Faltering England slim down 2018 bid team

November 13, 2009

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)

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English league clubs slash agent payments

August 20, 2009

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)