FIFA is under growing pressure over its controversial decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. One of its main sponsors, Sony, has now called on the governing body to carry out 'an appropriate investigation' into claims of wrongdoing during the bidding process. Meanwhile, The Sunday Times has published new allegations based on a leak of millions of secret documents. Qatar were awarded the right to stage the 2022 World Cup in December 2010. The decision has come under increasing scrutiny with FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce saying recently that he would support a re-vote to find a new host if corruption allegations can be proven. Last week the newspaper alleged that Qatar's former FIFA Vice President Mohamed bin Hammam paid three million smackers to various football officials around the world to help 'win support' for Qatar in the run up to the World Cup vote in December 2010. Now Bin Hammam is facing claims that he used his top level contacts with the Qatari royal family and government to arrange 'deals and favours' to secure the tournament for his country. According to the e-mails, Bin Hammam visited Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin to discuss 'bilateral relations' between Russia and Qatar a month before the votes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and brokered government level talks for Thailand's FIFA executive, Worawi Makudi, to 'push a deal' on importing gas from Qatar to Thailand. Makudi told the paper that he 'didn't receive a concession' for his part in any gas deal which may, or may not, have been brokered. 
The paper also claims that Bin Hammam invited Germany's former FOFA executive Franz Beckenbauer to Doha just five months after the vote with bosses from an oil and gas shipping firm which was employing him as a consultant. The firm involved claims that it was 'exploring possible Qatari investments' in the shipping and maritime sector but that no deal ever came from the talks. When approached by The Sunday Times, former German international captain and, later, manager Beckenbauer declined to comment. Other allegations include: fixing meetings between nine FIFA executive committee members including Sepp Blatter with members of the Qatari royal family AND arranging a meeting between the Qatar bid team and UEFA boss, Michel Platini, at European football's headquarters in Nyon. Platini, who has openly admitted voting for Qatar, claimed that Bin Hammam 'didn't attend' the meeting and insists that he has 'nothing to hide.' Qatar's World Cup organising committee last week issued a statement denying - once again - that Bin Hammam played 'any official or unofficial role' in the bid. However, what the e-mails appear to demonstrate is that Bin Hammam - banned from football for life in 2012 for his part in another corruption scandal - was, indeed, working to secure support for the Qatar bid. 
But, while that might be uncomfortable for Qatar and FIFA, it is not clear that he or the bid broke any of the governing body's bidding rules. FIFA executive committee members were not subject to the same restrictions placed on bid officials and all the bidding nations used their heads of state and senior government figures to try and win influence and votes. England's failed bid for the 2018 tournament used Prince William, the president of the FA and Oily David Cameron throughout the latter stages of their campaign. It is also part and parcel of big sporting bids for countries to use them to try and broker big trade deals. FIFA's chief investigator, the New York lawyer Michael Garcia, must now consider whether to include the latest revelations in his long-running inquiry into the World Cup bids. But, he stated last week that he will wind up his investigation early this month before writing and filing his report with FIFA's new adjudicatory chamber in the middle of July. It is understood that while Bin Hammam's role raises fresh questions about Qatar's campaign, Garcia is 'unlikely to look too deeply' into his actions as Bin Hammam has already been banned by FIFA. Britain's FIFA executive committee member Jim Boyce told the BBC website that while the last week has been 'tough', world football's governing body is changing. 'Since I joined FIFA's executive committee in 2011 half of the committee has gone,' he said. 'bin Hammam, who there's been a lot of talk about recently, has been banned for life by FIFA and many of these other people mentioned are no longer at FIFA as well. There are a lot of very good people at FIFA and people who are only interested in furthering the game of football. And, obviously, FIFA don't get enough credit for what they do around the world.'
England's final warm-up game before they fly to Brazil for the World Cup was disrupted by a dangerous lightning storm which forced the match to be halted as they were held to a goalless draw by Honduras. The game was stopped for over forty minutes midway through the first half as bad weather hit the Miami area. Which meant that ITV viewers had to suffer odious greed bucket (and drag) Adrian Chiles waffling on about nothing for longer than the average's person's tolerance level for verbal diarrhoea can stomach. But, when play resumed, Roy Hodgson saw his England team last the pace well in fierce heat and humidity, although a feisty game against the physical Hondurans lacked any rhythm. England should have won, with Daniel Sturridge missing England's two best chances but, ultimately, Hodgson will have simply been delighted his players emerged unscathed from some rough treatment, which included Honduras defender Brayan Beckeles being sent off. Captain Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney were given forty five minutes each, while Everton midfielder Ross Barkley once again looked lively as he tried to make an impression on Hodgson ahead of next Saturday's opening World Cup game against Italy in Manaus. England left Miami for Rio de Janeiro immediately after the game and can now enter the final phase of their planning for the World Cup, although the interruption for weather reduced the effectiveness of this exercise.
Roy Hodgson says that The Arse midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be fit for the World Cup finals. The player suffered nasty knee ligament damage in England's 2-2 draw with Ecuador on Wednesday. Speaking after Saturday's 0-0 draw against Honduras Hodgson confirmed that the twenty-year-old would remain part of his plans. 'I think he will make the tournament without a shadow of a doubt. That's good news,' said Hodgson.
The BBC will broadcast the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals in Russia and Qatar =- or, you know, wherever it ends up actually being played - after signing a new rights deal with FIFA. The new agreement, shared with ITV, covers TV, radio and online coverage. It continues the free-to-air broadcasting of World Cup tournaments to UK television viewers. 
The 2018 finals will be the fourteenth consecutive World Cup that the BBC and ITV broadcast together, dating back to the 1966 competition in England. More than three quarters of the UK population tuned in to some part of the 2010 tournament in South Africa. BBC director of sport Barbara Slater said: 'We are delighted to have secured the rights to one of the biggest sporting events in the world. It is fantastic news that the pinnacle event in world football will continue to be available free of charge for everyone in the UK. As we prepare for kick-off in Brazil we hope viewers at home will enjoy watching it as much as we will look forward to broadcasting it.' Niall Sloane, ITV director of sport said: 'The excitement building on the eve of this summer's tournament in Brazil demonstrates how the World Cup offers a shared, collective experience for people across the UK. So we're thrilled to be able to look forward to bringing the next two World Cups free-to-air to viewers in 2018 and 2022.'
Ayoze Perez became yer actual Keith Telly Topping's beloved Newcastle United's first permanent signing since January 2013, joining from Tenerife, with official confirmation coming from the club on Friday lunchtime that Ayoze had signed a 'long-term contract.' Perez, aged twenty, scored sixteen goals in thirty four games for the Chicharreros last season. 'I'm very happy to be here to start this new adventure,' he told Newcastle's official website.
'Any football player would be interested in playing for such a club and I will earn my position to get in the first team.' Perez is Magpies' boss Alan Pardew's first summer signing and helps fill the attacking void left by the departure of Shola Ameobi, Loic Remy and Luuk de Jong. Newcastle's next permanent signing is set to be Blunderland's Jack Colback, with confirmation of a five year contract for the midfielder anticipated next week. Pardew's interest in Montpellier playmaker Remy Cabella is also said to be ongoing, but Press Association Sport claims that the club are yet to table a formal bid for a player who has been in their sights for some time. Newcastle's need to strengthen is no secret after the loss of midfielder Yohan Cabaye to Paris St-Germain in January, while Dan Gosling has also left the club for Bournemouth. With the futures of Hatem Ben Arfa, Sylvain Marveaux and Gabriel Obertan uncertain, there are likely to be major changes at St James' Park before the new season gets under way.
The paper also claims that Bin Hammam invited Germany's former FOFA executive Franz Beckenbauer to Doha just five months after the vote with bosses from an oil and gas shipping firm which was employing him as a consultant. The firm involved claims that it was 'exploring possible Qatari investments' in the shipping and maritime sector but that no deal ever came from the talks. When approached by The Sunday Times, former German international captain and, later, manager Beckenbauer declined to comment. Other allegations include: fixing meetings between nine FIFA executive committee members including Sepp Blatter with members of the Qatari royal family AND arranging a meeting between the Qatar bid team and UEFA boss, Michel Platini, at European football's headquarters in Nyon. Platini, who has openly admitted voting for Qatar, claimed that Bin Hammam 'didn't attend' the meeting and insists that he has 'nothing to hide.' Qatar's World Cup organising committee last week issued a statement denying - once again - that Bin Hammam played 'any official or unofficial role' in the bid. However, what the e-mails appear to demonstrate is that Bin Hammam - banned from football for life in 2012 for his part in another corruption scandal - was, indeed, working to secure support for the Qatar bid. 
But, while that might be uncomfortable for Qatar and FIFA, it is not clear that he or the bid broke any of the governing body's bidding rules. FIFA executive committee members were not subject to the same restrictions placed on bid officials and all the bidding nations used their heads of state and senior government figures to try and win influence and votes. England's failed bid for the 2018 tournament used Prince William, the president of the FA and Oily David Cameron throughout the latter stages of their campaign. It is also part and parcel of big sporting bids for countries to use them to try and broker big trade deals. FIFA's chief investigator, the New York lawyer Michael Garcia, must now consider whether to include the latest revelations in his long-running inquiry into the World Cup bids. But, he stated last week that he will wind up his investigation early this month before writing and filing his report with FIFA's new adjudicatory chamber in the middle of July. It is understood that while Bin Hammam's role raises fresh questions about Qatar's campaign, Garcia is 'unlikely to look too deeply' into his actions as Bin Hammam has already been banned by FIFA. Britain's FIFA executive committee member Jim Boyce told the BBC website that while the last week has been 'tough', world football's governing body is changing. 'Since I joined FIFA's executive committee in 2011 half of the committee has gone,' he said. 'bin Hammam, who there's been a lot of talk about recently, has been banned for life by FIFA and many of these other people mentioned are no longer at FIFA as well. There are a lot of very good people at FIFA and people who are only interested in furthering the game of football. And, obviously, FIFA don't get enough credit for what they do around the world.' England's final warm-up game before they fly to Brazil for the World Cup was disrupted by a dangerous lightning storm which forced the match to be halted as they were held to a goalless draw by Honduras. The game was stopped for over forty minutes midway through the first half as bad weather hit the Miami area. Which meant that ITV viewers had to suffer odious greed bucket (and drag) Adrian Chiles waffling on about nothing for longer than the average's person's tolerance level for verbal diarrhoea can stomach. But, when play resumed, Roy Hodgson saw his England team last the pace well in fierce heat and humidity, although a feisty game against the physical Hondurans lacked any rhythm. England should have won, with Daniel Sturridge missing England's two best chances but, ultimately, Hodgson will have simply been delighted his players emerged unscathed from some rough treatment, which included Honduras defender Brayan Beckeles being sent off. Captain Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney were given forty five minutes each, while Everton midfielder Ross Barkley once again looked lively as he tried to make an impression on Hodgson ahead of next Saturday's opening World Cup game against Italy in Manaus. England left Miami for Rio de Janeiro immediately after the game and can now enter the final phase of their planning for the World Cup, although the interruption for weather reduced the effectiveness of this exercise.
The 2018 finals will be the fourteenth consecutive World Cup that the BBC and ITV broadcast together, dating back to the 1966 competition in England. More than three quarters of the UK population tuned in to some part of the 2010 tournament in South Africa. BBC director of sport Barbara Slater said: 'We are delighted to have secured the rights to one of the biggest sporting events in the world. It is fantastic news that the pinnacle event in world football will continue to be available free of charge for everyone in the UK. As we prepare for kick-off in Brazil we hope viewers at home will enjoy watching it as much as we will look forward to broadcasting it.' Niall Sloane, ITV director of sport said: 'The excitement building on the eve of this summer's tournament in Brazil demonstrates how the World Cup offers a shared, collective experience for people across the UK. So we're thrilled to be able to look forward to bringing the next two World Cups free-to-air to viewers in 2018 and 2022.' Ayoze Perez became yer actual Keith Telly Topping's beloved Newcastle United's first permanent signing since January 2013, joining from Tenerife, with official confirmation coming from the club on Friday lunchtime that Ayoze had signed a 'long-term contract.' Perez, aged twenty, scored sixteen goals in thirty four games for the Chicharreros last season. 'I'm very happy to be here to start this new adventure,' he told Newcastle's official website.
'Any football player would be interested in playing for such a club and I will earn my position to get in the first team.' Perez is Magpies' boss Alan Pardew's first summer signing and helps fill the attacking void left by the departure of Shola Ameobi, Loic Remy and Luuk de Jong. Newcastle's next permanent signing is set to be Blunderland's Jack Colback, with confirmation of a five year contract for the midfielder anticipated next week. Pardew's interest in Montpellier playmaker Remy Cabella is also said to be ongoing, but Press Association Sport claims that the club are yet to table a formal bid for a player who has been in their sights for some time. Newcastle's need to strengthen is no secret after the loss of midfielder Yohan Cabaye to Paris St-Germain in January, while Dan Gosling has also left the club for Bournemouth. With the futures of Hatem Ben Arfa, Sylvain Marveaux and Gabriel Obertan uncertain, there are likely to be major changes at St James' Park before the new season gets under way.
