.

[Steve Moss]

I agree that's its arrogant to assume we should have more right to it than Qatar, they may have little Footballing tradition but it has to start somewhere

England should get the World Cup. You guys were the birthplace of modern soccer, after all, and 40+ years is too long between hosting it. There should be a rule that you get it every 4th or 5th World Cup.

Besides, its far more likely that my wife will allow me to travel to England for a World Cup with one or both kids than to Qatar.

Best of all worlds is that England gets the 2014 World Cup and the USA gets 2018. That means I can take my kids to two World Cups before they graduate high school.

[cn174]

England should get the World Cup. You guys were the birthplace of modern soccer, after all, and 40+ years is too long between hosting it. There should be a rule that you get it every 4th or 5th World Cup.

Besides, its far more likely that my wife will allow me to travel to England for a World Cup with one or both kids than to Qatar.

Best of all worlds is that England gets the 2014 World Cup and the USA gets 2018. That means I can take my kids to two World Cups before they graduate high school.

Brazil already have the 2014:)

England for 2018, US for 2022 you mean?

[Steve Moss]

Brazil already have the 2014:)

England for 2018, US for 2022 you mean?

Yes.

Well, if 2018 and 2022, I can fit in 2 World Cups before my kids graduate college (three in the case of my son).

I'm afraid my wife will not allow me to travel to Brazil with the kids, which she'll view as only mildly better than South Africa.

[tony gale's mic]

http://sports.betfair.com/?rfr=63&mi=101043809&ex=1

England racing away in the odds now. The markets are well worth watching in events like this as people can have insider knowledge and put fairly large volumes of money on - especially when there's 22 people on the exec committee. One of the bookies (may be Betfair or Paddy Power) won't allow anyone in Austria, Germany ot Switzerland to bet on that market.

[Bobby G]

I cant access the odds from here, can you tell me the latest?

From what I read US are favorites despite the sub-par speeches by Freeman and Clinton who looked so unlike his charismatic self.

Qatar's presentation was the most impressive and Korea's probably the least. Japan's technology card was impressive too, but would they deprive the world of their Sony goal if they dont host the WC? Australia is bidding on its "sporting culture" more so than anything.

Fair enough, I would like to see the WC go to Qatar for a number of reasons (although personally I think 2 out of 3 WC's should be Europe), but I want to know what are the issues you could have with it as a stand-alone bid?

1) Its accessible. Much more than Australia or the US lets say, so theoretically more fans from the participating countries should go.

2) Heating will not be a problem in stadiums and fan-fests. Outside that the June to early July period is not the hottest part of the summer, although temperatures hit 40 degrees, but that's when a lot of tourists visit the Persian Gulf countries to get a tan.

3) TV Money would not be hit in any way due to the time zone fitting in well with almost all corners of the world

4) The stadium legacy is a great idea

[LeftWinger]

Someone told me last night that it's nailed on that England will get it - coming from a source in the FA. I've put £150 on it at just over evens, so I'll either owe him a couple of pints or a punch in the balls by this evening.

[Robbo]

Australia don't have a huge tradition but there's enough there to make a hugely successful World Cup.

Bobby G also hit the nail on the head with "Australia is bidding on its "sporting culture" more so than anything."

The aussies certainly know how to put on a sporting event.

However, the fact that their presentation was based on the usual tourism angle fails to mask the issue the fact that Australia is just not a football nation. There are too may other codes to compete with and "football" unfortunately comes a distant 4th after Aussie Rules, League & Union. The way the A-League is going there may not even be a domestic league by then. Don't forget as well that the World Cup, if played in Australia will be played in the Aussie winter!!

Then again with the football powerhouse of Qatar in the running how could Australia possibly have a chance?

Clearly i would love to have the World Cup come to these shores. 2022 should be just long enough for Scotland to develop into a quality side and maybe even progress past the group stages. I can only hope.....

[jim mk2]

issue the fact that Australia is just not a football nation.

Neither is South Africa but it was awarded a World Cup.

Unfortunately Fifa sees itself as an evangelical organisation that has a duty to spread the football 'word' to non-believers around the globe. Hence the award to the US in the 1990s and South Africa. Russia is the frame this time because of its emergence as a growing economic superpower.

If England don't get the WC this time - and we deserve to for a whole host of reasons - it won't happen until 2026 at the earliest, a full 60 years after 1966 and certainly long after I will have popped my clogs.