England 2018 requests FIFA executive commission pay no attention to negative press
The England 2018 FIFA bid executive brass have requested, in writing, that the FIFA executive commission pay no heed to recent Sunday Times investigative reports that resulted in FIFA members being tried at the ethics committee.
The request, penned by England 2018 chairman Geoff Thompson and his counterpart David Dein, gives voice to fears that BBC Panorama programme inquiries into bidding practices could hurt their campaign.
"We hope England's bid will not be judged negatively due to the activities of individual media organisations, regardless of one's view of their conduct. We hope you appreciate that we have no control over the British media,'' the letter says.
According to the letter, FIFA’s Andy Anson met with BBC director general Mark Thompson to clarify the network’s intentions; “It is now public knowledge that we have made representations to the BBC regarding a forthcoming documentary they are planning.”
The letter warns FIFA that, “The programme appears in part to be raking over allegations some of which are up to 10 years old and have already been formally dealt with by FIFA and the Swiss courts.''
The England 2018 executives fear that negative portrayal of the likes of CONCACAF president Jack Warner, who has been subject to scrutiny by the British press, could make things difficult for England when the time comes for FIFA members to vote on December
2.
England 2018 takes credit for warning FIFA of pending investigations by the Sunday Times stating that; "It was members of the England bid which alerted the FIFA general secretary, on September 29, to the activities of a bogus company which turned out to
be the Sunday Times investigation. We kept him informed on regular occasions as we conducted our investigation into this company.''
The letter also voiced England 2018’s conviction that, "Concern over what the future might hold for FIFA in its relationship with the British media if we were to be successful," should not be taken into account.
The letter sums up it’s message stating, “We all want a FIFA World Cup vote to focus on the positive elements of the overall bidding process.''
FIFA president Sepp Blatter reportedly approved the letter in a Zurich meeting with England 2018 members.
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