Who Do You Think Will Host World Cup 2018

[Cracker1234]

Gary Lineker: England 2018 World Cup bid has weather as secret weapon

Gary Lineker, the former England captain turned Match of the Day anchor, has said he will lobby Fifa voters next week with the message that a World Cup in England would deliver the perfect conditions for exciting matches and a "great show". He also revealed the bid's secret weapon – the English weather.

Lineker was yesterday confirmed as one of the official delegation of 30 travelling to Zurich next week ahead of the vote on the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts next Thursday. He will join Prince William, David Beckham, Fabio Capello, Alan Shearer, Sir Bobby Charlton, Andy Cole and others in a last-ditch bid to woo the 22 Fifa executive committee members, particularly those who may not have decided where to place their vote if their preferred choice drops out.

Lineker, who has close links with several of the executive committee members including Michel Platini, said he would be concentrating on the footballing aspects of the bid. Each member of the delegation is expected to be deployed in different ways, with particular emphasis on the trio of Cameron, Beckham and Prince William.

Lineker said: "On a personal basis, I would go along the lines of: 'What would be the best thing for football?' I think that would be our bid, I really do. If you ask the players where they would want to play in 2018 they would want to play in this country. A lot of World Cups suffer because of less than perfect conditions. Our weather's not great, but it is for football. You don't have issues with the heat or altitude. You have perfect playing conditions, great pitches, grounds where the stands are right on top of the pitches that create the atmosphere players love to play in.

"Aside from the great legacy plan and the fact that it will be financially very lucrative for Fifa, for football this will be the place to have a great World Cup and offer the best chance of having a great show. That's something we've perhaps not seen in recent World Cups. It would be great for the game of football and give it the best possible chance of being a great World Cup."

Following criticism of the quality of play in the last World Cup, Fifa's president, Sepp Blatter, has set up a task force to look into ideas of making the tournament more exciting.

Lineker is in a tricky position as the BBC's lead football presenter at a time when the corporation has been called "unpatriotic" by the 2018 bid's chief executive, Andy Anson, for showing a contentious edition of Panorama three days before the vote. The former England striker said he could not comment on the show until it had been aired.

"This should be about the bid not a television programme. I need to see it. I think that journalists have a responsibility to make sure things are done properly. If they're not, action needs to be taken. Let's see what's in it. I can't comment until I've seen it."

Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt and sports minister Hugh Robertson are also among the delegation, as well as two "Legacy Ambassadors", Kadra Ege and Eddie Afekafe, who also played a role in the submission of the bid books and the Fifa inspection tour in August.

"We have said throughout the process that this bid has the backing of the whole country and the nature of this line-up confirms that point. Next week is clearly critical because it is our last chance to convince the Fifa executive committee members who are voting that England should be their choice for 2018," said Anson.

"We will be campaigning and working right up to the very last minute and the strength and support we have within this travelling party gives us the best possible chance to deliver our message, strongly and passionately for one final time."

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore, acting FA chairman Roger Burden and Football League chairman Greg Clarke will all attend in an attempt to show that the bid has unanimous backing across the English game. All 20 Premier League clubs will promote the bid this weekend and managers and players have been called on to support it in video clips, some of which are expected to feature in the final presentation to the Fifa executive committee.

Many of them also push the line that England's facilities will offer the best chance for the best football.

"It's always been part of Manchester United to open our doors to football people across the world. It's a family here and if England was to host the World Cup fans would be made to feel part of that family," said Sir Alex Ferguson. "The facilities in England are superb which gives players the chance to perform to their highest levels."

Weather

I bet it rains.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

Rain is okay though!

Please let it be England, nice to have a world cup, as Linekar says, with the ground close to the pitch, proper atmospheres!

[Shillzz]

Rain is okay though!

Please let it be England, nice to have a world cup, as Linekar says, with the ground close to the pitch, proper atmospheres!

Exaclty.

Something that the World Cup desperately needs after the "Spectacle" of South Africa.

[theunderstudy]

Spain-Portugal looks more likely, but I hope its England cos I will be down at VP watching whatever match is there!

[theunderstudy]

Why does Spain have a racism problem? Without meaning to be offensive, they have light brown skin and are right next to Africa, yet you saw the way their fans behaved in the Spain-England game, and towards Lewis Hamilton in Spain. Portgual had Euro 2004, and we haven't hosted the World Cup in 52 years.... lets have it here FIFA!

[NulliSecundus]

rather it be in Holland/Belgium or Spain/Portugal, summer holiday sorted then

Russia is baking in the summer. Probably same temparature if not hotter than Spain and Portugal, in land anyway. I was in Moscow and Ekaterinburg in June and the temperature didn't dip below 35!

I genuinely don't mind who gets it if we don't. I like all of the places, they are all relatively close and don't have stupid timezones. Of course though, England is my first choice 100x over. Ekaterinburg is the furthest east of all the cities in Russia and that is only +5 GMT. Not sure how they would do timing in Russia. The host cities are spread out over 4 hours. Kaliningrad being +2 (-1 from Moscow) but it wouldn't be inconvenient for us that's sure.

[Voinjama]

Anyone watching the programme on how corrupt FIFA is. To host the world cup all existing laws basically get thrown out of the window. Holland let the cat out the bag and revealed the truth and therefor are now unlikely to win the bid. Unbelievable

[carew_villa]

Those laws they demand are ridiculous. FIFA really need to change their rules, they are exploiting football for themselves.

[Condimentalist]

I'd love it to be England, of course, but I have a feeling it'll go to Russia.

[Voinjama]

I actually have a feeling England will get it. South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014 are 'risk'. England would be safe, I think after having 2 risks, they will want a safe country who they can do it with ease. Thats why I believe it will be England 2018 and USA 2022

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

How can a country, who's country is one of the biggest footballing nations in the world in terms of support, club/international football. A country with such great stadiums, facilities, set up not be given a world cup after 62 years!? Jesssusss.

[The_Rev]

How can a country, who's country is one of the biggest footballing nations in the world in terms of support, club/international football. A country with such great stadiums, facilities, set up not be given a world cup after 62 years!? Jesssusss.

FIFA dont like the fact that we have four votes.

[Voinjama]

How can a country, who's country is one of the biggest footballing nations in the world in terms of support, club/international football. A country with such great stadiums, facilities, set up not be given a world cup after 62 years!? Jesssusss.

You mean 52 years. I agree with your point though.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

How can a country, who's country is one of the biggest footballing nations in the world in terms of support, club/international football. A country with such great stadiums, facilities, set up not be given a world cup after 62 years!? Jesssusss.

You mean 52 years. I agree with your point though.

Good point.

:oops:

[bickster]

Why does Spain have a racism problem?

Don't know whether you know but it was a fascist state run by the dictator General Franco until the mid-seventies, these things take a bit of time to get out of a nations system.

But if you think Spain has a racist problem, go to Russia, **** me it's absolutely horrendous there.

[Voinjama]

Why does Spain have a racism problem?

Don't know whether you know but it was a fascist state run by the dictator General Franco until the mid-seventies, these things take a bit of time to get out of a nations system.

But if you think Spain has a racist problem, go to Russia, **** me it's absolutely horrendous there.

With Russia is this from your own experience of going there, or from those banners they made out about Peter Odemwingie. If you went there, can you tell us about your experience.

[GaztonVilla]

That Panorama programme was a load of shite, in my humble opinion.

1. We have a list of payments. We're going to call them bribes. Loads of these bribes were paid to a company in Liechtenstein and are untraceable. BUT BUT BUT, somebody told me the money then got paid to 3 dodgy FIFA blokes. When I shouted at them in a hotel car park like a homeless lunatic, they wouldn't talk to me.

2. Here'a picture of a door closing. It's the door to ISL, the company who made the payments on this Excel spreadsheet. Yes yes, I know anybody could have typed up this sheet. But it came from a TRUSTED SOURCE. Here, just to convince you, I'll show you the door again. LOOK LOOK, it says ISL on it. Not convinced? Ok, let this bloke who used to be an "Account Director" convince you. "Me and my colleagues used to always be suspicious that bribes were being paid." They're corrupt I tells thee, CORRUPT!!

3. Remember that bloke Jack Warner? Remember he made some money from selling tickets in 2006? Well, there was a suspicion that he did it again. I was told this by a Norwegian journalist with a nice accent. Evidence? You don't need evidence. Why would the Norwegians lie to me??

The "guarantees" that FIFA ask from governments are outlandish, granted. But they're the same guarantees that the Olympics ask for. And it's their party, they can decide what their terms are.

I expected more from Panorama than peering over the fence at FIFA headquarters, interviewing a former junior employee of a sports marketing company, 2 relatively junior MPs from Switzerland and Holland and reading off a print-out of an Excel spreadsheet.

[bickster]

Why does Spain have a racism problem?

Don't know whether you know but it was a fascist state run by the dictator General Franco until the mid-seventies, these things take a bit of time to get out of a nations system.

But if you think Spain has a racist problem, go to Russia, **** me it's absolutely horrendous there.

With Russia is this from your own experience of going there, or from those banners they made out about Peter Odemwingie. If you went there, can you tell us about your experience.

Been there, even been shouted at for talking with black people (sorry blue boys as they were referred to)

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

It'll be England.

[jonno_2004]

Why does Spain have a racism problem?

Don't know whether you know but it was a fascist state run by the dictator General Franco until the mid-seventies, these things take a bit of time to get out of a nations system.

But if you think Spain has a racist problem, go to Russia, **** me it's absolutely horrendous there.

With Russia is this from your own experience of going there, or from those banners they made out about Peter Odemwingie. If you went there, can you tell us about your experience.

Been there, even been shouted at for talking with black people (sorry blue boys as they were referred to)

Agree with that Bickster. One of the most intolerant places in the World.