Wanna Bet?

On Monday evening BBCs Panorama programme alleged that three FIFA executive committee members of accepting ‘corrupt’ payments and that its vice-president attempted to supply ticket touts.

Since all four men are part of the committee that will vote on the 2018 and 2022 hosts, one would think that England’s chances of hosting the 2018 World Cup were slim indeed.

But an official from England 2018 said yesterday: ‘The BBC’s Panorama did nothing more than rake over a series of historical allegations none of which are relevant to the current bidding process.’

I wouldn’t like to bet on it!
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Goal?

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It is for debate whether the disallowed goal in the England v Germany match would have made any difference to the end result, but already there are increasing calls for technology to be used to monitor goal lines in the same way that it is already used in other sports.

Cameras are one option that has been suggested. Another is to install a chip in the ball which will react with sensors behind goal lines. Of course, if there is mistrust of technology for this particular sport, there is a much simpler and possibly less expensive solution.

That is to appoint a couple of junior or trainee referees just to keep watch over goal lines in major tournaments. But they would need to have perfect vision!
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Not Fit For Purpose!

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This afternoon’s humiliating defeat for the English football team in their match with Germany shows that, despite the vast amount of money spent on the manager and players, the team and their play were useless.

The footballers may individually be brilliant in their home teams, but they never came together as an English team. Where the blame for this lies will be a matter of debate for some time to come.

Even supposing that the disputed second English goal had been allowed, Germany showed themselves to be the better team. As did the teams in the previous games.

‘Not fit for purpose!’ seems to be the appropriate indictment in the circumstances.
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Let’s Suppose ...

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Let’s suppose that you’re a multibillionaire with lots of money to splash around, and decide that you would like to support your country and promote it by assembling one of the world’s national football teams and turn it into the very best.

You take advice and hire the best football players available in the country of your choice and make sure that their earnings are at a rate of at least £140,000 a week. You then find yourself the very best football manager in the world and take him on an annual salary of at least £6 millions. You hire also the best available assistants, trainers, sports-therapists and other experts in the game.

After an adequate period of training in first-class facilities, during which your players get used to each other, you sit back and consider what you have achieved so far. You have assembled one of the best football teams in the entire world, and you are so confident of their abilities that you decide to enter them in the World Cup. The game’s experts are highly impressed with what you have achieved and reward you by rating your team among the first ten in the world. You eagerly look forward to their first game.

But, after two disastrous games in the first round, in which your team is roundly and humiliatingly beaten by teams reckoned to be easily beatable, you sit back once again and consider where you are now.

You discover that, thanks to their fat wage packets and extravagant life-styles, you have assembled a group of grumpy, half-interested men who are just not hungry to the point where they will do anything to win a match. You discover also that it takes more than just money to instil a proper team spirit in your players.

All is not yet lost though. There is one more match to play in which your team might qualify for the next round. You keep your fingers crossed that the manager and the players can get their act together in time for this. You might give them a couple of pep-talks and remind them what the purpose of the game and the competition is.

You night ponder upon the impact this exercise has had on your wallet so far and wonder whether it has been worth it when you might have done better by going out and recruiting a bunch of athletic school-leavers who might have done a better job at a lot less cost.

You mention all of this to one of your chums and ask for his view. His reply astonishes you.

‘Thank God, the taxpayer hasn’t had to fork out for this shambles!’
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