10 years!!
A thread on the events of 10 years ago tonight.

Myself, Bozza and Robbie were in at Fox Sports at Pyrmont for a special show on the bid announcement at 2am our time.
Nick McArdle and Harps were in Zurich.

We nervously marked time in the office before going on. Robbie was on edge. He sensed something was amiss. He pushed over an ironing board. Bozza and I laughed. I picked the ironing board up, thankful it didn’t damage the flimsy gyprock.

People gathered at live sites around the nation. We sat through the final presentations. We were concerned about America. Not so much Qatar. Can’t play a World Cup in 46 degrees. Far out.

In our teal “Come Play” official bid ties we gathered on the Fox Sports News set.

Bozza remarked Qatar’s final bid video told a powerful story of uniting a divided region. Personally, I thought, that’s fine but we had a cartoon kangaroo and Elle. No contest.
Anyway, an hour before the announcement word from Zurich filtered through.

Qatar had won. They had been seen in hotel lobby’s celebrating before the ceremony.

I looked at Robbie. With the look of a man who wanted to throw another ironing board, he simply said “see, thought so”

The announcement drew closer. The sickening feeling grew. Harps in a live cross from Zurich ripped the decision which hadn’t been made. Sepp Blatter ripped open the envelope. He was pumped. We got pumped. 1 vote. Better than 0, no?
It started to all make sense. 10 years later...

...it just about does.
We were part of a stitch up, but complicit too. Just got gazumped by people who gazump people for a living. There will always be those types. FIFA have cleaned their act up, changed their rules. Who knows if it will never happen again.

Qatar will put on a World Cup like no other, which can be interpreted any way you want.

The teal ties haven’t been seen again. I’ve never had less fun at 2am again. Thankfully.