04/23/24
December 07, 2010
Did the BBC Kill England's World Cup Bid?: Three days before FIFA awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, BBC aired a documentary leveling allegations of bribery at four members of the 2018 voting committee. That probably didn't help England's bid. "I believe we were right to broadcast and I believe we have very strong support from the British public in broadcasting," said BBC director general Mark Thompson.
Some of she same UK football officials who were decrying the BBC as being unpatriotic for airing the program are now, after the vote, accusing FIFA's process as being corrupt. Hypocrisy.
I agree with Holden - the whole bidding process was a colossal waste of time and money. Blatter wanted to spread football to new frontiers. Not much else seems to have mattered (except perhaps the host countries' making financial "promises" about football development in their regions).
posted by sbacharach at 12:48 PM on December 07, 2010
FIFA is so disgustingly corrupt, it makes the IOC look like the Salvation Army.
Britain and the USA didn't line enough pockets. Which is a bit odd. It's not like they're new to corruption.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 05:52 PM on December 07, 2010
This is just more ammunition for anti BBC douchebags in England to stick the boot in on them.
It was no more the BBC's fault than it was yours or mine. The deal was already done as Holden said. Kickbacks had already been made, and assuming Blatter doesn't have Jennings killed, I am sure for World Cup 2014 there'll be another Panorama where there will be leaked papers showing Warner etc... Got paid to give the events to Russia and Qatar.
I have Jennings book "Foul". Well worth reading.
posted by Drood at 06:57 PM on December 07, 2010
Does anyone really think the 2018 and 2022 bids were not in the bag for Russia and Qatar, respectively, long before the BBC report aired? I am not even sure why they went through the whole dog and pony show with the presentations and all; I guess presumably to give an air of a fair process. Certain executive committee members themselves have admitted that they could not be bothered to read the bidding countries' reports, because they were just too long.