Russia 1, England 0
2 December 2010
Tags: sport
So England has lost out to Russia in its bid to host the 2018 World Cup. David Cameron’s last minute slapping down of Michael Gove over school sports’ funding was clearly too half-hearted to make a difference. Those secret plans to distribute tickets in lieu of housing benefit will have to be shelved. Cameron can perhaps console himself with the thought that he may be out of office by the time he gets his complimentary seat at the final in Moscow. Here’s hoping. After all, as Sepp Blatter said, ‘football is a school of life where you learn to lose.’
Not enough money on the table? Putin stayed away out of pique, didn’t he? So they gave him the nod out of gratitude.
I don’t think so, Geoff. My take on it is that Putin stayed away because he knew that Russia had won. His absence only made the presence of David Cameron appear more ridiculous, more impotent.