Post-mortems begin as Russians rule it

THE recriminations over England’s humiliating defeat in their attempt to win the 2018 World Cup began last night after the bid was eliminated in the first round with just two votes.

Russia won the vote by FIFA’s 22-man executive committee in Zurich — leaving England battered, baffled, and complaining of broken promises.

FIFA released the voting figures which showed England won just a single vote apart from Britain’s FIFA vice-president, Geoff Thompson.