FIFA

Surely FIFA is corrupt. I have written to them and told them that. I told them until they got rid of corruption I didn’t want England to participate in any future competitions organised by FIFA. There comes a time when you have to take a stand for what is right. That time came a while ago when Qatar was building its stadiums with what amounted to slave labour – do you hear that, Blatter, do you even know what it means? Of course Fifa did not reply. They might have done if I had passed them a sealed envelope containing free pizza vouchers, or a gift certificate with a percent reduction on quality handbags. The English FA is not much better. They chased Jack Warner (former Vice president of FIFA and President of CONCACAF – can you believe that?) around like he was the classroom hero and if they won his favour they could hang out with the cool guys and meet with the cool chicks. In doing that they lost my respect. It’s all so well documented here: http://www.playthegame.org/uploads/media/Andrew_Jennings_-_2018_England_in_the_iron_grip.pdf.

And so it goes on. Garcia resigns, FIFA discredits his report then says it will release it (edited?). Blatter holds a press conference saying that’s an end to the matter. UEFA president Michel Platini endorses that view and tucks into his foie gras, refusing to return a £16,000 watch given to him by the Brazilian Football Confederation despite the fact that the football’s governing body claimed the gift broke its code of ethics. Rotten, rotten, rotten; from its head to its golden-laced boots football is as rotten as a rich, fat belly clogged up with Swiss chocolate. I do so wish honest officials and politicians, of any calibre, would stand up to it, sacrifice their careers for the greater good. I would do it. Employ me for six months on 100K a year and I would blow the gaffe wide open – For the good of the game…

I recently heard a football journalist say on the radio that nothing can be done about the corruption, and as FIFA does good things for the development of the game in poor countries around the world we should all turn a blind eye. That’s like saying Basin City should carry on with murder, theft, prostitution, under-age sex, torture, illegal gambling, and any other vice you could mention because nothing can be done about it and it is self-policing under the benign brutality of Marv. Maybe Marv should take over the leadership of the FA. ‘I check the list. Rubber tubing, gas, saw, gloves, cuffs, razor wire, hatchet, Gladys, and my mitts.’ Go get ’em, Marv.