FA get a bad dose of Qatar

CONSIDERING most of its neighbours have imposed a trade and travel blockade on the state, Qatar needs all the friends it can get.

Step forward the FA, on behalf of whom former chairman Greg Dyke (below) once said Qatar being given the World Cup was “the worst moment in FIFA history”.

Now, ignoring his predecessor’s sentiments, ignoring continuing concerns over working conditions for those building World Cup stadiums, ignoring that blockade imposed because those neighbours believe Qatar has links with Islamist terror groups, the current FA chairman Greg Clarke has signed a Memorandum Of Understanding with the Qatar FA, promising “knowledge-sharing and even deeper co-operation”.

And some of us thought Clarke’s pompously aggressive performance in front of a Commons select committee was a low point.

Why on earth is he and his organisation cosying up to a regime that has so many questions to answer?

Either they believe it might somehow help some doomed World Cup bid down the line or there is a few quid in it. Or maybe they are under orders from the Government. Whatever the motive, it is almost a sure thing this tie-up will come back to haunt them.

As so much does.