By Nick Harris 14 May 2010 England’s bid for the right to stage the 2018 World Cup was blessed with the stardust that is David Beckham in Zurich today as the nine bid teams seeking the 2018 and/or 2022 events began the push in earnest to win the game’s biggest prize from Fifa. Beckham, who […]

By Pete Wilson 29 April 2010 Qatar’s bid for the 2022 World Cup will rest on no traditional footie bedrocks: it cannot lay claim to a deep footballing culture or heritage; the nation is frankly too hot and uncomfortable in its natural state to stage the event to the satisfaction of the competing sides; and […]

By Nick Harris 14 April 2010 With Britain’s three main political parties now having published their election manifesto documents, a sportingintelligence analysis of the sections relating to sport shows that the Labour Party has dedicated more of its space to the subject than either of its rivals: 1.8 per cent of the manifesto. That is […]

By Pete Wilson 28 March 2010 Sven Goran Eriksson landed his fifth job in four years this evening when he signed a contract to manage the Ivory Coast, aka Les Elephants, at this summer’s World Cup in South Africa, where the West African nation could face England in the semi-finals or final. Eriksson was the […]

By Nick Harris 16 March 2010 Fifa has launched a preemptive strike against those who might seek to corrupt the bidding process to stage the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments with bribes by writing to remind all the bidding nations “that they have signed regulations to respect fair play in this contest”. The World […]

15 March 2010 David Beckham will miss the World Cup this summer after tearing his Achilles tendon playing for Milan against Chievo last night. The BBC report here provides details, plus Ian Dennis’s assessment that Beckham’s England career is also now over. Beckham is on loan at Milan only because of his fierce desire to […]

18 February 2010 David Dein, the influential former vice-chairman of Arsenal and the FA has joined England’s 2018/2022 World Cup bid team with the title “International President” Dein will share with the chairman, David Triesman, a key role in the international promotion of England’s campaign to host the World Cup. His appointment begins immediately and […]

By Nick Harris 17 February 2010 The Indian government today reacted bullishly to terrorist threats against the forthcoming hockey World Cup, the 2010 IPL season and the Commonwealth Games by promising to provide “full protection” to every player, coach and official involved. In addition, the Delhi police have claimed that “foolproof” security arrangements are in […]

12 February 2010 Nodar Kumaritashvili, a 21-year-old luge competitor, has died today after an accident in training at the Winter Olympics in Canada, overshadowing tomorrow’s start to the Games. As the BBC reports, the Georgian’s sled flipped at a speed of around 90pmh towards the end of a practice run, smashed into a steel pole, […]

By Nick Harris 26 January 2010 The revelation last night by Fifa’s president, Sepp Blatter, that bidding to host the 2018 World Cup could be restricted to candidates from Europe won’t necessarily increase England’s chances of staging the tournament. In those circumstances, eight key Fifa voters within Europe would get a “free hand” where to […]