FA Humiliation at FIFA

[withdeanwombat]

I believe only the English really worry about this.FIFA gives money to many small football associations,and they're not going to vote for this to stop.Their FIFA reps are not going to vote against the gravy train.and now 208 associations will be looking forward to cash for their votes,free laptops,free trips to wherever FIFA decides it wants to go.Free first class hotels.Free holidays.Free.Qatar have got a World Cup.Could be Iran next.

Joe Blatter gets four more years of being feted around the world.Major football countries get,well,f a.

But do we really care that much ? Our football season will still carry on;our leagues,overall,are probably the best in the world.Albion are in the Championship. A slack handful of folk are putting down jerseys for goalposts in many of the 208 member FA's,and probably loving every minute of poking the bigger associations in the eye.

But I'm a club before country person,and would willingly send Milton Keynes Dons to represent England at the World Cup,and stop playing unwanted friendlies against dubious down the ratings international teams. How much does Dubai v Faeroes earn,after all ?

FIFA is a flyblown organisation pampered by its own pomposity.

 

[portlock seagull]

I believe only the English really worry about this.FIFA gives money to many small football associations,and they're not going to vote for this to stop.Their FIFA reps are not going to vote against the gravy train.and now 208 associations will be looking forward to cash for their votes,free laptops,free trips to wherever FIFA decides it wants to go.Free first class hotels.Free holidays.Free.Qatar have got a World Cup.Could be Iran next.

Joe Blatter gets four more years of being feted around the world.Major football countries get,well,f a.

But do we really care that much ? Our football season will still carry on;our leagues,overall,are probably the best in the world.Albion are in the Championship. A slack handful of folk are putting down jerseys for goalposts in many of the 208 member FA's,and probably loving every minute of poking the bigger associations in the eye.

But I'm a club before country person,and would willingly send Milton Keynes Dons to represent England at the World Cup,and stop playing unwanted friendlies against dubious down the ratings international teams. How much does Dubai v Faeroes earn,after all ?

FIFA is a flyblown organisation pampered by its own pomposity.

well put up to a point. But I think that we all care to an extent; even those playing devil's advocate. That's why it hurts. And the Premiership, if we ever make it, has a lot more in common with FIFA than the FA in my opinion. Different chess pieces perhaps, but same board.

 

[Jim D]

If we left Fifa unilaterally then all Fifa would do is ban players from representing their countries if they play in England which wouldn't be recognised league. All the top players would leave and the best English players would be checking their geneology for overseas grandparents.

IF this ever happened, and FIFA banned all those playing in England from playing internationals for their countries, then it would have a far worse effect on those other countries. If the players contracts remained the same then I would assume most would stay here for the money - that's why they're here in the first place. You don't think they like living in Blackburn and Bolton do you?

 

[glasfryn]

I believe only the English really worry about this.FIFA gives money to many small football associations,and they're not going to vote for this to stop.Their FIFA reps are not going to vote against the gravy train.and now 208 associations will be looking forward to cash for their votes,free laptops,free trips to wherever FIFA decides it wants to go.Free first class hotels.Free holidays.Free.Qatar have got a World Cup.Could be Iran next.

Joe Blatter gets four more years of being feted around the world.Major football countries get,well,f a.

But do we really care that much ? Our football season will still carry on;our leagues,overall,are probably the best in the world.Albion are in the Championship. A slack handful of folk are putting down jerseys for goalposts in many of the 208 member FA's,and probably loving every minute of poking the bigger associations in the eye.

But I'm a club before country person,and would willingly send Milton Keynes Dons to represent England at the World Cup,and stop playing unwanted friendlies against dubious down the ratings international teams. How much does Dubai v Faeroes earn,after all ?

FIFA is a flyblown organisation pampered by its own pomposity.

spot on mate always club before country

 

[drew]

Perhaps, but how big an impact would that really have? That's based on the proviso that we would ever withdraw from FIFA. Which we won't because we're essentially on our own in terms of opinion. That much isn't in dispute after today's reaction to Bernstein's speech etc. The world of football would survive quite happily without us, in which case, we need a plan B! Or accept we need to make more friends, especially the powerful ones. I think todays lesson is that old adage in many ways e.g. if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! Sad as that may be. But with a multi-billion global enterprise comes inevitable corruption. And our FA, laundable as intentions might be, is stunningly naive in it's approach to this aspect of the world game would seem.

You keep banging on about the FA being on their own! There were 17 votes for postponing the election and the same number who abstained from the vote. At the moment we don't know which associations were abstaining. If it was the likes of the Faroes, Toga, Fiji or American Samoa then maybe you have a point but I suspect that they were more influential than that. Probably includes Australia but wouldn't mind betting the majority of the rest are from Europe.

IF this ever happened, and FIFA banned all those playing in England from playing internationals for their countries, then it would have a far worse effect on those other countries. If the players contracts remained the same then I would assume most would stay here for the money - that's why they're here in the first place. You don't think they like living in Blackburn and Bolton do you?

And how many of them do you believe actually live in Blackburn or Bolton. I presume you have heard of the invention called an automobile? Just because they play for those clubs doesn't mean they have to live within spitting distance of the ground!

Also, given the choice of playing in Europe and still representing your country or coming to England for slightly more dosh, what would you do as a promising 20 year old?

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Football would be nothing without the fans and/or consumers. Too may people enjoying the overflowing gravy, at the top end, to make a difference. It was sickening to see Blatter being worshipped by his fellow cronies.

 

[brakespear]

I believe only the English really worry about this.FIFA gives money to many small football associations,and they're not going to vote for this to stop.Their FIFA reps are not going to vote against the gravy train.and now 208 associations will be looking forward to cash for their votes,free laptops,free trips to wherever FIFA decides it wants to go.Free first class hotels.Free holidays.Free.Qatar have got a World Cup.Could be Iran next.

Joe Blatter gets four more years of being feted around the world.Major football countries get,well,f a.

But do we really care that much ? Our football season will still carry on;our leagues,overall,are probably the best in the world.Albion are in the Championship. A slack handful of folk are putting down jerseys for goalposts in many of the 208 member FA's,and probably loving every minute of poking the bigger associations in the eye.

But I'm a club before country person,and would willingly send Milton Keynes Dons to represent England at the World Cup,and stop playing unwanted friendlies against dubious down the ratings international teams. How much does Dubai v Faeroes earn,after all ?

FIFA is a flyblown organisation pampered by its own pomposity.

Me, I'm about 50/50 on club/country, but I don't really see that as the issue. It shouldn't be seen as England v FIFA but football v FIFA. Whether our football season carries on or not, some already severely rich people are creaming off yet more money that should rightly be more properly invested in improving the footballing infrastructure in countries who need it (such as England ). And you're right, it's been going on for years, but when it gets so blatant as awarding a World Cup to f***ing Qatar, I ....I don't know, I guess you just have to spout on an internet football forum I don't know, having discussed this with people the major impression is just being reduced to being so helpless over something into which people have invested a fair amount of time over their lives.

 

[kevo]

10.55: Senior Fifa vice-president Julio Grondona of Argentina, 81 and an executive committee fixture for years, has taken the floor and launched a direct attack on England, accusing them and the media of peddling "lies".

He demanded that England "leave the Fifa family alone" and hinted that the privileged seat on Fifa's executive committee reserved for the Home Nations could be lost.

“We always have attacks from England which are mostly lies with the support of journalism which is more busy lying than telling the truth, this upsets and disturbs the Fifa family," he said.

"I felt it myself, that to present such a project as David Bernstein presented this is like shooting a penalty, because it cannot be always from the same place that the insults and problems come from. I don’t understand how this works I have been in this for so many years I see it at every congress.

“It looks like England is always complaining so please I say will you leave the Fifa family alone, and when you speak, speak with truth.”

And speaking to a German news agency he went further...

He describes the English as "pirates", said he asked the 2018 World Cup bid to hand back the Falklands before he would consider voting for them. Diplomatic incident ahoy...

"Yes, I voted for Qatar, because a vote for the US [who were beaten by Qatar in the race to host the 2022 finals] would be like a vote for England. And that is not possible," the Argentine said.

He described the English as "pirates" and said that he had never asked for anything for his vote. "But with the English bid I said: Let us be brief. If you give back the Falkland Islands, which belong to us, you will get my vote. They then became sad and left."

Surely making such comments, i.e. openly declaring that his voting tactics are politically motivated, should disqualify him from being a FIFA representative? Oh hang on, how stupid of me, it's FIFA we're talking about...

 

[Gritt23]

And now Blatter comes out and has to make the point that the English will not be punished for not voting for him. Does that really need to be said in a democratic environment? Surely it's everyone right to vote or abstain, entirely as they wish, without fear of retribution, sanctions or punishments. Goodness me, it sounds like Blatter is saying he is NOT Mugabe. I should bloody well think we're not going to be punished for having an opinion different from the President.

Two weeks ago he was ridiculing the possibility of corruption in FIFA, but as we stand now, he has two members of the executive committee suspended pending corruption investigations. Surely he should be APPLAUDING the English for bringing stuff to his attention, that he was clearly not aware of previously.

The whole thing just needs tearing down and starting again. C'mon sponsors, YOU hold the money, YOU need to stand up and walk out of the room when it comes to negotiating your contracts. Then they'll be forced to act, as money talks, but very little else does. The nonsense spouted yesterday was clearly just a bunch of crooks all trying to look infuriated at anyone risking the crooked little World they have carefully constructed over the years.

"Allegations, such an English word ..." allegations that have led to FIFA suspending people FFS. So it's either nothing, and the President has suspended his only rival for the Presidency, or there is some substance to it. Neither scenario can leave FIFA taking the moral high ground over the English FA.

Rant over.

 

[portlock seagull]

You keep banging on about the FA being on their own! There were 17 votes for postponing the election and the same number who abstained from the vote. At the moment we don't know which associations were abstaining. If it was the likes of the Faroes, Toga, Fiji or American Samoa then maybe you have a point but I suspect that they were more influential than that. Probably includes Australia but wouldn't mind betting the majority of the rest are from Europe.QUOTE]

I know we weren't on our entire own in so far as 17 others may, to a degree, have felt similarly. But we're EFFECTIVELY on our own, that's my point. The fact 16 others may or may not (because abstaining doesn't necessarily equate into a Blatter protest vote like ours was) is still way too few in the grander picture for serious reform. No, the message the FIFA family gave yesterday was that England are about the only ones complaining. And it's selective complaining at that. We were told in no uncertain terms to shut up and told to go stand in the corner like a naughty child. Total humiliation, when it came to the crunch we were (effectively!) left standing on our own.

 

[The Large One]

Vietnam FA apparently ACCIDENTALLY voted for the FA's proposal.

 

[portlock seagull]

And now Blatter comes out and has to make the point that the English will not be punished for not voting for him. Does that really need to be said in a democratic environment? Surely it's everyone right to vote or abstain, entirely as they wish, without fear of retribution, sanctions or punishments. Goodness me, it sounds like Blatter is saying he is NOT Mugabe. I should bloody well think we're not going to be punished for having an opinion different from the President.

Two weeks ago he was ridiculing the possibility of corruption in FIFA, but as we stand now, he has two members of the executive committee suspended pending corruption investigations. Surely he should be APPLAUDING the English for bringing stuff to his attention, that he was clearly not aware of previously.

The whole thing just needs tearing down and starting again. C'mon sponsors, YOU hold the money, YOU need to stand up and walk out of the room when it comes to negotiating your contracts. Then they'll be forced to act, as money talks, but very little else does. The nonsense spouted yesterday was clearly just a bunch of crooks all trying to look infuriated at anyone risking the crooked little World they have carefully constructed over the years.

"Allegations, such an English word ..." allegations that have led to FIFA suspending people FFS. So it's either nothing, and the President has suspended his only rival for the Presidency, or there is some substance to it. Neither scenario can leave FIFA taking the moral high ground over the English FA.

Rant over.

People attach too much importance to corporate sponsorship influence. If Coke pulled out, Pepsi would jump in. If Mastercard did, Visa would fall over themselves to back FIFA and so on. They were never seriously considering ripping up contracts over such serious allegations that, we must remember, have not been proved.

It's a cosy little set-up FIFA and the world of corporate sponsorship so why change from within when there's little external parties can do to apply pressure? England appeared to be (effectively-so's to keep Drew happy the only Turkey voting for Xmas. At least, the most audible one. We've been left loooking extremely naive in many respects, however high (or not) our moral highground was.

 

[portlock seagull]

Vietnam FA apparently ACCIDENTALLY voted for the FA's proposal.

Don't tell Drew that - don't think his heart could take such news!

 

[Tricky Dicky]

C'mon sponsors, YOU hold the money, YOU need to stand up and walk out of the room when it comes to negotiating your contracts.

They will start to do something once their revenue gets hit, they don't care for the football itself so will not do anything on point of principle. They may want to act by not wanting to be associated with bribery and corruption (even alleged deeds), but it's still driven by money rather than principles. If people start boycotting or threatening to boycott their goods in large numbers, they may do something, but I doubt that's going to happen.

 

[perseus]

Its a WOLFPACK with Sepp Blatter as Top Dog. Only 66 of 207 FIFA Dog members nominated him. His dictatorial attitude reminds me of Gordon Brown.

The request to delay the election was a good call.

 

[burstead]

All the English media are doing is reporting what was said by FIFA whistleblower Chuck Blazer. Blazer's bribery claims prompted the provisional suspension of Concafaf president Jack Warner and Asian chief Mohamed Bin Hammam.

Here's a summary of the biggest FIFA brown-noses...

Julio Grondona
Argentina

What he said: "We always have attacks from England which are mostly lies with the support of journalism which is more busy lying than telling the truth. Leave the Fifa family alone."

Track record: Claimed Jewish people could not referee at a high level as "Jews don’t like hard work". On Monday, he revealed he had told England's 2018 bid team: "If you give back the Falklands, which belong to us, you will get my vote."

Selemani Omari
DR Congo

What he said: "We are ill at ease with people who wield unfounded accusations. We have no lessons to take (from England). A single candidate sometimes proves people are satisfied with that candidate."

Track record: Congolese club chairmen, former internationals and sports journalists petitioned a court to investigate allegations relating to the theft of funds in 2005. Omari was subsequently cleared.

Yves Jean-Bart
Haiti

What he said: "Contrary to what my colleague from England said, we can deal with this crisis by strengthening our organisation. We will not get through by accentuating instability or tormenting ourselves."

Track record: In January, Haiti’s National Referees Commission reported cases of attempted bribery of officials and match-fixing to the executive committee of the Haitian Football Federation.

Moucharafou Anjorin
Benin

What he said: "I am ill at ease to see it coming from a country like England with its football skills. Why would we want to kill Fifa and create tensions, pitch one against another? England should not seek to divide us."

Track record: Twelve of the Benin Football Federation’s 15-member executive committee resigned last December, accusing Moucharafou of being a "dictator". He was ousted by the Sports Ministry in January but reinstated after Fifa complained of government interference.

Costakis Koutsokoumnis
Cyprus

What he said: "It’s not a solution to leave Fifa with a president unable to take decisions. We need a strong Fifa. What a beautiful English word is 'allegations'."

Track record: Koutsokoumnis's organisation was criticised in 2005 for failing to combat racism by Football against Racism in Europe. Koutsokoumnis said he had never heard of FARE, despite his organisation attending a Uefa conference with them in 2003.

Angel Maria Villar Llona
Spain

What he said: "Fifa has presented an extraordinary balance sheet, all of that goes in football. All this goes down the drain just because there is a problem in your family? We must stop these people hitting us. It’s cheap."

Track record: Sparked outrage in 2006 when, during a speech to a Uefa conference on racism, he said too much attention was being given to the issue.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Is it a secret ballot or will we find out who the votes and abstentions were? You would imagine the FAW, Irish FA and probably FAI were all on board.

You'd have liked to have thought so, but apparently not.

Wales and Nortern Ireland both voted AGAINST delaying the election.

 

[portlock seagull]

All the English media are doing is reporting what was said by FIFA whistleblower Chuck Blazer. Blazer's bribery claims prompted the provisional suspension of Concafaf president Jack Warner and Asian chief Mohamed Bin Hammam.

Here's a summary of the biggest FIFA brown-noses...
.

A rogues gallery I agree - but that number of brown-noses is nearly as many alone who abstained yesterday by comparison! And you could easily find more.

 

[ROSM]

Vietnam FA apparently ACCIDENTALLY voted for the FA's proposal.

That would be vietnam from the asian federation who's presidents was suspended for bribery allegations and could no longer stand as president.

I suspect that they voted deliberately but have now 'accidently' been identified as having done so and are now under threat from FIFA and are likely to lose some gifts that were due.

 

[User removed 4]

The FA is little better than FIFA itself.

Prior to the WC vote, England originally were scheduled to play Thailand in just over a week, this was an attempt to win a vot for the 2018 bid. Similarly the FA were making donations to local associations in Africa, Asia etc.

Unfortunately our attempts to incentivise delegates weren't as big as Russia's, but let's not take the moral high ground as it stinks of hypocrisy.

No it doesnt , not in this case, theres a huge difference between agreeing to play games , making donations at grass roots level to local associations and lining the pockets of corrupt association heads, perhaps el pres you should think before you self flagellate ?