Are you sure? I'd heard they were going to Viadukt.

I correct myself, it's because he is also an IOC member.

Blatter at some stage has to stand up and be counted. The whole thing make F1 look clean ... it is just an auction to the country that is prepared top prostitute itself most.
The British media have been after the crooks in FIFA for a long time ... a while ago they had proof that Blatter and senior execs all had unexplained deposits in bank accounts
It has nothing to do with football and what is good or best for the game ....

FIFA are about to implode ... and Jack Warner is a nasty little shit ..

Yes. In fact we have recently saved up 700,000,000 .

What's that? Ireland what?

No, wait, we haven't got any money left .

Along with a history of violence and bad policing aren't they the similar concerns most football fans had about finals being held in Rome, Istanbul, Moscow and Poland? Didn't seem to both UEFA. Another dodgy organisation...

One of the best reads you'll have (if you're not easily wound up)... Foul - The Secret World of FIFA: Bribes, Vote Rigging and Ticket Scandals

and The Fix - Soccer and Organized Crime

Will be awesome if England get it and yes, I am still hopeful we do even after last night's excellent but possibly ill-timed BBC documentary into FIFA corruption etc. I agree with @Caviarchips that the timing of the exposé could have waited until after Thursday.

The programme also got me wondering the following:-

1) If there any women on the FIFA Committee? Doubt it but you never know!

2) How old the youngest member of the Committee is?!

. . . Oh and by the way, I got to meet and chat with an entire England team once (I kid you not) but won't say when as it was sooooooooooooooo long ago

Apparently the storms have cost the UK £1.2 billion.

That's a lot of money to spend on snow, surely the ConDems could have put that money to better use and followed Russia's lead by spending that on bribing Sepp Blatter and his cronies instead.

Ah yes, but now we know that there's a British Prime Minister, an heir to the throne and an occasional footballer/clothes horse pitted against a Mafia kleptocracy there's no way the FIFA Chapter can be seen to give it to their pals. Is there? Makes no odds to the Swiss who gets it, they profit at both ends anyway

I'm off to the online bookies, World Cup 2018 in Qatar - 999/1!

Couldn't you have dragged Paul Merton along to help out with tthe charm offensive?
Or would they have thought that our bid was a joke?

MAFIFA

I should get a job working for The Sun

Love the crap on BBC.

"Everyone says we're the best. We are the best. If we dont get it, then im not rocking up anymore" *throws toys out of the pram*

*Posted by a loyal Australian .....

I was not wanting to watch the Panorama program due to the fact that it would just anger me..however I did and yes it did...!!

I would be very annoyed if England got the 2018 WC and then gave into to the demands....the loop hole in their bid...having 'negotiable' terms better just used to the full extent..i.e a big two fingers to FIFA...Well done the Dutch and Belgium bid...If countries are going to stand up to FIFA then it must come from a 'United' Europe consensus..frankly a WC without Europe would be a South American farce...

Lets hope Russia get it...according to the lastest wikileaks...they can all do some dodgy deal together...and I can't see the Russians rolling over and play ball so easily..

I didn't think logic was strictly an Australian trait?

Lets hope Russia get it. It would be crap if a country that already had it got to have it again. Its a great tool to boast the development of the game in a country where its not the number 1 sport

I thought the toys were already out of the pram thanks to Panorama and the BBC? If they don't win, I hope that Cameron and his dodgy cohorts decide to join the critics of MAFIFA* and put an end to the reign of Don Blatter once and for all.

*= I'll be using that from now on

Given that Russia is run like the Mafia according to wikileaks, the only question is whether the two Mafias in Zurich today are friends or foes.

Having been to a European Cup Final in Moscow already (£1,500 for a day trip) I can confirm they are most definitely friends. Or at least their subdivision, UEFA is.

[on a subnote, I went on Wikipedia to find another Mafia related word that I could play around with for UEFA. Didn't find one but it does list all the current Sicilian Mafia families. Don Blatter is not there sadly]

"To win would be unbelievable," said current England captain Rio Ferdinand, 32.
"I'm old enough to remember when we had the last championships here - Euro 96 - and that will live with me forever.
"It will enable us to invest in the communities and the facilities that would have been put in place for the future. We would reap the rewards in getting more young people into sports."

Mmmm I`m not sure where poor old Rio got that from - I think he`s getting mixed up between the WC and the Olympics?

IF we (England) get the world cup, I can`t see any community investment - there will be people reaping rewards for sure . . . but not ordinary people.
During Euro 96, which was held in England, my home club (Nottingham Forest) was one of the host clubs for the group stages and one of the teams was Croatia. They put most of the visiting fans . . . . on a camp site. That was a great advertisement for English hospitality and lack of accommodation has been a criticism of the current bid.

__________________
Everything will be okay in the end - if it`s not okay, it`s not the end.

If your country wins the bid, get your @rse down to Coop today to celebrate.
30% off all champagne.
I got 6 bottles of Moet @ 28.60 a bottle for my moving in party and everyone off EF is invited if England win. Date and venue to be announced at a later stage (after the party).

It was funny on Prime Minister's Questions when a Scottish MP stood up to ask a question and said something like, "Let me say with all sincerity that I wish England success with their world cup bid." Followed by much laughter.
The PM said I know you quite well and your honesty and frankness and I believe you are being sincere. More laughter.

I though these MPs were supposed to reflect ttheir constituents' views. :-)
Fair play to Cameron. He flew back from Zurich for PMQs and then flew back to Zurich to help with the push.