By Andrew Warshaw
November 13 – Call it papering over the cracks, wielding the axe. Call it what you will. The one question that remains as baffling now as it did before, following the restructuring of England’s 2018 World Cup bid board, is this. Why on earth wasn’t Geoff Thompson (pictured) brought on board from the start?
By Duncan Mackay
November 12 – England has trimmed its bid team for the 2018 World Cup to replace some of the politicians and businessmen on the board with sporting figures but Lord Triesman (pictured) remains as chairman despite speculation he would stand down or be replaced.
November 11 – Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva today demanded an explanation for the blackout which left large parts of the country which is due to host the 2014 World Cup in darkness and chaos for more than five hours after the country’s worst power outrage in a decade.
By David Owen
November 11 – Whenever Michel Platini (pictured) turns to the issue of football club finances, England’s 2018/22 World Cup bid team must hold their collective breath.
By Tom Degun
November 10 – Luther Blissett (pictured), one of the black pioneers of English football, has said that Spain should not be debarred from hosting the 2018 or 2022 World Cup because of its recent history racist behaviour at major matches.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 10 – Former Russian captain Alexei Smertin (pictured), who spent three years at Chelsea, believes his country has a better case for staging the 2018 World Cup than England.
November 9 – Carlos Bilardo (pictured) is planning to launch a challenge to become President of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) when Julio Grondona steps down, he announced today
November 8 – David Beckham (pictured) earned £10.7 million from personal sponsorship deals during his first full season with the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Football is a sport that the majority of people in South Africa are passionate about but, there are real questions as to whether there will be a legacy for them post the 2010 World Cup.
November 8 – Former England and Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler (pictured) has laughed off suggestions that he is supporting Australia’s bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup ahead of England.
November 8 – Former champions Derry City have been stripped of their contract to compete in the League of Ireland Premier Division after a crisis meeting with the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) at Abbotstown this afternoon found the club to have held “secondary unofficial contracts with its players”.
November 7 - The draw for next year’s Africa Nations Cup have been scheduled for November 20 in Luanda, Angola.
November 6 – International sport’s top court today suspended a transfer ban imposed on Chelsea while it rules on a dispute over the signing of French youngster Gael Kakuta (pictured).
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November 6 – The opening of a new $14 billion (£8.5 billion) international airport in Doha in 2011 will help boost Qatar’s campaign to host the 2022 World Cup, the chief executive of the bid has claimed.
November 6 – England must earn the support of Africa if its campaign to host the 2018 World Cup is to be successful and they are to avoid a similar thing happening to them that befell Chicago’s bid to stage the 2016 Olympics last month, Danny Jordaan (pictured) has warned.