Our Leader speaks...............
Published Date: 03 December 2010
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/England-should-quit-FIFA-.6649935.jp
By Richard Sutcliffe
AS the fallout continued from England's failed attempt to host the 2018
World Cup, Ken Bates last night called on the major European nations to
break away from FIFA after branding them a "money-making organisation".
The decision to award the tournament to Russia has led to a wave of
criticism being aimed at world football's governing body from this
country, much of it fuelled by the English bid only winning two votes
from the 22-man executive committee despite being praised for the
quality of the bid.
Calls have been made for a major shake-up in the bidding process with
the chief executive of England's campaign Andy Anson admitting there is
little point in bidding again under the current rules. Leeds United
chairman Bates, whose club would have staged games had the 2018 finals
come to this country, is equally adamant that changes need to be made
and believes the best course of action for major nations such as England
would be to quit FIFA altogether.
He said: "When it was announced, we hooted with laughter and derision.
We are totally unimpressed. I am of the opinion that the big European
nations should resign from FIFA and start their own organisation.
"Let them get on with it. It is a case of the tail wagging the dog.
"We have little Jack Warner (FIFA vice-president and member of the
executive committee that decided on the World Cup host) standing in the
corner, Oceania, the Caribbean, and the oil states. All that happens is
they keep giving the votes to (Sepp) Blatter so he stays in power.
"If they didn't have Spain, France, Germany and the United Kingdom,
there wouldn't be a FIFA. There wouldn't be a UEFA for that matter. The
whole of FIFA could then move to Moscow and live in retirement in a nice
dacha in the woods surrounding the Russian capital.
"FIFA is a waste of space. It is a money-making organisation and I don't
think they give a damn about football.
"I am seriously unhappy and, at the same time, contemptuous. None of the
television companies should bid for the TV rights for 2018 or (they
should) put in a derisory bid.
"The fact of the matter is we have the best stadiums and the best
infrastructure. If you think of the disaster of the Champions League
final in Moscow a couple of years ago when people were being billeted
100 miles away, it is a joke."
As for Anson's belief that the bidding process should be changed to give
more countries a say in where a World Cup is hosted, Bates added: "If
everyone had a vote there would be more people and countries to
allegedly bribe. Should the Bahamas have the same vote as England?
Should Andorra have the same as Germany?
"No, it is rubbish. We should form an elite association of countries.
They are a two-bob organisation above any law and should be treated with
the contempt they deserve."
Bates was equally scathing in his assessment of the news that Qatar had
been handed the 2022 World Cup ahead of other bidders that included
Australia, the United States and Japan. The Leeds chairman said: "As for
Qatar, how are they going to develop football when Australia, who have
all the stadia and put on a tremendous Olympics, would have put on a
great show?"
England secured just two of the 22 FIFA members' votes and were knocked
out in the first round while Russia went on to triumph and England bid
chief Anson revealed that FIFA president Blatter had spoken to the
members of the "evils of the media" just before they voted – and some
have blamed BBC Panorama and Sunday Times investigations for a backlash
against England.
He also said that countries such as England were hampered by the need to
maintain "straight, ethical" standards, with the implication that some
rivals were free to exploit grey areas in the bidding process.
Asked if he would advise England to bid again Anson said: "I would say
right now 'don't bother until you know that the process is going to
change to allow bids like ours a chance to win'.
"When you have the best technical bid, fantastic inspection visits, the
best economic report, and from what people told us the best presentation
it's quite hard to stomach that seemed to count for absolutely nothing.
"Having only 22 guys voting gives them too much influence. With so much
power it becomes very, very difficult.
"FIFA need to look at it – it makes it very easy for formidable
competitors like Russia and Qatar to gain influence."
Anson added: "If you look at bids like ours, Australia and USA we are
clearly accountable, we have to do things in a straight ethical way.
"I don't know what else happened but clearly Qatar and Russia are
formidable competitors."
Anson also criticised FIFA for holding the 2018 and 2022 bid processes
simultaneously because it promoted vote-trading. He said: "Running two
bids together was clearly a huge mistake."
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