Asian President launches personal website
October 2 – Mohamed Bin Hammam, the President of the Asian Football Confederation, has launched his own personal website.
Spurs eye Olympic site despite getting new stadium go-ahead
By Andrew Warshaw
October 1 – English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur have moved a vital step closer to building a new 56,000-seater stadium – but could switch to the 2012 London Olympic site instead.
‘Becks effect’ could secure England 2018 World Cup, says Coe
By Andrew Warshaw
October 1 – David Beckham’s ambassadorial role has put England in a strong position to win the right to stage the 2018 World Cup.
West Ham take plan for London 2012 Olympic stadium to Downing Street
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By Duncan Mackay in London
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
September 30 – West Ham United today stepped up its bid to take over the Olympic Stadium after London 2012 when England internationals Scott Parker and Carlton Cole joined a group of youngsters to hand deliver their joint bid with Newham Council to Number 10 Downing Street.
Mihir Bose: Fans must stop falling in love with rich men
The rich, as Hemingway said, are different to the rest of us – they have more money.
But what is now emerging is that the rich in football are expected to behave differently to rich people in any other sport.
This is a very recent, modern, phenomenon which is making football even more distinct from all other sporting activities. It is also creating a huge problem for the game.
Transfer revolution to weed out corruption
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By Andrew Warshaw
September 30 – Football’s world governing body has launched a new electronic transfer system in an attempt to weed out corruption and money laundering, stop the trading of under-age players and make clubs totally accountable for all international deals.
Mouthwatering Brazil v Argentina clash in Qatar
By Andrew Warshaw
September 29 – Fierce rivals Brazil and Argentina will meet in a prestige friendly in Qatar in the latest high-profile attempt by the oil-rich Gulf nation to prove it can stage top-class football – despite the region’s notoriously stifling heat.
Cup-hungry South Africa to bid for 2015 African Nations
By Andrew Warshaw
September 29 – South Africa has followed up this year’s World Cup by announcing it intends to bid for the 2015 African Nations Cup.
Warner will stand for re-election as CONCACAF President
September 28 – FIFA vice-president, Jack Warner will stand again for re-election as CONCACAF President when voting takes place next year, he has announced.
Dein predicts United States will pull out of 2018 World Cup bid soon
By Andrew Warshaw in London
September 28 – David Dein (pictured right), one of the key members of England’s 2018 World Cup bid team, has added his name to those who believe it is only a matter of time before the United States withdraw from the running in order to concentrate on the 2022 tournament.
Youngsters put top Japanese footballer on the spot
September 28 – Top Japanese footballer Yuki Abe was put on the spot by youngsters when he visited the award-winning ‘Musubi’ project at Loughborough University.
Andrew Warshaw: Russian charm offensive hides ‘fight for life’ to secure World Cup
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Leningrad,” said the air stewardess as we approached St Petersburg airport. I kid you not.
Whether a deliberate piece of mischief, an innocent mistake or an embarrassing gaffe, she had conveniently overlooked the course of recent history. And a pretty significant period at that.
Becks woos Warner in Trinidad
September 26 – David Beckham’s quest to help England stage the 2018 World Cup reached another important landmark at the FIFA under-17 women’s World Cup in Trinidad where South Korea beat Japan in Saturday’s final.
World Cup footballer training to skate at Sochi 2014
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
September 25 – Ilhan Mansiz, a member of the Turkish side that finished third at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, has claimed that he wants to compete in figure skating at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Mihir Bose: Scotland should stop acting like victims
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Manchester United’s match with Rangers in the Champions League was more than a mere group match where the Scottish manager of the English team, Sir Alex Ferguson, was playing the side that had scorned him in his youth in Glasgow.
It was all our footballing pasts rolled together and it illustrated why Scottish football is at such a low ebb and may go even lower before it recovers, if it ever does.
It is also a salutary lesson on how the balance of power between Scottish and English clubs has changed.