Qatar’s World Cup chief believes that the money-no-object Arab state could move to buy a Premier League club.

Hassan Al-Thawadi, leader of the 2022 organising committee, said: ‘I can see it happening down the road. It’s likely. There’s such a passion for football and the Premier League in particular. Everyone on the street has an opinion.’

West Ham remain the most likely sellers — despite the owners’ denials — and the Qatar Investment Authority would not be frightened off by a New York investment bank’s £1billion valuation of the London Stadium club.

Hassan Al-Thawadi (centre) believes Qatar want to buy a Premier League club in the future

The QIA already own the London 2012 Olympic Village on the same Stratford site.

Tottenham are also on Qatar’s radar, for ownership or naming rights sponsorship, with Al-Thawadi revealing the club had been out to the Middle East for talks last year. Qatar Airlines and sports medicine hospital Aspetar have been linked with sponsorship of Spurs’ new ground.

The country’s sports portfolio includes ownership of Paris Saint-Germain, although Japanese company Rakuten will replace Qatar Airways as Barcelona’s shirt sponsor next season.

West Ham are thought to be the most likely sellers although Spurs are also on Qatar's radar

MCC infighting over the Lord’s Nursery End development will not be helped by the departure of highly-rated chief executive Derek Brewer, a voice of reason at the divided club.

Brewer, who wants to go part-time after his 60th birthday, is hopeful the renovation saga will be resolved by a members’ vote set for September 2017, before he leaves early the following year.

MCC infighting will not be helped by the departure of chief executive Derek Brewer

British Olympic grandee Sir Craig Reedie is at the centre of a storm over his chairmanship of the World Anti-Doping Authority ahead of his expected re-election in Glasgow on Sunday.

WADA made Doha’s anti-doping laboratory non-compliant on the eve of the city staging the Association of National Olympic Committees’ general assembly, hugely insulting the country.

Furious ANOC president Sheik Ahmad Al-Sabah responded to the slight — the result of a communications error — by calling for WADA to appoint a wholly independent leader right away rather than at the end of IOC member Reedie’s second term. The Qatar National Olympic Committee sent an official letter of complaint to the WADA chief.

Reedie said: ‘The timing was awful, which is why I have apologised in public and to the Qatari NOC. An independent chairman will be part of our governance reforms but I see no reason not to stand for election.’

Sir Craig Reedie is at the centre of a storm over his chairmanship of WADA

The most embarrassed delegate at the ANOC assembly was the gentleman from a central African state who turned on his laptop during the conference to find it noisily playing a porn movie.

His frantic attempts to close it caused much amusement to those in ear-shot.

League fury at FA deal

The Football League have followed the Premier League in showing exasperation at the FA doing a $1billion overseas TV rights deal for the FA Cup, just when winter-break talks between the three bodies were at an advanced stage.

The six-year TV contract, starting in 2018, has led to the Football League scrapping their Whole Game Solution proposals for an 80-club, four-division set-up, which was dependent on the FA Cup relinquishing weekends and becoming a midweek tournament.

But the FA, who believe the PL and FL should make concessions as well, are not prepared to give up lucrative weekend Cup fixtures.

FL chief executive Shaun Harvey said: ‘The stance the FA have adopted has brought discussions to a premature end.’

Shaun Harvey says negotiations have fallen through between the Football League and the FA

The 2022 Qatar World Cup is planned to have 1pm, 4pm and 7pm kick-offs at eight stadiums within an hour’s travel of each other, allowing fans to take in two games a day in a compact tournament running from November 21 to December 18.

The 30-plus Celsius temperatures will be combated by cooling systems. Alcohol will be available but not in the streets or public areas.

The 2022 Qatar World Cup is planned to have 1pm, 4pm and 7pm kick-offs at eight stadiums

Amanda Docherty has quit as the FA’s communications and public affairs director after just six months in a role that never suited her.