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Who conned us? England's beaten World Cup chief refuses to reveal FIFA voters despite anger over 2018 betrayal
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER Last updated at 9:50 AM on 3rd December 2010
World Cup bid chief Andy Anson today refused to reveal names after coming under pressure to shame the FIFA villians who betrayed England.
On Thursday night, England's leading men accused voters of lying to them after seeing Russia secure a landslide victory in what proved to be a dirty-tricks battle for the 2018 World Cup.
Under the microscope: Anson (centre) refused to reveal names at a press conference on Friday morning
The English suffered a humiliating first-round exit with just two votes - but Anson refused to cave into pressure to point the finger of blame.
Speaking to reporters on Friday morning in Zurich, Anson also said England should not bid for the tournament again until there is a major shake-up at FIFA.
Anson said: 'I still find it hard to understand what happened. I'm not going to beat around the bush. Individual members promised to vote for us and didn't clearly.
Farce: Sepp Blatter and his FIFA team are under the spotlight after the World Cup votes
'That's difficult to stomach when they have given you assurances. They are saying to us that our media killed us but I don't believe that for one minute, but that's what we are being told.
'Russia did a lot of last-minute lobbying and votes appeared to switch at the last minute - we know some switched in the early hours of the morning. We were not naive though we knew that could happen and David Dein and Simon Greenberg stayed up lobbying until 5am.'
Asked if he would advise England to bid again Anson said: 'I would say right now don't bother until you know that the process is going to change to allow bids like ours [a chance] to win.
Pointing the finger: a disappointed Anson admitted there is no point in England bidding again until FIFA change
'When you have the best technical bid, fantastic inspection visits, the best economic report, and, from what people told us, the best presentation, it's quite hard to stomach that all that seemed to count for absolutely nothing.
'Having only 22 guys only voting gives them too much influence. Running two bids together was clearly a huge mistake. Everyone who had a vote and a bid clearly wanted to trade that vote for something that helped them get over the line in that campaign.
'Australia had a very good bid and they got one vote, we had a very good bid and we got two, the USA had an unbelievably strong technical bid and got three. Six votes in the first round between those three, there's something not quite right.
End of the world: Beckham grimaces as the result is announced
'You have to open it up to all member associations and have transparency and open voting so everyone knows who voted for whom. 'With 22 guys having so much power it becomes very, very difficult.'
Anson said he had been told that FIFA president Sepp Blatter had spoken to members of the 'evil of the media' just before the vote.
He added: 'I think that was unhelpful - the last thing those guys hear before they go and tick the box is the evil of the media. That is not helpful and actually inaccurate.
'I was told by someone who was in the room that that's the last thing they were told by Sepp Blatter. There was a final sum-up before they voted and I think it was at the beginning of that. That's not helpful to our cause.'
London Mayor and bid ambassador Boris Johnson led the calls for serious questions to be asked about the integrity of the 22-man FIFA executive committee and their process for choosing a host on Thursday night when he said: 'FIFA can't last in its current form.'
Brian Mawhinney also expressed his own concerns. The bid board member and former Tory cabinet enforcer said he was utterly perplexed by the outcome of the vote. 'It seems to be a legitimate question if the process should be different next time
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz17358yjUH
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER Last updated at 9:50 AM on 3rd December 2010
World Cup bid chief Andy Anson today refused to reveal names after coming under pressure to shame the FIFA villians who betrayed England.
On Thursday night, England's leading men accused voters of lying to them after seeing Russia secure a landslide victory in what proved to be a dirty-tricks battle for the 2018 World Cup.
Under the microscope: Anson (centre) refused to reveal names at a press conference on Friday morningThe English suffered a humiliating first-round exit with just two votes - but Anson refused to cave into pressure to point the finger of blame.
Speaking to reporters on Friday morning in Zurich, Anson also said England should not bid for the tournament again until there is a major shake-up at FIFA.
Anson said: 'I still find it hard to understand what happened. I'm not going to beat around the bush. Individual members promised to vote for us and didn't clearly.
Farce: Sepp Blatter and his FIFA team are under the spotlight after the World Cup votes'That's difficult to stomach when they have given you assurances. They are saying to us that our media killed us but I don't believe that for one minute, but that's what we are being told.
'Russia did a lot of last-minute lobbying and votes appeared to switch at the last minute - we know some switched in the early hours of the morning. We were not naive though we knew that could happen and David Dein and Simon Greenberg stayed up lobbying until 5am.'
Asked if he would advise England to bid again Anson said: 'I would say right now don't bother until you know that the process is going to change to allow bids like ours [a chance] to win.
Pointing the finger: a disappointed Anson admitted there is no point in England bidding again until FIFA change'When you have the best technical bid, fantastic inspection visits, the best economic report, and, from what people told us, the best presentation, it's quite hard to stomach that all that seemed to count for absolutely nothing.
'Having only 22 guys only voting gives them too much influence. Running two bids together was clearly a huge mistake. Everyone who had a vote and a bid clearly wanted to trade that vote for something that helped them get over the line in that campaign.
'Australia had a very good bid and they got one vote, we had a very good bid and we got two, the USA had an unbelievably strong technical bid and got three. Six votes in the first round between those three, there's something not quite right.
End of the world: Beckham grimaces as the result is announced'You have to open it up to all member associations and have transparency and open voting so everyone knows who voted for whom. 'With 22 guys having so much power it becomes very, very difficult.'
Anson said he had been told that FIFA president Sepp Blatter had spoken to members of the 'evil of the media' just before the vote.
He added: 'I think that was unhelpful - the last thing those guys hear before they go and tick the box is the evil of the media. That is not helpful and actually inaccurate.
'I was told by someone who was in the room that that's the last thing they were told by Sepp Blatter. There was a final sum-up before they voted and I think it was at the beginning of that. That's not helpful to our cause.'
London Mayor and bid ambassador Boris Johnson led the calls for serious questions to be asked about the integrity of the 22-man FIFA executive committee and their process for choosing a host on Thursday night when he said: 'FIFA can't last in its current form.'
Brian Mawhinney also expressed his own concerns. The bid board member and former Tory cabinet enforcer said he was utterly perplexed by the outcome of the vote. 'It seems to be a legitimate question if the process should be different next time
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz17358yjUH
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