Warner Performs U-turn On England 2018 Chances

Just weeks after publicly lambasting the progress of England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup, FIFA vice-president Jack Warner has performed a major U-turn by stating that it ‘is England’s time’ to stage the tournament.

Warner, who is head of the Concacaf union of North American and Caribbean football associations, had previously called England’s bid ‘lightweight’ but appears to have changed his mind following a meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
 
He stated: ‘Brown felt England’s time had come. I agreed. England has the best infrastructure to stage the tournament. After a 52-year gap this is England’s time.’

In his role as head of the Concacaf union, Warner will effectively control three of the 24 votes on FIFA’s executive committee when it chooses the 2018 hosts in December next year so consequently his support is seen as crucial to a bid’s chances.

The Trinidadian had previously warned England’s bid team that they were falling behind rivals like Spain in the race to host the tournament.

He was also at the centre of a row over gifts after returning a present of a designer bag handed to his wife by the England 2018 bid team.

In their meeting, Prime Minister Brown stressed England’s passion for its national sport, and pointed out that it was half a century since the World Cup was last held in the country which invented football.

He said the government was completely committed to the bid and that he was personally ready to do ‘whatever is necessary’ to support it.

Warner responded: ‘It was an exceptionally good meeting – it was the best case I have heard for a long time about the World Cup being in England.

‘I was very impressed by Brown’s humility, his sincerity, his knowledge of the game, and most importantly he didn’t feel England had any divine right (to host the tournament).

‘He felt that England’s time had come – a point to which I subscribed. Next week I will meet David Beckham in Cape Town. These are not for my ego, but they are the assets that the bid should be using and I am happy to see that they are being used.’