Lineker should be number one man says Caborn

By Duncan Mackay

November 25 – Richard Caborn, the former Sports Minister, has effectively called for Lord Triesman to be sacked as head of England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup and replaced by Gary Lineker (pictured), the country’s second-highest international goalscorer who is now a presenter with BBC Television.

The bid has been thrown into chaos by divisions among directors culminating yesterday in Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards resigning from the Board, seriously undermining whether Triesman could stay on his in present role.

Although Triesman has no intention of stepping down as chairman, Caborn, who is the Prime Minister’s bid envoy, said Lineker could bring much-needed unity in the same way that Sebastian Coe did to London’s bid to host the 2012 Olympics.

Caborn told ESPN Soccernet: ”When Seb Coe was called in for the London Olympic bid, he made a major impact, and I think Gary Lineker can do the same.

“He can be football’s Seb Coe in this bid.”

Lineker is one of England’s most popular ever players, being capped 80 times and scoring 48 goals during a career that saw him play for Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur and Japan’s Nagoya Grampus Eight.

Lineker, who turns 49 next week, is now one of the country’s top broadcasters and presents a range of programmes on BBC, including Match of the Day and major golf events.

Caborn said: ”He [Lineker] is a communicator, and I know he would show interest despite all his commitments because I went to the trouble of taking some soundings some time ago..

“Sir Bobby Charlton fronted the 2006 bid that failed, and I think we need a modern-day Sir Bobby, and Gary Lineker is made for the job.

“He would help unify the bid, as he is popular with the media and would be a popular choice.”

Caborn (pictured), who has a close working relationship with FIFA President Sepp Blatter, has been sidelined from the bid after being removed from the Board following a disagreement with Triesman over the direction of the campaign.

Richards, the Premier League chairman and a friend of Caborn’s, shares some of his disquiet over how things are progressing.

Caborn said: “Everyone wants to win the bid.

“No one wants to win it more than I do.

“If it means drawing a line under all the internal squabbling, letting bygones be bygones, and for people to bite the bullet a little bit, then we should all do so for the good of the bid.

“Despite all that has been going on behind the scenes, if David Triesman walked through my door tomorrow, I would welcome him and tell him I would continue to do everything I can to help him win the bid, but that he has got to get the bid right.”

Richards claims that he continues to support the bid but it is unthinkable to believe that he did not realise what impact his resignation would have on it.

Caborn said: “It ended up that Dave did not have a job with other appointments being made, and he resigned.

“I could go into graphic detail, but the point is that the FA need to be more inclusive.

“Most importantly, though, we must all back this bid.”

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