Corruption

I heard some very good news yesterday, England didn't win the right to host the World Cup. To be honest I am not surprised, FIFA is probably one of the most corrupt organisations on this planet. For years journalists have been trying to highlight the corruption within this organisation. FIFA behaves with total immunity and flies to many countries around the world and are accorded huge status by Prime Ministers, Presidents and other world leaders.

On Monday BBC's Panorama showed in full detail the activities of this odious organisation; it produced evidence of huge amounts of bribery. This programme also produced evidence that FIFA insist that countries change their laws, including one, governing Banks and Foreign Exchange Operations. FIFA had asked for 'the unrestricted import and export of all foreign currencies to and from the UK'. And the UK Government agreed to this, so if England had hosted the World Cup, FIFA executives were free to move around with sacks of unexplained cash and customs would not be allowed to ask any questions.

After Panorama's programme (The Times had also been investigating FIFA) on Monday, many people within England's bid team were critical of the BBC, including Government Ministers. David Beckham, David Cameron and, Prince William were quite happy to cosy up to the leaders of FIFA and even ignore what the BBC had said. Andy Anson, the leader of England's bid had spent the previous year railing against anyone who criticised football's governing body as unpatriotic. He is now railing against FIFA's executive committee and is calling them duplicitous.

That is the reason I am happy England lost the right to hold the World Cup. I feel that in some way those who have cosied up to the FIFA executives and ignored their behaviour to be as guilty as they are. People criticised the timing of the Panorama programme, but if they had shown it after Thursday nothing would have been said and this would have been just another BBC programme. The people who decided to show this programme when they did, did us all a favour; hopefully there might be some investigation into the behaviour of FIFA and the power it holds. I personally think that a separate organisation should be set up and all FIFA executives should stand trial.

England lost out to Russia, probably one of the most corrupt countries in the world, I think that sums up FIFA. The 2022 World Cup is to be held in Qatar, a country with a population of 1.7 million, an oil rich country whose day time temperatures in the summer can rise to over 50 degrees Celsius (even the best athlete in the world would struggle to run around for ninety minutes in that heat). Russia has a long history of racism and FIFA talks about stamping out racism, that of course didn't matter, the fans do not matter, money of course is the overriding drive behind this organisation of crooks.

England tried to sell their bid on the basis of the legacy it would leave, believe you me FIFA do not care. I shouldn't think there is one altruistic bone in any FIFA executives body, I don't suppose they would even know what the word means. What legacy did the South Africa World Cup bring, when 50 per cent of the population remain below the poverty line. Russia banned all exports of wheat for fear of famine this winter and is now going to spend millions on building nine new stadiums, what are the locals going to eat, concrete?

What I feel is the most disappointing thing in all of this is not that England lost out to hosting the World Cup. It is that the England delegation, including the Prime Minister and our Government danced to the tune of this putrid organisation. They have spent the last few months schmoozing, lobbying and bending over backwards to every demand of these hideous group of people. What I wonder would the British Government have done to achieve the hosting of the World Cup. I don't suppose selling their soul to the devil and agreeing to sacrifice everything they hold dear would have been to much. If these people had asked to sleep with every member of the English bid teams wives including; Kate Middleton, Victoria Beckham and Samantha Cameron would they have agreed to it? I wonder!

So while there are many who feel disappointed in losing out to Russia and Qatar, don't be too deflated. At least it has now been highlighted how corrupt this organisation is and we can be proud that our press has the freedom to report this sort of corruption unlike the press in Russia and Qatar. Let them have the World Cup, better to save your integrity than to sacrifice it on the alter of greed and corruption.