Bidding to host the 2018 World Cup is entering a vital stage and England have drifted to third favourites in the betting following the BBC Panorama program. Russia remain favourites and have shortened to 8/11, while dark horses Portugal and Spain have moved ahead of England, with the Belgium and Netherlands looking to be massive outsiders. Each country will hope to bring the biggest competition in football to their lands, and the winner will be decided by a FIFA vote on Thursday 2nd December.
In the betting Russia have shortened to 8/11 with Ladbrokes bookmakers, and England look to have some work to do at 3/1, while Portugal and Spain have shortened to 11/4 as they claim to already have 8 FIFA votes in the bag for Thursday (12 votes are needed to secure the bid), with Belgium and Netherlands outsiders at 33/1.
Despite recently being rated as a 'low risk' bid and offering the most profitable event according to FIFA, England's bid has been tainted by political issues and corruption claims by its country's media, and the BBC Panorama program may have put the final nail in the coffin.
The program alleged three senior FIFA officials took bribes in the 1990s, and those same officials will vote on Thursday. The program also accused senior and powerful FIFA man Jack Warner of selling World Cup tickets on the black market. The program is unlikely to increase England's popularity with the FIFA fraternity.
There have been further problems before this as England's bid chairman Lord Triesman stepped down in May following allegations that he accused Russia and Spain of conspiring in bribery. While a Sunday Times investigation has alleged members of FIFA are selling their votes for the final bid.
England were also reportedly criticised by the head of the Russian bid for their high crime rates and the drinking problems of young people in London, which the England bid team complained about to FIFA but their complaints apparently annoyed FIFA members in a further setback. There appears to still be work to do for England if they are to host their first World Cup since 1966, and with drifting odds of 3/1 with Ladbrokes it seems that it could be a few more years before they are hosts again.
England are sending out the big guns to lobby for votes as David Beckham, David Cameron and Prince William head to Zurich on Tuesday in a last ditch bid to regain favouritism with FIFA.
Russia's bid is favourite with Ladbrokes.com, although media reports suggest that their bid has been termed as 'medium risk' by FIFA which could count against them. They seem to have emerged unscathed from their bid leaders' criticism of London and England, and it may have in fact worked in their favour following England's complaints. However they have never hosted a World Cup before and they are an 8/11 bet with Ladbrokes.
The Portugal and Spain bid looks to be a good bet as they have emerged as dark horses to host the event and have gone as short as 11/4 with Ladbrokes. They are seen as a low risk bid, despite the fact it is a joint bid which was thought to be a concern, and they hosted the European Championships as recently as 2004. Their bid has been boosted after FIFA could not find enough evidence of them having an alleged voting alliance with Qatar, who are competing to host the 2022 World Cup.
8/11 Russia
11/4 Portugal and Spain
3/1 England
33/1 Belgium & Netherlands
Odds Supplied by Ladbrokes.com Bookmakers.
Posted: Thursday, 18th November 2010
Author: Chris James
Tags: world cup, world cup 2018, england, russia, ladbrokes,
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