Why the 2022 Football World Cup was awarded to the tiny Gulf State of Qatar is a mystery that will probably never be solved. What is now becoming increasingly likely is that the decision is going to cause enormous ructions within the footballing world as Sepp Blatter, FIFA President, suggests a possible change from a summer to a winter World Cup in recognition of Qatar's unfriendly climate.
"IF" the 2022 tournament was to be moved to the winter months, the disruption would be immense. Not only would European football schedules be disrupted for 3 years, but the effect on other sports would be huge. The traditional summer sports that have their principal events while football is in its 'off-season' could find themselve squeezed out - cricket, tennis, golf and athletics could all suffer serious financial damage as well as losing out on simple TV exposure. Additionally, what would there be for the fans to watch in the winter months ? It's difficult to see the typical football fan trudging off to watch Harlequins or Wigan and, apart from the two forms of Rugby, what mass spectator sports are there in the winter ?
Is it too soon to suggest that FIFA may have no choice but to have a rethink, and send this event elsewhere ?
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