Layer 393 . . . FIFA, Football, World Cups, Qatar, Radical Reform, and Plenty of Serious Stuff

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England is having a tough week.

Freezing temperatures and massive snowfalls are causing the usual chaos - with roads, railways and airports disrupted, and in several places completely closed.

The bid for the 2018 World Cup hit the buffers, with only 2 FIFA votes out of 22 going England's way. To add insult to injury the vote for 2022 has also been sewn up, with Qatar being handed the prize, in spite of nobody knowing where it is, in spite of it having NO decent football stadia whatsoever, in spite of it having no top-class football teams or indeed players, in spite of vitually no-one in the country ever having attended a single football match, and in spite of daytime temperatures in the country being so high that every new stadium will need to be fully covered and air conditioned.

OK, I made that last bit up. But is it any more ludicrous than the other stuff, which is all true, as far as I know. And by 2022 global warming will probably have raised average temperatures in Qatar to around 120C. Clearly a new breed of footballer will be required - one that has the water retention and the stamina of a camel.

Russia won the right to stage the 2018 event, and good luck to her and all her sail in her. The good news is that the USA failed in its bid to host 2022, having lost out to the mighty Qatar. Where the hell is Qatar, anyway? (Said he in his best Palinesque voice.) And who's in charge of it? And how did it manage to win?

We now know that bribery has been taking place on a massive scale - but even so, isn't this just a bit . . . blatant? Or are we supposed to believe that FIFA genuinely has a mission to bring football to the Middle Eastern masses? Wouldn't it have been a good idea to make sure they have democracy first? Or have the G20 countries already fucked it up for  democracy and its supposed benefits?

Personally I'm not sad that our fabulous ambassadors - Cameron, Beckham and the other little prince - have failed in their mission. Imagine all the gloating and backslapping that would have gone on if they'd succeeded. With unimaginable consequences for the future of the game in England. More of the same? YES PLEASE!

It's now time for all sane and sensible people who are disgusted with the way that football in England is currently run to stand up and campaign for radical changes to our ruling body, to our system of coaching & development of young players, and most of all to the ownership of the clubs - which ought to change towards the model being promoted by Arsenal, and already pioneered by the likes of Barcelona. (see previous Layers)

Maybe Beckham, Cameron and our entire Royal Family could now take on the mantle of ambassadors for radical reform to the entire structure and management of football in this country. And only when that's been achieved should we go back to FIFA and say, please sir - we'd like some more.

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High-stakes theatre

An amusing and spot-on column here by Barney Ronay in the Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/dec/01/world-cup-2018-bid-sepp-blatter-fifa

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Emma John is also funny and worth a read:

The Ashes 2010: Speed up Sky's slow-mo and ditch the bikinis on x30

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2010/dec/02/the-ashes-2010-sky-x30 

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Meanwhile, back at the serious stuff:

Hutton's fair pay review won't make any CEO's pips squeak

The idea that balanced public sector salaries will inspire FTSE 100 chiefs to follow suit is as likely as a doughnut-eating shark

by Zoe Williams

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/dec/01/hutton-fair-pay-review-ceo

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WikiLeaks is holding US global power to account

The WikiLeaks avalanche has exposed floundering imperial rule to scrutiny – and its reliance on dictatorship and deceit

by Seamus Milne

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/dec/01/wikileaks-embassy-cables-us-global-power

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Lords reform: Britain needs a better upper house – and not just a second Commons

Packing the Lords with donors and cronies is a disgrace. Reform must keep the good, but strip away the bad and ugly

by Timothy Garton Ash

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/dec/01/britain-needs-house-of-lords-reform

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Student protests: Both students and markets are upending the case for cuts

Economic crisis across Europe and growing opposition at home are starting to cut the ground from under the coalition

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/nov/24/students-and-markets-undermine-case-for-cuts

by Seamus Milne

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