World Cup Bid 2018: Belgium and the Netherlands

If a friend of yours said they were about to bet thousands and thousands of Pounds (or indeed any currency of your choice) on a horse that had a 12/1 chance of winning, you'd probably do all you could to talk them out of it - probably just after you called their sanity into question for being so stupid. As it is, that's pretty much what the Benelux countries (including Luxembourg) are about to do, only no-one will be able to talk them out of it and no horses will be involved.

When Sepp Blatter proclaimed that any joint bids for the 2018 World Cup would only be considered if there weren't any better ones from individual countries, you'd have excused Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg for withdrawing their bid and forgetting all about the idea. Yet those same three countries working together in tandem were the first to submit their bid to FIFA and remain determined to show that the smaller countries of the world can host a World Cup just like the bigger ones.

You have to say they have a point. In the interests of equality, there shouldn't be anything wrong with allowing small countries to work together in the name of hosting such a big event. What FIFA have a problem with is the sheer logistical mess that's generated from having two sets of stadia, two sets of administrators, two sets of transport infrastructures and two sets of everything else that's probably complicated even to begin with.

But that's where the Dutch and the Belgians hold a trump card because back in 2000 they proved they could organise a large-scale football competition in the form of that year's European Championships. Everything went off smoothly in retrospect and the end result was a tournament that was regarded very highly among those people who saw it.



This time around, the Netherlands and Belgium will be joined in their bid by Luxembourg, but only from an administrative point of view. The Benelux triumvirate will put on a united front during the bid process, but the smallest of the three countries will only host a FIFA congress and won't be gaining automatic qualification to the finals as co-hosts.

So all seems above board and ship-shape… what's not to like, then? Well if there's any chink in the armour of this, one of two joint bids for the 2018 World Cup, it's that old chestnut of having enough decent-sized stadia. It's a factor that will probably crop up time and again with all the bidding candidates, but Belgium and the Netherlands are already onto this potential banana skin too.

In Brussels, a need for a 60,000-seater stadium has already been identified and any one of three plans could be chosen to achieve this. It's possible that the former Heysel Stadium (now known as the King Baudouin Stadium) will be upgraded but if that's not suitable, a new stadium could be built either in Heysel Park or the Schaerbeek region of the city.

Similarly over the border, a new 80,000 capacity stadium for Feyenoord is likely to appear just a stone's throw away from their existing one, while other Dutch venues are also seeking to upgrade, replace or create stadia that can hold the sort of crowds only a World Cup would provide.

And all these sites will be accessible via a very impressive set of transport links. Whether by road, rail, sea or air, the Benelux countries are easy to reach no matter where you're arriving from around the world. No problems ensuring the stadia get filled, then.

All of which leaves us with the feeling that this bid isn't quite the misguided foregone conclusion we thought it might be. These two founding members of FIFA from back in 1904 (oh - and Luxembourg) clearly know what they're doing, they've got everything worked out and have got their priorities right too.

When you think about it, Sepp Blatter's belief that two countries shouldn't co-host a World Cup is a load of rubbish, especially if those two countries happen to be among the most ardent soccer-loving countries on the planet. Given half a chance, the Netherlands and Belgium could actually surprise a lot of people by hosting in 2018. It's just a pity the short-sightedness of FIFA's top man might prevent it from ever happening.

Do you think Belgium and the Netherlands deserve the chance to host World Cup 2018? Leave us a comment and tell us what you think, or perhaps register your vote in our online poll at the foot of the page.

Bundesbag Week 23: Meyer's Miracle Gro

Borussia Monchengladbach have clearly not read the script. Doomed before Christmas, not even the magical powers of their coach and serial Houdini Hans Meyer looked likely to save them. After Christmas, however, the green shoots of recovery could just be made out at Borussia Park.

Now it's official! The comeback is on and Marco Marin is at the front leading the charge. The young fella is hot property this season and is determined to single-handedly keep his team in the Bundesliga before his inevitable move to Bayern next season. He was instrumental in 'Gladbach's 4-1 demolition of Hamburg (yes Hamburg) last weekend and capped off a fine performance with a goal all of his own from the spot. It should be said that the footballing gods were on their side for their third goal which looked well offside, however they are off the bottom of the table and back in the mix for survival.

Hamburg should reasonably have expected to challenge top spot had they won, particularly since Hertha faced an unpleasant trip to local rivals Cottbus. Energie are far from friendly at the Friendship Stadium. They were fortunate to go 1-0 up after a clanger from Hertha 'keeper Drobny. Indeed, they could have scored another but for the most appalling miss from Jula. However, Hertha are not to be denied at the moment and their white knight Andrei Voronin was on the mark three times in a 3-1 win. His third goal was a magnificent solo run against a ragged home defense. The Berliners are now four points clear at the top. A veritable chasm by current standards.

In their wake are four teams on 42 points. They are: Bayern who took the pressure off Klinnsy and gave Hannover a 5-1 (gerd) mullering at the Allianz; Hoffenheim who still haven't won since before Christmas and were held to a goalless draw by the suddenly frugal Werder Bremen (although how neither team managed a goal is beyond me it was such an open game); Wolfsburg, who have won five games in a row and claimed lowly Karlsruhe as their latest victim; and then there is the aforementioned Hamburg.

This means that Hertha can afford to drop points and still remain top. Conventional wisdom seems to be that they will do just that and throw the league wide open. The thing is, conventional wisdom didn't reckon on them being anywhere near the top of the league, so what do they know?

Elsewhere, Leverkusen lost further ground to the leaders. Perhaps it's the move to their temporary home or maybe it was the winter break but the zing has gone out of their boots. A humdrum home draw with Bochum was all they could manage. Stuttgart are having a characteristic second half season surge. They avenged their 4-0 drubbing at the Westfalon earlier in the season (which yours truly was present at) by beating Dortmund 2-1, the winner coming from a sweet strike by Mario Gomez. In a relegation six-pointer between Bielefled and Frankfurt, neither team were able to seize the moment and the game finished goalless.

Schalke faced local rivals Koln on Friday for the TV game. This was a match that traditionally the Royal Blues should expect to win and indeed they did. However, it was a tedious encounter and reflected the very disappointing season for which there have been consequences.

The club sacked their general manager Andy Mueller on Monday. While the coach Fred Rutten remains in charge he must be feeling the pressure. The former FC Twente coach has been warned before but they have kept faith with him so far. His team has an excellent defensive record so they must be doing something right... right?

That's it. Results and tables here.

Midweek TV Preview: 10 - 12 March

(All times - UK)

Tuesday 10 March

19:45 Bayern Munich v Sporting Lisbon, UEFA Champions League Last 16 2nd Leg, Sky Sports Xtra & HD3
These days Bayern are more PT Barnham that FC Hollywood. If they were to throw away a 5 goal first leg lead to Sporting this week its fair to say that Klinnsy will be up for a clean sweep at this year's Comedy Awards, along with his cards presumably.

19:45 Juventus v Chelsea, UEFA Champions League Last 16 2nd Leg, ITV4
The Stadio Olympico will be ready to greet Guus and the gang for what promises to be a white hot encounter among the mountains of Turin. La Vecchia Signora have only lost once at home all season (an unlikely defeat to Cagliari). Fortunately for Chelsea the Blues don't need to win.

19:45 Liverpool v Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League Last 16 2nd Leg, ITV1 & ITV HD
This should be an equally intense encounter at Anfield. Both teams have more European pedigree than the Best French Poodle winner at Crufts. However, the odds are in favour of a Liverpool win.

19:45 Panathinaikos v Villarreal, UEFA Champions League Last 16 2nd Leg, Sky Sports 2 & HD2
It's past time we did a League Spotlight on Greek football. It's Advantage Pana' at the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium. The home side have been as far as the Final in the European Cup when they lost 2-0 to the mighty Ajax at Wembley in 1971. They are looking to make full use of that precious away goal and reach the Quarter Finals for the first time since 2002.

Wednesday 11 March

19:45 Barcelona v Lyon, UEFA Champions League Last 16 2nd Leg, Sky Sports Interactive
Lyon caught Barca at an awkward moment in the last leg as they were in the middle of a minor wiggins. Hopefully for the Catalans, last Saturday's result will steady the nerves before what promises to be a difficult night at the Nou Camp.

19:45 Manchester United v Inter Milan, UEFA Champions League Last 16 2nd Leg, Sky Sports 2 & HD2
The Big One (just). Few will forget Mourinho's reaction after seeing his Porto side knock out United at Old Trafford back in 2004. 'Yes!' he exclaimed, 'That Chelsea job is mine!'. Personally, I think the Salford club will lose only two games between now and the end of the season. Will this be one of them?

19:45 Porto v Atletico Madrid, UEFA Champions League Last 16 2nd Leg, Sky Sports Interactive
Speaking of Porto, thanks to the tomfoolery of their great rivals Sporting, the honour of Portugal rests with the former winners. Atletico have to score early doors, you feel, in order to keep this tie alive.

19:45 Roma v Arsenal, UEFA Champions League Last 16 2nd Leg, Sky Sports Xtra HD3
Theo Walcott returned for Arsenal on Sunday just as his colleagues seem to have found the scoring touch. Roma's form has been patchy of late which makes the Gunners oh-so-slight favourites to go through. However, the final is in Rome this year and the Giallorossi will be desperate to stay in the competition for as long as possible.

Thursday 12 March

00:50 Botaca Chico v Gremio, Copa Libertadores, Setanta Sports 2
And if you're a lady or gent of leisure and can't get enough 'Champions League' action, head over to Setanta for the South American equivalent. This week, Botaca of Colombia look to preserve their unbeaten run (albeit of one game) against the Brazilians who are yet to get off the mark.

19:45 Manchester City v Aalborg, UEFA Cup Round of 16 1st Leg, ITV4
The UEFA Cup would do well to market itself as chill-out room to the Champions League's main stage. Alternatively, you could pass the remote to someone else...

If You Know Your History - 1965 (and all that)

In this week's look at Scottish football down the years, we turn the clock back to 1965 as Kilmarnock take on Hearts at Tynecastle in a game that would decide the league championship, as well as mark an end to a period when Scottish football was (if only for a short time) a truly competitive league.

Scottish league football has been dominated by the Old Firm. Between the first competition in 1890 and the outbreak of World War 2, only five teams (Dumbarton in 1890 and 1892, Hearts in 1895 and 1897, Hibernian in 1903, Third Lanark in 1904 and Motherwell in 1932) managed to break the grip the two Glasgow giants had on the league. From 1905 to 1939, Celtic and Rangers divided the titles between them.

Such is the dominance of Rangers and Celtic in Scottish football that there has only been one season in Scottish football where neither of the Old Firm finished in the top three, and in the 111 years that the Scottish League has existed, there have only been 19 occasions where neither Celtic nor Rangers won the league.

In 1948, Hibernian where the first team to break this spell since Motherwell did it in 1932. This started a spell of 17 years when five different teams won the league: Hibernian (3 times), Hearts (twice). Aberdeen, Dundee and Kilmarnock would all record their first league win.

Hibernian won their two titles in the 50's on the back of a forward line of Smith, Johnstone, Reilly, Turnbull and Ormond (left), better known today as the "Famous Five". That line-up first played together in 1949 in a game against Nithsdale Wanderers and became the core of a team that would finish third in '49, then second in '50 before finally helping the Hibees to two league wins in 1951 and 1952.

Aberdeen won their first title in 1955, and when Hearts won the league in 1958, it was their first since 1897. For Dundee, their only league title to date came in 1962.

Kilmarnock's only title was won on the final day of the 1964/65 season. Tynecastle, April 24, 1965. History was in Kilmarnock's favour going into the game. They'd beaten Hearts 3-1 at Rugby Park back in December, but there was a lot more riding on today’s game than the mere two points on offer back then. For both sides it was a must-win game. For Hearts, the task was simple - don't lose! Going into that final Saturday, Hearts had a superior goal average (calculated as the total number of goals scored divided by the number of goals conceded) of 1.91, whilst that of Kilmarnock was 1.81. For Kilmarnock then, the task was a little bit harder: an away win by at least two clear goals was needed to push the goal average in their favour and take the league title back to the West.

Hearts, managed by Tommy Walker lined up with:

Cruickshank, Ferguson, Holt, Polland, Anderson, Higgins, Jensen, Barry, Wallace, Gordon, Hamilton.

Kilmarnock, who had finished second on four occasions in the past five seasons, were managed by Willie Waddell (right), the former Rangers player who'd made over 200 appearances for the Ibrox side between 1939 and 1955. On the day, they lined up with:

Ferguson, King, Watson, Murray, McGrory, Beattie, McLean, McInally, Black, Sneddon, McIlroy.

All the ingredients for an exciting game where in place. Kilmarnock, knowing they needed to score got off to a great start when David Sneddon scored in the 26th minute. As he recalled later:

"The ball went out to Tommy McLean on the wing. Tommy saw me at the far post and he put the cross over perfectly on to my head. To be honest, I thought I'd miss - I never scored many with my head. Big Jim Cruikshank came right back across the goal and threw himself at the ball. By the time it hit the net, he had dived beyond the post, so that shows how close he came to stopping it."

When Brian McIlroy fired home a left foot drive into the far corner of Cruikshank’s goal a few minutes later, Kilmarnock got the second goal they needed. A rear-guard action would now be required as Hearts went for the single goal it would take to tip the match in their favour. They pushed the Kilmarnock defence to the limit and it was only a brilliant save by Bobby Ferguson from Alan Gordon six minutes from time that kept the score at 2-0 to the visitors.

When the final whistle blew, the 37,000 spectators packed into Tynecastle had seen an exciting end-to-end game that saw Kilmarnock win the title by a mere 0.04 of a goal!

Kilmarnock were unable to repeat their championship winning form, finishing third the following season. They have not finished in the top 3 since that time. It would be another 21 years before Hearts finished second again. In the last game of that season, they lost 2-0 to Dundee. Despite the loss, had goal average and not goal difference been used to differentiate the teams, Hearts and not Celtic would have been champions (ironically, had goal difference and not goal average been used, Hearts would still have won the league in 1965; football is a cruel game!).

It would take another 13 years for another team outside the Old firm to win the league. Aberdeen won their second title and their first under new manager Alex Ferguson in 1979. They would also be the last non-Old Firm team to win the league in 1986. Since then, Rangers equalled the nine-in-a-row set by Celtic between 1989 and 1997 and Celtic have won the league on the last three occasions.

Both teams are now only 5 titles short of beating the record 26 titles they won - without interruption - between 1904 and 1931.