LORD TRIESMAN (pictured) today criticised the organisers of England’s last bid to host the World Cup as being complacent and not understanding how the bidding process worked.
Triesman, the independent chairman of the Football Association, took a swipe at the likes of Alex McGiven, who ran so disasterously England’s 2006 World Cup bid, along with then Sports Minister Tony Bank and former footballers Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Geoff Hurst andn and Garth Crooks.
England polled only five votes in the first round and even less, two, in the second as the tournament was awarded to Germany.
Triesman told the Independent on Sunday in an interview published today said: “One of the things about 2006 is that those who ran and took part seemed to work with an idea in their heads that because we’re the oldest home of football, it’s simply our right to bring it home, that we’re entitled to it and everybody should see that.
“And I think that had an impact on the style of the work that was done.
“In the midst of all that, people probably didn’t pick up the political signals about where the voting blocks were and consequently misread that as well.
“I don’t think anybody owes us anything in this life.
“You go out and you earn it.
“It really is as simple as that.
“And that’s the biggest difference.”
A chief executive to oversee the 2018 bid is currently being recruited and expected to be announced next month while a executive board is also being assembled.
It has been criticised as being too politiically heavy but is expected to include Sir Keith Mills, who, as chief executive, ran London’s successful bid to host the 2012 Olympics.
To read the full article visit http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/internationals/triesman-follow-me-and-england-will-win-the-2018-world-cup-bid-958609.html.