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Yesterday was a fascinating exercise where I suggested David Gallop was an ideal presidential candidate for FIFA, the governing body of the undisputed biggest sport in the world.
Round ball supporters were almost unanimous I had the temerity to make a suggestion at all, let alone put Gallop up as a candidate.
I strongly stand by that suggestion as Gallop would be a breath of fresh air in an organisation that doesn’t go anywhere near passing the sniff test.
What surprised me were the fanatics who point blank refuse to admit there is something radically wrong with FIFA, right from the top.
And it starts with the election every five years of the FIFA president, arguably the most powerful sporting appointment on the planet.
And that job will only be filled by someone within the FIFA ‘family’. There’s no way FIFA will ever let anyone from outside that ‘family’ into the inner sanctum to find out where the bones are buried – and what happens to the reported two billion dollars of annual income.
That’s why Gallop, or anyone like him, has Buckley’s of being nominated, no matter how brilliant they’d be at the job.
During my watch there have been three FIFA presidents – Englishman Sir Stanley Rous from 1955 to 1974, Brazilian Dr Joao Havelange from 1974 to 1998, and Sepp Blatter from 1998 to now – at least until February 26 next year.
Not one of them has passed the sniff test.
Sir Stanley was a referee who controlled the 1934 FA Cup final at Wembley between Man City and Portsmouth among a career of 34 internationals.
But he will be remembered for being a strong supporter of South Africa’s Apartheid policy that eventually brought about his rightful downfall.
Havelange was an unsuccessful 400 and 1500 freestyler at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, a water polo rep at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, and the chef-de-mission at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
Havelange became the first non-European FIFA president in 1974, but he will be remembered for his close association and formation of International Sport and Leisure (ISL) that was established to market the rights to the 1986 FIFA World Cup and beyond.
In the wash-up, Havelange resigned from the IOC in 2011 when he was 95, the resignation timed just before a court case that was to hear allegations of his corruption, enbezzlement and laundering of money out of ISL.
And who was Havelange’s side-kick for 17 years as FIFA’s general secretary?
Sepp Blatter.
When Blatter was canvassing the world seeking support to win the FIFA presidency in 1998, he told Oceania that included Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands that the winner of Oceania would automatically be guaranteed entry into the World Cup if they voted for him.
That they did, but Blatter immediately went back on his word once he won.
In short, Blatter’s word wasn’t worth the air that carried it.
History will eventually reveal the extent of Blatter’s major shortcomings, it’s only a matter of time.
But it’s worthwhile recalling one in particular on Blatter’s watch – Chuck Blazer.
He was the general secretary of CONCACAF, the organisation that’s responsible for 31 Caribbean countries, seven from Central America, and three from North America.
CONCACAF offices are in Miami, but Florida didn’t have enough attraction for the lavish Blazer so he chose to live in New York, where there was a lot more action.
CONCACAF not only paid for Blazer to regularly commute between New York and Miami and return, but paid $18,500 a month rental for a condo in New York in the expensive Trump Towers.
That was just the start.
CONCACAF also paid an extra $6000 a month for an attached condo where the only occupants were Blazer’s unruly cats.
Roarers, only the tip of the corruption iceberg has surfaced at FIFA.
So put your seatbelts on, it promises to be a mighty rough ride for ‘The beautiful game’.