After the latest cash-for-votes scandal that tainted the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid race damaged his credibility, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has pledged to shake-up the voting system for future World Cup hosts.

Blatter was quick to defend the system by which Russia and Qatar were elected as 2018 and 2022 hosts in which the 22 members of the FIFA Executive Committee made the decision amid rumours of vote-buying following the suspension from the vote of two Ex-Co members after bribery investigations.

However, the Swiss incumbent has revealed that he has had a rethink and now believes all FIFA’s 208 member associations should be allowed to vote on World Cup hosts.

The members will choose between Blatter and his rival, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohamed Bin Hammam, at the FIFA presidential election in Zurich on June 1, with Blatter telling German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine: “That’s a project I have at the back of my mind. I’d like to adopt the example of the International Olympic Committee to avoid a repeat of what’s happened in future.

“The Executive Committee receives ten or twelve bids, looks at them, recommends the best ones and then lets the plenary meeting vote. That would be a positive solution for FIFA. In view of the uncomfortable experience I had here in Zürich on 2 December it’s an idea worth considering.”

When asked as to what had happened to his friendship with Bin Hammam since the Qatari supported his successful re-election bid in 1998, he said: “I don’t know why Bin Hammam suddenly became so aggressive. 

“On the Executive Committee he repeatedly said he’d never stand against me, but that’s what’s happened.”

Blatter was confident he would easily overcome his challenger when asked about his projected total of votes, adding: “I imagine I have half the votes in Asia and Africa and a big majority in the rest of the world. At least over a hundred.”

Following their victory over Premier League rivals Tottenham to obtain preferred bidder status for the Olympic Stadium from the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC), West Ham have reportedly already begun discussing turning the US$836m venue into a soccer and athletics ground with the stadium’s designer, Populous.

A spokesman for West Ham told Building Design that Populous had been brought in to help the club work up proposals for the initial bidding phase of the work, adding: “In getting through the bid stage we engaged the services of Westfield, which was leading a team that includes Populous.”

Populous is understood to be developing plans to install retractable seating at the venue ahead of the soccer club’s first game there, which isn’t expected to be due until the start of the 2014-2015 season.

One expert told the magazine: “Populous has done retractable seating before such as Stadium Australia [for the 2000 Olympics] so it can be done.”

West Ham is expected to shortly issue an OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union) notice for its $153m plan to rework the facility, including modifying the roof, and installing permanent toilets, concession outlets and executive boxes.

Populous are expected to among the frontrunners to be awarded the contract, having worked on the redevelopment of Wembley Stadium and Arsenal’s new Emirates stadium. 

Architect Peter Cook, who helped Populous with its original design for the stadium, welcomed the decision to keep it and said Populous should bid for the work once it is advertised, stating: “[Tearing it down] would have been a waste of time and money. I think they [Populous] should give it a go. They have the experience in this whole thing to follow it through.”

Scottish League One club Rangers have announced they have borrowed £1.5million from football board chairman Sandy Easdale and investment group Laxey Partners.

Rangers are reportedly losing £1m a month – they lost £14.4m in the 13 months up to last June – and a bid to persuade the playing squad to take a 15 per cent pay cut failed.

Easdale has lent the club £500,000 on a no-fee and no-interest basis, while Laxey Partners will lend the club £1m. Both sums are secured against the Edmiston House and Albion car park facilities near to Ibrox.

The loans are repayable by September 1, while Laxey Partners, the club’s single-biggest shareholder with an 11.64 per cent stake, will make a £150,000 profit on their part of the deal.

A club statement said: “The board of Rangers is pleased to announce that it has entered into two secured short-term credit facilities for an aggregate of up to £1.5m. The credit facilities are being provided by Alexander Easdale, a shareholder in the company and director of The Rangers Football Club Limited, the wholly owned subsidiary of RIFC, and Laxey Partners Ltd (‘Laxey’), a substantial shareholder in the company.

“These credit facilities will be used by the company for general working capital purposes over the next few months.

“Alexander Easdale will make available to the company up to £500,000 on a fee and interest-free basis (the ‘Easdale Facility’).

“Laxey will make available to the company up to £1 million, with a premium payment equal to 15 percent of the nominal amount of the facility (the ‘Laxey Facility’).

“The Easdale Facility and the Laxey Facility (together the ‘Facilities’) are both secured against the company’s Edmiston House and Albion car park properties. The principal amounts of the Facilities are repayable no later than 1 September 2014 from a variety of potential sources.

“The premium on the Laxey Facility is payable in cash or, at Laxey’s discretion, in ordinary shares of 1p each, at any point between the date of the facility agreement and the first anniversary of the date of the facility agreement.”

The International Confederation of Softball and Baseball, the recent merger between Softball and Baseball is to meet with senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) members Wednesday regarding a joint bid for inclusion in the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.

The Associated Press reports International Softball Federation President Don Porter says the meeting will help prepare a presentation to the IOC’s program commission December 18-19.

Baseball federation president Riccardo Fraccari says further talks are planned with Major League Baseball about releasing players for the Olympic.

The IOC is to vote in September to add one sport, either Karate, roller sports, squash, sport climbing, wakeboard or wushu, to the Olympic program.

Tokyo 2020 sport experts, senior government officials, and private sector leaders are ready to jet off for London to learn from the preparations for the Opening Ceremony and the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

Tsunekazu Takeda, President of Tokyo 2020 and the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) said,:”Our delegation’s goal is to interact with organizing officials and soak up as much information as possible to enhance Tokyo 2020’s Candidature File. Our visit to London is a key step in helping us fine-tune the best Games plan possible for Tokyo 2020, and to eventually stage Games of excellence and excitement that will delight Japanese people and the world.”

Takeda added: “Tokyo 2020 is fully behind Japan’s Olympic and Paralympics Teams, and I hope that our athletes’ performances at these Games further ignites the Japanese passion for the Olympic Movement and helps promote our bid.

“The Games, the pinnacle of sport, have the power to unite and inspire, and I know that I, along with the rest of the nation, will be proudly watching our athletes striving for gold in London and inspiring a new generation of athletes in the process.”

Masato Mizuno, JOC Vice President and CEO of Tokyo 2020 and a member of the delegation, said: “It is a marvellous opportunity to watch the Games in London, but we will be watching it as more than just enthusiastic spectators. In addition to enjoying what promises to be a celebration of the Olympic Movement, we will be paying close attention to the precision and detail that goes into organizing the world’s greatest sporting event.”

Soccer’s World Governing body has announced Nine goal-line technology systems will undergo tests in a bid to be approved for match-day use next season.

FIFA did not disclose the identities of the nine Europe-based candidates. They will be examined by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology. After the tests the results will be studied and analysed and the best systems will be invited for a second round of trials.

FIFA stated “Each company’s respective technology will be scrutinised across a broad range of criteria, malady in both daylight and floodlit conditions,” They continued by saying “Using a pass or fail assessment system, the testing period will measure the technology’s recognition of free shots on goal, with 100% accuracy required, as well as static and dynamic accuracy tests, to 90 per cent accuracy in the first phase.”

FIFA also said: “Also under examination will be the individual goal-line technology systems’ transmissions to officials in the result of a goal, with both a vibration and visual signal required to be sent to the referee’s watch. This indication must be received wherever the referee is positioned on the field of play, or within the technical areas.”

Premier League CEO Richard Scudamore stated earlier this week that he is hoping that goal-line technology will be introduced in time for the 2012-13 season.

FIFA Presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam, challenger to current incumbent Sepp Blatter, believes he is “well placed” in the contest and has denied he is trying to buy votes by offering increased financial help for the 208 national associations.

Bin Hammam, in London to meet leaders of the Football Association ahead of the election at Congress in Zurich on June 1, said he has been encouraged by promises of support. The FA will decide at its board meeting on May 19 whom to support; many senior figures favour Bin Hammam, largely because they are against the notion of Blatter reigning over a fourth term.

The 61-year-old Qatari promised to double FIFA’s annual financial support to each member association to US$500,000, prompting Blatter to respond with an overall development pledge of $1bn over the next four years.

Bin Hammam said: “I have had a lot of support since declaring my manifesto and I think I am well placed. I said when I announced my candidacy that my chances were 50-50 and although I would not change that figure I am feeling confident.”

He denied that his promises were disguised financial incentives, saying: “People want to hear what the candidate is going to help them with. The need for the funds is essential for national associations – they need to have development projects, national teams, youth teams, facilities and it all costs money. This is not an improper act – people should know what I’m planning.”

Chairman of English nPower League One soccer side Leyton Orient, the club closest to the newly constructed Olympic Stadium, Barry Hearn has written to the UK Prime Minister David Cameron to appeal against the expected decision to award West Ham with the venue rights.

Hearn has consistently voiced his concern that if the Premier League side to inherit the stadium, they would adversely affect the revenue and indeed threaten the future of his London club.

Hearn has reportedly requested that Cameron and mayor of London Boris Johnson, not to rubber-stamp the move, so that they can have time to put their case forward. 

Media reports indicate that Hearn is consulting with lawyers about a possible judicial review, which could significantly delay the process of confirming West Ham’s tenancy at the new stadium.

Hearn said: “How on earth has nobody even considered us and how on earth has the government or Premier League, or anybody else, not even had the respect to discuss it with us?

“It’s a question of due process and whether the Olympic Park Legacy Committee, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and even the Prime Minister have given consideration to Leyton Orient in these discussions.”

The Oreint chairman feels that West Ham’s likelihood to heavily discount tickets in order to fill the potential 60,000-seat capacity of the ground would impact on attendances at their Matchroom Stadium, and that this goes against FA and Football League rulings.

Kenya has been announced as the new host of the Orange African Nations Championship (CHAN) in 2018.

The new development comes just weeks after Kenya missed out in the Afcon 2019 bid presentation.

According to a statement on the Confederation of African Football (CAF)
website, viagra sale Kenya’s bid was successful following receipt of the necessary Government guarantees.

“The CAF executive committee has designated Kenya as host of the 2018 Chan following receipt of necessary Government guarantees and complete dossier including the required infrastructure and security, remedy ” a statement on the CAF website said.

Kenya pulled out of hosting the African cup of Nations in 1996 that was later moved to South Africa who won it in the same year.