World Cup Qatar 2022 - Possible venue re-vote

[Hibbyradge]

I don't suppose anyone will be surprised by the news that there are serious allegations of corruption surrounding the decision to host the WC in a furnace, but here's the story.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27654587

Mon the Sunday Times.

[Diclonius]

Good. Complete farce to hold it there in the first place.

[Alex Trager]

I believe that not only are the stadiums not in place, cities in which they stadiums
Are to be built are not in place. I find that astonishing tbh.
Along with the fact they want to get it moved to winter and play it at night

[3pm]

England will get it IMO.

[Sas_The_Hibby]

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England will get it IMO.

England didn't bid for 2022 ultimately and it will have been in Europe in 2018 so it's unlikely IMO. Could see England or Germany getting it, however, only if it had to be changed at very late notice as the stadia are already largely in place.

[s.a.m]

Perhaps it could be a multi-country one, based over a geographical zone? Have UEFA not got one of these planned already?

[Sas_The_Hibby]

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Perhaps it could be a multi-country one, based over a geographical zone? Have UEFA not got one of these planned already?

But only in those countries that aren't tainted by FIFA corruption scandals, which leaves........ Andorra! :-)

[s.a.m]

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But only in those countries that aren't tainted by FIFA corruption scandals, which leaves........ Andorra! :-)

Tax haven.

[Michael]

If it doesn't get moved from Qatar we should have our own World Cup with people, cities and stadiums.

[magpie1892]

I was living and working in Qatar when the decision was made and came on here to say how the decision was 100% driven by bribery and would be an utter disaster anyhow.

It was ****ing exhausting trying to fight off the vast majority of fellow posters who were insistent how wonderful it would be to have it in Qatar.

Wish I could find the thread....

[magpie1892]

Oh, found the thread. There's some absolute belters on there. My favourite:

"Theres never been a world cup in Eastern Europe or Russia, and theres never been one in the Middle East. The decision makes perfect sense to me."

You know who you are...

[hibbybrian]

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I was living and working in Qatar when the decision was made and came on here to say how the decision was 100% driven by bribery and would be an utter disaster anyhow.

It was ****ing exhausting trying to fight off the vast majority of fellow posters who were insistent how wonderful it would be to have it in Qatar.

I have vague memories of endless regular debates about this (and the demise of the Yams) in the Library

[ScottB]

Given the disgusting use of armies of virtual slave labour alone is reason enough to take it off them then good.

I get the desire to be seen to be sharing the tournament around the world, but Brazil can't afford it, Russia is a basket case and Qatar is an ethical nightmare. America and Australia would have been perfect hosts and not European, plus capable of undertaking and paying for it without bribes or working people to death.

[EdinMike]

Didn't Russia bribe them just a little less... I mean were second favourites ?!

I can't remember who was even in contention, gonna have to have a looksy

Edit: just had a look, Has to be Oz

[magpie1892]

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I have vague memories of endless regular debates about this (and the demise of the Yams) in the Library

Me too. Another pint of Heineken, Brian? That's seven so just one more.

[magpie1892]

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Given the disgusting use of armies of virtual slave labour alone is reason enough to take it off them then good.

I get the desire to be seen to be sharing the tournament around the world, but Brazil can't afford it, Russia is a basket case and Qatar is an ethical nightmare. America and Australia would have been perfect hosts and not European, plus capable of undertaking and paying for it without bribes or working people to death.

Qatar and Russia were, of the nine submitted bids for 2018 & 2022, ranked the two worst by FIFA themselves, Qatar bottom by some distance. As soon as the card came out of the envelope you knew there was only one way it could have happened.

[ekhibee]

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Qatar and Russia were, of the nine submitted bids for 2018 & 2022, ranked the two worst by FIFA themselves, Qatar bottom by some distance. As soon as the card came out of the envelope you knew there was only one way it could have happened.

That's scary, one's as corrupt as the other. Like a previous poster, England or Germany would be fine for me, even better Spain?

[Keith_M]

Of course there should be. The whole thing was a farce and everybody knew people must have accepted bungs. I also think the Russian bid for 2018 should be investigated, in light of the allegations of the Russian Mafia threatening the decision makers with their lives.

FWIW, I was completely behind England's complaint at the time and would fully support them being awarded the World Cup instead.

[blackpoolhibs]

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I was living and working in Qatar when the decision was made and came on here to say how the decision was 100% driven by bribery and would be an utter disaster anyhow.

It was ****ing exhausting trying to fight off the vast majority of fellow posters who were insistent how wonderful it would be to have it in Qatar.

Wish I could find the thread....

I remember your posts, at the time you said it was a ridiculous decision, and you doubted it would ever take place there.

Looks like you could be spot on.

[Keith_M]

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I was living and working in Qatar when the decision was made and came on here to say how the decision was 100% driven by bribery and would be an utter disaster anyhow.

It was ****ing exhausting trying to fight off the vast majority of fellow posters who were insistent how wonderful it would be to have it in Qatar.

Wish I could find the thread....

FWIW, I was on your side at the time and my opinion has been further entrenched by the stories coming out of Qatar since.

[Sylar]

Corruption and 1000+ deaths in the development of infrastructure to this point...

The entire thing is abhorrent.

[magpie1892]

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Corruption and 1000+ deaths in the development of infrastructure to this point...

The entire thing is abhorrent.

...and they've not even broken ground on a single stadium yet. Not sure how many they're building. They promised 12 stadiums (10 or 11 new, and a couple of tart-ups) but now think that eight will suffice, so that should reduce deaths by a third.

Progress!

[magpie1892]

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I remember your posts, at the time you said it was a ridiculous decision, and you doubted it would ever take place there.

Looks like you could be spot on.

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FWIW, I was on your side at the time and my opinion has been further entrenched by the stories coming out of Qatar since.

I spent about three hours in a firefight with multiple opponents on here (none of whom had been to Qatar) and it was exhausting, so I went for a pint with HibbyBrian instead.

Blackpoolhibs - Sadly, I think that the 2022 World Cup will be played in Qatar and will be played in winter (Qatar bid for a summer competition, but that's only a technicality). I pray for a re-vote, but with the amount of bribes paid by Qatar at all levels to FIFA staff and their affiliates, as soon as they took the money, the die was cast. I mean, $1.6 million paid into the Post Office book of the then 10-year-old daughter of S.American EXCO member Ricardo Teixera..? And as soon as you give even a tenner to a 'man' like Jack Warner, that's your credibility gone.

The point being that if FIFA try and take the tourney off Qatar, they would not only sue (and win) but they'd name every single person who took a bribe and that list is so long it could bring FIFA down. Obviously, there's a lot of people that would like to see that happen, and my God have they ever got it coming, but they won't condone something so dangerous to the organisation.

Instead, everyone else has to live with this outrageous decision - and thousands of Nepalis/Indians/Bangladeshis get to die by it.

I was right first time back in 2010, I hope to God I'm wrong this time and there will actually be a re-vote.

[IWasThere2016]

Bought the Sunday Times - will read it later. Seems a disaster in the making...

[Sir David Gray]

It was an absolute shambles from the start.

Apart from anything else, there was never any danger that an outdoor sporting event was going to take place in summer in a country that has summer temperatures which regularly exceed 110 degrees fahrenheit.

That sort of heat poses an extreme risk to human life and trying to play a sport such as football in that sort of environment was just a complete non-starter, even although FIFA said at the time that they would be able to overcome those concerns.

Obviously there's other factors coming into play now but the climate alone should have been enough to dismiss Qatar as a viable option for host nation from the very start of the bidding process.

[magpie1892]

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Bought the Sunday Times - will read it later. Seems a disaster in the making...

They've got so much info, they're going to be running this story for the next three Sundays as well.

[magpie1892]

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the climate alone should have been enough to dismiss Qatar as a viable option for host nation from the very start of the bidding process.

It was (albeit long after the bidding stage). By FIFA's own inspection team. The report is online, but, overall, Qatar was described as 'high risk' - the only bid that came with that warning.

FIFA's EXCO chose to 'ignore' (Blatter's word) this advice and reject ****holes like the US, Japan, Korea and single-vote Australia to give the tourney to 50C+ Qatar. A country with an indigenous population of about 250,000.

[Diclonius]

England and Australia would have been the correct host countries.

[Billy Whizz]

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England and Australia would have been the correct host countries.

Jointly?

[ekhibee]

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Of course there should be. The whole thing was a farce and everybody knew people must have accepted bungs. I also think the Russian bid for 2018 should be investigated, in light of the allegations of the Russian Mafia threatening the decision makers with their lives.

FWIW, I was completely behind England's complaint at the time and would fully support them being awarded the World Cup instead.

Totally agree. Unfortunately FIFA and the Russian Government are well matched in terms of corruption, so doubt if there'll be any change there.