Totally agree, but for this to work we would need to get at least half a dozen major European nations to do so with us, a World Cup without say England, Germany, Italy, Spain, France would be worthless. In all honesty the best thing would be for UEFA to break away from FIFA and create their own World competition, the South Americans would only want to compete with the best and they could easily be persuaded to turn their backs on FIFA and as a result FIFA would fold IMO
What would happen if the 'gang of six' or whatever were then ostracised and prevented from participating in future tournaments? It would lead to possible isolation - apart from the other few 'boycotters' and akin to the alienating of South African sport during the long apartheid years. I do agree 100% that FIFA need to be taught a damned lesson or two, and learn to stop taking the rest of the global population for ignorant bastards who are too stupid to see through the web of lies, spin and corruption they wriggle around and cosy up in
A boycott by the major European nations would also send a clear message to Putin and his war mongering cronies. Sport and football especially must take a stand against countries ,like Russia, who have no regard for international borders and a boycott would do more IMO than puny sanctions. The one thing that Russia and Putin love is being "centre stage" at World events.They dislike ridicule and being ignored. Why do you think Putin left G20 so quick.He was being lambasted from all sides,and to save face,decided to go home early and not play with the "big boys" Boycott and alienate Russia in ALL sporting events. Sorry its a bit off topic re FIFA.
The thing is, if the 6 richest european football nations boycott any world cup especially with the backing of the clubs (Who will all want Blatter to pissoff over the Qatar winter rescheduling). Firstly all the big TV bucks disappear. Secondly if the clubs lean on their players from all other nations, most of the other top nations would be scuppered too. Imagine Brazil, Argentina, Chile etc etc without their players who ply their trade in; England, Spain, Germany, France and Italy? C'mon europe lets make a stand against Blatter and his corrupt cronies! Oh and for all the human rights violations in the name of these corrupt lot. Bah!
This stance has to happen for BOTH of the bids. IMO the Qatar bid was the most unbelievable as at least the Ruskies have a fooballing base, their position is untenable due to other factors non football related. But the position of FIFA is one of total disrepute reflecting badly on the whole sport and something has to be done before we replace the entire board with 'decent' people. In isolation I don't think it matters if England turn up or not as we would not be missed particularly, but throw in some of the real heavyweights and the rump of the footballing world will surely follow and something good might come out of it. To work, that campaign has to happen now and I wonder if anyone has the balls to promote it. Certainly not Cameron after his private word with the oligarch following the semi-public criticism. That performance was another joke in our lightweight politcal world.
Which is why it will take countries like Brazil, Argentina, Germany to threaten to boycott the games as one or two 'lesser' nations like England making a stand in isolation will fail to have the desired effect and the FIFA corruption machine will continue to destroy all in it's path.
The French Germans and Italians would not pull out . They are Fifa and nobody else would miss England we are not a top side
We have to get other major players involved in any boycott for it to be meaningful as others have said. If we go it alone then it will surely play straight into FIFA's hands as I don't imagine they'd lose a second of sleep if it was just us pulling out - taking the piss out of us appears to be a popular past-time for Blatter and his cronies after all. At the end of the day it's money that talks rather than a sense of right/wrong or anything else, and if we can convince the Germans, Spanish, Italians and French (no chance!) to join us in boycotting future tournaments then that will start to cause ructions in the world of corporate sponsorship and only then FIFA might start getting twitchy and perhaps even suddenly develop some form of conscience. Whether or not any other countries would be willing to join us is something I wouldn't have a lot of confidence in to be honest, as with lots of these things we appear to be the only ones with any kind of moral compass which we are prepared to act upon.
I don't think that Sport should be used as a 'political' weapon in the first place! Just look at what happened at the Moscow Olympics in 1980! The USA withdrew from those games as a protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and yet the games still went ahead denying US athletes of potential glory through no fault of their own! Going even further back just look at all the controversy over the England Cricket Team's tour's to South Africa back in the late 1960s and 70s! These guys just wanted to play Cricket! Sport should be left out of the political arena altogether imo.
doesn't the FA lease the rules of football to FIFA? why not just say the are in breach of their lease get the rules of football back and bankrupt the ****ers!
Just think if UKIP were the Government we would pull out of everything and be in glorious isolation aloof from all these petty squabbles between other nations!
It's called the "World Series" because that was the American newspaper sponsoring it, not because it was open to the World!
Nowt wrong with American sports - went to Wembley for the recent Dallas v Jacksonville NFL game - terrific fun.
