Ireland ask FIFA to be 33rd team in WC

[Emmet7]

A victory for cheats, including the cheats in FIFA and a victory for Irish fans who in every dispute side against their own players.

At least the genuine Irish fans will side with the players to the very last, and until the first and indeed the last ball is kicked at WC 2010, genuine Irish fans will know the competition is more about revenue streams than football.

[sixesandsevens]

Anyone else think that maybe Blatter is talking out of his hole here. Maybe I'm naive but surely the people running football in Ireland are not daft enough to ask for an extra place to be put for them in South Africa. There's a chance Blatter just exaggerated Delaneys request to make the FAI look like the unreasonable, ridiculous ones in the whole saga.

I wouldn't be surprised if Delaney and the FAI soon come out and deny the statement.

You really would hope thats the case, but its ridiculous enough to be true, even by FAI standards

[Junior]

Just watched it there on SSN. This was a nice piece of PR spin from Blatter. If Im going to look bad, you are all going to look bad with me. In the little that Blatter has said on the issue over the last 2 weeks he has now

- loosely criticised the officials
- suggested that handball is the worst of all crimes
- suggested the FAI have now wanted the rules bending

Delaney may well have asked for the 33rd spot (Which I disagree with) however, the way Blatter brought it up was completely in the tone of "poor silly little old Ireland" He and the gathered media had a good chuckle at our expense and there was even an underlying hint at "they have been whining for the last 2 weeks about fair play and then the FAI suggest this?"

[Emmet7]

I'm sure Robbie Keane will eventually, through years of therapy, get over his abandonment issues that have come about as a result of my post, which didn't mention him.


Glad to see you are making fun of Robbie Keane's misery. Any of the other player's misery you want to make fun of? I mean they were all in tears at the final whistle having given it their all, the hardest work you did during the game I'd say was turn up the volume on the remote.

As for FIFA, they are a bunch of corrupt, lying c**ts.

As for Delaney, he is looking at a loss of at least 10 million Euro to the FAI, and possibly 20 million when everything else is thrown in.

It's hard to simply ignore 20 million Euro and most head's of organisations would try every route to recoup that money.

At this stage its not just about football, its about money as well. The FAI want a piece of the World Cup cake, and can you blame them?

[PartySaint]

Obviosuly the FAI are not content with just being a luaghing stock in Ireland, they wanted to show the whole world how stupid they are, job done

[Alf Honn]

Anyone else think that maybe Blatter is talking out of his hole here. Maybe I'm naive but surely the people running football in Ireland are not daft enough to ask for an extra place to be put for them in South Africa. There's a chance Blatter just exaggerated Delaneys request to make the FAI look like the unreasonable, ridiculous ones in the whole saga.

I wouldn't be surprised if Delaney and the FAI soon come out and deny the statement.


FAI Statement (today):

The Football Association of Ireland today (November 30) confirmed that it attended an hour and a half meeting, at its request, with Mr Sepp Blatter, President of FIFA on Friday in Zurich.

A lot was discussed at the meeting and at one stage the FAI asked if Ireland could be accommodated into the World Cup 2010.

Other suggestions were also made to mitigate against further occurrences of such incidents, including the use of additional goal line assistant referees for FIFA international matches, further use of video technology for matches at the highest level, stronger provisions to discourage players from engaging in such blatant breaches of the Laws of the Game and provisions to strengthen referee selection for such important matches.


-- Looking at that second paragraph, can only imagine Blatter found it hard not to burst out laughing.

[Alf Honn]

Glad to see you are making fun of Robbie Keane's misery. Any of the other player's misery you want to make fun of? I mean they were all in tears at the final whistle having given it their all, the hardest work you did during the game I'd say was turn up the volume on the remote.

As for FIFA, they are a bunch of corrupt, lying c**ts.

As for Delaney, he is looking at a loss of at least 10 million Euro to the FAI, and possibly 20 million when everything else is thrown in.

It's hard to simply ignore 20 million Euro and most head's of organisations would try every route to recoup that money.

At this stage its not just about football, its about money as well. The FAI want a piece of the World Cup cake, and can you blame them?

-

Didn't Delaney say it wasn't about money?!

[Emmet7]

-

Didn't Delaney say it wasn't about money?!

I've been working so I think you will excuse me if i haven't followed the detail of the story. Someone has to keep the country going.

Even if he said that, much of it is about the money whatever he says.

[jbyrne]

The players have moved on.


have the players moved on? thats not what they have been saying in recent interviews I have read / seen. but i will bow to you superior mind reading skills as to what they really think. how stupid of some of us to feel that they might still feel cheated about the way we were eliminated from the WC :rolleyes:

asking to be the 33rd team is over the top but if we werent fighting our corner on this one the same people that are saying this is embarrassing would be using the FAIs non activity as a stick to beat them with

[tiktok]

Glad to see you are making fun of Robbie Keane's misery
Why are you Glad, what have you got against Robbie Keane, did you not see the effort he put in versus the French? You shopuld be ashamed of yourself Emmet7 [if that is your real name].


Any of the other player's misery you want to make fun of? I mean they were all in tears at the final whistle having given it their all
My God but you're a sadist, encouraging people to go making fun of players at their lowest ebb. Is there no end to your hatred of Ireland and it's national team? Those players are heroes to children all over this Island, but that doesn't matter to your sort does it. Won't somebody think of the children.


the hardest work you did during the game I'd say was turn up the volume on the remote
Actually the hardest work i did was to clean up the projectile vomit of my two year old son who was sick, I missed the half time analysis and start of the second half mopping vomit up off a floor. True Story [and clear evidence which one of us places an importance on the children of this world, they're the future Emmet&, why do you hate them so?]

[Kingdom]

Brilliant


Can I borrow your superfan handbook, does it come with an inflatable shamrock from Jacob's?


Reese Witherspoon is far too popular, she needs a few enemies.


Why are you ranting at me so


No-one is questioning that. Do you read other people's posts at all?


For what reason? Looking for imaginary positions at the World Cup to be created?


The replay isn't in question here, creating imaginary spots in the World Cup is, I haven't heard any player stating they want that. If they do come out and state it, then yes, I'd consider that action to be stupid [and embarassing].


I'm sure Robbie Keane will eventually, through years of therapy, get over his abandonment issues that have come about as a result of my post, which didn't mention him.

This is typical of the kind of superfan nonsense we've seen in recent days. If you are angry at the way we went out but ultimately accept it and recognise that FIFA e.g. can't create an imaginary slot for every aggrieved team, then you are not a real 'fan'. If you are embarassed by calls to invade France, Ban Gilette, storm the French Embassy, you are not a real 'fan'. If you don't join one of the Countless 'I hate Henry' groups on Facebook, you are not a fan.


I think I'm far less likely to stalk them at home than you are to be perfectly honest.


Stop making things up and if you can, stop writing completely ill-informed rubbish.
I am now standing back from my workstation to take my bow.
**bows**

Magnificent sir, quite magnificent.

[Absinthe]

Glad to see you are making fun of Robbie Keane's misery. Any of the other player's misery you want to make fun of? I mean they were all in tears at the final whistle having given it their all, the hardest work you did during the game I'd say was turn up the volume on the remote.

As for FIFA, they are a bunch of corrupt, lying c**ts.

As for Delaney, he is looking at a loss of at least 10 million Euro to the FAI, and possibly 20 million when everything else is thrown in.

It's hard to simply ignore 20 million Euro and most head's of organisations would try every route to recoup that money.

At this stage its not just about football, its about money as well. The FAI want a piece of the World Cup cake, and can you blame them?

I take it 7 is either your Actual or Mental age?

The FAI have let themselves down badly with this suggestion. Firstly its not even vaguely possible, i.e. the group that gets the extra team would be at a huge disadvantage, they would also have to figure out a system for the highest placed runners up in the groups to go through.

Secondly, you had a good degree of support, in the UK and other European countries, but with this you just look like really bad losers. I would say a lot of people are fed up with it at this point. You lost to a bad refereeing decision, in an important game. For better or worse this is part and parcel of football. For me N'Gog's dive for Liverpool against Birmingham the week before was on a par. If Birmingham get relegated by a point, should they ask the Premier League to be the 21st team next season?

See the link below for your international sympathy evaporating.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A60177495

As said by a poster on here you have been better appealing for video technolgy so that this couldnt happen in the future.

[tiktok]

but i will bow to you superior mind reading skills as to what they really think.

There's lots of assumptions on player's thoughts from both sides in fairness.

Personally, I'd assume that while they'd realise that this doesn't have a snowballs chance in hell of working there's probably something at the back of their heads still thining 'what if...'. So all in all, to my mind, this latest nonsense serves only to unneccessarily prolong the hurt the players and staff are undoubtedly feeling.

[Bungle]

To be honest, I don't care if the FAI make us a laughing stock with some members of FIFA and a few comedians around the world if we get to the world cup. I have more respect for them for keeping the flame burning then sitting down lightly. FIFA are the real joke at the moment with their fair play ideals. I personally feel a replay is the fairest notion, as it is very conceivable that we would have lost anyway in extra time or penalties.

However, FIFA know that they have to restore pride into the game. They also know that Italy, France, England, Holland and Germany off the top of my head would support the inclusion of Ireland as an extra team. Additionally, there would be support from many other countries. The real stumbling block as i see it would be what countries constitute the Executive Committee. Smaller countries like Honduras or Algeria would not be keen to have Ireland as a fifth seed, as it is is going to be hard enough for them to get out of their group without a good quality European team anxious to show that FIFA made the right decision and they deserve to be there.
From FIFA's perspective, they know that Ireland will bring 15-20,000 fans and given what they must have noted during the Lion's tour, this will be crucial for helping to make the tournament a success.

[Gather round]

They also know that Italy, France, England, Holland and Germany off the top of my head would support the inclusion of Ireland as an extra team. Additionally, there would be support from many other countries

Er, evidence?

PS I trust Tiktok jr. has fully recovered after his upset stomach?

[Kingdom]

Why are you Glad, what have you got against Robbie Keane, did you not see the effort he put in versus the French? You shopuld be ashamed of yourself Emmet7 [if that is your real name].


My God but you're a sadist, encouraging people to go making fun of players at their lowest ebb. Is there no end to your hatred of Ireland and it's national team? Those players are heroes to children all over this Island, but that doesn't matter to your sort does it. Won't somebody think of the children.


Actually the hardest work i did was to clean up the projectile vomit of my two year old son who was sick, I missed the half time analysis and start of the second half mopping vomit up off a floor. True Story [and clear evidence which one of us places an importance on the children of this world, they're the future Emmet&, why do you hate them so?]

Two in a row!

[Absinthe]

To be honest, I don't care if the FAI make us a laughing stock with some members of FIFA and a few comedians around the world if we get to the world cup. I have more respect for them for keeping the flame burning then sitting down lightly. FIFA are the real joke at the moment with their fair play ideals. I personally feel a replay is the fairest notion, as it is very conceivable that we would have lost anyway in extra time or penalties.

Your out, get over it. Even if Chile were thrown out, their place will go to the Next South American team, or possibly Costa Rica (as they lost in a play-off to the next best South American team).

[tiktok]

They also know that Italy, France, England, Holland and Germany off the top of my head would support the inclusion of Ireland as an extra team.

I'm sorry now, but no team would, if it actually came down to it.

How could any national association support a situation where they could end up with an extra game to play in a two week period, an extra game in which to suffeer injuries, earn bookings and possible bans. Worse again, the fifth seed team that would be added would actually be second seed standard and capable of causing an upset, or making their own advancement more difficult. No way it would be supported, if it got to the support stage.

There may be lip service paid in some regions, but it comes with a heavy dose of 'not in my group though'.

[tiktok]

PS I trust Tiktok jr. has fully recovered after his upset stomach?

He has, thanks for asking. :D
Luckily it was just a gastric bug and nothing more serious.

[Réiteoir]

Your out, get over it. Even if Chile were thrown out, their place will go to the Next South American team, or possibly Costa Rica (as they lost in a play-off to the next best South American team).

Agreed - if FIFA followed the normal convention - then they'll designate Uruguay as "Automatic Qualifiers" and then place Costa Rica in the place of Playoff Qualifiers.

In the interests of "Fair Play" and "Integrity" and all those other nice shiny words that Delaney is fond of using - then Costa Rica should technically play Ecuador in a rerun of the playoff now vacated by Uruguay.

[DeLorean]

It wouldn't surprise me if this request didn't even happen, probably Blatter misinterpreting something or lost in translation or whatever.

I can see why people would find it embarrassing at this stage but I don't really. The longer it lingers on and the more noise about it, the better chance that measures will be intorduced to improve the game. It may also embarrass FIFA/UEFA, and in turn referee's, into more balanced decisions in the future, whether it be seedings or handballs!! I am going to look at it as Ireland taking a stand for the little guy.

By the way, a 33rd team at the WC is absoloutely mental in my opinion, all the fixtures, venues, etc. have been announced already so that's not going to happen, nor should it.

[Morbo]

When I saw the title of this thread a few minutes ago, I thought it was a joke. Can anyone explain how it would be logistically possible to run a 33/or even 34 team format?
Thats what I was thinking, maybe 11 groups of 3 with 1st place going though and some of the 2nd placed teams going into a playoff or else having a 2nd group stage to get it down to 16 but somehow I think the chances of Fifa making radical changes to the group stages to accommodate Ireland is a bit of a long shot.


One extra team in two groups?
That would hardly be fair on the 5 team groups though.

[newrynyuk]

Oh jeez, this saga is becoming embarrassing.

We ask for a replay, FIFA say no. So what do we do? Ask to be put straight into the Finals as a 33rd side. Marvellous stuff.

Presumeably, next week we'll be asking to be awarded the World Cup trophy? The integrity of sport hinges on this!

[Superhoops]

I think Delaney's stance is quite clever.

It will not result in us going as the 33rd country (no more than Kilburn will ever be the 33rd county of Ireland) but he has managed to get Blatter in a position where FIFA must publicly acknowledge that the situation they (FIFA), Ireland and France find themselves is far from satisfactory.

I can see the following outcomes:
- goal line officials in place, a la Europa cup, for the WCF's
- a commitment to explore the use of technology
- some sanction against Henry
- financial compensation for Ireland from the WCF coffers

GIven the perilious state of the FAI finances and particularly the disaster looming with the poor take up of the Vantage level seats at the new Aviva, I think some FIFA recompense will suit JD 's purposes.

[Newryrep]

I can see why people would find it embarrassing at this stage but I don't really. The longer it lingers on and the more noise about it, the better chance that measures will be intorduced to improve the game. It may also embarrass FIFA/UEFA, and in turn referee's, into more balanced decisions in the future, whether it be seedings or handballs!! I am going to look at it as Ireland taking a stand for the little guy.

By the way, a 33rd team at the WC is absoloutely mental in my opinion, all the fixtures, venues, etc. have been announced already so that's not going to happen, nor should it.

Thing is as Blatter full well knows, as he has spun it perfectlly is that the only thing people are commenting on is the ridiculos proposal of Ireland as a 33rd team all other issues are overlooked. Malcom Tucker eat your heart out.

[Absinthe]

Oh jeez, this saga is becoming embarrassing.

We ask for a replay, FIFA say no. So what do we do? Ask to be put straight into the Finals as a 33rd side. Marvellous stuff.

Presumeably, next week we'll be asking to be awarded the World Cup trophy? The integrity of sport hinges on this!

In fairness, I think the next step for the FAI is to play the eventual World Cup winners in a one off match, the week after the final, also in Jo-burg. The winner obviously gets to keep the World Cup for the following 4 years, along with the title of best team in the Universe.

[paul_oshea]

What i hate about the whole thing is everyone is so bloody squirmy and sly, particularly blatter. He is ignoring the other 20 issues discussed and focusing on this one, making Ireland look like a thick, but at the same time suggesting that it will be aired and discussed as though good auld honest and fair sepp will bring it to the table, even though he is laughing behind it all but shows the world how fair and noble he is that he would give it thought....He reminds me of nixon, so squirmy and sly, trying to turn any situation to his advantage.

[geysir]

Funny how so many people get sucked in by a Blatter spin at a press conference.

Embarrassed by the level of gullibility going around :rolleyes:

[shakermaker1982]

what the FAI seem to be forgetting is that if the game ended 1 nil we'd have still had to win a penalty shoot out. Keane's goal was not taking us to South Africa. We needed another goal.

[Torn-Ado]

It wouldn't surprise me if this request didn't even happen, probably Blatter misinterpreting something or lost in translation or whatever.
I can see why people would find it embarrassing at this stage but I don't really. The longer it lingers on and the more noise about it, the better chance that measures will be intorduced to improve the game. It may also embarrass FIFA/UEFA, and in turn referee's, into more balanced decisions in the future, whether it be seedings or handballs!! I am going to look at it as Ireland taking a stand for the little guy.

By the way, a 33rd team at the WC is absoloutely mental in my opinion, all the fixtures, venues, etc. have been announced already so that's not going to happen, nor should it.

This is the most feasable explanation. As Junior said earlier, there was probably many points on the agenda and something along the lines of being an extra team if another team were disqualified etc. was brought up. FIFA and Blatter in turn come out to the world sporting press and announce straight up that Ireland demand to be included in the world cup. Probably a smart move by Blatter. Takes the heat off him and his cronies and makes Ireland and the FAI look like an unreasonable daft laughing stock.

[magnumpi]

It wouldn't surprise me if this request didn't even happen, probably Blatter misinterpreting something or lost in translation or whatever.


no, as much as we'd all like to believe this, it's on the FAI website, they've admitted to making the request.


also, Tiktok, it's so obvious that you have kids, no other way you'd have the patience to actually respond to Emmet's posts!!! :D

[Noelys Guitar]

Funny how so many people get sucked in by a Blatter spin at a press conference.

Embarrassed by the level of gullibility going around :rolleyes:

Exactly. Blatter spins and they all bite. Let Mr Blatter get on with his job and stop annoying him John. Sure the whole world is laughing at us. Delaney has gone up in my estimation and is doing his job.

[tiktok]

Breaking news: Stephen Ireland has issued a late plea to be added as a 24th member of any squad who have already qualified for the World Cup after someone told him it was unfair that Ireland would not be playing at the World Cup. John Delaney has stated that Ireland would consider adding Ireland as a 24th member of the Ireland Squad should both Ireland and Ireland be successful in their appeals.

[DeLorean]

Thing is as Blatter full well knows, as he has spun it perfectlly is that the only thing people are commenting on is the ridiculos proposal of Ireland as a 33rd team all other issues are overlooked. Malcom Tucker eat your heart out.

Yeah, good point.

[Emmet7]

no, as much as we'd all like to believe this, it's on the FAI website, they've admitted to making the request.


also, Tiktok, it's so obvious that you have kids, no other way you'd have the patience to actually respond to Emmet's posts!!! :D

And it's obvious you never fully grew up given your level of immaturity.

Time to put you on ignore now cause I just can't be a*sed reading anything you have to say.

[Emmet7]

Secondly, you had a good degree of support, in the UK and other European countries, but with this you just look like really bad losers.

We didn't lose in the sporting sense of the word, when will that finally penetrate that skull of yours?

If an athlete wins a race and has later been found to have cheated, taken tons of steroids, etc, what's the proper course of action?

It's to cancel their final placing, disqualify them, strip them of their medal and award the victory to the second place athlete.

This goes beyong Ireland vs France another thing which fails to get through to some people.

It's basically a question of catching cheaters in soccer and punishing them and rewarding those who play the sport honestly. That issue will be as valid a 1000 years from now if people are still playing soccer. It's not a case of forgetting Ireland v France, it's a case of punishing cheaters in soccer, instead of turning a blind eye to what they do.

However in FIFA land, those who cheat are rewarded, those who play fairly are punished.

[mr.untitled]

It is my opinion that the FAI are not an international embarrassment. John Delaney has a bit of leverage here and seems to be using it. Maybee hardcore football fans may see us as sore loosers but he whole world has been talking about this, people who have no interest in football and live thousands of miles from Lansdown Rd. are still chatting about this. FIFA are not concerned about the hardcore football fan, they already have that market cornered, they are concerned about the fare weather fan or fans of other sports. It is here where so much damage has been done. Delaney should take any advantage as the global audience see FIFA as the embarrassment and not the FAI

[jbyrne]

the only thing people are commenting on is the ridiculos proposal of Ireland as a 33rd team all other issues are overlooked.

well it wasnt until about 3 hours ago and this request will disappear from peoples minds long before the cheating does

[foureyes]

In fairness, I think the next step for the FAI is to play the eventual World Cup winners in a one off match, the week after the final, also in Jo-burg. The winner obviously gets to keep the World Cup for the following 4 years, along with the title of best team in the Universe.

ah come on now, that's being ridiculous.

best team in the known universe, maybe.

[Bluebeard]

I would like to believe that, based on the official statement, the FAI were inquiring into the possibility of Ireland being accommodated at the World Cup in the possibility of another country pulling out or being kicked out. That is fair to inquire after, I believe. Being number 33 is an embarrassment, and logistically impossible.

But reading the statement again, and again, it becomes a little more mystifying. It is very carefully phrased:
A lot was discussed at the meeting and at one stage the FAI asked if Ireland could be accommodated into the World Cup 2010.

"At one stage". What does this mean, I wonder to myself? It is so carefully put, as though to avoid someone taking an action out for saying otherwise. Blatter could not get away with saying this without some backing - a long time PR man, he knows his roads.

The thought that keeps crossing my mind is that after an hour of investigating other things, and another hour of pleading for a replay, and FIFA saying "we really want to help you but there is nothing we can do", Delaney realising the futility throws an pen on the desk and says, almost to no-one and to everyone "well, you could let us come anyway". Followed by 20 minutes of FIFA lawyers writing everything down and Sepp smiling out saying "I am afraid that will be quite impossible, Mr Delaney", while stroking his white cat and thinking to himself that this small time Irishman with all his own hair will regret failing to vote for him in the elections for president.

That thought does continue to see Blatter appearing in the next scene in the underground bunker in a silvery suit with a man with heavy voice regularly saying things liek "T minus seventeen minutes... and counting...", but that is hardly relevant here. What Blatter does in his private life is not yet of concern to the Irish football fan.

[dan o d]

we could just playoff against costa rica for the phantom non-existant 33rd spot.

it would have to be a neutral venue - i suggest either Atlantis or that island in Mortal Kombat.
we should play it in the conga - where algeria and egypt played! it wud be mental

[tiktok]

If an athlete wins a race and has later been found to have cheated, taken tons of steroids, etc, what's the proper course of action?

It's to cancel their final placing, disqualify them, strip them of their medal and award the victory to the second place athlete.

There are VAST differences between individual events in athletics and team events. Let's say that Thierry Henry was found to have taken performance enhancing drugs, why should Franck Ribery be denied a place in the World Cup finals. The standard and correct course of action for Drug taking [your own example] is that the individual and not the team are punished, otherwise we'd be in trouble too thanks to Paddy Kenny. The fact of the matter is that intentional handball isn't a red card offence, let alone an offence warranting a lengthy ban. We've been hard done by, it's disgusting, but it happens every single week of the year to some team.

I'm glad to see that you've come around to this issue being about getting cheating out football though, maybe now we can concentrate on the real issues surrounding the incident and the match, making sure that it doesn't happen again, making use of the technology that's available to us and give up on this 33rd team/replay nonsense.

The best comment I've seen around all this issue came [I think] from Arsene Wenger when he made the point that millions upon millions of people watching on TV knew within seconds that the goal should have been disallowed, but the one man on whom the decision to award a goal rested was not allowed to take advantage of the Tv pictures.

That's the issue here, plain and simple, the actual football issue.

All the rest is smokescreen to put pressure on FIFA to give us a 2012/13 Champions league final or a bit of cash so that we'll stop embarassing them and ourselves and will go away and not have to worry so much about the costs incurred on the Aviva stadium.

[Scooby Doo]

I do realise that circumstances were completely different but I recall 2005/06 Champions League when Liverpool failed to qualify through their league position, they were allowed back into the qualifiers. UEFA wanted their champions in and thus allowed them back in. One can't help but wonder if FIFA would have been more accomodating towards France had it been the other way round.

[Stuttgart88]

Just on Emmett's point about kicking out drug cheats in athletics, it's not quite the same in football.

In athletics an athlete gets DQed and the next athlete is awarded his place. In our instance Ireland were not beating France and wouldn't have even if Henry's handball had been spotted.

[Emmet7]

There are VAST differences between individual events in athletics and team events. Let's say that Thierry Henry was found to have taken performance enhancing drugs, why should Franck Ribery be denied a place in the World Cup finals. The standard and correct course of action for Drug taking [your own example] is that the individual and not the team are punished, otherwise we'd be in trouble too thanks to Paddy Kenny. The fact of the matter is that intentional handball isn't a red card offence, let alone an offence warranting a lengthy ban. We've been hard done by, it's disgusting, but it happens every single week of the year to some team.

I'm glad to see that you've come around to this issue being about getting cheating out football though, maybe now we can concentrate on the real issues surrounding the incident and the match, making sure that it doesn't happen again, making use of the technology that's available to us and give up on this 33rd team/replay nonsense.

The best comment I've seen around all this issue came [I think] from Arsene Wenger when he made the point that millions upon millions of people watching on TV knew within seconds that the goal should have been disallowed, but the one man on whom the decision to award a goal rested was not allowed to take advantage of the Tv pictures.

That's the issue here, plain and simple, the actual football issue.

All the rest is smokescreen to put pressure on FIFA to give us a 2012/13 Champions league final or a bit of cash so that we'll stop embarassing them and ourselves and will go away and not have to worry so much about the costs incurred on the Aviva stadium.

We have been defrauded out of a possible world cup spot (yes it might still have gone to penalties where we still had a 50-50 chance).

It's only right we seek some sort of recompense for this.

To not seek redress would be to add to the injustice.

When a crime is carried out, it's only natural to seek justice, by whatever means, putting pressure on FIFA, getting them to change their rules, showing them up to have flawed processes.

Their rules in regard to appealing a match result are flawed. Anyone sensible would see Ireland have grounds for an appeal, clear grounds.

Even in GAA, video evidence is used to suspend players. I know it happens in soccer too.

But the rules of the game were grossly infringed. While it may be late for Ireland, FIFA are hesitating and I see no firm committment to any rule changes to stop it happening again.

For what it's worth, putting extra officials behind the goal line is not the answer in my opinion. Because it's still quite easy for these officials to miss everything that's going on.

What happened I believe in Paris is the linesman was solely focused on the player/s returning from an offside position and was watching to see if they touched the ball and that's why I think the linesman missed Henry's handball which happened very fast. Putting a guy behind the line, he could have missed it too or like the ref in Paris chosen not to see it.

Look at rugby, what use would an extra ref be, in the goalmouth area for spotting trys? Once everyone falls over on the ball, it's almost impossible to see a touchdown without slowmotion video evidence from a number of angles.

Many things happen in soccer which are too fast for the human eye and need to be slowed down.

[Emmet7]

Just on Emmett's point about kicking out drug cheats in athletics, it's not quite the same in football.

In athletics an athlete gets DQed and the next athlete is awarded his place. In our instance Ireland were not beating France and wouldn't have even if Henry's handball had been spotted.

Cheating is cheating regardless of the sport. If you look up cheating in the dictionary I'm sure it says something like gaining and using an unfair advantage to beat your opponent.

There is no real extremes when it comes to cheating. It's either cheating or it isn't. People say Henry didn't cheat because the ref didn't see it.

[Duggie]

lads is there any chance of this happening ?? blatter didnt seem to dismiss it out of hand did he ?

[Maroon 7]

Have the FAI made an official statement on this yet? Just wondering as I just heard Blatter on the radio explaining how the FAI asked to be made the 33rd team and him and his cronies were almost pishing themselves laughing as he announced this to reporters. While I wouldn't put it past the FAI to do this I wonder is Blatter playing it up a little as well knowing that it makes the FAI look stupid thus almost invalidating their other legitimate points re: using video technology in the future, etc.

[Maroon 7]

lads is there any chance of this happening ?? blatter didnt seem to dismiss it out of hand did he ?

I'll put it like this. He announced it to uproarious laughter from his lackeys and then he had a good chuckle himself.

[dan o d]

might aswell give it a go. fifa will have to do something to improve their extremely tarnished image and it would be a very popular move across the world(except for costa rica or if we ended up in your group).
anyway all fifa think about is the money and allowing ireland in would increase their revenue from the tournament.