Tony Blair found a new face yesterday in the queue of critics of British policy. The president of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, made his complaint at a reception in London yesterday and the prime minister can be glad that the Rio Ferdinand affair does not fall within his remit. "I said to him that (the FA's treatment of the case) is the way it should not be dealt with," Blatter reported.
He feels that the disciplinary process has been so wretched that it will serve a cautionary purpose in FIFA manuals as a textbook case. The Manchester United defender's appeal against an eight-month suspension has not yet been heard, even though it was on September 23rd he failed to take a drugs test.
The FA is committed to reform of its processes, but Blatter is still annoyed, particularly because of English football's high profile.
"The regulations of FIFA are clear," he reiterated. "If a player fails to go for a test he shall be considered guilty and immediately suspended until dealt with by the relevant body. This was not done, and we were not informed until it was too late."
Blatter was in a sunny mood, after an audience with the Queen, but it seems that he can always find a little annoyance with English ways. He is more committed than ever to reducing the number of fixtures here, as well as in a few other countries.
"Twenty is too many," he said of the number of Premiership teams.
The Bolton manager, Sam Allardyce, is among those riled by Blatter's views, but the president will not back down. He is seeking the powers to impose his will on the Premiership and other leagues which he regards as bloated. He will ask the FIFA congress to grant such authority in May. FIFA's strategy committee would then come back with recommendations in 2005 and a timetable for change in the Premiership could then be established.
Blatter feels that no club should have more than 45 domestic fixtures a year. The Premiership programme alone amounts to 38 games at the moment. If FIFA gets its wish, it might be necessary to drop replays from the FA Cup, as Blatter has suggested. Others might even envisage ditching the League Cup.
The FIFA president's views are paradoxical, if not hypocritical, because he is reintroducing the FIFA World Club Championship next year and will compel the champions of Europe and South America to fly to, perhaps, Japan. There they will play at least one game at a tournament which will also feature a side from each of FIFA's other four confederations. He presents this as an essential symbol of the "solidarity" of world football.
Blatter could be jeered for treating FIFA's games as a boon and everyone else's as a burden. Nonetheless, he tends to get his way.
The FA will go to the FIFA headquarters in Zurich this month and confirm that there will no longer be a fortnight's gap between a sending-off and the start of a suspension. Blatter confirmed that FA procedures are to be "harmonised with the rest of the world".
Meanwhile, Eddie Gray paid an emotional tribute to Wales' John Charles yesterday as the man known as "The Gentle Giant" was laid to rest on St David's Day.
Charles' death at the age of 72 after a fight against illness has touched many in the past few days, including those who never saw the legend play.
But such was Charles' status as one of the greatest footballers of his generation, in particular with Leeds, Juventus and in winning 38 caps for Wales, it means his memory will long be preserved in the history of the beautiful game.
Charles, who started his career as a centre-back on April 19th, 1949, made his name as a striker by scoring 157 goals in 327 appearances for Leeds, including 42 in the 1953-54 season, a club record which still stands.
As his reputation preceded him, he was transferred to Juventus in 1957 for what was then a world record fee of £65,000.
Charles helped the Italian club win three championships and the Italian Cup during his five years in Turin, as well as personally being honoured with a Footballer of the Year award.
Most significantly, throughout his entire career Charles was never booked or sent off, hence his enduring nickname.
In his honour, Leeds yesterday renamed the West Stand - which was rebuilt with the money the club made from his move to Juventus - the John Charles Stand, ensuring there remains an enduring legacy at the club he served with grace and dignity.
In recognising this, Leeds caretaker-manager Gray said: "It's a tremendous gesture to the memory of big John, who was a wonderful man and a great footballer."
Leeds fans paid their final respects to Charles at a memorial service at Elland Road. As at least 2,000 supporters of all ages flocked to the ground and many stopped to place flowers, scarves and shirts around, and at the foot of, what has now become a symbolic figure at Elland Road, the statue of another Leeds legend Billy Bremner.
Following the funeral - also attended by the likes of Alex Ferguson, Denis Law, Jack and Bobby Charlton, Wales manager Mark Hughes and captain Gary Speed, the hearse was then driven to Elland Road and around the touchline before parking near the halfway line.
The giant screen inside the stadium had, for some time earlier, been broadcasting footage of Charles' distinguished career, as it did again during a poignant memorial service, conducted by Rev Steve Mitchell.
With the first-team squad looking on, as well as notable former Leeds stars Gordon Strachan, Peter Lorimer, Norman Hunter and Allan Clarke, Gray then gave an address.
Among his comments he said: "John's reputation as a footballer goes without saying, but to the people who knew him he was a kind man, a nice fella, easy to talk to and you never heard him complaining of anything.
"I think it's a great reflection on the city of Leeds, the club and the supporters that, given the places John had been, he chose to come back here to live.
"What a lovely man he was to football and what a great loss he is to society in general."
Finally, it was fitting, notably as the Leeds' anthem Marching on Together played, Charles made his final journey from the ground, where he will long be remembered and revered, to a standing ovation.
