By Andrew Warshaw
August 9 – FIFA’s 2018/2002 World Cup inspection team rolled into Holland and Belgium today with the rank outsiders convinced they will not just be making up the numbers when the all-important vote is taken on December 2.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
August 9 – Sahara India Group, one of the groups interested in buying Liverpool, has pulled out of the race they announced today.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 9 – England manager Fabio Capello today apologised for the country’s dire showing at the World Cup, admitting that his players were both physically and mentally below-par.
August 9 – Heathrow Airport has signed up to become an official sponsor of England’s bid to hold the 2018 World Cup.
August 9 – Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal (pictured) has criticised FIFA President Sepp Blatter for not opening up to the use of technology in football.
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The 2010 World Cup is over.
FIFA’s 2018/2022 inspection team has hit the road.
With less than four months to go, the race to stage the next World Cup but one is finally steaming towards the top of the 24 FIFA Executive Committee members’ in-trays.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
August 8 – A warning from the Northern Ireland Government that they will not fund a £30 million ($45 million) redevelopment of Windsor Park has forced Raymond Kennedy to accept that he has to step down as the President of the Irish Football Association (IFA).
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
August 7 – Russia’s match against Bulgaria on Wednesday (August 11) has been moved from Moscow to St Petersburg because of health risks after acrid smog engulfed the Russian capital at a time that officials were hoping to showcase the country’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
August 6 – The Irish Football Association (IFA) is set upon a collision course with the Government after President Raymond Kennedy appeared to signal that he would not stand down next month as had been announced.
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The Liverpool take-over has long been one of football’s most curious soap operas but the latest twist with the Chinese Government, albeit through its investment arm China Investment Capital, seeking to buy the club, has something of a touch of Dallas combined with that of the East Enders.
Like the best of these soap operas it spins story lines which then turn out to be just that, nice tales that do not reflect reality.
August 5 – The Chinese Government has been revealed as the mystery backer behind a bid to buy Premier League Liverpool.
August 5 – New York Cosmos have been warned that they still faced a long struggle to be given a franchise to play in Major League Soccer (MLS) despite the razzmatazz that has accompanied their relaunch.
August 4 – Giancarlo Abete (pictured), the President of Italian Football Federation (FIGC), is pinning his hopes of a series of changes to help restore the country to the top of the sport following a disappointing performance at the World Cup in South Africa.
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August 4 – Leading Belgium politicians have joined their colleagues in the Netherlands and and raised doubts about their country’s joint campaign to host the 2018 World Cup less than a week before a team of FIFA inspectors are due to arrive to evaluate their bid.
August 4 – Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have promised not to stand in the way of a new buyer, it has been claimed.