CHARLES SALE- Aussies upset by World Cup Willie
28 Nov 2009 - 13:43:23
The troubled England World Cup 2018 bid, which is lurching from onesetback to the next, will be the centre of yet more controversy duringPrince William's official tour to Australia and New Zealand in January.
Fan: Prince William at this year's Champions League final
More from Charles Sale... CHARLES SALE: David Beckham's brand goes on the road26/11/09 Triesman on brink as Premier League chief quits 2018 World Cup bid board25/11/09 EXCLUSIVE: England's 2018 World Cup bid rocked as Sir Dave Richards quits24/11/09 Charles Sale: Francis Baron forced to quit RFU in July 20/11/09 FA in new plan to fill 2018 World Cup bid's £5m gap19/11/09 CHARLES SALE: Ashes book sales easy for scorers19/11/09 CHARLES SALE: Russian exposes Lord 'Two Jobs' 17/11/09 Charles Sale: Premier League big guns ready to fill in £5m England 2018 bid gap16/11/09 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE Football fan William's position as president of the FA is seen asone of the few positive features of the England campaign.
It's plannedto involve him in a number of ways during the next year, and it's hopedhe will prove a trump card in the final push for FIFA votes as the starelement of the England delegation in Zurich for the 2018 venue decisionin just over 12 months.
Yet the strong republican movement in Australia is already grumblingthat Aston Villa supporter William is its Prince as well and soshouldn't take sides in such a prominent way when both England andAustralia are competing for the same football prize.
The Australian bid team are sure to use William's high-profile visitdown under to try to promote their own campaign for the 2018 and 2022World Cups.
Buckingham Palace never reacts to republican comment but it's feltWilliam's figurehead role with the FA gives him every right to do whathe can for the England bid.
The Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, which claims its medical facilities are more advanced than the futuristic AC Milan laboratory that is promising to prolong the playing career of David Beckham, is close to developing a computer programme that it is claimed can predict 80 per cent of football injuries before they happen to players being monitored.
The software is the brainchild of physio Martin Wollin, who used to work at Fulham. Rules are rules at MCG Aussies upset by World Cup Willie!
The Australia 2018 World Cup bid, which paid for Sports Agenda's trip down under, proudly showed off its most iconic sports venue, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, as part of the media tour.
But such is the massive hold of Australian Rules football in Victoria that the Aussie bid has yet to negotiate the use of the ground for World Cup football matches as it would disrupt the AFL season in which four teams play, in total, 47 games at the MCG.
Not all government officials are on-message about the other version of football. One participant at a round table discussion in Canberra, stressing all-round government support for the bid, said: 'There was some soccer match in Munich which got a lot of attention' a reference to Australia's exit to a controversial Italian penalty at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Football bad boy Joey Barton has paid £65,000 to settle a civil action brought by his former Manchester City team-mate Jamie Tandy, who was claiming £500,000 from Barton for allegedly ruining his hopes of a top Premiership career.
Barton reacted to Tandy trying to set fire to his Jimmy Savile fancy dress outfit by stubbing out a cigar in his eye at City's Christmas party in 2004.
Midfielder Tandy, 25, now playing for non-League Witton Albion, has suffered scarring but no long-term damage to his eye. He claimed the trauma from the incident led to alcohol and gambling problems.
Ironically, both players have used the Sporting Chance addiction clinic set up by Tony Adams.
The sight of Douglas Erskine-Crum, chief executive of the Levy Board, sitting on the Ladbrokes table at the Sir Peter O'Sullevan awards lunch at the Dorchester in London was cause for much comment.
Former Ascot chief Erskine-Crum, who fell on his sword after the botched grandstand renovation, wining and dining with one of the betting giants comes at the most sensitive oftimes.
The Levy, who decide bookmakers' contribution to racing, are having to contend with them moving their business offshore to avoid Levy payments.
Explore more:People:Jamie Tandy, Joey Barton, David BeckhamPlaces:London, Munich, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Buckingham Palace
