By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
December 1 – David Beckham is convinced the World Cup momentum is swinging back in England’s favour as the odds on who will stage the 2018 and 2022 tournaments continued to fluctuate today.
December 1 – Japan’s 2022 World Cup Bid Committee has pulled out its ace by announcing that Sir Howard Stringer, chairman, chief executive officer and president of Sony Corporation, will join its final presentation to the FIFA Executive Committee today.
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By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
December 1 – The numbers of voters at tomorrow’s double World Cup ballot will remain at 22 after Reynald Temarii dramatically refused to resign from FIFA’s Executive Committee leaving Oceania without a say in deciding the host nations for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
By Andrew Warshasw in Zurich
November 30 – FIFA vice-president Issa Hayatou is threatening legal action against the BBC’s Panorama programme over their claim he accepted bribes.
The BBC’s Panorama programme told us nothing new about the 2018-22 World Cup campaign.
But it underlined the need for a changing of the guard in FIFA’s upper echelons.
World football’s governing body plainly has no intention of further investigating the nature of links between football officials and the ISMM/ISL sports marketing organisation which collapsed nearly a decade ago.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
November 30 – The fallout from BBC claims of corruption against high-ranking FIFA officials intensified today when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced it would be investigating those involving FIFA vice-president Issa Hayatou, who is also an IOC member.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
November 30 – After weeks of corruption allegations that have rocked their hopes of staging the 2018 World Cup, England have at last received some potentially vital good news.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
November 30 – Will Vladimir Putin come or won’t he? That was the burning question on everyone’s lips as Russia’s 2018 World Cup bid team made their final media appearance today before putting the finishing touches to their campaign to become hosts for the first time.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
November 30 – UEFA president Michel Platini has played down a BBC investigation into alleged corruption within FIFA and says it should not affect England’s bid for the 2018 World Cup.
By Tom Degun in London
November 30 – Sport and Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson told insideworldfootball England must stress the core elements of their 2018 World Cup bid to the all-important 22 FIFA voting members.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
November 29 – The 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process was plunged into further disarray today when it emerged that Oceania may still be allowed to vote without suspended FIFA Executive Committee member Reynald Temarii having to waive his right of appeal.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
November 29 – England’s 2018 World Cup bid chief Andy Anson promised today to “fight like crazy” to secure the required number of votes to get England over the line in Thursday’s ballot.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
November 29 – Renewed corruption allegations involving FIFA Executive Committee members surfaced today just days before they are due to appoint the hosts of football’s 2018 and 2022 World Cups under the eyes of world leaders.
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Once the white smoke from FIFA’s conclave of cardinals has dissipated into the clear alpine air on Thursday (December 2), the way will be clear for an almighty inquest into the way English football is run.
The disappointing nature of the national team’s 2010 World Cup campaign in South Africa has ensured this inquest will happen whether or not England’s bid to stage world football’s flagship tournament in 2018 succeeds.
But,
By Andrew Warshaw
November 28 – The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) has asked FIFA to allow it to send a replacement for next week’s World Cup vote following the suspension of its President, Reynald Temarii (pictured), in order to retain a say in deciding the venues for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.