Bin Hammam courted by King of Belgium

March 17 – Belgium’s King and Prime Minister have rolled out the red-carpet for Mohamed Bin Hammam, the President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), to try to help the campaign for the country’s joint World Cup bid with the Netherlands.

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Fourth official and goal line technology on IFAB agenda

By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich

March 5 – Giving the fourth official a greater say in decision-making and another attempt to introduce goalline technology are the main items on the agenda at Saturday’s annual meeting of the International FA Board, the game’s rule-makers comprising FIFA and the four British Home Associations.

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Warner: South Africa World Cup will break even

Jack Warner in front of FIFA sign

By David Owen

February 24 – Jack Warner (pictured) has entered the debate about the wisdom of staging the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, telling insideworldfootball in an exclusive interview that it was “inconceivable” that South Africa could put on as financially successful a tournament as Germany.

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