FIFA VP
Austin "Jack" Warner decides to
let his feelings be known about England and didn't really hold back:
In an interview to be broadcast tomorrow on the BBC's World Service, Warner dismissed England's chances if FIFA's rotation policy brought the finals to Europe in 11 years' time.
"If by chance, in 2018, the World Cup were to go to Europe, I'm quite sure, with the English luck as it is, they won't get it," Warner said.
"It'll be Italy, Spain, or it might even be France. Nobody in Europe likes England. England - who invented the sport - has never had any impact on world football. England at no time has had the love and support of Europe. For Europe, England is an irritant."
Warner is president of CONCACAF, which runs the game in north and central America along with the Caribbean. He was highly critical of former Scottish Football Association president John McBeth earlier this year, accusing him of racism.
McBeth, speaking after his election as vice-president of FIFA (a post he would never fill due to his remarks), said African and Caribbean football associations were tainted by greed. Ironically, McBeth was also scathing of England's standing in world football, stating "the rest of the world hates their guts".
Warner was scathing in his condemnation of McBeth in May, calling on FIFA to "send him back to Scotland where he belongs".
Aware that England has some support for a bid to host the World Cup for the first time since winning it in 1966, Warner has vowed to fight their bid.
He said: "There are moves to give it to England. I must fight that."
First of all Mister Warner, the British colonization of your country, Trinidad and Tobago,
ended years ago, so get over it. Second,
those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones so keep your personal grudges to yourself. How this guy got re-elected as CONCACAF president is beyond me?
Obviously the English couldn't turn the other cheek on this one and FA Chairman Geoff Thompson and Englands World Cup ambassador
came back firing:
England's 2018 World Cup ambassador Richard Caborn also responded to Warner's comments. "That is Jack. He will fight to the death to get it to Concacaf and I understand that," said Caborn. "We will put a strong case, along with the Football Association, to get it. What is unfortunate is that Jack has attacked England and particularly the FA - and the FA has done a first-class job.
"They have got 30 schemes running around the world, education programmes, on six continents. Indeed in Trinidad, for the last seven years they have had three workshops running which have been incredibly well-received by Concacaf, so it's not quite true what Jack's saying."
Next time you have something brilliant to say about English football Mr. Warner, just keep it to yourself.
