Coe’s dream of taking kids to World Cup shattered

LONDON - The dream of Sebastian Coe, chairman of 2012 London Olympics organising committee, of going with his kids to watch World Cup football matches in England was shattered Thursday after FIFA awarded the 2018 edition to Russia.

Coe, a two-time Olympic 1500 metres champion and former MP, headed the successful bid to bring the Olympics to London in 2012. He was also part of the World Cup bid team and hoped that Thursday would see a glorious double. But he was left disappointed by FIFA’s decision - and insisted the team could not have done any more.

“It is the biggest prize and everybody wanted to bring it back to our shores. The people we brought, the prime minister, the future king, David Beckham, showed our desire to cradle that, nurture it and develop it,” Coe was quoted as saying by The Sun.

“We’re football fans. We wanted to take our kids to the World Cup. We’re disappointed and we will draw conclusions and more understanding in the next few days. We’re still trying to get our minds round what’s taken place,” he said.

“The campaign was strong. We could not have done more. It was a declaration of intent and an extraordinary team.”

Premier League chairman Richard Scudamore feels that England’s top-class stadia have counted against them.

“They have decided to take the World Cups to developing areas. What’s gone against us is not having to build 20 new stadia. It feels as if we are on standby for when somebody can’t host it,” he said.