World cup 2018

[Boycie]

made my chuckle and spit me hot lava java all over the laptop:D

Bingo!

[davenportram]

The madness continues.

Qatar World Cup 2022 could be played in JANUARY!

FIFA IS set for a head-on confrontation with Europe's big clubs as it emerged the 2022 World Cup could be played in JANUARY.

With the Qatari summer guaranteeing temperatures of 50 degrees plus in the desert, proposals are already being floated that could see the tournament moved to the winter.

While Qatar has promised 12 spectacular and air-conditioned stadia will be built, at a cost of billions, for the first World Cup in the Middle East, the problems of training facilities has brought up the prospect of a date switch.

FIFA's own technical report cited the potential danger to players if they tried to perform under the searing desert sun.

With a 32-team tournament, the idea of the competing nations merely utilising the stadium facilities is impossible for scheduling reasons, with up to four matches being played each day and conflicting demands for the best training time slots.

But in January, temperatures "dip" to a more modest average high of 22 degrees Celsius, dropping to 12 or 13 degrees C at night, with even the prospect of some modest rainfall, which would allow training to take place outdoors.

A FIFA source said: "We have always held our tournaments in the summer months before but we must think about what is best for the players."

And a move to a winter tournament in 2022 risks all-out war from the big clubs.

While Germany does have a long winter break, the rests in Spain and Italy are much shorter, while of course the Premier League plays throughout the whole winter.

Major leagues will be outraged at being disrupted for the World Cup, especially as FIFA would be likely to impose a minimum two-week preparation period for national sides ahead of the tournament.

That could lead to huge uproar and indignation, matching that as the awards of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the subsequent tournament to the 113th-ranked nation in world football, half the size of Wales and which has never qualified for the Finals.

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Qatar-FIFA-World-Cup-2022-could-be-played-in-JANUARY-because-of-a-risk-to-player-health-article643731.html

What a ridiculous suggestion. It will throw the English season in to disarray and the premierhsip may actually have to play midweek most weeks (like what the lesser leagues do), the poor hard worked souls.

The biggest problem this would cause wouldnt be to the Premiership, but to those clubs in the Championship who have players involved. There is no way that 46 league games could be accomodated sensibly if there is a break for the world cup in January. Not to mention build up games and training camps. There woul be several clubs forced to perform without there best players. Obviously I'm not thinking of the big nations but there are a few Scots, Welsh (hahaha), Irish and kiwis in the championship. If it had happened this season we could be without Commons, Green and Kuqi for a few weeks.

[uttoxram75]

Proof that FIFA is not bent!

Fifa boss Sepp Blatter said gays "should refrain from sexual activities" at the 2022 Qatar World Cup - after England's 2018 bid sponsor demanded compensation.

The president of football's international governing body was speaking at a press conference in South Africa arranged to discuss the legacy of this year's tournament.

He was asked what he would say to gay football fans who want to go to Qatar for the 2022 competition, given that homosexuality is banned in the middle eastern country.

"I would say they should refrain from any sexual activities," he said.

He went on to insist that he believed discrimination would not be an issue in Qatar by 2022, saying "we are living in a world of freedom".

It comes after Morrisons wrote a letter to Fifa about £1m it contributed to the England 2018 bid, which was lost in a process the supermarket chain described as "unfair".

Chief executive Dalton Philips has now called on Mr Blatter to "do the honourable thing" by handing over the equivalent sum to charity.

Mr Philips said he believes England did not ever have a hope of winning the competition, in light of Fifa's comment that the World Cup finals "should go to new lands".

In a statement, Morrisons said it was disappointed on behalf of its customers that the merits of the England bid were not recognised by Fifa, "which clearly was intent on locating the 2018 World Cup in an emerging country".

"As we think the decision-making process was unfair, we have instructed lawyers in Switzerland to examine our options under Swiss law," the company told Sky News.

"We hope Fifa will do the right thing and offer £1m to be invested in grassroots football."

Other top-tier sponsors of the England bid - Umbro, BT and BA - would not say whether they would seek any reimbursement for their campaign donations.

Mr Philips' letter comes on the day Mr Blatter spoke in public for the first time since the winning World Cup bids were chosen earlier this month.

He told a news conference in Johannesburg that the decision to take the World Cup to Russia and then Qatar had nothing to do with money, but was instead about the development of football.

"We have to go with our game somewhere where it can improve social cultural impact," he said.

Morrisons announced in February it had signed up to be a partner in the England bid, and it collected 1.65 million customer signatures to demonstrate public enthusiasm.

Mark Gunter, Group Retail Director at Morrisons, said then: "We're sure that our customers would be delighted if the World Cup came to England in 2018 and by becoming a commercial partner we can help them to play their part in supporting the bid."

The FA spent some £15m in its attempt to become the 2018 World Cup host and counted on support from Prince William, David Cameron and David Beckham.

Mr Blatter described the England bid as "excellent and remarkable", but judges decided not to send the tournament back to the country for the first time since 1966.

Final results showed that, out of a total of 22 votes, England gained just two, one of which was from Geoff Thompson, the vice-president of Fifa.

The lack of support meant England was knocked out in the first round, putting it last out of bids from Russia, Spain-Portugal and Belgium-Holland.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20101213/tuk-blatter-tells-gays-no-sex-in-qatar20-45dbed5.html

[Hucknall Ram]

Watching SSN last night, they had a story about what mark the world cup has left in South Africa, the soccer city stadium is still being used and for a top flight match in the South Africa league had a crowd of...... 100.!!!!!!

The stadium is more of a tourist attraction, used for 20/20 cricket and death slides.

[Leeds Ram]

well i can't go to qatar world cup and how can blatter say we live in a world of freedom when people can't do what is natural to them? Ridicolous i hope blatter gets sacked or gives in

[Boycie]

well i can't go to qatar world cup and how can blatter say we live in a world of freedom when people can't do what is natural to them? Ridicolous i hope blatter gets sacked or gives in

You can go YR, just don't openly have gay sex in the streets like I assume they think we must do in the western world?

when I say we, erm I mean...:redface:

[Leeds Ram]

well if your israeli you can't go, tbh i wouldn't be comftable going to qatar tbh

[Leeds Ram]

You can go YR, just don't openly have gay sex in the streets like I assume they think we must do in the western world?

when I say we, erm I mean...:redface:

it's ok boycie

[Hucknall Ram]

Ian Holloway's point of view of 2022 World Cup being played in January.

[Leeds Ram]

love it