English football 'set back ten years'

• zocoss

  13 May 11, 00:26

   

  English football 'set back ten years'

  By Harry Harris, Football Correspondent

   

   

  

  GettyImagesLord Triesman had been a key member of England's 2018 bid

   

   

  ESPNsoccernet has been told that Lord Triesman's allegations of corruption aimed at FIFA over World Cup votes has "set English football back ten years''.

  Rather than rejoicing that FIFA's depth of corruption is finally exposed by Lord Triesman, there is a growing sense that English football will become more isolated and hated across the global game.

  Lord Triesman rocked the football world in Tuesday's hearing with the Parliamentary committee on football governance, and now ESPNsoccernet can reveal the divisions the allegations have caused.

  One senior figure said: "This has put English football back ten years. There is no doubt this has caused so many problems within FIFA that they will never forgive us."

  Ever since the Sunday Times' allegations ahead of the 2018 World Cup vote, the FA became so alienated that the new chairman David Bernstein made it a strategic policy decision to attempt to reconcile differences with FIFA.

  Part of that 'building bridges' policy was to back Sepp Blatter in the forthcoming presidential elections even though virtually the entire FA would, in reality, like to have seen him step down.

  However Lord Triesman's allegations have caused a massive stir and another high ranking FA insider told ESPNsoccernet: "The FA received a letter from FIFA addressed to our chairman David Bernstein, they want to see all the evidence Lord Triesman gave to the select committee, as for the Sunday Times, we sent them all that material before.

  "As we stand we are faced with allegations, although we are not denying they might well be true. We can make it clear that it is extremely unlikely that we shall be pushing for a recount of the 2018 bid votes. After the decision we wished Russia the best of luck, and we shall leave it at that."

   

  
  
• My cock is too BIG!

  13 May 11, 00:39

  If FIFA decide to investigate EPL football instead, we might see a few interesting things dating back maybe to the last 20 years of UK football !