FA Responds To 2018 Bid Criticism
The Football Association has come out fighting against criticism that England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup is falling behind its rivals behind highlighting its record against racism and the economic benefits of the bid.
The FA’s bid had been criticised by senior football figures this week with FIFA vice-president Jack Warner telling a Leaders in Football conference: ‘The best bid will have my vote. Nothing gives you the right, you have to earn it. England is earning it but not fast enough, creeping along when time passes quickly and you have to be running along.’
Danny Jordaan, who led South Africa’s successful 2010 campaign, was also critical of England’s bid, saying: ‘It’s time for a review. They should boost the media profile and understanding of their case. They must begin to line them up to help them strengthen the character of their bid.’
In response, The FA unveiled a series of high-profile international ambassadors to help boost England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup.
They include Ivory Coast’s Kolo Toure, Nigeria’s Nwankwo Kanu, Paraguay’s Roque Santa Cruz, Italy’s Gianfranco Zola and South Africa’s Lucas Radebe.
The FA chairman Lord Triesman said they will help to highlight the diversity of the Premier League, arguing that some other countries haven’t properly dealt with racial issues.
England’s black players have been racially abused in recent years in Spain, which is bidding for the event jointly with Portugal.
‘The players are able to point out, because we faced our demons in the past, that you can play your football here without racial abuse. And that is not true everywhere. You can also do it knowing that when we see any signs of a re-emergence, we’ll stamp on it.’
England players David Beckham and Wayne Rooney as well as former internationals Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker have already given their support for The FA’s bid.
Triesman also responded that the bid was merely following Warner’s previous advice not to repeat the errors of the failed 2006 bid and ‘be in people’s faces’ but to get to know them first. He added that the intention was always to step up the campaigning around now.
Triesman and The FA’s chief executive, Andy Anson, also unveiled a new study showing that the boost to the British economy would be £3.2bn and said the commercial benefits for FIFA of an English win would flow around the world.
The FA chairman used the financial study as further ammunition in his ongoing attempt to secure £5m from the government to fund the campaign.
The FA, under its own financial pressures due to the collapse of TV partner Setanta and the loan repayments on Wembley, had hoped that the government would contribute a third of the £15m cost of running the bid.
Triesman said he had not given up on persuading the government to contribute, despite the wider economic climate and the prospect of public spending cuts.
‘I wouldn’t have wanted to spend as much time as we’ve spent on the negotiations and that’s completely true. They do need to be persuaded, the discussions are going on and I’m not going to take a pessimistic view about the likely outcome.’
