By Duncan Mackay
January 5- Seattle is currently heading a poll of United Sates cities that should host matches if the country’s bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup is successful, ahead of Atlanta and Houston.
January 4 – The Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup final, which last year featured David Beckham’s Los Angeles Galaxy, will continue to be played at a neutral venue, it was announced today.
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January 4 – Sheffield United have started taking legal action over the controversial decision to choose the stadium of their greatest rivals, Sheffield Wednesday, as a host venue for the 2018 World Cup if England’s bid is successful ahead of their own Bramall Lane (pictured).
January 4 – Academy Award-nominated director Spike Lee (pictured) is the latest eye-catching name to lend their support to the United States bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, taking his place alongside the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Drew Carey and Henry Kissinger on the Board of directors.
By Duncan Mackay
January 4 – Indonesia remains confident of the country’s Government backing its bid to host the 2022 World Cup, officials there claimed today.
By Duncan Mackay
January 4 – Some of South Africa’s former players, led by Shaun Bartlett (pictured), have launched a series of “boot camps” for teenagers as part of a new scheme bankrolled by Nike to try to find new young talent.
Encouraging home grown players is football’s equivalent of motherhood and apple pie. You will find nobody against it. Yet no debate, at least in England, could be more absurdly framed.
January 4 – Demetrio Albertini (pictured), the vice-president of the Italian Football Associaiton (FICG), has warned that the country must modernise its stadiums if its bid to host the 2016 European Championships is to be successful.
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By Duncan Mackay
January 3 – Worawi Makudi (pictured), the President of the Football Association of Thailand (FAT), has abandoned plans to try to persuade England to play a friendly in Bangkok during their build-up to this year’s World Cup.
January 4 – The Premier League are set to pay Portsmouth’s £7 million share of the latest television monies directly to other top-flight sides to settle the struggling club’s outstanding transfer debts, it confirmed today.
January 3 – A senior delegation from Qatar’s 2022 World Cup Bid Committee flew to Saudi Arabia for the testimonial match of Nawaf al-Temyat between Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal Club and Italian champions Inter Milan, who are managed by Jose Mourinho, at the King Fahd international stadium.
By Duncan Mackay
January 3 – Worawi Makudi, whose position as President of the Football Association of Thailand (TAF) has been under threat, has signalled his intention to stay in his role by setting out a series of targets for coach, former England captain Bryan Robson (pictured with Worawi), during 2010.
January 3 – Calls are growing for Raymond Kennedy (pictured) to stand down as President of the Irish Football Association (IFA) following the six-figure payout to former chief executive Howard Wells.
January 3 - FIFA has appointed General Seyi Memene (pictured), a veteran Togolese football administrator, as interim head of the Togo Football Federation (TFF).
January 3 – Jack Warner (pictured), the FIFA vice-president, has warned that unless football receives more support in Trinidad & Tobago than the country’s national teams could soon be facing a major crisis.