LONDON: The World Cup watch row rumbled on after Greg Dyke said he has received six timepieces as gifts since taking over as chairman of the Football Association in July 2013.

Dyke, 67, was commenting in the wake of the two episodes at the World Cup in Brazil when the host confederation gave luxury watches worth £15,000 each to 65 senior visiting federation officials and directors.

After a valuation all 65 were ordered to hand them back by world federation FIFA’s ethics leaders.

Dyke, interviewed in BBC Radio’s Sportsweek, said: ” have been given about six watches since I took over at the FA and I don’t use any of them. I don’t like the culture of present giving in football.”

He had also received a watch when Englamd visited Switzerland in the European Championship at the start of the month.

Dyke added: “Everywhere you go, every time you have a game they give you some sort of present.

“It’s usually trinkets but, if they are going to start giving presents of £16,000 then that is not acceptable. The FA should lead the way by saying: ‘Look, we are not going to be part of this culture anymore. We are not going to give presents or accept them’.”

Michel Platini, president of European governing body UEFA, said on Friday that he would not return the watch but donate a matching amount to charity.

FIFA ethics chairman Michael Garcia has warned that anyone who does not hand back his watch by October 24 will leave himself open to disciplinary action.

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