England fans turn backs on Brazil as FA fear lowest turnout at tournament in years.

The FA believe England will be cheered on in Brazil by the smallest number of official supporters seen at a tournament for years.
Foreign Office officials were told at their last briefing with the FA that it is estimated only around 1,100 members of the official fan club, the same number who travelled to Rio for the  2-2 draw against Brazil in the Maracana in June, would make the World Cup trip next summer.

Flying the flag: England supporters turn out in force to support their team for the 2010 World Cup

Fear: The FA believe England will be cheered on in Brazil by the smallest number of official supporters seen at a tournament for years

 

 

England have been allocated eight per cent of the tickets available for their games. But the take-up is expected to be so low that the FA are offering fan club membership, which includes immediate access to World Cup tickets, at £37.50 - half the normal price.
This contrasts with previous tournaments when the demand for tickets was such that  England fans had to have a certain number of points from attending previous England games to guarantee their allocation.
And the FA believe more than 2,000 supporters will choose to watch the friendly warm-up match in Miami rather than follow Roy Hodgson's team to Brazil.
England fans have been put off by the complicated logistics of following the team, not to mention the price tag of £7,000 just for travel and accommodation.
FIFA said yesterday that 27,000 World Cup tickets had been bought from England in the general sale, though many of those would have been multiple purchases.

 

England's UEFA representative David Gill was not consulted about the shadowy political manoeuvring believed to have been orchestrated by UEFA president Michel Platini ahead of tomorrow's World Cup draw.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the surprise decision to hold a draw to move one of the nine European countries to make four eight-strong groups was taken after a meeting of confederation presidents that includes all-powerful Frenchman Platini. It was widely expected that France would be switched as the lowest-ranked European qualifier.
UEFA claimed yesterday that FIFA made the original proposal and Platini offered to leave the room during the World Cup organising committee talks but was asked to stay to assist in the discussion.

 

Pele says he will not be making the draw tomorrow, but being on stage at a global football occasion straight afterwards seems more in keeping with his status as the world's greatest ever footballer than doing a promotion for a chain of sandwiches in Sao Paulo as he was yesterday - however much he was being paid.

Taking a bite: Pele took part in a promotion for a chain of sandwiches in Sao Paulo on Wednesday

 

A signed Andy Murray tennis shirt, though not the one he wore to win Wimbledon, failed to attract much interest from impoverished tennis reporters at a charity auction during the Lawn Tennis Writers' Association awards lunch. So mother Judy stepped in and paid £1,000 for her son's kit.

 

Ministry of silly talks

Confidence in the smooth running of the World Cup certainly would not have been increased by the seemingly ill-informed ramblings of Minister of Sport Aldo Rabelo at a media briefing ahead of the draw.
Rabelo insisted that all 12 stadiums will be delivered in January, despite FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke having announced the day before that the venues in Cuiaba and Curitiba - and possibly Sao Paulo – would not be ready until February at the earliest.

No good advice: Confidence wouldn't have been increased by the seemingly ill-informed Aldo Rabelo

FIFA fear the handover in Curitiba could be delayed until March in what is proving a far more difficult build-up than South Africa experienced in 2010.
Ironically, the official from Curitiba turned up late for a briefing yesterday. The hapless Rabelo also suggested that one reason for the schedule falling behind had been the planning around a Christmas lunch being attended by Brazil president Dilma Rousseff.

 

MCC members are dismayed by the plans to spend £21million on a new Warner Stand at Lord's that will only accommodate 100 more seats. John Fingleton said 'it beggars belief', while Laurence Dillamore believes 'someone needs to be sectioned'.
MCC say the first renovation phase is about improving facilities and capacity increases will come later.

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