Our problem, however, may lie in the arcane nature of world football politics. Different factors motivate the 24-man executive committee which makes the decision.For example, Blatter has two reasons for preferring an African host, if one or more of the African bidders can meet the bidding criteria. First, Fifa wants to stimulate football in all corners of the world and the World Cup has never been held in Africa. Second, last June the the president gained many of the votes in his successful election campaign from a continent which had previously been committed by its leadership to the rival candidate Lennart Johansson, of Uefa. Therefore, he has a big personal stake in the continued development of African football. But if the World Cup returned to Europe he would probably support England rather than Germany.England should be able to secure the votes of two Scots, David Will and Charles Dempsey, the president of Oceania.

The European representatives still maintain that Sir Bert Millichip committed England to backing Germany. He had no reason to oppose his Uefa colleagues before England entered the contest, but there is absolutely no record of where and when such a vital gentleman’s agreement was reached.The South Americans have felt marginalised by recent alliances between Europe and Africa and so could easily vote for England if convinced of the merits of the bid.All these differing personal feelings – and more – will come into play. The FA’s potential invitation to the kids of the world is an eye-catching idea. I only hope their cavalier treatment of the World Youth Championship in Nigeria, to which they sent a “developmental” team which was eliminated without scoring a goal, has not offended too many of the influential figures they are trying so hard to woo.. Manchester United 2 Aston Villa 1

IN PRINT it seems so simple. “The Holy Grail is within sight,” a leaflet handed out on Sir Matt Busby Way read “We are 25 days away from the treble.

Twenty-five days from history.”
Two days later and the first trial has been overcome. The figure has dropped to 23 although the six, as in matches, is the more pertinent figure Win all those and an astonishing season will be complete “It’s too tense,” one woman supporter said. “I almost wish I could go to sleep and wake up after it’s all over.”If Alex Ferguson is anxious he is hiding it wonderfully. The closer the United manager comes to elevating his reputation from mere greatness to a place alongside the football gods the more sanguine he becomes.