Triesman Scandal

[Simi]

Yet another newspaper scandal for us to deal with. You have to wonder if anything is going to come out about the players or management before the first match at the World Cup, some of the journos out there are just shameless.

Lord Triesman is to stand down as chairman of the England 2018 World Cup bid, BBC Sport understands.

However he is not leaving his role as chairman of the Football Association.

Triesman acted after the Mail on Sunday said he suggested Spain could end its bid if rival bidder Russia helped bribe referees at this summer's World Cup.

The 2018 team has already faxed apology letters to the Russian and Spanish FAs and the bid is undertaking a "major damage limitation exercise".

The Mail on Sunday claims to have obtained a secretly tape-recorded conversation of Triesman talking to a former aide.

The revelations come just two days after former England captain David Beckham helped the FA submit a 1,752-page bid book as they try to persuade Fifa to award England the 2018 World Cup.

Speaking about Triesman's decision to step down, new Sports Minister Hugh Robertson told the BBC: "It is absolutely the right decision to take.

"Our top priority as a new government is to win this bid for the country and I am delighted they have acted as quickly and decisively as they have done.

"All is not lost, we would rather we weren't dealing with the situation but it is better that it has happened now, so soon after handing over the bid book, rather than two three months out.

"It is not good for the organisation and it would be ludicrous to pretend otherwise but the fundamentals that underpin the bid are as strong as ever and will be remembered long after this unfortunate event is forgotten."

The FA has so far refused to comment but BBC sports editor David Bond explained: "The 2018 team are distancing themselves from Lord Triesman's comments and have told Fifa, Russia and Spain that they don't share those views that have been expressed in the story."

Apart from the damage to the standing of Triesman and the FA that may be created within the Fifa corridors of power by the Mail on Sunday's reported bribery allegation, the world governing body's rules prohibit World Cup bidders from talking about rival bids.

The 2018 team are distancing themselves from Lord Triesman's comments

BBC sports editor David Bond

Triesman was quoted in the article as saying: "Spain are looking for help...to bribe the referees".

And BBC Radio 5 live's sports news correspondent Gordon Farquhar said: "The FA did try and fail to get an injunction against publication of the story on privacy grounds.

"The story makes uncomfortable reading. The FA and 2018 bid chairman was seemingly unaware his unguarded comments in a private conversation were being recorded.

"Most damaging is his apparent speculation about possible collusion between Spain and Russia to bribe referees in South Africa.

"He reportedly suggests in return for Russian help in targeting officials, Spain could drop out of the race to stage the 2018 World Cup.

"There's likely to be a furious reaction from both the Spanish and Russian FAs."

On Friday, Fifa chief Sepp Blatter spoke in glowing terms of England's 2018 bid which includes 12 towns and cities from Sunderland to Plymouth, calling it "the easiest bid in the world" - but also described the plans put forward by Russia as "remarkable."

After the good publicity that was generated by the 2018 team and Beckham on Friday it remains to be seen what effect Triesman's reported comments are likely to have on the FA's 2018 bid.

From its inception the bid has been troubled by infighting with senior members resigning from the board while Triesman's leadership has also been questioned.

In October the 2018 bid was criticised by Fifa vice-president Jack Warner and Danny Jordaan, who led South Africa's successful 2010 campaign.

A month later former Birmingham City director Karren Brady, who was one of six board members to stand down, said that England's hopes of hosting the 2018 World Cup were in danger of being undermined by internal politics among the bid team.

In November a senior member of Fifa's executive committee returned a handbag given to his wife as a gift by the England bidding team.

The latest story was taken from a conversation Triesman reportedly had with a former civil servant aide.

The Mail on Sunday quotes Triesman as saying: "There's some evidence that the Spanish football authorities are trying to identify the referees...and pay them.

"My assumption is that the Latin Americans, although they've not said so, will vote for Spain. And if Spain drop out, because Spain are looking for help from the Russians to help bribe the referees in the World Cup, their votes may then switch to Russia."

A European bid is tipped to get the 2018 tournament with England up against Russia and joint bids from Spain/Portugal and Belgium/Netherlands.

The other bidders, although they are mainly focused on the 2022 tournament, are Australia, the United States, Japan, Qatar and South Korea.

In the reported tape recorded conversation with former aide Melissa Jacobs, Triesman also talks openly about the John Terry scandal, the governance of Premier League football clubs and criticises former Prime Minister Gordon Brown's election campaign as "awful."

[Hitesh]

What an idiot to make comments like that in the first place and typical Mail on Sunday for causing a major fuss! Why are some people so dead set on ruining our chances to host the cup?!

[Guest Bilo]

Let's be honest, when the choice of stadia for the bid ranged from uninspiring (Sunderland) to downright bizarre (Plymouth), the bid was always up against it anyway. This is just yet another nail in the coffin and I think it's probably a fight between Spain/Portugal and Australia for 2018.

[Webbo]

It's Europe's turn. If we don't get it Russia will.

[Jordan]

It's Europe's turn. If we don't get it Russia will.

You really have to get it every eight years?

C'mon, FIFA, do the right thing: Australia and USA.

[Unit]

You really have to get it every eight years?

C'mon, FIFA, do the right thing: Australia and USA.

Usa's 16 years ago was cinge enough!

[Shrenchel]

Not sure I even want it in England so don't really give a fvck but it is interesting the way the media in this country seem happy to derail the bid just to sell a few papers.

When I was living in Spain, the impression the media over there gave was that England's bid was going really well and we were likely to win it. Then I'd have a butchers on the British newspaper sites and there'd be articles about how we've fvcked it up and it's all a complete disaster.

[Webbo]

You really have to get it every eight years?

C'mon, FIFA, do the right thing: Australia and USA.

Africa get it this time, Brazil next so it'll be 12 years. Most of the money and power in world football is in Europe so yes it will be our (Europes)turn by then.

[Jordan]

Usa's 16 years ago was cinge enough!

USA 1994 is generally considered to be one of the most successful--if not the most successful--World Cup in history (highest average game attendance, still highest total attendance even with 24 teams, massive profit, et cetera).

But then again, I don't suppose you know much about that particular World Cup, being English and all.

BTW does the English bid have a contingency plan on what to do with the useless 25,000 plastic seats left behind in Plymouth following the tournament? I hope you'd donate those to a developing country.

[Craig]

Our media is a joke, seriously.

[Fosse Fox]

Yet another newspaper scandal for us to deal with. You have to wonder if anything is going to come out about the players or management before the first match at the World Cup, some of the journos out there are just shameless.

Sorry chum, but isn't unearthing scandal part of a journalist's job description? In any case, I don't see any journalism here. The Mail got (bought?) a tape from some floozy and published some of its content (apparently there might be more about corruption within the FA) so not much probing and digging there. Apart from the source being an opportunist bitch as well as a tart I don't know what either the Mail or Triesman have done wrong. The only thing that strikes me as strange about this business is that it has been spun right out of left field.

Surely you would expect that if the Head of the FA's 2018 bid claimed that there was evidence of Spain and Russia colluding to bribe referees at South Africa 2010 and fix the hosting of the 2018 World Cup that he would be asked what this evidence was and/or name his sources by his employer, the FA (now, wouldn't that be interesting, fact or fiction, but no one seems to be curious enough to find out)? And, if there was any substance in these allegations, that the FA would then take them to FIFA who would conduct their own investigation?

Instead, the charges are dismissed out of hand by what authority exactly? Looks like that football's supreme governing body called THE MEDIA have very generously stepped in for the FA/FIFA/Uncle Tom Cobley and all and have given us the reverse spin that Spain and Russia are blameless and that England have shafted their own 2018 bid. And all of this without even bothering to ask Triesman how he came about his info.

What more wank will the media wring out of this episode - that England should be expelled from the World Cup in South Africa?

[SOCCERROO FOX]

Give it to Australia, we know how to host a major sporting event (see Sydney 2000 olympics). Australia would gain the most from hosting the WC aswell as anyone who has witnessed the poor crowds in the a-league or been to OZ and seen how Football isn't considered a major sport here. If we get it will convert many people to follow football as an added bonus of hosting what will be a great tournament.

[Podge]

I just believe it is the Mail trying to make a blow against the Labour party, whilst not really thinking what their readership will think of the damage done to our World Cup bid. I also don't really see what's that sensational about what he said, it wasn't said in an official capacity just commenting on what he's heard to a friend, which we all do. There won't be one of us who hasn't spoke to their friends about something they've heard. I also believe that we're getting into dangerous territory with the way people in the public eye can have their privacy invaded, surely we have privacy laws that should protect people's personal conversations to a certain extent

[Fosse Fox]

I just believe it is the Mail trying to make a blow against the Labour party, whilst not really thinking what their readership will think of the damage done to our World Cup bid. I also don't really see what's that sensational about what he said, it wasn't said in an official capacity just commenting on what he's heard to a friend, which we all do. There won't be one of us who hasn't spoke to their friends about something they've heard. I also believe that we're getting into dangerous territory with the way people in the public eye can have their privacy invaded, surely we have privacy laws that should protect people's personal conversations to a certain extent

It's the Daily Wail and the Screws that are telling their readerships that our 2018 World Cup has been damaged by Triesman's allegations. If they wanted to, the media could have spun it the other way round that Russia's and Spain's bids were damaged by 'serious allegations that need to be investigated as a matter of urgency'. After all, mud usually sticks.

If we applied the media's reverse spin here to the John Higgins affair it would be Barry Hearne who'd be out of a job for condoning entrapment.

[purpleronnie]

I can't believe any other country apart from england would go out of its way to damage their own countries world cup bid.

I just hope the Aussies get it.

[James.]

Apparently all the red tops turned it down which tells you something about the Mail...

[FoxyPV]

I actually want England to succeed in this bid and the papers go out of their way to fook things up.

Add this to reasons I hate the Daily Mail.

[Fosse Fox]

Apparently all the red tops turned it down which tells you something about the Mail...

The Screws didn't go for the scoop but they did run the story on their website and in their later editions.

As did much of the media...

[Alexikokopops]

FIFA are examining the statements. I thought it was a bit odd yesterday when it seemed like they weren't really that concerned.

[Shrenchel]

Gary wasn't feeling it

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/david-conn-inside-sport-blog/2010/may/18/gary-lineker-triesman-mail-sunday

[Uncle Albert]

Our media is a joke, seriously.

Gotta agree with this.

[Ford Super Sunday]

Lineker quits his Daily Heil column over this!

Gary Lineker has quit his weekly column in the Mail on Sunday in protest at the newspaper's publication of Lord Triesman's secretly recorded conversation on Sunday.

The story led to Triesman's immediate resignation as the chairman of the FA and of its bid to host the 2018 World Cup, and has forced the bid team into a frantic operation to re-establish its credibility.

Lineker, the former England international and World Cup star turned BBC presenter, is an official ambassador of the bid and believes the Mail on Sunday's story had little merit but did potentially serious damage to the effort to bring the 2018 tournament to this country.

"The story itself, the circumstances surrounding it and the actions of the Mail on Sunday in publishing it have undermined the bid to bring the World Cup to England in 2018," Lineker said.

"I wholeheartedly support the bid, because I believe that hosting the tournament would be brilliant for the country, and I am an official ambassador for it. I have therefore taken the view that I cannot continue as a columnist for the Mail on Sunday."

Lineker has been writing the weekly column in the Mail on Sunday for six months following the death of Sir Bobby Robson, who wrote previously in that slot. Lineker's long-term agent, Jon Holmes, was severely critical of the paper, saying that he and Lineker had quickly formed the view that Lineker should sever his involvement with the paper.

"The story showed crass judgment," Holmes said. "It had dubious journalistic merit, was clearly obtained by entrapment, and was timed to do the maximum damage to the World Cup bid, which Gary and all football fans in this country passionately support. We wanted to make our position clear and to do all we can now to help persuade Fifa that England is the best country to host a great World Cup in 2018."

The newspaper ran on Sunday the comments made by Triesman, 66, during a private dinner with a friend, Melissa Jacobs, 37, who, unknown to him, was recording it. She then sold her story to the Mail on Sunday, which is understood to have paid £75,000 for it, with the publicist Max Clifford representing Jacobs.

Triesman's remarks, particularly his casual claim that the Spanish and Russian football authorities are considering bribing referees at this summer's World Cup, led to his resignation. In his statement, he complained of "entrapment" by the Mail on Sunday.

The 2018 bid team, fresh from an overwhelmingly positive trip to deliver the bid document to Fifa last week, are now working flat out on a salvage operation. Letters of apology were faxed to Madrid, Moscow and the Fifa offices in Zurich as early as Saturday night, a new bid chairman, Geoff Thompson, was appointed, and now Fifa's ethics committee is investigating the claims and the surrounding circumstances. Fifa's general secretary, Jerome Valcke, said he expected the inquiry to be finished before the World Cup, which starts on 11 June.

Public reaction, gauged by responses to phone-ins and online coverage of the story, including the Mail on Sunday's own website, has been dominated by fury at the newspaper for publishing the secret recording, rather than at Triesman for making the comments. Malcolm Clarke, the chairman of the Football Supporters Federation, said in a joint statement with Supporters Direct: "The Mail on Sunday has grievously endangered the bid with the worst sort of journalism. All involved at the Mail should hang their heads in shame. Many football supporters will think long and hard before buying the Daily Mail or The Mail on Sunday."

After being told of Lineker's decision to cease working with the Mail on Sunday, the 2018 World Cup bid team said in a statement: "We would like to thank Gary for his support which is greatly appreciated. He has been a fantastic ambassador for the bid until now and will continue to be so until the end of the campaign.

"We have had many messages of support over the last few difficult days and are grateful for all of them. It is clear that the public is totally behind both the bid and the England team going to South Africa this summer."

Jacobs is understood to have further comments from Triesman on tape and the Mail on Sunday is considering whether to run them as a second instalment.

In a statement, the paper defended its story on Triesman. "This story concerns very serious allegations of corruption at the highest level of sport, made by the man who was leading the England World Cup bid. The public are clearly entitled to know about such allegations, which are quite rightly now the subject of a FIFA investigation. We would also like to make it clear that Melissa Jacobs put details of her relationship with Lord Triesman on the internet, and made her recording of her conversation with him, without the knowledge or involvement of The Mail on Sunday. There is no question of entrapment, the paper was simply reporting events that had already taken place.

"We made it absolutely clear to Gary Lineker that he could express his views about this story in his column with complete freedom. We regret that he turned down this offer. The Mail on Sunday gives its full support to the England 2018 bid, and notes that many commentators believe its chance of success is as strong as ever."

]

The Mail on Sunday gives its full support to the England 2018 bid, and notes that many commentators believe its chance of success is as strong as ever. :crylaugh:

Well done Gary, stading up for principles

[Unit]

Audio interview with him here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8690639.stm

legend

[Koke]

Only in England could we sabotage our own World Cup bid.

On another note, is it any surprise to see that slimey cunt of a parasite Max Clifford involved in this as a representative for Melissa Jacobs.

[Fosse Fox]

Only in England could we sabotage our own World Cup bid.

On another note, is it any surprise to see that slimey cunt of a parasite Max Clifford involved in this as a representative for Melissa Jacobs.

Looks like Triesman was spun a yarn. Somebody knew he wouldn't need much prompting to repeat the rumour if given the opportunity which is why his ex turned up with a tape recorder (interesting that we haven't been given the transcript). According to Oliver Kay in The Times, FIFA will be investigating:

As it transpires, Fifa, world footballs governing body, has requested its ethics committee to investigate Triesmans allegations. Not for veracity and not as a precursor to any wider investigation, but to determine whether or not, by speaking out of turn about two other aspiring hosts for the tournament, the former FA chairman and, by extension, England have flouted the rules of conduct for the bid process.

So FIFA are not interested in finding out if there is any evidence of corruption which suggests that they and others know that Triesman was set up, which begs the equally awkward questions, was this done deliberately to bring the FA's 2018 bid into disrepute? But this blindingly obvious presumption seems to have escaped our razor sharp hacks (including Kay).

For those who want more of Kay's equivocal prose:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/international/article7129215.ece