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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Jamie Gardner

UK and Ireland bid for 2030 World Cup ‘not up in smoke’ despite England punishment for Euro Final trouble

The UK and Ireland bid for the 2030 World Cup is not "up in smoke" after the Euro 2020 Final chaos at Wembley, MPs have been told.

On Monday, England were ordered to play one UEFA match behind closed doors, with a further suspended for two years, as punishment for the trouble on July 11 that cast a dark shadow over the match between the Three Lions and Italy.

Questions have been asked about how it will affect any bid for the centenary World Cup.

UK Sport are involved in a feasibility study on whether to bid and their chief operating officer said his view was the plans had not been derailed.

Simon Morton told the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee: "I was at the match, it was pretty horrific and it was the opposite of what we want big sporting events to feel like.

"However, I don't think it's reflective of how this country organises sporting events. We have an excellent reputation, not only for hosting brilliant events but also hosting safe and secure events.

"We have to get the balance right here. It was unacceptable, but I think most countries around the world would recognise it is not reflective of what normally happens.

"In respect of the bid, I think the only thing I can say there is the UEFA president (Aleksander Ceferin), who is a key person in respect of the process, has been on the record saying it will have no bearing whatsoever on our bid.

"There are lessons to be learned, the FA has commissioned a review from Baroness Casey. It's very serious. But I do not think it is the bid up in smoke."

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