By Andrew Warshaw in Doha
March 20 – Any time Qatar stages a high-profile sports conference – and there have been a good number in recent months – the increasingly divisive debate over switching the 2022 World Cup to winter invariably springs to prominence. So it was at the Securing Sport 2013 summit in Doha. Except this time, it wasn’t supposed to happen quite like that.
Organised by the International Centre for Sports Security, for once 2022 wasn’t on the agenda. The focus was meant to be on integrity, safety, match-fixing and illegal betting, with a raft of experts flown in from across the globe to contribute. Of course, given the venue, the World Cup punctuated conversations in and around the Katara Cultural Village, with the pro and anti-winter lobby in full swing.
Most of the chat was private banter until, just as the two-day conference was winding up, and outside the building in the burning sun the issue burst into the public spotlight – courtesy of outgoing Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards .
“It can’t be summer,” Sir Dave pronounced. “It’s starting to seem very clear the players can’t play. They’re saying all the stadiums are going to be air conditioned but what about the fans? Where are they going to go? They can’t lay on the beach because they’ll get scorched.
“For us, at this minute, the answer is no. I think commonsense will prevail over time and we’ll come up with a solution. I think they’ll play at the time of year that’s proper for football.”
Richards insisted a decision had to be taken sooner rather than later despite FIFA’s line that there was plenty of time to change the calendar, right up to 2016 in fact. “Why can’t they decide now?” asked Richards. “That way the English, Spanish, German and Italian leagues can all start preparing. It isn’t that easy. We’re already stretched. There are a lot of things to take into consideration.”
Quite how Richards’ remarks will have gone down among his Qatari hosts is questionable. No sooner had the TV cameras and notebooks been put away than the Premier League hastily put out a statement saying he was not speaking on their behalf.
“The Premier League’s view remains unchanged,” a spokesman said. “We are opposed to the concept of a winter World Cup for very obvious practical reasons that would impact on all of European domestic football.”
Minutes earlier, taking his place among a podium panel, Richards received an impromptu burst of applause from delegates for warm remarks while signing a Memorandum of Understanding between the ICSS and the 30-member European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) of which he is also outgoing chairman. “We don’t sign agreements with just anybody,” he said. “Faith, trust and understanding is very important.”
As a public relations exercise it was top marks but he wasn’t quite finished yet, using the opportunity of being in Doha and away from the official business to add his name to the growing chorus of those keen to switch the World Cup from the searing summer Gulf heat.
To be fair, however, he wasn’t alone. Moments later and not for the first time, Jim Boyce, FIFA’s British vice-president, also came out strongly against a summer tournament. Timing his remarks on the eve of FIFA’s executive committee meeting in Zurich where the newly proposed World Cup bidding process is on the agenda, Boyce said: “I was not part of the process that gave the World Cup to Qatar, but my feeling is that commonsense should prevail.”
“The World Cup is the greatest event in football and from a spectator point of view it has to be played at a time of year when people can enjoy it in comfort. People I know who live in Qatar say it would be very uncomfortable for the fans. There is also a medical and health concern for both players and spectators and if it is going to be safer to play it in January instead of July then I would be in favour of that.”
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