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Jim Boyce wants Premier League to back 2022 winter World Cup

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments879

Jim Boyce

Fifa vice-president Jim Boyce has called on the Premier League to drop its opposition to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar being switched to winter.

But the Premier League is opposed to a move as it would cause major disruptions to the fixture calendar.

"A sensible decision has to be made," Boyce told the BBC. "I would appeal to people in the Premier League."

Medical evidence highlighted the dangers of playing games in temperatures that average 40C in June and can reach 50C. The heat dips to an average of 20C during the winter months.

Qatar said it would play games in air-conditioned stadiums, but that will only resolve the problem in venues.

Boyce said: "I know Qatar has said they will air-condition the stadiums and I'm sure they will be fantastic but you have to be realistic.

"You're taking thousands of people, who want to see and enjoy a World Cup, but in temperatures exceeding 50 degrees, that would not be comfortable or healthy for all of those people.

"Probably the main objectors at the moment are the Premier League and I can understand why because there's a lot of money involved.

"But from a common sense and especially a health point of view, (a winter World Cup) is something I would dearly love to see and I would hope that people would sit down and try to sort it out."

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore is worried that momentum is shifting in favour of a winter World Cup but insists he will continue to fight the proposal.

"Ultimately Fifa will decide, so of course one is worried," he said. "We're not silly, we're not stupid, we can see that that's the way the momentum is shifting.

"They can't really just decide to shift it by six months. Everybody's running a tight calendar.

"To suddenly change it all around is very impractical and in my view won't work and it shouldn't be allowed to work."

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879 comments

  • Comment posted by User0919343819, at 17:11 25 Jul 2013

    I think the european leagues should continue as normal and clubs should not allow players to go. Corruption of the sort that won the bid should not prevail. That is common sense.

  • Comment posted by Kermit not the frog but one of the many others, at 17:08 25 Jul 2013

    no no no no NOOOOO ! Qatar made a bid and was accepted for a summer World Cup,
    if they cant do it for whatever reason then the BID SHOULD BE DISCOUNTED, NEW VOTE NEEDED,
    iMAGINE if a building firm had a bid accepted for a single lane bypass around the SOUTH of a town and then suddenly decided to build a dual carriageway to the NORTH.
    It's clearly all wrong

  • Comment posted by BaggiosPonytail, at 17:07 25 Jul 2013

    Quite hypocritical for this bloke to be saying that the Premier League will object because there's a lot of money involved when the sole reason it went to Qatar rather than more sensible options is $$$$$$$$ in brown envelopes.

  • Comment posted by Jesus the Teddy Bear, at 17:21 25 Jul 2013

    Australia should have won 2022.

    Guess they just didn't pay enough.

  • Comment posted by SilverFoxxx, at 17:17 25 Jul 2013

    I'll sum this whole thing up in ONE word.....CORRUPTION !!!!!

  • Comment posted by KingLaursen, at 17:14 25 Jul 2013

    Strip Qatar of the World Cup and re-open the bidding.

  • Comment posted by Jim, at 17:07 25 Jul 2013

    You would think that they would have thought about the heat BEFORE awarding the World Cup to Quatar.

    But then, money talks and conscience walks in this game

  • Comment posted by D1679369077284, at 17:11 25 Jul 2013

    OK FA, now is your chance, withdraw from the corrupt circus that is FIFA, lead and others will follow. A winter World Cup, what a joke

  • Comment posted by User0344288494, at 17:09 25 Jul 2013

    Answer this question then:
    Why give it to Qatar based on a summer tournament and then say that its not possible to do it in the summer? What about the other bidders who could meet that requirement?

    I guess you'll have to take it off Qatar and give it to one of them.

  • Comment posted by User0546301879, at 17:52 25 Jul 2013

    Lol. BBC removed my comment for 'defamory' statements. Looks like you're going to be busy, guys. Ha ha.

    OK, how about:

    Some have suggested that the super-rich oil nation of Qatar somehow engineered the award of the World Cup through nefarious means. Whilst there is no evidence of this, many knowledgable fans throughout the world who have witnessed recent scandals in FIFA seem to hold that view.

  • Comment posted by User0335908173, at 17:20 25 Jul 2013

    Can't we switch the world cup away from Qatar and host it in a country that has football, instead of oil money?

  • Comment posted by User0317337913, at 17:52 25 Jul 2013

    Allegedly, FIFA would switch Christmas to August and sell their grandmothers if the brown envelopes were thick enough.

    The decision to allow Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup in the height of summer where temperatures regularly exceed 50 C was clearly unsafe and unhealthy - you need to consider the players and the spectators travelling to Qatar.

  • Comment posted by User0325145396, at 17:53 25 Jul 2013

    I'd like FIFA to come out and explain the question- why Qatar?
    Zero footballing history or culture, no experience in holding big events and stupidly high summer temperatures. And what about the sale of alcohol to fans and the issues raised should Israel qualify.
    Without doubt one of the most stupid and corrupt decisions. I doubt Blatter cares though, he'll be gone by the time this farce occurs.

  • Comment posted by iamthebatman, at 18:22 25 Jul 2013

    It's time for a revolt in the world of football. Leagues and national associations should abandon FIFA and create a new truly democratic Governing body

  • Comment posted by Jon, at 17:51 25 Jul 2013

    This should be seen as a failure by Qatar to fulfil their promise and, as such, they should forfeit the right to host the 2022 summer World Cup. Hopefully sufficient damages were built into the contract.

    Then a new bidding process should begin - if FIFA wish to host in Winter 2022 get permission from leagues first, then start the bidding on that basis. Qatar can choose to bid if they wish to.

  • Comment posted by SFC_NM, at 17:18 25 Jul 2013

    Europe should not back down and the Clubs own the players and should put their foot down and not relise the players who are contracted to them. Europen Nations should also boycot Qatar. It would not be a credible tornement with the likes of Spain, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands not there.

  • Comment posted by User0803900576, at 18:32 25 Jul 2013

    @200. Nk45

    It sounds great!

    All that's missing is gender equality, religious tolerance, democratic government, a sporting culture, and a climate that you can play football in without putting players and supporters health in serious risk

    Also the population of Qatar is about 1.8m in an area the size of the Falklands, Fifa say 1.4m people travelled to South Africa, where are they gonna put them?

  • Comment posted by Glad All Over - CPFC, at 19:53 25 Jul 2013

    Everyone, you seem to be forgetting that this is to be a World Cup for the people*



    *people in this context does not include women, homosexual or those without loads or cash

  • Comment posted by D1679684154070, at 18:24 25 Jul 2013

    "bobby - BBC readers have to wake up to the reality that:

    1. If Premier League keep playing while a World cup is on, no one will be watching the Premier League."

    Nonsense Bobby. It's an utterly farcical decision to hold the WC in Qatar and one that betrayed the interests of the beautiful game. I for one would love to see a European league revolt.

  • Comment posted by LUFCAT, at 19:57 25 Jul 2013

    'A sensible decision has to be made' - so move the World Cup to somewhere sensible!

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