Britain could lose privileged position with FIFA

As Scottish lawyer David Will announced he will retire after 17 years as FIFA vice-president, Jack Warner, another FIFA vice-president, announced his intent to put an end to the four home associations' special rights.

If his proposal passes, Britain will lose its privileged position with FIFA.

The home nations have had the right to nominate its own FIFA vice-president and have had voting rights on the FIFA Board for the past 60 years.

"It does not make any sense. It should be abolished because it is a football anachronism," said Warner. "If I can get support I will bring it up at the FIFA Congress and I will fight to have it abolished.

"This position should be elected by the UEFA countries. You should not be able to play in the UEFA competitions and then have your own elections outside UEFA. You cannot be half-pregnant. Either you are pregnant or not pregnant."

Each home association has put up a candidate to replace Will and it looks like the election will come down between FA chairman Geoff Thompson or Irish FA president Jim Boyce.

Warner said no matter who wins the election he wants this to be the last four-year FIFA vice-presidency granted automatically to Britain.

"Whoever gets elected now, can, of course, stay in the post and serve for four years, but after that the situation must change because it is not right," said Warner.

"It has nothing to do with any individual personalities. It's the reality of the situation."

Warner, who is from Trinidad and Tobago, is the president of the CONCACAF federation, which is made up of countries from North and Central America and the Caribbean.

He failed three years ago to change the FIFA statutes because his proposals never made it to Congress. Will asked the FIFA executive committee, which includes Warner's friend, FIFA president Sepp Blatter, to vote on the issue.

Warner's proposal was defeated by 20 to 4 with three CONCACAF representatives and Ahongalu Fusimalohi from the Oceania confederation backing him.

Will's successor will not have the same relationships he had with FIFA executives, according to Warner.

Scottish FA president John McBeth and his Welsh counterpart Peter Rees are also running for the vice-presidency but neither have UEFA and FIFA experience like Thompson and Boyce do.

Each country can vote for its own candidate so there could be an impasse, especially since a decisive voting method, such as listing the candidates in order of preference, has not been decided upon.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.