By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
March 27 – England’s campaign to host the 2018 World Cup will not be affected by the shock resignation of Football Association chief executive Ian Watmore, the bid’s chief executive Andy Anson (pictured) claimed today.
Watmore’s decision to step down from his role on Monday has been seen in many quarters as a blow to England’s chances.
But Anson has insisted that his departure means little to England’s bid.
He said: ”From a day-to-day perspective it doesn’t affect us at all.
“He [Watmore] has only been around for eight months anyway so it is not like everyone knows him, he is not seen as the face of the bid and the people who have been meeting are [international bid President] David Dein, [FA chairman] Lord Triesman, myself, [and advisor] David Gill.
“They are the people who have been meeting on a regular basis and so that is who people see from a 2018 bid so you know we haven’t been asked about it yet and hopefully we won’t be.”
Anson was talking after being part of delegation in Kuala Lumpur, which also included Dein and former Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United winger David Ginola, to give a presentation the Executive Committee of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) which was generally seen to have enhanced England’s chances of winning its bid when FIFA vote at a meeting in Zurich on December 2.
Anson said: ”I think we have traditionally very deep and very strong relationships between English football and the Asian football community.
“We have seen that with the way the clubs are being represented out here, we have seen that with the strong support for English clubs out here and also the English national team.”
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