The president of CONCACAF's (soccer's North America region) executive committee and the vice-president of FIFA, Jack Warner, has backed England to host the 2018 World Cup.
He says England, as the nation that invented the world's greatest sport, deserves to host the World Cup in the near future.
If England does host the 2018 World Cup, it will be just 6 years after London hosts the 2012 Olympic Games......
Now the FA has a new friend as FIFA chief Warner backs England's 2018 bid
14th February 2008
Daily Mail
FIFA vice-president Jack Warner has completed a remarkable U-turn and thrown his weight behind England's 2018 World Cup bid by insisting: "Their time has come."
Warner had initially said he was against FIFA's decision to change the rotation rules which would enable Europe to host the tournament in 2018.
England's friend: Warner is now backing the FA in their 2018 World Cup bid
He had been lobbying strongly in favour of North, Central America and the Caribbean - the CONCACAF confederation - but the prospect of England sending a team to Trinidad & Tobago for a friendly has softened his stance.
The 65-year-old had also been previously claimed England would be unlikely to win the race to stage the showpiece in 10 years' time, adding: "If the World Cup were to go to Europe, I'm quite sure, with the English luck as it is, they won't get it."
But Warner, who is also president of CONCACAF's executive committee, has now come out and said England deserve to host the tournament having lost out to Germany in 2006.
"It is England's time. The fact is they invented this sport. They last held the World Cup 42 years ago," said Warner.
"That is almost two to three generations. There are guys in England who have never seen a World Cup on English soil. I am saying that the time has come for England to come into its own.
"They have a lot of things in place and CONCACAF is one of the the strongest supporters of England."
Warner, who had been quoted as saying England were an "irritant" disliked by the rest of Europe, reaffirmed his feeling that the country are not very popular within UEFA.
"I was critical of The FA (in the past). There seems to be some kind of situation where England was marginalised," Warner said.
"If England's time (to host the World Cup) is 2018, I would be happy for them.
"But the feeling in Europe from time to time that this view (of supporting England) is not a collective view held behind closed doors."
Warner also expressed his desire for a friendly between England and Trinidad and Tobago football in the summer.
The two countries last met in the group stages of the 2006 World Cup.
Warner added: "We have agreed to hold discussions which is positive but we shall wait and see if we can sort something out."
dailymail.co.uk
He says England, as the nation that invented the world's greatest sport, deserves to host the World Cup in the near future.
If England does host the 2018 World Cup, it will be just 6 years after London hosts the 2012 Olympic Games......
Now the FA has a new friend as FIFA chief Warner backs England's 2018 bid
14th February 2008
Daily Mail
FIFA vice-president Jack Warner has completed a remarkable U-turn and thrown his weight behind England's 2018 World Cup bid by insisting: "Their time has come."
Warner had initially said he was against FIFA's decision to change the rotation rules which would enable Europe to host the tournament in 2018.
England's friend: Warner is now backing the FA in their 2018 World Cup bid
He had been lobbying strongly in favour of North, Central America and the Caribbean - the CONCACAF confederation - but the prospect of England sending a team to Trinidad & Tobago for a friendly has softened his stance.
The 65-year-old had also been previously claimed England would be unlikely to win the race to stage the showpiece in 10 years' time, adding: "If the World Cup were to go to Europe, I'm quite sure, with the English luck as it is, they won't get it."
But Warner, who is also president of CONCACAF's executive committee, has now come out and said England deserve to host the tournament having lost out to Germany in 2006.
"It is England's time. The fact is they invented this sport. They last held the World Cup 42 years ago," said Warner.
"That is almost two to three generations. There are guys in England who have never seen a World Cup on English soil. I am saying that the time has come for England to come into its own.
"They have a lot of things in place and CONCACAF is one of the the strongest supporters of England."
Warner, who had been quoted as saying England were an "irritant" disliked by the rest of Europe, reaffirmed his feeling that the country are not very popular within UEFA.
"I was critical of The FA (in the past). There seems to be some kind of situation where England was marginalised," Warner said.
"If England's time (to host the World Cup) is 2018, I would be happy for them.
"But the feeling in Europe from time to time that this view (of supporting England) is not a collective view held behind closed doors."
Warner also expressed his desire for a friendly between England and Trinidad and Tobago football in the summer.
The two countries last met in the group stages of the 2006 World Cup.
Warner added: "We have agreed to hold discussions which is positive but we shall wait and see if we can sort something out."
dailymail.co.uk
