Sunday 30 November 2014 22:15, UK
England's 2018 World Cup bid entered into collusion with South Korea's bid for the 2022 tournament, it has been alleged.
In yet more evidence submitted to parliament by The Sunday Times, two senior England 2018 sources and an FA source claim England agreed a collusion pact with South Korea on the eve of the secret ballot - in breach of FIFA's rules.
It is alleged South Korea's voter Dr Chung Mong-Joon was to vote for England in exchange for England voter Geoff Thompson’s backing for South Korea, but Dr Chung reneged on the deal and is believed to have voted for Russia instead.
Dr Chung is also alleged to have told Prime Minister David Cameron he would vote for England in a private meeting on the eve of the vote.
[Then FA vice-chairman] David Dein goes up to the South Koreans and says 'why didn't you vote for us?' The bloke said: 'That’s football'.
According to the newspaper's evidence, passed to a House of Commons committee and seen by Sky Sports News HQ, the FA source said: "We did a deal with the South Koreans whereby we would vote for them and they would vote for us but they didn't vote for us.
"It tells you all about the English bid, doesn't it? We even messed up fiddling it.
"They knew the next day, so [then FA vice-chairman] David Dein goes up to the South Koreans and says 'why didn't you vote for us?' The bloke said: 'That’s football'."
The newspaper's dossier also claims England's bid team used former MI6 agents and British embassies to spy on rival nations.
And within the files are further unproven claims that Russia and Qatar bought votes before being awarded the 2018 and 2022 tournaments respectively back in 2010.
Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ, MP and chairman of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, John Whittingdale, said these allegations of collusion pale in comparison to those levelled at Russia and Qatar.
"The allegation against the FA is a breach of the rules but it’s relatively minor compared to the allegations levelled against other countries," he said.
"The more we hear about it, the more extraordinary it is. There are so many allegations of payments being made, gifts being given, people being entertained.
"One thing that doesn't seem to have been factored in is whether any of these places are right for football. It seems to be done on the basis of who can pay the most money.
"What really needs to happen is a fully published investigation by FIFA and then the process needs to be fully reformed."
The Russia 2018 media office has issued a statement to Sky Sports News HQ in response to these latest claims, stating it "categorically rejects all of the allegations made in The Sunday Times as entirely unfounded speculation".
