More World Cup Woe!

I was amazed as I was watching the coverage of the 2018/22 World Cup bids yesterday to discover how everyone knew who hadn't made it through the first round of voting before the result was announced.  Everyone already seemed to know that Russia was going to be hosting the 2018 event and Qatar the 2022 contest.  It seems a huge coincidence that everyone was praising England's presentation, yet we only polled two votes.  It was widely acknowledged that ours was technically the best bid, and financially the most profitable for FIFA - so it begs the question, how could we fail so spectacularly?  I don't suppose the fighting in Birmingham the evening before or the Panorama programme broadcast earlier in the week investigating FIFA really helped matters, but even so it is difficult to believe that it made that much difference to the result.  It is a great shame as it now means that England will not host a World Cup until at least 2030 and I will be a ripe old age by then!

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Having said yesterday that the 12/1 on offer for a hat-trick in the second Ashes Test was poor value, I was very nearly forced to eat humble pie straight away as England's Graeme Swann narrowly missed out.  England had a good day in the field with James Anderson taking four wickets as they took the initiative from the Aussies who could score only 245 in their first innings.  A repeat of England's second innings in the first Test (517-1 dec) would certainly see them in a strong position...come on England!

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Good old John Francome has always been good for a sound-bite - the former champion jockey said of his chosen profession, "I never wanted to be a jockey, it was a means to an end.  If racing was abandoned I was like a dog with three dicks, I would go and do something else" - I wonder who he means?  I have always been a fan of Francome both in and out of the saddle - he has always said what other people feel, but are too scared to say.