FIFA release 150,000 tickets for World Cup
May 26 – FIFA plans to release 150,000 World Cup tickets tomorrow, including seats at the opening and final matches for next month’s tournament in South Africa, they announced today.
World Cup
Australian World Cup bid leader is country’s richest man, new survey reveals
By Duncan Mackay
British Internet Sports Writer of the Year
May 26 – Frank Lowy (pictured left), the chairman of Football Federation Australia (FFA) and the leader of the country’s bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, has come out top as Australia’s richest man for the first time, a new survey published today revealed.
Rivals hold no grudge against England 2018 claims new bid leader
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
May 22 – England 2018 have managed to minimise the damage caused by Lord Triesman’s allegations about World Cup rivals Spain and Russia being involved in bribery, new bid leader Geoff Thompson (pictured) claimed tonight.
We smiled when we heard Triesman claims say Spain
May 21 – Spain claim that they not taking Lord Triesman’s allegations of a Russian-Spanish match-fixing plot at the World Cup seriously, said the country’s Secretary of State for Sport Jaime Lissavetzky (pictured far left).
Blatter backed England 2018 action over Triesman claims Coe
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
May 21 – Sepp Blatter has backed the action England 2018 took over Lord Triesman’s allegations that rivals Spain and Russia were colluding together illegally to bribe referees at next month’s World Cup in South Africa, Sebastian Coe has claimed.
Obama to miss World Cup in South Africa
May 21 – United States President Barack Obama will not attend the World Cup, which opens in South Africa on June 11, and will instead by represented by his vice-president Joe Biden.
Exclusive: Cryuff and Gullit confident that Holland/Belgium bid can beat odds
By Andrew Warshaw
May 20 – Holland and Belgium may be rank outsiders when it comes to the 2018 World Cup but Johan Cryuff and Ruud Gullit (pictured) are convinced their green campaign will be a powerful enough argument to cause the biggest ever upset in bidding history.
Triesman allegations won’t harm England claims Jack Warner
By Andrew Warshaw
May 20 – FIFA vice-president Jack Warner is the latest Executive Committee member to comment on Lord Triesman’s controversial resignation as leader of England’s 2018 World Cup bid and the damage it might cause.
World Cup bid is marathon, not a sprint, claims Coe
By Andrew Warshaw in London
May 19 – Sebastian Coe (pictured) today reiterated his belief that the Lord Triesman affair has not inflicted terminal damage on England’s 2018 World Cup bid.
Platini: England can survive Triesman scandal
May 18 – Michel Platini (pictured), the UEFA President, has offered his support to Lord Triesman after he was forced to resign as chairman of England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup and of the Football Association following potentially damaging allegations about rivals Russia and Spain.
Lineker quits Mail on Sunday after Triesman sting
(1).jpg)
By Tom Degun in London
May 18 – Gary Lineker (pictured) has quit his weekly column in the Mail on Sunday after the newspaper published a story of Lord Triesman’s secretly recorded conversation which may have seriously damaged England’s 2018 World Cup bid.
FIFA Ethics Committee to investigate Triesman bribery allegations
.bmp)
By Andrew Warshaw
May 17 - FIFA have asked the Football Association to look into the bribery allegations that forced Lord Triesman to resign as head of both the FA and England’s 2018 bid team – and confirmed its Ethics Committee would examine the case.
Chilean to lead FIFA World Cup inspection team
By Andrew Warshaw
May 17 – Harold Mayne-Nicholls (pictured), President of the Chilean Football Association, will head up the three-man FIFA inspection team visiting prospective hosts for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups this summer.
Spain outraged by Triesman accusing them of bribery
By Andrew Warshaw
May 17 – Spain’s 2018 World Cup bid team have expressed utter shock at Lord Triesman’s bribery allegations as English officials continue on a major damage limitation exercise to prevent their £15 million ($22 million) campaign from total collapse.
Exclusive: Coe and Mills to ride to rescue of England 2018 World Cup bid
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
May 16 – Sebastian Coe (pictured) and Sir Keith Mills, the architects of London’s successful bid to host the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, are set to adopt a higher profile role in England’s campaign to stage the 2018 World Cup after Lord Triesman was forced to step down as chairman, Coe has exclusively told insideworldfootball.