By Andrew Warshaw in Vienna
March 25 – The vote is over but the resentment lingers – and we are not talking about the FIFA presidency. David Gill may have been clear favourite to become Britain’s new FIFA vice-president on Tuesday but his trouncing of Welsh FA president Trefor Lloyd-Hughes left a sour taste in some mouths – particularly Welsh mouths.
The Welsh firmly believe that England reneged on a written deal by the four British home nations which guaranteed its nominee, by rotation, the role of replacing the outgoing Jim Boyce of Northern Ireland.
But Gill and the English FA, of which he is vice-chairman, argue the deal became null and void once FIFA reforms handed the election of British FIFA vice-presidency to all 54 UEFA nations.
And those nations, with the backing of UEFA president Michel Platini, as expected voted for Gill by a landslide, allowing him to take his place at the top table of football’s world governing body in May.
Hughes does not dispute that the voting process changed but does not see why this made a difference to his country being put forward by the home nations. Amid suspicions of Big Brother tactics, he was gracious in defeat.
“It was nothing personal and it’s David day and I’ve congratulated him,” he said. “I’ve explained everything before. It was a principle.”
Yet Hughes had previously said he was “very very upset” with the English who he accused of wanting to “take over everything” and his mood will not have been improved by the latest comments of English FA chairman Greg Dyke following the election.
“It does read a bit like sour grapes,” Dyke told reporters. “This is a time in FIFA where we think you have to put up your strongest candidate, it’s not a time for Buggins’ turn.”
Hughes did manage to get 10 votes in the secret ballot suggesting that almost a quarter of the 54-strong UEFA membership thought he could do just as good a job as Gill. But Platini, who is believed to have asked Gill to run, said the former Manchester United CEO was the ideal candidate to be FIFA vice-president. “He will bring all his knowhow and experience,” said Platini.
To add insult to injury, Hughes also missed out on a place on UEFA’s executive committee as did his Scottish counterpart Campbell Ogilivie. They were among 12 candidates for seven seats but in the second round of voting Hughes secured only a single vote.
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