To get a World Cup you need Beckham. Also Goody Bags.

October 7th, 2009 | by: Rob |

So FIFA vice-president Jack Warner has come out and had a bit of a pop at our attempt to hold the World Cup. He said that not only was the bid lightweight, but he was really impressed by Australia, who gave him a goody bag with Australia 2018 tat in it. Apparently, this could swing the bid. I quote Warner (Via The Guardian):

I came here and was shocked that I got a bag for Australia at the entrance. [If I were England] I wouldn’t have allowed it. Why isn’t there a bag for England? People are looking at these things and asking themselves questions.

So yeah, basically because some meeting was taking place at Stamford Bridge, and the Aussies throught to hand out tat, they might get them the World Cup. Surreal eh?

Obviously, we probably should have said “oi, Australia, get out. Stop handing out goody bags at our summit”. But you know, we’re friendly. Possibly. Or possibly we thought that handing out a random goody bag probably wasn’t going to be the most important factor when talking about where a blinking World Cup should be held.

Warner also had some, possibly better, advice for England – getting D-Beck involved in the campaign and pushing the Premier League brand a bit.

But even that seems quite shallow. I mean, If i was voting for who was going to get the World Cup, stuff like infrastructure, how they deal with fans, history, stadia etc would be the big factors. Not that we’ve got a popular marketable star, and don’t hand out England 2018 Car Stickers.

Maybe that’s just me though?

Tags: 2018, Bid, England, England Team News, FIFA, Jack Warner, World Cup, World Cup bid

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Comments

By Tony | October 7th, 2009 at 1:45 pm

He’s a senile old goat that doesn’t know shit anyway.
And as if he’s anyone to talk, maybe he should look at his own home country and the crime within trinidad, but i suppose no big deal if supporters get killed while attending a football match, as long as the dignitaries get some free sugar cane in a goody bag, right Jack?

Posted from Canada

By Daryl | October 7th, 2009 at 3:28 pm

Warner sounds like a parody of himself in the quote.

By Jose | October 7th, 2009 at 6:54 pm

You know, when you’re competing with Australia, the United States, and Spain, having good infrastructure won’t cut it.

Warner is a scumbag, but he has a point (not the one mentioned here, but his wider point): the 2016 World Cup probably has England as the “most worthy” candidate, based on football infrastructure, tradition and time-since-last-hosted, but they have to be proactive and not expect it to get handed to them.

The man is obviously fishing for bribes, but in the end, this is FIFA. They are not coldly rational, grown men with a puritanical moral code. They’re businessmen that get to decide who gets the world’s biggest sporting event.

By Mike de Vries | October 7th, 2009 at 10:25 pm

England have made a lot of progress under Fabio Capello.

They definately have some work to do in order to be the finished product. I don’t think there is a definate starting eleven even.

The good news is they are looking excellent in the qualifying:

Posted from Canada

By Anthony Taylor | October 11th, 2009 at 9:42 am

I wish Jack Warner will pay the T & T their bonuses before sounding like an arsehole. This is a man who oly cares about money. Its the same person whose family made a fortune selling World Cup tickets at inflated prices. Shut the fuck up and put your own house in order.

England should be given the WC because it is a fair, enlightened and progressive country. Spain cannot be trusted with an event of this magnitude because of its racism.

Posted from United Kingdom