FIFA Fair Play RIP

[musicinmouth]

Someone should open a book of condolensces for FIFA Fair Play and send it on to Sepp Blatter.

[stiffler]

I think this quote from Sean St Ledger is quite apt:

'It's cost a lot of us our dreams - as a boy I used to dream of playing in the World Cup, and now I'm not.'

Some people said football is ruined. For me November 18th 2009 is the day football died.

[Vermicious Knid]

I am going to burn the FIFA Mascot. And eat him.

[peadar1987]

I think this quote from Sean St Ledger is quite apt:

'It's cost a lot of us our dreams - as a boy I used to dream of playing in the World Cup, and now I'm not.'

Some people said football is ruined. For me November 18th 2009 is the day football died.

At least give FIFA a chance to do the right thing

[soccerboy]

FIFA will do whats right for them and thats a world cup with france in it,complete stitch up since they announced they were going to seed the playoffs,am a massive football fan for last 20 years but must say am pretty disillusioned with the game today,feel sorry for lads like st. ledger....so close to accomplishing a childhood dream then henry does that so he can reaqch his 4th world cup...fair play RIP

[Thunderblaster]

The FIFA Fair Play flag that does be carried out before the teams and that does be hoisted at every international is devalued to a level equivalent to a national flag being burned or spat at. The flag means absolutely nothing anymore to right thinking football supporters across the world. The Governing Body called FIFA that uses the flag has officially sullied and renounced the principles of the flag, which is an act of High Treason by my books. The FIFA Executive must resign if they want credibility to return to the Beautiful Game. If not, every football federation on this planet must be petitioned to seek the removal of these criminals.

[tetsujin1979]

They say that evil thrives when good men do nothing. Well, now it's time for FIFA to show whether they are good men doing something, or thriving on the evil that others do.

Henry cheated.
He admitted he cheated.
He's on camera cheating.
Everyone around the world knows he cheated:
from the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/19/sports/soccer/19france.html?_r=1&ref=soccer

Hand of Henry Sends France to South Africa
from the Japan Times: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/sp20091121cd.html

Shameful incident will brand Henry for life
from the New Zealand Herald: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/soccer/news/article.cfm?c_id=86&objectid=10610401

France steal in with Hand of Frog

The eyes of the world are on FIFA now to do something about this. I've calmed down a little since returning from Paris, so I'm not expecting a replay. However, this is the time to do something about the cheating in the game we love, and the powers that be profess to care about.

Gillette have issued a statement about their sponsorship of Henry, but I'd like to see the sponsors of FIFA approached for a statement about their sponsorship of a body that clearly condones winning by cheating. Long term worst case scenario is that people fall out of love with the game, or never take it up in the first place, because of this perception of condoning of cheating.

In other sports when you're caught blatantly flaunting the rules on camera, you are punished for it. It's time for FIFA to wake up to the what the rest of the sporting world is doing and start applying their own rules using modern technology.

If that is all that comes from this shameful episode (both the incident itself and some of the rubbish that I've read about since then) then I'll be happy

[Emmet7]

The lack of a video ref at Wednesday's match has done far more lasting and permanent damage to the sport of soccer than the use of a video ref ever could do, I hope FIFA recognise that.

But if goals could be dissallowed using a video ref it's possible FIFA would never get the teams they want in the major championships.

What we will see next summer will not be sport. It will be close horses running around a field advertising brands of which FIFA approve.

[Emmet7]

I think you may be onto something there tetsujin...

I think a deal should be struck with FIFA....the Irish people will keep after this issue until video refereeing is introduced and not just a trial but starting next season in all major matches... otherwise we keep up the campaign to have Wednesday's game annnulled.

FIFA are clearly in the wrong on this. They are condoning and legitimising the illegal behaviour of players.

[Thunderblaster]

As I stated in the French FA Statement thread, the FIFA Fair Play flag should never be hoisted at any football ground in Ireland until such time that FIFA takes a strong stance against cheating.