A dramatised account of England’s failed bid to host the FIFA World Cup.
BBC Radio 4, Fri 2nd Dec, 21.02
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BBC World Service, Sat 10th Dec-Mon 12th Dec
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After five years of planning and an 18-month campaign to win votes costing more than £15m, England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup ended in humiliation in front of millions of TV viewers around the world.
Exactly a year after FIFA President Sepp Blatter walked onto the stage at the Messe Centre in Zurich and revealed that Russia would be hosting the 2018 World Cup, this drama tells the behind-the-scenes story of what happened in Zurich in the days leading up to the shock announcement on 2nd December 2010.
Focusing on the England bid team – which included David Cameron, Prince William and David Beckham – the drama is based on interviews with many of those who were there and uses actors to play all the key characters.
The England bid team arrived in Zurich with high hopes. They were well organized, had a strong technical bid and their formal presentation to the FIFA voting executives went without a hitch – it was heartfelt, passionate and had the biggest A-list celebrities.
But behind England’s super-confident presentation, a desperate struggle was taking place in hotel rooms and the corridors of FIFA’s HQ in Zurich as England jostled with other countries, courting FIFA executive members, lobbying for votes and making deals.
This is a gripping story of hope and delusion, broken promises and disappointment - a compelling and entertaining account of the biggest sports story of the decade.
CAST
Narrator – Justine Greene
Andy Anson – Adrian Rawlins
David Dein – John Sessions
Geoff Thompson – Richard Ridings
Sepp Blatter – John Sessions
David Cameron – Christopher Villiers
David Beckham – James Hurn
Prince William – James Hurn
Jack Warner – Larrington Walker
Eddie Afekafe – Jermain Liburd
Chuck Blazer – Glen Wrage
Mohamed Bin Hamman – Nadim Sawalha
Other parts – Dolya Gavanski & Tracy Ifeachor
Casting – Marilyn Johnson
Executive Producer – Jeremy Skeet
Writer – Matthew Solon
Director – John Dryden
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