CONCACAF Bloc May Have Cost England 2018 World Cup

(ATR) England’s failed World Cup bid may have been compromised by CONCACAF’s bloc of three voters.

England 2018’s bid strategy had been reliant on their support to get past the first round of Thursday's vote. But England fell at the first hurdle after receiving just two votes, one coming from Geoff Thompson, the other believed to come from Japan’s Junji Ogura.

Other reports have linked CAF president Issa Hayatou to support of England’s bid.

It is believed that at least two CONCACAF voters went with Russia in the first round, when England thought that they could rely upon them.

Bid sources had been confident of getting the alliance, after CONCACAF president Jack Warner was dined by Prime Minister David Cameron and courted by David Beckham. Prince William also held talks with Warner.

But none of CONCACAF’s three voters went with England, likely the aftermath of a series of damaging allegations about the confederation's president Jack Warner were attributed to the British media.

On Monday, BBC Panorama investigated allegations made in the Norwegian press that Warner had tried to sell $84,000 worthof tickets to this summer’s World Cup, although the deal previously fell through.

England’s bid had tried to distance itself from the broadcast, and thought that this strategy had paid off.

In the wake of Russia winning the right to host the 2018 tournament, a senior England bid source suggested that Warner reneged on a promise to support England and "had done nothing for our country".

England bid CEO Andy Anson confirmed that England had been duped but stopped short of naming Warner.

"There were other votes we thought we were going to get that would have taken us way into the second round and beyond," he said.

"Some of those didn't materialize, I don't know which ones. When people look you in the eye and promise you something, you hope they live up to their word, but clearly that hasn't happened."

Anson added that it was "mind-boggling" that bids were told by journalists whether they had won or lost.

Arab TV station Al Jazeera reported Qatar’s victory 20 minutes before FIFA president Sepp Blatter revealed the winner, and Russian media were also claiming success before the announcement.

According to FIFA protocol, the outcome of the vote between two final round voters would only be known by a Swiss notary and KPMG auditor overseeing the vote. Nobody was supposed to know until Blatter unveiled the winner from his envelope – a pledge that seemed to fall short.

For complete coverage of Thursday's events, visit World Football Insider.

Written by James Corbett.