"We are taking this stand on matter of principle" claims head of FA

By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich

May 31 – English Football Association chairman David Bernstein has claimed he wants his organisation to play a significant role in reforming FIFA having decided to abstain in tomorrow’s Presidential vote.

A joint bid by England and Scotland to call off the election is doomed to fail but Bernstein nevertheless wants to play a decisive role in reforming the world governing body in the wake of a spate of corruption allegations.

Bernstein said England were not just trying to make a name for themselves.

“We’ve done something to take a lead in this and as a matter of principle,” he said the Opening Ceremony of the FIFA Congress in the Hallenstadion here.

“The FA are often accused of not taking a lead in things and being courageous – but we’re not showboating.

“We’re doing it for proper reasons and in the interests of the wider game.

“I think somebody needed to speak out and my colleagues have supported me on this otherwise I wouldn’t have done it.

“It’s the right thing to do.

“Sometimes in life you have to take a jump even if you aren’t quite sure how solid the ground is beneath you.

“Whatever happens I will believe we did the right thing.

“The FA has in the past been accused of lack of leadership and I said when I came in that over a period of time I aimed to get in more stability and greater leadership.

“On an issue of this importance we have taken the lead and I don’t think we are going to lose out over this.

“I don’t think we are going to be isolated either and nor should we be, this is meant to be a democratic organisation, one’s entitled to a minority view, even a singular view.

“Whatever happens we are not withdrawing from FIFA and we will and we have to work from within the tent with the result of what all of this is.”

To abandon the FIFA ballot, England will need the support of 75 percent of FIFA’s 208 member nations.

“To get 150-odd votes clearly would be extremely difficult when we starting from a standing start,” Bernstein said.

“Myself and the FA feel that the situation FIFA has got itself into is in many ways unacceptable.”

Bernstein said he was not surprised that the sensational bribery scandal, involving bundles of $40,000 in $100 bills, emerged when it did.

“We didn’t know about the allegations which would come but suspected something sooner or later – and it’s turned out to be sooner than we thought – would happen,” he said.

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