Did we really just vote for Sepp Blatter?

A terrific article in today's Melbourne Age newspaper that should quieten the sanctimonious hypocrites living in Australian "glass houses" the next time they think of throwing the "corruption" rocks at "foreign" houses... particularly, FIFA. http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/full-of-sound-and-fury-20110703-1gx7y.html

To be fair it was the less bad of two miserable choices....Sep Blatter and the criminal conspiracy of FIFA versus Engerland and the sanctimonious born to rulers of the FA

The voting for FIFA President was by secret ballot - i.e. conducted anonymously. According to the FIFA Statutes: 10. Elections 1. Elections shall be carried out with ballot papers by secret ballot. The Secretary General, assisted by the scrutineers, shall conduct the distribution and counting of the ballot papers.

Would have been interesting if the voting had been conducted anonymously...

Wow, I am surprised that the FFA backed Blatter. As I anticipated the FA through making a stand, admittedly rather late in the day, has become more isolated within FIFA. Yet that may become a strength as they can comment with some freedom. I would also argue that the reforms that Blatter announced at the end of the Congress would not have happened, without the pressure for the media led by the British press who uncovered the bribery issues. It was only a few weeks ago and indeed during the bidding process that Blatter said the British press were making up the stories, lying and the accusations were false? I presume now that the German FA have called for a rerun of the 2022 WC, that the FFA will say no. I feel sorry for football followers in OZ, it appears your Association has no values and is prepared to sweep everything under the carpet. Blatter can not rest on his laurels, if he becomes complacent over the next four years because of his present strong position, then the gravy train called FIFA could run itself off the end of a cliff. Certainly the media is not finished and will take every opportunity to investigate Blatter and just how rotten is the fiefdom he has created. If there are more issues to be uncovered then it will concern the sponsors and ........

Titus I'm not accusing you directly, I'm talking in very broad terms. Everything you say is true, but equally, it is just as foolhardy to pin our hopes on prosperity by being good at a game, or even sport generally. As far as the wealth of nations goes, sport is a curious past time, not the road to economic salavation.

I don't shun the game Cattery, you do. You may think you are better than the rest of the world, but if the natural resources run out, your wit and AFL knowledge won't mean squat, and your game certainly won't be commanding billion dollar deals.

Titus life is full of irony. Do we remain insignificant by shunning a game played across the globe, but which has many ethical issues? Or do we rise above it all, poke our head through the scum at the top of the pool, and breath the fresh air that comes from being better than the rest of the world.

We all know FIFA is corrupt and rotten - that's stating the obvious. Fortunately it doesn't affect us that much. Yes, there was that failed World Cup bid, a seriously flawed bid that was never competitive and should never have been submitted in the first place. And because our taxes and our football resources went into the bid, it affects us personally - if the bid had never happened, no-one would care about FIFA corruption. But other than that bid, and the World Cup that comes round once every four years, FIFA's influence is minimal. The FFA, and the A-League, are far more important on a recurring basis than FIFA. That may make me a club before country man. But a continuously running league here in Australia, that's on every week for half a year every year, will have far more of an ongoing impact on the game than a month-long tournament every four years. Eric, a few posts above mine, summed it up best - FFA reform will affect us far more than FIFA reform ever could.

Interesting that you use the term 'The Lucky country" because this is what it actually means, "Horne's statement was made ironically, as an indictment of 1960s Australia. His intent was to comment that, while other industrialised nations created wealth using "clever" means such as technology and other innovations, Australia did not. Rather, Australia's economic prosperity was largely derived from its rich natural resources. Horne observed that Australia "showed less enterprise than almost any other prosperous industrial society."[ Ironic, in that we play a second rate form of football and pretend that makes us better, and that this is what will help us remain insignificant.

Comment removed. Inappropriate. Roar Mods.

The only body left on earth that is still comparable to FIFA is the International Whaling Commission (Japan regularly pays off the entire contingent of Caribbean nations to win votes - apprently St Kitts & Nevis' vote is just as weighty and relevant as, ooh say Australia) - both laughable fronts to appease the dumb syndicated media monster and the suckered in proles who believe it all. Oh yeah apparently the IOC has now reformed since the Salt Lake expose of 1998. Maybe they've just learned to cover their tracks a little better is all. Organisations like these are incapable of reform except from direct pressure from sponsors. Or the Swiss government/people could grow a pair and stop harbouring these bastards from economic/legal/moral reality.

I was watching Les Murray on 6.30 with George Negus and I officially lost all respect for Les when when he said "let's be clear, Blatter has never been accused of any corruption". 1. a complete lie 2. covering ones arse in the worse way. It's clear though as much as people complain they aren't prepared to do any of the heavy lifting to change the system so let's move on.

Never ever complain when you get dudded.

I'll probably cop some brickbats here, but on this issue I'm going to defend Ben Buckley and the FFA. Yes, I know its stupid of me to do so, However lets be honest, If Australia didn't vote for Sepptic, do you really think other countries around the world would follow Australias vote. Hardly. Before last years vote, many people predicted that Australia wouldn't win the hosting rights, because Australia is a small country, lack political nous, NAIVE, lack of power and influence and basically a cork in the ocean. Thats why Australia got 1 vote. Yet Daivdee Corran and many others on here reckon that not voting for Sepptic is going to make a stand and make Australia very influential in the eyes of many around the world. I mean there was no challenger. If say a Franz Beckenbauer, or Michel Platini were going for FIFAs top job, I have no doubt Australia would had voted for either of them and not Sepptic. Sure I understand the principal involved that we are voting a guy in who wasted $45 million of Australias tax payer money. If Australia wants to learn a lesson from this and somewhat make the $45 million worthwhile, then its time Australia and the FFA get connected with the rest of the world. Australia and the FFA should build bridges and networks with overseas countries, particularly European powerhouse football countries like England, Germany, Italy, Spain, France. Connect with our asian neighbours like Indonesia, Korea, China, Japan (cause lets be honest, some of them don't want Australia in Asia) or the powerhouse country of them all....USA. Those countries will help Australia reform FiFA. Australia can't make a stand or do it on their own. We are a small fish remember. Of course when you connect with other countries, it will help Australia with its football development, commercial and tourism opportunites etc. And in some way, perhaps re-coup most of that wasted $45 million and perhaps make a profit. The FFA, Sports, Foreign and Tourism ministers should work hand in hand. Football is a sport that can connect Australia with the rest of the world. (do I sound like Fozz). The worse thing Australia can do is bitch and whine about how we were dudded from FIFA and become insular by not connecting with the rest of the world. Time to move on! Remember when I said earlier, Australia lacks political nous. If Australia becomes politically savvy around the world, Australia as country and the sport of Football can thrive in this country. We don't need to host a world cup for it to happen

It doesn't rile people that, by virtue of wealth, they can't rule the world. It riles people because these nations assume a level of power by voting in a manner which is not in the interest of football, but simply in the interest in getting their tiny nation more money and power. There's something strange about a country that has absolutely no chance of playing at the World Cup having such an important vote on the ExCo for who will host it. They have no interest in choosing the right host, only an interest in what they may receive in return.

seriously what other choice did FFA have, until Bin Hammim was suspended the only choices we had was a Turd and a Douche. It always better to choose the devil you know.

Mate there's probably not even 3 billion sports fans, good point though.

Which are of course a normal part of international transactions that we need to stop being naive about, apparently.

It'll be allright on the night. Craig Foster and Les Murray have been appointed to the FIFA ethics committee and it only cost the FFA $200K in bribes.