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Faltering England slim down 2018 bid team

England have responded to criticism of their bid to host the 2018 World Cup finals by announcing a reduced management team.

Bid chiefs held a crisis meeting Thursday and announced a new executive board which included Geoff Thompson, a vice-president of world football governing body FIFA, who was omitted from the original line-up.

After starting the bidding process as favourites ahead of Russia, Australia and the joint-venture by Spain and Portugal, England’s 2018 campaign has come under fire in recent weeks.

The bid has been severely criticised by Jack Warner, one of FIFA’s executive committee members, and Football Association chairman Lord David Triesman, also England’s 2018 chairman, has come under pressure over his inability to devote more than two days a week to his role.

Triesman will now head up a streamlined board featuring Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards, Football League chairman Lord Brian Mawhinney, Lord Sebastian Coe, the London 2012 Olympic Games chief, former player Paul Elliott and chief executive Andy Anson.

Original board members such as Britain’s sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe will join an advisory group headed by Karren Brady, the former Birmingham City chief executive.

Triesman said: “We’ve got to a point where the England 2018 campaign requires focus, determination and where everybody involved has a specific purpose to help us win the bid.

“In our view, these changes reflect a positive development and send a loud message of an absolute determination to bring the World Cup tournament to England.”

According to a report in Wednesday’s edition of The Times newspaper, Warner’s influence is likely to result in “at least another two votes and probably more like another three or four votes” being lost.

England’s bid is also said to be suffering from a lack of financial investment, with the Government’s pledge of five million pounds (5.5 million euros) in direct funding having been cut to a conditional loan of 2.5 million pounds (2.7 million euros).

FIFA are expected to announce their decision on the 2018 hosts in December next year.

England have hosted the World Cup just once, in 1966, when they won the tournament for the only time in their history with a team captained by the late Bobby Moore defeating the then West Germany 4-2 after extra-time in a final at London’s Wembley Stadium.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: 2012 olympic games, Andy Anson, association chairman, Australia, birmingham city, body fifa, Britain, chairman lord, Dave Richards, david triesman, england 2018, executive committee members, geoff thompson, jack warner, karren brady, london 2012 olympic games, Lord Brian Mawhinney, Lord David Triesman, lord sebastian coe, loud message, mawhinney, Moore, new executive board, olympic games, original board, paul elliott, premier league, russia, Sir Dave Richards, Spain, wembley stadium, world cup finals

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English league clubs slash agent payments

English Football League clubs cut payments to agents by 2.3 million pounds (2.7 million euros) over the last year.

A total of 8.8 million pounds (10.1 million euros) was paid to agents by the 72 clubs in the three divisions outside the Premier League between July 2008 and June 2009, compared with 11.1 million pounds (12.8 million euros) for the 12 months previously.

Over the course of the season, Football League clubs made 3,727 player transactions, which includes new registrations, transfers, contract updates, contract cancellations and loans, but just 229 involved a payment to an agent.

Payments from the Championship clubs totalled 7.5 million pounds (8.6 million euros) between them, 86 percent of the total paid out, with 1.1 million pounds (1.2 million euros) paid by League One clubs and just 200,000 pounds (231,000 euros) from League Two clubs.

Announcing the results on Thursday, Football League chairman Lord Mawhinney said: “Given the current financial outlook, it is encouraging that clubs are being more circumspect in terms of their payments to agents.”

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: 1 million, 12 months, 5 million, 6 million, Announcing, cancellations, chairman lord, Championship, contract updates, course, english football league, english league clubs, financial outlook, football, football league clubs, loans, london, Lord Mawhinney, mawhinney, payment, player transactions, premier league, registrations, season football, target

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Hearts facing more financial problems

Hearts could be facing more financial problems after the Scottish Premier League club admitted that HM Revenue and Customs had begun a process that may force them into administration.

A petition for a ‘wind-up’ action was lodged against the Edinburgh outfit at the Court of Session this week on behalf of HMRC, who are chasing unpaid debts.

Hearts director Sergejus Fedotovas insists his club can meet the payments on time but if they fail to pay up, the action could see them forced to sell assets or even cease trading altogether.

“Hearts has been informed of the petition that has been raised and that came as a surprise as the club has a payment schedule in place with HMRC and this will be met in full and to the agreed timescales,” Fedotovas said.

“The funds are available and sufficient to meet the obligations. We have made excellent progress recently as a club in cutting our costs and reducing our debt while delivering a winning team on the field.

“This will continue to be the case and, with continued effective investment, we are confident in our future direction.”

Were Hearts to go into administration, the club, who are 30 million pounds in debt, would face a 10-point deduction from the Scottish Premier League.

Last season, Hearts twice failed to pay their squad on time, citing technical glitches for the delays.

Former Hearts chairman Lord Foulkes, an MSP, told the Edinburgh Evening News the latest development would “send shivers down the spine” of supporters and would further divide opinion over controversial owner Vladimir Romanov.

He said: “I think Mr Romanov and his colleagues have taken things to the wire before as far as paying bills are concerned.

“So far, the club has survived, but it’s certainly not good for the nerves. Everybody just crosses their fingers and hopes it goes away.”

EDINBURGH (AFP)

Tags: 30 million, chairman lord, colleagues, Edinburgh, edinburgh evening news, fingers, hearts, hm revenue and customs, hmrc, Lord Foulkes, Mr Romanov, msp, nerves, petition, premier league, Scottish Premier League, shivers, spine, technical glitches, timescales, unpaid debts, vladimir, Vladimir Romanov, winning team

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England keep 2022 World Cup bid option open

LONDON (AFP) – England’s Football Association will bid to stage the World Cup in either 2018 or 2022, it was announced on Monday.

Countries were asked by world football governing body FIFA to bid for one of the two tournaments or submit proposals to stage both events.

The FA handed in their plans at FIFA’s Zurich headquarters on Monday.

Afterwards, England bid and FA chairman Lord David Triesman, issued a statement, saying: "Today marks another step forward on our journey to bring the FIFA World Cup to England and our team are focused on delivering the best bid possible to FIFA.

"By declaring our interest for both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments we are maximising our chances of winning the right to host the world’s greatest sporting occasion."

England have staged the World Cup just once in their history, in 1966. That was also the only time they have won the competition defeating the then West Germany 4-2 after extra-time in the final at Wembley Stadium.

Written by: AFP

Tags: best bid, body fifa, chairman lord, david triesman, England, English Premier League, extra time, FIFA, fifa world cup, football association, Germany, governing body, journey, london, Lord David Triesman, proposals, wembley stadium, World Cup, world football, ZURICH

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Civil servant Watmore gets English FA post

LONDON (AFP) – Ian Watmore, a senior civil servant in the British government, was announced Wednesday as the new chief executive of England’s Football Association.

Watmore, currently the permanent secretary of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills where FA chairman Lord David Triesman was once a minister, will take up his role in June.

"I am delighted to be joining The Football Association as chief executive," said Watmore. It is a great challenge and one I am really looking forward to.

"With Lord Triesman and the (FA) Board, Fabio Capello and the FA’s staff, I want to ensure we are achieving success on and off the pitch across all levels of the game."

Former Arsenal managing director Keith Edelman was also reported to be in contention for the post.

But it is the 50-year-old Watmore who will replace Brian Barwick, who stepped down at the end of last year.

Barwick was in charge when Italian Fabio Capello, who has enjoyed a successful start to his time as England manager as he bids to take the team to the 2010, World Cup finals in South Africa, was appointed.

But the former television sports producer also presided over the dismal failure of then England manager Steve McClaren’s dismal failure to qualify for Euro 2008 and the bungled attempt to appoint Luiz Felipe Scolari, recently sacked by Chelsea, as Sven-Goran Eriksson’s successor.

However, he did conclude a lucrative television deal with ITV and satellite station Setanta which left the FA’s finances in good shape.

Delivery of the long awaited National Football Centre in Burton, central England will be one of the tasks facing Watmore, who before entering government worked in the IT industry.

Watmore’s appointment will raise concerns about whether there are too many figures with a Whitehall background at the FA but Triesman said: "We had a very strong shortlist of candidates, but in Ian we have the right person to lead the organisation as chief executive officer.

"The FA is committed to maximising participation across all levels of football in this country, helping the England teams and our clubs achieve success on the pitch, while also being trusted to govern the game."

Written by: AFP

Tags: arsenal, barwick, Brian Barwick, Burton, central england, chairman lord, CHELSEA, chief executive officer, civil servant, david triesman, England, england manager, English Premier League, fabio capello, good shape, government, Ian, Ian Watmore, Keith Edelman, levels of the game, london, Lord Triesman, luiz felipe scolari, permanent secretary, satellite station, setanta, South Africa, Steve McClaren, Sven Goran Eriksson, television deal, television sports, Whitehall, World Cup, world cup finals

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Coe joins England´s 2018 World Cup bid

LONDON (AFP) – Lord Sebastian Coe was confirmed Wednesday as a non-executive director of England’s bid to stage the 2018 football World Cup.

Coe led London’s successful bid to stage the 2012 Olympic Games and currently the chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG); a position he will continue to hold.

Coe, one of Britain’s greatest athletes and now a leading figure in international sports administration, will continue as vice-president of the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) but will step down temporarily from his role as chairman of world football governing body FIFA’s ethics committee.

"I look forward to playing my part in our bid for the FIFA World Cup," said Coe, the Olympic 1,500 metres champion at both the 1980 and 1984 Games.

"I am passionate about football so am delighted to be standing alongside many other people and football greats up and down the country in bidding for this event.

"Winning the Football World Cup would be the hat trick in a golden era for sport in the UK following the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014," he added.

"I will continue my roles as chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and vice-president of the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) but will be taking a temporary leave of absence from my position as chairman of FIFA’s ethics committee.

"I would like to thank FIFA President Mr (Sepp) Blatter for agreeing to this arrangement."

England 2018 chairman Lord David Triesman, also the chairman of England’s Football Association,said: "I firmly believe that making Lord Coe a member of our executive board significantly enhances our chances of success.

"His experiences in leading the successful London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic bid and generating a wealth of domestic and international support will be invaluable to us."

England have only staged the World Cup once in 1966, which was also the only time in their history they’ve won the tournament with a team captained by the late Bobby Moore defeating the then West Germany 4-2 after extra-time in the final at London’s Wembley Stadium.

Written by: AFP

Tags: 2012 olympic games, AFP, body fifa, chairman lord, commonwealth games, England, england 2018, English Premier League, FIFA, fifa president, football greats, football world cup, Germany, Glasgow, IAAF, iaaf international association, international association of athletics federations, leave of absence, LOCOG, london, london 2012, lord coe, Lord David Triesman, lord sebastian coe, Moore, organising committee, paralympic games, President Mr, Sepp, Sepp Blatter, sports administration, UK, wembley stadium, world football

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Ferguson is “most influential man in British sport

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is the most influential man in British sport, according to a list published by the Times newspaper on Saturday.

The list includes 100 sports personalities and Ferguson came in first ahead of London 2012 chairman Lord Sebastian Coe and Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour.

Ferguson joined United in 1986 and remained at Old Trafford ever since. As manager, he won more trophies than anyone else in British football. This includes two Champions Leagues and several league victories.

"He has been shaping our sporting lives for decades, to the extent that he is atop our summit, and the hard part is not establishing where his power starts but where it ends," the Times said.

Written by: Jonathan Roorda

Tags: british football, british sport, chairman lord, champions leagues, decades, English Premier League, extent, jonathan, Jonathan Roorda, london, london 2012, lord sebastian coe, Manchester, manchester city, manchester united, mansour, old trafford, roorda, sir alex ferguson, sports personalities, summit, trophies

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Capello ends England´s ´funfair´ culture

LONDON (AFP) – Football Association chairman Lord Triesman believes Fabio Capello’s most significant achievement since taking charge of England has been to destroy the "funfair" culture surrounding the team.

Capello rules the England set-up with a no-nonsense mentality that has stripped away the excesses of Steve McClaren’s reign.

Under McClaren, and his predecessor Sven Goran Eriksson, England’s players were allowed to become far too comfortable on international duty, with wives, girlfriends and agents following them everywhere.

But in his first 12 months in charge Capello has laid down the law by banning all hangers-on from England’s hotel.

After a slow start, the Italian has convinced the players to buy into his philosophy.

The results have been impressive. Four successive World Cup qualifying victories, including a superb away win in Croatia, were followed by a friendly triumph over Germany in Berlin last month.

Triesman is delighted with the progress under Capello and he said: "Fabio has been absolutely brilliant. His seriousness is so transparent. He does everything in a meticulous way and the distractions are not there.

"There is a sense that the players are being treated as serious athletes. It isn’t all a funfair. They react really well to that.

"You don’t have to spend more than three minutes in his company to know that when he says he is going to do something, he will really set about it and is not going to put up with second best."

England are firmly on course to reach the 2010 World Cup but Triesman insists Capello won’t relax because he wants to turn the team into serious contenders to win the tournament in South Africa.

"We are in a good position in our group, that is self-evident," Triesman said.

"But you never get the sense from Fabio that he thinks a job is over if it only is half done.

"He will see this through to the very last match. There will be absolutely no give in that attitude and the players love it.

"They all feel like winners and I don’t quite know when the England side last felt like that."

Written by: AFP

Tags: AFP, chairman lord, English Premier League, Fabio, fabio capello, football association, london, mentality, seriousness, Steve McClaren, Sven Goran Eriksson, World Cup

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