2018, 2022 WC bidding likened to 'Wild West'

Former Sports Minister Sir Hugh Robertson has revealed that he was informed the bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups had been like a 'Wild West' process.

Robertson, who had been part of England's attempt to host the 2018 event, which was awarded to Russia in 2010 while at the same time Qatar won the vote for 2022, said that one of the England bid team told him that there were no rules.

Qatar were cleared of wrongdoing, but Michael Garcia, who investigated claims of corruption, questioned the report.

Robertson was quoted by The BBC as saying that the words FIFA and corruption are inextricably linked, and added that the only way they could start to repair their reputation is to produce that report in full, to shine a light into dark places, but the chances are extremely limited.

FIFA's report, drawn up by independent ethics adjudicator Hans-Joachim Eckert after Garcia conducted a two-year inquiry, accused the Football Association of flouting bidding rules.

But Garcia said that the report contains numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations.

Robertson, appointed minister for sport in May 2010, said that it quickly became clear to him the process was flawed. He said that he asked the question when he became sports minister about what they were and were not allowed to do, and one of them exactly said that there are no rules, it is a 'Wild West' of a bidding process.

Robertson also said that FIFA were the key people to blame.