From Russia with Love ...

... so England didn't get World Cup 2018 ... and the search for blame has begun ... a quick "Smiffy reaction" (i.e not properly thought through but hey ... !!)

The queue for the "scapegoat card" seems to include the BBC (Panorama Dept.), David Cameron, FIFA, Birmingham hooligans (lastminute.com indeed !) and the contents of David Beckham's trousers - strangely enough I've yet to see anyone blame the previous Labour Government (give it time mind ...). Not seen too many blaming the media either yet ... but it seems like a good place to start for me. The overpaid hacks who know everything about everything have spent the last 12 months or so whipping up the media frenzy, making out our bid was unbeatable, whilst slagging off all the other bids in a way that only tabloid papers know how (unlike the "Panoramas of this world who do it with a lot more honesty).

Then there's the whole FIFA "secret ballot" kerfuffle. They'd already suspended two officials in October over "cash for votes" allegations - well before the "Panorama" programme - so any "whiter than white" claims should be taken with a pinch of (white) salt. The whole voting system to me seems not dissimilar to that of "Pop Idol" or "X Factor",i.e. nothing to do with the "best", rather some populist "whim" (in this case, going for "developing countries" - if that was the case, why did we bother in the first place ... or did someone "move the goalposts" somewhere along the line ??).

Still ... we'll probably still be paying for the Olympics in 2018 anyway (watch these ConDems invent some kind of "Olympic Tax" !) ...
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