FIFA president Sepp Blatter uttered one bitterly disappointing word, "Russia". Suddenly, for the two hundred sturdy souls standing outside London's City Hall, the biting wind felt bitterly cold.
We'd braced ourselves against the toe-curling, chilled wind for about 45 minutes in the Scoop, the mini-amphitheatre outside City Hall, waiting to cheer England to the snowy skies for winning the FIFA vote to stage the 2018 World Cup. Only World Cup Willie (above) looked toastily warm. Sadly, Russia beat England surprisingly ...er...suspiciously (?!)... easily in the Zurich poll.
Strangely, even as Blatter dithered, fiddled and then finally opened the hideous envelope, we all still believed England remained in the hunt. We didn't know England had earlier received only two of 22 votes in a first round vote.
So, despite the cheery presence of famous footballers Peter Crouch (below) and David Ginola (below Crouchy), England's ambitions to host the greatest show on earth melted faster than any of the snowflakes flurrying around our earholes.
The bizarre, opaque vote left us all bitterly cold, bitterly disappointed and with a bitter cheated taste in our mouths.
The bizarre, opaque vote left us all bitterly cold, bitterly disappointed and with a bitter cheated taste in our mouths.
Click on photos to enlarge.
Photos copyright: Paul Coleman. Not to be re-used without permission.
Paul Coleman, London, December 2010.
1 comment:
Too right. Let's break away and set up our own federation. These old farts have only thier own interest to faten thier wallet then let the masses see the beautiful game.Spain had a far better bid then Russia Who can afford to go to the World Cup if they keep picking out of the way countries. Ken Bates is right up the revolution.
Post a Comment