UK and Ireland bid for 2030 World Cup not ‘up in smoke’, Morton insists

The UK and Ireland bid for the 2030 World Cup is not “up in smoke” after the Euro 2020 chaos at Wembley, MPs have been told.

Englandhavebeenordered to play one UEFA competition match behind closed doors, withafurthermatchsuspended for two years, in relation to the July 11 disorder surrounding the final.

Questions have been asked about how it will affect any bid for the centenary World Cup.

But the chief operating officer of UK Sport, which is involvedinanongoingfeasibility study on whether to bid, said his view was that it had not derailed plans.

SimonMortontoldtheDigital, Culture, Media and Sport committee:“Iwasatthematch, itwasprettyhorrificanditwas the opposite of what we want big sporting events to feel like.

“However, I don’t think it’s reflective of how this country organises sporting events. We have an excellent reputation, for hosting brilliant safe and secure events. We have to get the balance right here. It was unacceptable,butIthinkmost countries around the world wouldrecogniseitisnotreflectiveofwhatnormallyhappens.

“Inrespectofthebid,Ithink the only thing I can say there is theUEFApresident(AleksanderCeferin),whoisakeyperson in respect of the process, has been on the record saying it will have no bearing whatsoever on our bid. There are lessons to be learned, the FA has commissioned a review from Baroness Casey. It’s very serious. But I do not think it is the bid up in smoke.”

Morton was asked for his view on biennial World Cups –somethingwhichFIFAiscurrently consulting on.

“What I would say about the general landscape of the sporting calendar is that we are concerned about the oversaturation of sporting events from an athlete welfare perspective,” he said. “One of the reasonswhysportissopopular isbecauseofitsscarcity.Ithink whenwehostevents,youwant to know that that’s special, because you’re attending the world championships.

“If there were 10 world championships a year, would it mean so much to the public? I don’t think that it would.

“One of the risks at the moment of the increasing volume of sporting competitions is that we may see in sport a number of rival or splinter schisms emerge across those, a little bit like in darts or boxing,you’renotquitesurewhich belt they’re fighting for.

“So I think the oversaturation of sporting competition events is a real risk.”