Football will not be coming home in eight years’ time after it emerged England had crashed out in the first round of voting, securing just two votes, and Fifa instead awarded the tournament to Russia. Some members of a grim-faced England bid team, including the mayor of London Boris Johnson and former England captain Gary Lineker, retreated to the back of the hall as it emerged that England had been knocked out in the first round. England’s representative on Fifa’s executive committee, Geoff Thompson, counted for one vote, while Japan provided the other. A late final lobbying push led by the prime minister David Cameron, David Beckham and Prince William and a well-received final presentation was not enough to avoid a humiliating exit and spark huge recriminations. The final stages of the race have been marked by allegations of corruption and collusion that led to a backlash against the British media among some Fifa executives. The England bid team went into today’s vote believing they had secured enough votes to make it through the first round and could see “a path to victory”. Instead, Russia – the long-time favourites backed by the Fifa president Sepp Blatter – won the race…