By Elly Bradfield and Tom Kojrowicz

The Chairman of England’s bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Lord David Triesman, has accused the governing football body of accepting bribes ahead of the vote to decide the competition’s location.

Lord Triesman has accused six members of FIFA of seeking payment or honours ahead of the vote.

The allegation was made by Lord Triesman five months after Russia beat England in December 2010, securing the bid to host the 2018 World Cup.

SBS reporter Vitor Sobral says FIFA is not accountable to anyone and the organisation changes the rules to suit itself.

“They’re almost a law unto themselves basically, because they don’t allow any national governments to interfere with the national associations and when that does happen they actually ban the country from competing in their football tournament,” he said.

News Limited sports journalist Robert Craddick agrees corruption is endemic within the sport, especially when there is big money at stake.

“It’s not surprising really, because soccer at the highest level has always been my allegations of corruption when it comes to world cup voting,” he said.

“To win a soccer World Cup is worth just millions and millions and millions to a country.”

Voting culture

Sobral says this culture surrounding football’s governance could change if fans demand it, however it would be very difficult and slow.

“They really have to open up the voting as well because no one knew who was voting for who,” he said.

“For Australia’s bid they had a few votes wrapped up [about] five or six and then they ended up with about two.”

Adjunct researcher from Central Queensland University Danya Hodgetts says the economic impacts of big sporting events are not as widespread as believed.

“They’re not really leaving an economic impact so what the big thing in the research at the moment is looking at what sort of social impact these events leave,” she said.

“Some of the biggest things that they’ve found, particularly with the FIFA World Cup in Germany, is an increased sense of pride as a nation.”

FIFA chief Sepp Blatter says the association will address the fresh allegations.