Steve Bull: Embrace Qatar 2022 World Cup

West Midlands football today gave a mixed response to plans to move the 2022 Qatar World Cup to winter.

Wolves legend and former England World Cup striker Steve Bull called on clubs to embrace the proposed move to November and December.

But Albion director Richard Garlick insisted there were 'endless issues' to address for European clubs, if FIFA approves the recommendation from its task force to move the tournament to avoid the heat of the Qatari summer.

Garlick, Albion's director of football administration, asked: "What happens in the Football League? Does the Championship stop?

"Do they stop and their non-affected rivals continue and they then pick it up 10 games when they are behind everybody?

"The media negotiations will also be interesting. I can't imagine the rights broadcasters being happy to see such a chunk taken out of the season.

"What happens to the players who remain behind? Do they train and not play for six weeks?

"I could go on like this ad infinitum and there's clearly going to be a great deal of discussion. But I think you can tell by everyone's reaction what the mood is like within the English game."

Bull, who represented England at the 1990 World Cup, said: "It will put our clubs in limbo because it looks like the Premier League will have to be cancelled for a month.

"But you can't do anything about it – it's like when Sky took over and changed all the kick off times from 3pm on a Saturday to all different times during the week.

"It's only a minor upset for the players who are away. It's a one-off so it's not like it's something we'll have to get used to every year."

Bully suggested Premier League players not involved at the winter World Cup could part in a mini domestic competition, adding: "There's nothing worse than not playing."

The proposal drew strong criticism from Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore while Football Association chairman Greg Dyke warned it will be tough to cope with the disruption to the football calendar.

Scudamore said: "Our concern is that a World Cup that finishes late in December.

"That could result in the removal of the Premier League, Football League and FA Cup Christmas and New Year fixture programme that season."

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