World Cup 2018 & 2022 bids

From the posts here you'd think terrorists just casually roll through the sidewalks of Qatar with RPGs holstered on their backs

Qatar's high risk, to be fair. But yeah, if terrorists wanted to target Westerners in the Middle East/Islamic World then they would've blown up Dubai by now. Still, it's such a strange bid, how it managed to pull it off is beyond me.
 
Dubai is virtually insolvent, Abu Dhabi had to bail them out big time.

The UAE is at least larger than the Falklands. I was being increduslous more than anything, anywhere in the Middle East would be a joke, but Qatar is like some kind of insane parody of FIFA's traditional insanity. It's akin to determining that we must hold a world cup in South East Asia for some insane reason, and then putting it in Singapore.
 
From the posts here you'd think terrorists just casually roll through the sidewalks of Qatar with RPGs holstered on their backs

Qatar is one of the most crime free countries in the world. It is punishable by death, jail or deportation (if you are lucky).

It won't be the crime/security that is the problem with Qatar.
 
I think you take for granted the country you are in. We live in a diverse society that is admittedly far from perfect. However when comparing ourselves to the rest of the world we stand up quite nicely, You insult Liverpool but if I had to be there or Russia (anyway but moscow) I no where i'd be.

Brazil = crime

Russia = Racism

Qatar = Biggest terrorist target in history

In all seriousness though You are right to be fair, by my standards I think it would go to Canada every four years :)

If we had got it would the tax payer be forking out any extra?
 
From the posts here you'd think terrorists just casually roll through the sidewalks of Qatar with RPGs holstered on their backs

It'll be fine for safety and alcohol...I've no qualms about that, but I still think it's an awful choice for a myriad of other practicality reasons...What's your view RK?

Do you see it as a good thing that Qatar got it? Or that it deserved it? Or that it's lofty plans will be helpful in the long term?
 
From the posts here you'd think terrorists just casually roll through the sidewalks of Qatar with RPGs holstered on their backs

I don't really think that's a concern. If anything it taking place in the Middle East will ensure that security is tighter than any previous World Cup. Besides, as Middle Eastern nations go we're not exactly talking about Iraq or Afghanistan here.

Still, fecking Qatar? :lol:
 
What I dont get is these countries dont have big football stadiums for a reason, Most that have been built in recent olympics and world cups are now crippling thier current owners or not even being used. Why has it become a perception that the world cup is an event to build a footballing country? It isnt, its a football event and if every other one is in a country that needs stadia built would have no objection but to do now four in a row where almost the entire venue list has to be built from scratch is ridiculous.

Exactly.

It's like trying to rehouse somebody and saying 'no let's not put them in that nice house that's all ready for them, we'll build them a new house from scratch.' Honestly, it's so fecking dumb it's untrue.
 
The World Cup in the place of the birth of the game is also a long time overdue, if you ask me. I said earlier though, I don't mind Russia getting it.

England already hosted the World Cup in 1966.

They would be a good choice but it's hard to argue that the biggest country in Europe, with millions of fans following the game for decades, deserves to host it for the first time in history.
 
Its the right result for football to take the games most prestigious tournament to new frontiers. Delighted for Qatar and the Middle East who will present football in a totally new way and just as Brazil, China and India have hosted major world events in the past few years, so Russia as one of the new major world economies deserves to have its chance.

The 'old' democratic nations of the 20th Century will have to accept that there time was last century and that this one belongs for new nations to have the chance to show off their cultures and capabilities.

But FIFA has a duty to promote football everywhere and so to award its premier tournament new countries who wll now have the excuse to enhance their footballing capabilities and infrastructure can only be good news for the game. I think FIFA got it right.

Tragedy for England but then again, we are a completely second rate footballing country who just so happens to have the fortune of having a strong economy and so can host one of the richest leagues.

If England were punished because of their media, then I think thats also good. "Freedom of speech" for the sake of it is a totally flawed and destructive concept - Panorama's accusations (of events from a decade ago!) have turned out to be baseless of evidence. And so our Governments inability to stop the BBC from broadcasting these views has proven to be there undoing. The world is changing quickly and until those on these shores realise that there way is not the only way, future humiliations on the global stage await.

What a load of bollocks.. especially the last para, almost advocating authoritarianism.

I've no issues with Russia hosting the WC. But giving the world's biggest competition to a country with less than 2m people is a joke. It's like luxembourg hosting the cricket world cup.

I'm all for giving new countries the WC but this is a football world cup not a political fashion show. What kind of legacy are you going to have with such a small country anyways..Maybe a multiple bid in the middle east would've made more sense..
 
I can fully understand Russia winning, I was expecting it all along but Qatar just mystifies me. What happens if Israel qualify (unlikly I know). Also what hapened to the best bid winning. If thats the case then England should have walked it. It seems to be about placing the finals in New territories. Again Russia makes sense, they are a footballing nation, but Qatar? Australia which has a developing self sustained football league. Not a play thing for rich sheiks. Also I agree it is time Canada had one and there will definetly be no point in bidding against China. We also can't bid again until 2030. Unbelievable. I do wish we were told that the new preference is to give the tournament to new territories, That would have been £435million we could have saved.
 
England already hosted the World Cup in 1966.

They would be a good choice but it's hard to argue that the biggest country in Europe, with millions of fans following the game for decades, deserves to host it for the first time in history.

How do they deserve it ? Because they haven't done it in the past ?

Let's give it to Afghanistan instead.
 
Official: Two votes

fifa fix

!!!burn the feckers!!!​




disclaimer: the burn comment is because I'm extremely angry. I dont condone this action....... honestly........ like seriously dont do it.............. you think it would achieve anything?
 
It's all South Africa's fault - they started this 'take the cup' to every region bollocks.
 
We've got a better chance to win the Eurovision contest.
 
I don't really care at all. Feel a bit sorry for those who so badly wanted it here, it's been a hell of a long time, still pleased for Russia to get it. Qatar is just funny, good luck to them.
 
It'll be fine for safety and alcohol...I've no qualms about that, but I still think it's an awful choice for a myriad of other practicality reasons...What's your view RK?

Do you see it as a good thing that Qatar got it? Or that it deserved it? Or that it's lofty plans will be helpful in the long term?

It wouldn't have been my first choice, but I can't say I have too many objections. It's refreshing to see the world cup brought to an uncharted territory which many seem to be forgetting - its a HUGE footballing region, not just for Qatar, but for the dozens or so neighbouring countries, many of which will affordably be able to experience a world cup first hand.

That being said though I do think the heat will be an issue that can't simply be fixed by their endless funds. On the other hand it's not a nation that hasn't hosted a major tournament before.
 
That's more votes then OJ got for doing a Nike advert for gloves.
 
I can fully understand Russia winning, I was expecting it all along but Qatar just mystifies me. What happens if Israel qualify (unlikly I know). Also what hapened to the best bid winning. If thats the case then England should have walked it. It seems to be about placing the finals in New territories. Again Russia makes sense, they are a footballing nation, but Qatar? Australia which has a developing self sustained football league. Not a play thing for rich sheiks. Also I agree it is time Canada had one and there will definetly be no point in bidding against China. We also can't bid again until 2030. Unbelievable. I do wish we were told that the new preference is to give the tournament to new territories, That would have been £435million we could have saved.
China itself won't be able to bid till 2030.
 
I'm with you. Lets take the game back. The only problem is that our FA are inept!

Maybe we're just weirdos that nobody wants to deal with. The IRB, The ICC, FIFA, they all are based in countries outside of where all three games were formed. It doesn't make sense. It's like the NFL deciding to base themselves in Buenos Aires.
 
... it's hard to argue that the biggest country in Europe, with millions of fans following the game for decades, deserves to host it for the first time in history.

It is in principle, and they do deserve it on a historical basis certainly ..It's more about the way it was done. That they could have a rather shit bid and presentation, dependant (again!!) mainly on building an infrastructure from scratch and with well known racist problems in football as it is and still win by a landslide almost entirely cos "well they haven't had it" whilst England can put in a flawless bid and come 4th just makes a mockery of the process and of FIFA...that's the problem really...

..That and fecking Qatar!
 
The Daily Telegraph's Paul Kelso has just posted on Twitter that England only received TWO votes.

So that's Geoff Thompson and the FIFA representative from Japan [who i can't remember the name of].
 
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TWO VOTES? GET THE feck IN!
 
Wow. England, after taking into account we voted for ourselves, only got 1 vote.

And people will abuse the media for this - as has been pointed out, FIFA should welcome any info passed to them that exposes what is, essentially, fraud and money laundering. Instead they close ranks - i hope the british media hound them for the next decade now. Also, i hope the FA tell jack warner to feck off from now on, they should never have entertained him to begin with.
 
China itself won't be able to bid till 2030.

Why , this whole new territories thing throws it all out of the water. It can be equally argued that Russia is Asia as well as Qatar.