David Beckham and the inelastic demand curve

Football's probably not 'coming home' and I, for one, am relieved. Thanks to the allegations made against three senior FIFA representatives on BBC's Panorama programme, we will not have to suffer the mismanagement, overwhelming nationalism, ridiculous expectations and inevitable failure of England to get beyond the quarter-finals of a World Cup at home. Unless there is a last minute postponement, there seems little opportunity for the England attack of Cameron, Beckham and Prince William to prize open the bidding committee's defence and repair the damage.

Panorama claimed that Nicolas Leoz, Issa Hayatou and Ricardo Teixeira took bribes from International Sport and Leisure (ISL) who gained exclusive rights to market World Cup tournaments. It is alleged that ISL made 175 payments totalling about $100m (£64m) during the 1990s. Nicolas Leoz, of Paraguay, the head of South America's football confederation, Ricardo Teixeira, head of the Brazilian Football Confederation which is responsible for staging the 2014 World Cup and Issa Hayatou, the FIFA vice-president representing football in African nation are all part of the committee to vote on the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids.


The BBC allegations follow the Sunday Times secretly videotaping two other executive committee members allegedly agreeing to accept bribes for their votes. They also taped four former members talking about the culture of taking bribes. Last week, Dagbladet, a Norwegian newspaper published a story that showed that Trinidad and Tobago's Jack Warner, one of the organisation's vice-presidents, also named by the BBC, had tried to sell $84,000 worth of 2010 World Cup tickets. It means that FIFA has six members (or 25%), of the original 24 members of the committee taking the biggest decision in sport, facing allegations of corruption.

In May Lord Triesman had to resign as FA and World Cup 2018 bid chairman following a story in the 'Mail on Sunday' where he suggested that Spain would end its bid to host the tournament in support of rival bidders Russia if they helped to bribe referees at this Summer's World Cup. England's bid had long been wracked by in-fighting and Premier League Chairman, Dave Richards, resigned in November 2009 saying he had no confidence in the FA bid committee. The bid for 2018 follows the shambolic bid for the 2006 tournament when England made a last minute bid after reneging on a deal to back Germany who had supported England's Euro 96 bid.

In response to the earlier allegation FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, stated that accusations would be investigated "should it be knowledgeable to us, by official means, or by official channels, then naturally we would have to look at that." Unfortunately when a journalist asked FIFA's media office what he meant by "official channels", they replied: "We have no idea." It's not a pretty picture is it? But what do you expect from a morally bankrupt sport. Football has never been squeaky clean but these latest allegations are yet another demonstration that football is rotten to the core. 

Gazza in his glory days at Boston Utd

The problems infect game from top to bottom. In 2002 my home club, Boston Utd, rose to the previously unheard of heights of Division 2 (after years of being non-league giants). The glory days were short-lived. united have subsequently been relegated twice in the last few years due to 'financial irregularities' by the Chairman and manager. They were then left on the brink of extinction by property developers who are still involved at other clubs. It is a familiar story to many clubs in the lower reaches of the football pyramid. In Boston's case two local businessmen stepped in to save the club after an emotional public meeting. They have brought back some integrity to the finances and have agreed to hand over control to the Boston United Supporters' Trust through a fundraising for shares deal. 

Anyone who has studied economics would recognise the demand curve for football fans as an addiction. This can have benefits in cases like a Supporters' Trust working tirelessly to save their football club but, more often than not, it just allows the chairman to fleece them. A few years ago, Freddy Shepherd, Newcastle Chairman at the time, was caught in a News of the World sting, mocking the club's own supporters for spending extortionate amounts of money on merchandise and calling female supporters “dogs” - all while frequenting a brothel. Utter contempt.

One fan avoids getting ripped off

So what is the answer? Well, over the last few years I have lost patience with the 'beautiful game.' A pyramid where most of top clubs have become the play things of foreign owners with no interest in the national team, history or locality. Best league in the world? Who cares? Most of the players have no loyalty and will be off at the first jingle of gold coins whilst, at the bottom, the fans are forced to pay the bill.


Is there any way to get some integrity back in the game? It seems a forlorn hope but these allegations could be a start. I have to agree with ex-Tory minister and Chelsea fan (a double reason to not agree with him usually) David Mellor, the former chairman of the Football Task Force in Tony Blair's government. He commented, "I can't help feeling it would be a better role for England to actually be insisting on the reform of Fifa, making Fifa transparent, making Fifa accountable instead of kowtowing to Fifa in order to get the World Cup finals.”

As for the fans. Well, until we realise that 'fan' is just a more expensive form of 'customer' the Freddy Shepherds of this world will continue to do to us what he wanted to do to the ladies at the brothel.