Blatter's FIFA presidency must not survive

England certainly don't have 20 world class venues, but if the English bid was undermined by a media that has regularly demanded more transparency to Fifa and dared to investigate certain members (like Jack Warner) then what can I say? That's simply absurd, and I don't think it isn't true either. As an aside, what non-Europeans fail to note is that England is an outsider in Europe, and IMO is held at a long arm due to the success of the EPL. Simply because other members haven't pipped up means little. When has English football ever had the corruption issues that Italy has had, for example? Europeans have far more in common with each other than England, and so I'm not surprised we haven't had widespread condemnation.

Sadly Sheek I think you are right...

I'm fine either way. Women can alternate between wearing the two. And I am still undecided about the benefits of Blatter resigning. Say what you will about him. He and Havelange have a history of helping the smaller nations of football which has pissed off the powerbrokers of Europe who think they own the game. Alternatively with nations outside of South America and Europe performing well at the world cup and leagues like Japan and the MLS developing well, it could also be argued that as a bloc, the less developed nations of the football world can start to stand on their own two feet so we don't need Blatter and his ilk anymore. The awarding of the world cup to the coldest and the hottest nations in the earth attest to the fact that something is wrong in the voting process at FIFA.

David, I guess while so many people are on the FIFA gravy train, no-one will want to upset the apple cart (& aplogies for all the whatsa-me-callits - having a senior moment - oh those suspenders!). Ah, cliches, that's it!! I agree with Darwin Stubbie that England (2018) & Australia (2022) were never in the race to be hosts, except in our own minds. Even so, it would be good for the sport if there was a re-vote. I reckon Russia would retain 2018 (maybe) while USA would win 2022. It should have become immediately obvious when Qatar won the rights to 2022 that something was terribly amiss with FIFA. I 'm amazed the ExCo is still standing - gets back to the gravy train.....

Never pay for car parking and the same goes for women.

"Do the sport you say you respect a favour by by stepping down, and return to the World Society of Friends of Suspenders." No! I like women wearing pantyhose, so I don't want him to return to the group. :D Although, in fairness, it's not as if he's incredibly competent.

Well, that may be more difficult than I imagine .... ... I just put on my Adidas sneakers and drove my car - filled with Castrol GTX - to my local McDonalds to grab a burger and Coca-Cola and have Bloomberg playing in the background on my Sony Bravia TV!

These are the main sponsors of FIFA: Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Sony, Castrol GTX and adidas. If you disapprove of FIFA, just bombard those companies and say you will boycott them until Blatter is gone. In this day and age that sort of snowballing protest should be very easy to organise. Go to their websites, facebook pages and twitter and fire away.

Yes but how much do you have to pay them?

i think this is a very key point ... the view the bulk of the FAs have about england ... they are leading the race among the 'sour grape' countries and its really just confirming what many in the broader FIFA family think of them. Our media is going along with it largely as our outlets sourced their main early reports from the english wires. And basing their analysis on that. SBS has been slightly more circumspect given they actually have someone on the ethics committee. (Not that they could use Les directly i would imagine.)

Then Blatter should approve the release of the Zug court findings from last year instead of stonewalling.

David I really hope you're not trying to imply in this that everything was fantasticaly rosy in the FIFA house under Havelange - the bloke was seriously dodgy ... over his term generally Blatter has been good for football - but in the end FIFA is FIFA and anyone involved in football would know what to expect when you go there ... the English FA certainly would have and if Australia didn't then some serious questions needs to be asked - but in reality I'm the FFA knew exactly what they were getting involved with ... it's just appears the Aust public weren't Both the Aust bid and the English bid had holes in them (England certainly didn't have 20 world-class venues - but were more than probably undone by their own press) and Aust had issues surrounding grounds, timezones and travel etc ... but in the end Qatar and Russia showed that despite this if you really want something you can get it - but you have to play the game ..

Hi whiskeymac In my opinion, what happens to Blatter must be determined by factual evidence of what Blatter knew of the alleged improper behaviour and whether he actively or tacitly did anything that amounts to endorsing such behaviour. I can't see how the President of a 208-member organisation can be held responsible for the behaviour of individual members if he was unaware of the behaviour. Even in Australian politics this doesn't occur - when a Minister is found to have engaged in improper behaviour the Minister involved resigns NOT the PM. E.g. In June 2009, when the Minister for Defence, Joel Fitzgibbon, admitted he behaved improperly, Fitzgibbon resigned ... not PM Kevin Rudd. And, after review by the FIFA Ethics Committee (which includes our very own SBS guru, Les Murray), it seems Blatter has been found to have done nothing wrong in relation to these allegations.

Hi Fuss, good points and I saw Franz B's endorsement...glowing indeed. He also queried why we didnt get any more votes...maybe he was out of the loop? But if all this corruption allegedly flourished under Sepps reign, why is he not accountable as CEO/ President/ prime Minister/ Director General's the world over are? Also although the others may or may not be jumping up and down ( idont think we are either tbh) about not getting the vote thats not the ain issue. What is the issue is the corruption and the issue of FIFA corruption is well reported in many online papers for example: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/Showman-Blatter-tackles-media-and-FIFAs-little-devils/articleshow/8655829.cms, as well as South China Morning Post etc.

Sadly the english are hated more in world football than anyhting the septic man will do.... and they missed there chance when they chose to abstain and fail to support cleanskin Figuero As was noted in an english paper... only UK papers and journos were really at the press conference... whether self-interest or not...99% of the the FA's are not kicking up a fuss regard this crisis and keeping low unfortunately...

David I agree but its just as farcical that we let them get away with it. And we will. All the shaking of heads and clenched fists and political rhetoric from backbenches in Westminster and Mr Arbib won't change anything. Sepp has the ball and taken it home. If FIFA won't change of its own accord it will be interesting to see what the collective will comes up with: do we grumble and blog and carry on and forget about all this "kerfuffle" (as FIFA sees it) or do the FA's and other vested interests of the world take action and force the agenda. My money (not for Jack Warner) is on the former. "New Season" will kick off in the EPL and Barca-Real and FFA (who must secretly enjoy not being the subject of this one!) and Socceroo firnedlies will overtake the consciousness and concerns. As new dramas unfold in the world all this will be background noise and a footnote to FIFA's criss what crisis fortnight - and thats what Sepp no doubt is banking on (again a money phrase).... Despite that, and as an aside, whats the other fall out? the loss of MBH etc. Cockerill rather excitedly addressed this in the SMH by suggesting it would split asia in two, but do you have any thoughts on this? Political relaignments must affect us in some way... Will this see governments getting moe involved in what were seen as independent organiations - why cannot they be made accountable to an international tribunal of sport (clubs and players are)?

It's interesting to note that, apart from a couple of politicians from "the sour grape countries" (Australia, UK & USA), I haven't heard any other Governments speaking out strongly about the FIFA issues. Heck, even the Japanese, Sth Koreans, Belgians, Dutch, Spanish & Portuguese who are all disappointed about missing out on 2018 or 2022 hosting rights haven't been vocal in their complaints. And, the biggest and most successful football nations including: Germany, Spain, Argentina, Brasil, Italy, France, Holland, etc. etc. aren't jumping up and down. Neither are the Sth American, African, SE Asian, West Asian countries complaining loudly and emotionally about FIFA. In fact, only a few days ago, Der Kaiser, who is one of the most respected names within the Football family (both on and off the park), fully endorsed Sepp Blatter as President.

Actually, I am a member of the suspenders society. In the research I have conducted, you might get 10 to 20 percent of women who go with suspenders.