Source: Daily_Mail
Charles Sale: BBC and FA focus on World Cup bids - Panorama commission second documentary
The BBC's Panorama team and backbench FA councillors will ensure the World Cup vote debacle in Zurich stays in the spotlight. [LNB]Panorama have commissioned a second documentary on the 2018 and 2022 bids that is expected to focus on how Russia and Qatar allegedly bought their way to victory.[LNB]And pressure from fans' representative Malcolm Clarke has led to the FA promising that England 2018 bid chairman Geoff Thompson and CEO Andy Anson will face the FA Council at their next meeting on March 24 to explain what went wrong with their disastrous campaign. [LNB] In the spotlight: the BBC plans another documentary focusing on the Russian and Qatari World Cup bids[LNB]They will certainly be asked why England committed to an ?18million bid that collected just one vote - apart from Thompson's - when FIFA's strategy was to take the tournament to new territories. [LNB]Stoke chairman Peter Coates told the football governance inquiry yesterday: 'I'm surprised we didn't know more. It was wrong we couldn't do better. We weren't smart enough to get a feel.' [LNB]Sunderland chief Niall Quinn added: 'A lot of good stuff got drowned in arguments.' [LNB]Labour MP Paul Farrelly said he discovered during the select committee trip to Germany that Sir Bobby Charlton was told a year before the vote that England had no chance. [LNB]England 2018 complained at length about the first Panorama programme on FIFA skulduggery being broadcast on the eve of the December vote. [LNB]There will be no outcry over a second show with the FA split as to whether it's worth repairing the relationship with Sepp Blatter's regime. [LNB]The word inside Coolmore is that Jamie Spencer is set for a dramatic return as stable jockey for John Magnier's Irish-based racing empire, having lost the post in 2005 after one season. [LNB]Spencer, who is due to partner Coolmore hope Cape Blanco in the Dubai World Cup on March 26 and has been riding at Ballydoyle, would replace Johnny Murtagh, who surprisingly quit in November. [LNB] More from Charles Sale... CHARLES SALE: FC United rebels smell a rat over Manchester City stadium deal07/03/11 Charles Sale: Gray rings up ?250k phone hacking bill27/02/11 Sir Alex Ferguson's fine decision held up by the BBC's move north to Manchester 25/02/11 Charles Sale: Cash-strapped FA in ?4,000 Ivy restaurant bash24/02/11 Charles Sale: Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand among the stars caught up in a wealth of legal wrangling23/02/11 Charles Sale: Olympic pool has turned out 'ugly', slams departed Olympic chief22/02/11 Charles Sale: FA bigwig Taylor trashes FA Cup revamp plan21/02/11 Charles Sale: FA can't afford a Cup half empty18/02/11 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE With Sir Alex Ferguson operating a media blackout, it was unfortunate Manchester United chief executive David Gill told the select committee yesterday that the Glazers had delegated the manager to communicate directly with fans. [LNB]The Premier League say they have had no complaints about Fergie's silence, which includes snubbing TV stations from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, France, Abu Dhabi and the PL overseas feed after the defeat against Liverpool. [LNB]But even the PL, seemingly with their one rule for United and another for the rest of the league, will have to act if Fergie's actions start impacting on their overseas rights - still the big growth area. Meanwhile, it was noticeable that not once during all its mentions in the Commons was it referred to as the Barclays Premier League. [LNB]Quite what the motley collection of MPs who make up the Department for Culture Media and Sport football inquiry will recommend is hard to fathom as scattergun questioning of witnesses allows no relevant themes to develop. [LNB]Yesterday they seemed more intent on bashing United - fans loathe Glazers, embarrassment of holding company being in Delaware and Rooney contract being outrageous etc - than sticking to the governance script. [LNB]Amazingly, United chief and FA board member Gill wasn't asked about the fractured relationship between the FA and PL. [LNB]Bernstein told to cut...FA chairman David Bernstein's reaction to the overwhelming call for two independent directors on the FA board is to recommend they are added to the 12-strong committee. [LNB]But influential FA powerbrokers Gill and Coates yesterday called for the board to be trimmed to accommodate them - though it might take natural wastage. [LNB] Indian businessman Ahsan Ali Syed, the new owner of Spanish team Racing Santander after bidding for Blackburn, is one of many potential PL club owners barred from talks. [LNB]It follows checks carried out by a law firm's investigative unit employed after the PL beefed up fit and proper persons regulations. Syed has this week been accused of masterminding a ?75m loan scam in Australia. [LNB] Explore more:People: Alex Ferguson, Johnny Murtagh, John Magnier, Sepp Blatter, Jamie Spencer, Malcolm Clarke, David Gill, Geoff Thompson, Niall Quinn Places: Liverpool, France, Australia, Germany, Denmark, Qatar, Norway, United Kingdom, Russia
