Russia - is that really in Europe???

I do feel for David Beckham. He's shaking off his image of being a bit of a thicky and is becoming an ambassador for British sport which is brilliant. I have no doubt that he and the whole British team poured their hearts and souls into the World Cup bid. We had a Prince, two Prime Ministers and a handful of legends. But it wasn't enough.

So what did we need to do to win this bid? It seems to be coming down to two things.

1. Silence our press; or

2. Dig behind the sofa for spare change, stick it in a brown envelope and give it to the FIFA officials.

I don't know the answer but the more I hear and read about the matter it seems to me we're better off out of it. FIFA seems to be run by a bunch of scoundrels. I watched the Panorama program and couldn't help but notice that every one of the FIFA members accused of corruption also looked evil. They wouldn't have been out of place on the stand of a war crimes trial. Are they being accused because they happen to look like they might be up to no good or have they come to look like that because they are up to no good. I'm not sure this one will ever be answered.

The Panorama program was put together by a man who has been trying to prove the corruption in FIFA for 20 years and has been banned from their premises. He clearly has his own drum to beat. However, I was amazed by the terms and conditions which FIFA ask countries to abide to. They keep these secret but the Dutch, being scared of no-one, published them and they were rather shocking. The host country has to change their laws to accommodate FIFA including Tax breaks and change/scrap immigration policies. Britain is a nice place - no-one would leave afterwards. The whole country would be full of even more football fans. It's hard enough to get to the bar at the moment as it is! David Cameron didn't hesitate to sign this. A bit of perspective please.

The Dutch also worked out the costs to their country and estimated that hosting the world cup would cost them many millions - not make them many millions. So why the hell do it??

I'm married to a football fan. He goes to away matches which makes him quite hardcore. Over the time I've been with him I've come to understand that Football is much more than just a game. Football fans will support their team come rain or shine and on losing streaks that are longer than their own life spans because..... football is emotional. Football, and sport, is now being marketed as entertainment. But it isn't, because to claim it's entertainment is to say that the customers have a choice on who they go to see. They don't have a choice - they will only go and see their own team... because they are emotionally attached.

Football is also about pride. Fans are proud of their teams. Well, fans of good teams are proud of their teams - the other half want to be proud of their team, if only their team could kick the bloody ball in a straight line and towards the oppositions goal for a change.

In the same way that you end up paying nearly £10 for a cup of tea and a sandwich on the train because you have no choice of vendor, football fans are ripe for exploitation.

I'm going to end with a question. If we have the money to host a world cup, why don't we just do it? Bypass FIFA. Set up our own federation. They do it in wrestling all the time! FIFA won't change because they have no need to. A bit of competition might give them a kick up the arse.

FIFA only have power because we give it to them.

But what do I know, I'm just a girl.