High and unfounded expectation will only ever end in disappointment and indignation. Such were the conflicting emotions impacting upon the England 2018 World Cup bid team at around 3:15pm in Zurich yesterday afternoon. So convinced were they that they possessed the greatest infrastructure and financial package to host the planet's biggest sporting event, that they failed to spot some massive fundamental flaws in both their overall bid and the way they presented themselves on the day. And, perhaps more importantly, they underestimated the merits of their opposing bids. You heard it on Beyond the Cliche first that Russia were going to win the right to host the World Cup. Yet the British media had written them off as underdogs in light of Vladimir Putin's absence. What sort of a reason is that to disregard the hard work the Russians put in?
Let's go through the bid presentations as a way of explaining my point. England attempted to convey their excitement through the slogan "England United. The World Invited". When you think of a nation invited, you would think the best way to demonstrate this would be to present the bid using individuals from all walks of life. Who did England choose? A member of the royal family and the prime minister (an Old Etonian). And a bloke who was a former gang member who has reinvented himself through community work for Manchester City. In short, the highest of the high and someone who rose up from the lowest of the low. No happy medium. Prince William speech was stilted and his joke about England's ability to host big events being convenient, "As I'm planning a rather big one myself next year" went down like a lead balloon. One poor bloke laughed. Just one. David Cameron did fine but treated it a bit too much like a political speech, thrusting fist and all, and lacked true football passion and knowledge. Maybe I was just irked because they were referred to as "Future King of England" and "Prime Minister of England". IT'S THE UK! Why conveniently ignore Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
Then there is the key battleground - David Beckham vs Andrei Arshavin. Both have been described by various media sources as "emotive speeches". And yet Arshavin's managed to display the effect that football could have on the people of Russia, citing himself as an example, as opposed to Beckham, who told the FIFA delegates in detail how great his his grandfather was. My preference towards Arshavin was confirmed when he described himself as a "simple footballer" in a style reminiscent of a certain meerkat. Not intentional, but still - what a lad!
England's bid was further dented by their promotional videos, which were just pure shite! They had a video filled with lots of words and cartoons about how great the World Cup was going to be. Not all the FIFA delegates will read perfect English and there was no concept of how the 2018 competition would look on these shores. Unlike the Russians, who gave a virtual fly-past of their main stadiums, the emphasis on the soul of the nation. And indeed the Iberian joint bid, which listed a load of statistics, albeit in a live setting. England's other video showed some Premier League all-stars, with fans over the world watching. Basically the message was this - we're the best, accept no other imitations. This arrogance was constantly fuelled by the media, who at the same time tried to drive the bid into the ground with scandal and bribery and back-biting. The FIFA delegates are a proud bunch. You question their integrity, you've got nae chance. We really should have all seen it coming.
So Russia in 2018, I'm happy with. I think it's a football-crazy environment, with a developing side and a chance to take a nation forward with the infrastructure the World Cup will provide. Don't get me started on Qatar 2022. True, the proposed stadiums look amazing. And yet they are all within a 60km radius. Part of the beauty of this competition is the different characters each host city brings. If they're all within a stone's throw, that will be lost. And where is Qatar's football pedigree. No-one knows any player ever to play for Qatar and where they sit in the world standings (other than the fact it's low, lower even than Wales). We all know they'll be battered and knocked out in the group stages. And then there's this concept of recycling the stadiums and flogging them off to Third World countries. Believe me when I say it won't happen.
Maybe someone will prove me wrong in 12 years' time when Beyond the Cliche is the leading sports blog on the planet. A notion as ridiculous as a Qatari World Cup
RM
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