I don't believe North Korea would want it as the rules for entry to the country are quite stringent. Don't know if you ever saw it, but our old pal Michael Palin did a documentary in the country, was good in the sense of getting some insight into the country, from a position closer than we normally see.
I think him and the film crew were followed the whole time they were there - and if I'm remembering correctly they did stand on big brothers toes at one point during the documentary, but soon realigned to avoid upsetting the authorities. All the people he came across showed undivided loyalty to their president and I remember all the civilians having to wear some type of small badge for some 'loyal' reason. My impression as a whole was they seemed generally happy people, they just had a more structured life style and apart from anything we didn't see, I felt there wasn't much difference particularly in survelliance than what we see in this country. I think the worst I've ever seen was Russia, I can remember a woman making a one person protest, which was within their rules, it still cost her, her job though, because the authorities just call your employer and suggest they no longer employ you, throwing you into poverty for daring to protest - although I assume that's an extreme case. Hmmm....makes me think, now these strikes....nah nothing forget that thought.
Let's not conflate two issues here. It was a good world cup in terms of organisation and atmosphere...even though the media are already peddling the notion the only thing that made it good was the football which is complete bollox. The fact it was given to a country which treats its (predominantly foreign and poor) workers like **** is another matter. But then the same can be said of Brazil and not much attention was given to that.
A friend of mine who is a classical musician visited Russia several times during the Soviet era. Visiting orchestras had official 'tour guides' who were with them 24/7. He said they weren't too forthcoming about life in the Soviet Union, until you got them drunk, then they'd open up. Sounds like it's worse there now than it was then tbh. Power to the People btw.
I've never been to Qatar, and I'm in no position to criticise or judge their way of life. I'm sure the locals are, for the most part, warm and welcoming. As I'm sure most Russians are too. But there is simply no legitimate case to be made for giving Qatar the WC; they got it because FIFA is bent as ninepence, a thoroughly corrupt organisation. There's no glossing over that fact.
I don't disagree with any of that. My point was that the atmosphere and success of the tournament itself has nowt to do with that. It shouldn't have been given to Qatar. What I think has come out of it though, it's not a bad idea for a country to have it in one location where stadiums are close to each other because there's no doubt it added to the atmosphere and experience of football fans there, and the teams having to not move hotels etc. A number of reporters out there tbf have said the same.
Funny how quickly some forgets the conditions we were under for 2 fking years.........the west is an illusion of freedom ask David Icke and his two year ban from 20 odd European countries for going to speak at a peace rally
I don't think Russia is any worse in general, and yes there will always be abuses of human rights. I decided long ago that a lot of what I was brought up to believe by the media was in fact false - they can have just as high a standard living us and with similar western ways. Somehow I always got the impression that the media wanted to portray Russia as still being in 1970. Amazingly once Gorbachev brought down the invisibile barriers they were suddenly normal like us...whatever normal is btw. Let's not forget, Italy still had cave dwellers until 1952. Anyway back to Qatar, it was a brilliant world cup and I really enjoyed it. Would be good to see a world cup in North Korea, be funny watching people via western media outlets getting triggered by it too.
I couldn't tell you, because from memory he went to a retail outlet, and for some strange peculiar reason it was empty on the day he arrived, and all the staff were standing in line like polite little red coats (soldiers).
Except there is a doubt, as it wasn't possible to accomodate all the football fans who actually wanted to go, because there isn't enough accomodation so costs were sky high and people were flying in on the day from places like Dubai. Which is why most matches weren't at capacity. None of this adds to this so called superb atmosphere. It was essentially an elitist world cup for actual attending fans. A very expensive unique experience. And for those that managed to pay for this, I'm sure it was great. Let bring this idea to a country of equal size, but of far less disposable wealth, and suggest the same brilliant plan that the whole tournament is held in one very small country. Wales for instance. Or maybe Liechenstein. Except no, it would be ****. This grand idea only works in a country with money to burn (and bribe) where they can build literally a disposable infrastucture.
There was another guy, might of been on YouTube, who did the official holiday tour there. You have a tour guide 24/7 and are not allowed away from the official party. I’m pretty sure, photography is not allowed unless at a designated location and you can’t talk to the locals? It was an interesting watch.
I don't know about Dubai, but a lot of accommodation wasn't filled in places like Doha which was closer. And attending any world cup is expensive. Everywhere that hosts a world cup hikes prices and the travel costs. Of course there are pros and cons to every tournament. When tournaments were held across the U.S. (that great footballing host nation in 1994) or between South Korea and Japan ppl were having to travel greater distances. I remember when I went to the Germany WC we had tickets to 3 matches. I had to get accommodation and travel arranged for Kaiserslautern, then Cologne which took about 3/4 hours - and they were both in West Germany and then hire a car to Leipzig in the old East Germany which took about 6 hours and get accommodation there. It cost a small fortune but that's par for the course, it's the world cup. I never mentioned size of country either. My point about Qatar wasn't it's size, it was that having stadiums close by in one location with fans of every nation attending and able to socialise and mingle did add to the atmosphere and experience there. There's no doubt about that. I have friends who live and teach out there and they've said it was incredible and the Qatari's were fully involved. The tens of thousands of fans from each of the nations involved - like Argentina, Mexico, Morocco, Costa Rica, Ghana, Senegal, Wales, and the rest weren't all elites mate.
Of course the size of the country is relevant, what other country in the world would build all the stadiums within such a small distance of each other and not in actual cities (some of them)? Or could even consider affording to do that. It didn't even need saying. Anyone who has ever been to Wembley will tell you that it being big shiny and new(ish) doesn't make it a great day out, because there's **** all there and it's a pain to get to. Kinda like Qatar.
I’m gonna throw it out there and say that until Messi does it on a cold winters night at stoke he can’t be deemed the goat.
Jamie Rednapp: England did not have a good World Cup and any manager could have matched Gareth Southgate's results I don't subscribe to this feeling that England had a really good World Cup. Getting to the quarter-finals wasn't a big achievement and I don't think we should be celebrating it. We could have done a lot more with the squad and the depth that we have. The substitutions we made weren't quick enough and we took off the wrong players. We haven't got that killer instinct in our team, we're a nice football team. We have tremendous young players and we have come close, but that's where the frustration is. I look at the two teams who got to the final, we're every bit as good as them. He's has done a decent job, Gareth Southgate. But we shouldn't be thinking that there isn't anyone else out there. There will be a lot of good managers who would do an equally good job. Any young, English, Premier League manager worth their salt would have gotten England to the quarter-finals, when you look at the teams we've played. In the 2018 World Cup we had a lot of byes. We play one good team in Croatia and they beat us. We play a decent team at this World Cup and they beat us. In the last Euros, we beat two decent sides in Denmark and Germany - yet neither got out of their group in this World Cup. https://www.skysports.com/football/...gareth-southgates-results-says-jamie-redknapp
