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Panorama programme slammed by World Cup bid team

Richard Caborn believes Russia are favourites to host the 2018 World Cup © Getty Images

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England's 2018 World Cup bid team has released a statement slamming the BBC for its findings after Monday's Panorama progamme.

Ahead of Thursday's vote in Zurich, Panorama alleged that three senior FIFA officials took bribes in the 1990s from sports marketing company International Sport and Leisure (ISL). Ricardo Teixeira, head of the Brazilian Football Confederation which is responsible for staging the 2014 tournament, CONMEBOL president Nicolas Leoz and FIFA vice-president Issa Hayatou of Cameroon are the three men, while Jack Warner, another member of FIFA's executive committee, has been accused of attempting to sell tickets for the 2010 World Cup on the black market.

Panorama's allegations plunged FIFA into further controversy following the suspension of two members of the executive committee, Nigeria's Amos Adamu and Tahiti's Reynald Temarii, following cash-for-votes allegations in the Sunday Times.

However, dismissing the findings of the programme, the England bid team released a statement, stating: "We stand by our previous position that the BBC's Panorama did nothing more than rake over a series of historical allegations none of which are relevant to the current bidding process. It should be seen as an embarrassment to the BBC. The 2018 team are entirely focused on winning the bid for England."

Warner has played down the impact of the accusations. Asked for his response to Panorama programme, he said: "I really have no interest in this matter... now or ever."

UEFA president Michel Platini's remarks to reporters in Zurich after the programme contained both reassurance and warnings for England. He said: "I don't think this [programme] will have an effect, no - but I think what may affect the decision is the atmosphere going back a long time and what people have been writing about FIFA in the British press for many years."

Warner had previously warned that the BBC's Panorama programme has a "death wish" for England's 2018 bid, but it appears the country desperately need his support. Richard Caborn - who was Sports Minister at the time of the failed 2006 bid, and was Gordon Brown's personal 'bid ambassador' while he was still Prime Minister - believes both Russia and Spain/Portugal have already secured eight of their 12 votes needed to win the ballot, leaving England in a precarious position.

"The key to England's chances rest with Jack Warner, he carries three votes, has voted for England in the past, and will vote for us again - provided he is not upset by the Panorama programme screened on Monday night," Caborn told ESPNsoccernet. "If Jack does carry those three votes, then who knows, England might get through to the second round and stand a chance."

England's bid team had previously described the BBC's decision to screen the programme as "unpatriotic" and it is feared its content may convince Warner that his vote is best used elsewhere. The four bid teams from Europe - including Netherlands/Belgium - are all jockeying for support in the build-up to Thursday's vote in Zurich and England bid chief Andy Anson admitted on Monday that the country is the "underdog", with Russia favourites to secure FIFA's nomination at present.

Caborn believes England still has a chance if a bid delegation containing David Beckham, Prime Minister David Cameron and Prince William manages to impress FIFA delegates, but with countries and federations aligning behind rival bids, it appears there is much ground to make up.

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