England 2018 Bid Team Condemns Violence

In an effort not to deter its chances to host the 2018 World Cup Finals, the England bid team has added its condemnation to the violence that occurred during this week’s Carling Cup draw between West Ham and Millwall.

Three pitch invasions, a riot outside the stadium, and a person in the hospital after being stabbed has forced West Ham to try and prove to the Football Association that it did everything possible to prevent the chaos that ensued.

Aware that it will be judged for this upheaval in the lead up to the 2018 decision, the FA held talks with the Metropolitan Police, the Premier League, as well as the two sides, in an effort to condemn the offenders and reinforce its commitment to ban those involved in the violence from all future matches.

FIFA stands to make the decision on the 2018 winner in December, and England’s bid team has now set out to prove that violence at domestic matches is not typical.

UK Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe added to the condemnation, saying: ‘We have made great progress in tackling hooliganism in this country and will not tolerate a return to the dark days of the 80s.’

He supported the FA in efforts to prove to FIFA that England football uses an iron fist when it comes to hooliganism and violence in stadium crowds.  ‘I completely back the FA’s call for any person identified as involved to be banned for life,’ he said.

With these public efforts, the England 2018 bid team is still confident its reputation has not been damaged, according to a spokesman.