Warner makes England U-turn

Fifa vice president changes view after meeting with PM

By James Riach   Last updated: 28th November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Warner makes England U-turn

Warner: England U-turn

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Influential Fifa vice-president Jack Warner has performed a surprising U-turn regarding England's 2018 World Cup bid.

The Trinidad and Tobago power-broker last month said England's bid to host the competition was 'lightweight', but after a meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Friday, he now appears more supportive of the proposal.

Warner, who holds great influence when it comes to World Cup voting, had previously argued that England's bid was falling behind those of other countries, and that they had 'no divine right' to host the tournament.

However, after Brown's intervention, the 52-year-old chief representative of Concacaf (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) has now been persuaded otherwise.

"The Prime Minister made for me a very convincing case for England, the most convincing case I have heard so far, and I was most impressed with what he had to say," Warner said in the Daily Telegraph.

England's time

"He said, and I agreed with him, that England has the best infrastructure to stage the tournament and that, after a 52-year gap, this is England's time.

"England has no divine right to stage the tournament, but by all reasonable measures it is England's time now."

Warner's criticism of the bid in October sparked a period of turmoil within the ranks, and earlier in the week Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards stepped down from his role on the campaign bid board.

"I was attempting to be constructive and I am sorry if people thought I was being destructive," Warner added.

"But I was looking at the bigger picture and the bid seems to have new energy and impetus.

"I met the Prime Minister, I will see the Queen, and next week I will meet David Beckham in Cape Town (at the 2010 World Cup draw).

"These are not for my ego, but they are the assets that the bid should be using and I am happy to see that they are being used."

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