Qatar World Cup 'a danger to fans'
Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has warned a summer World Cup in Qatar would be more than inconvenient - it would be dangerous too.
Dyke said on Friday that FIFA has two choices - to move the 2022 tournament to a cooler part of the year or move it to another country. He believes a winter World Cup is the more likely option.
In speaking out, it is the first time the FA has taken a formal position on the controversial issue, although Dyke's predecessor David Bernstein said in June that any plans to move the World Cup to the winter were "fundamentally flawed".
The FA's stance could lead to some differences with the Premier League, whose chief executive Richard Scudamore strongly opposes any move to change the World Cup to the winter due to the disruption it will cause to domestic club competitions over three years.
But Dyke has serious concerns about the weather in Qatar, where the desert climate sees June temperatures typically peak above 100 degrees Fahrenheit on a daily basis.
"It's too hot," he told BBC Radio Five Live. "Forget about footballers; think about the fans.
"If you get thousands of fans, as you do at World Cups, out in that heat I just don't see how it works.
"You can have air-conditioned stadiums but you've got to get in and out of the stadium, and that can take you an hour. In that sort of heat it's quite dangerous I think."
He added: "My major concern is about fans. If thousands of fans turn up for a tournament in Qatar it could be very dangerous."
Source : http://www.football.co.uk/fa/qatar_world_cup__a_danger_to_fans__rss4362045.shtml