Ireland ask FIFA to be 33rd team in WC

[Scooby Doo]

Definitely, more things to be worried about in this country at the moment with floods and all the corruption.
Ireland is a joke of a country and the reaction to this football match was embarrassing to say the least
The international section of foot.ie looks like it has been taken over by a gang of school kids who have just discovered the game. Its football, it is always like this, get over it and move on FFS. Just cause you cant have your big **** up in SA or wave your plastic hammer, or sing ole ole till the cows come home.................
Blatter was right to make a fool of the FAI. It was a bloody joke, a Father Ted moment.
:eek: For real mate? Granted there have been some passionate/angry/even somewhat 'overboard' suggestions in the last few weeks but it is only natural considering the great injustice that was done to the team we are all so proud of and who most would follow to the ends of the earth to support. Your generalising, patronising and extremely bitter above post serves no purpose other than to show up your own ignorance. Seems like you yourself is having difficulty 'getting over it'. :rolleyes:
P.S. Your 'joke of a country' comment says an awful lot about you...

[dan o d]

i presume an "OLE OLE" is someone who doesnt have the time nor interest in supporting their local LOI team every friday ie. 95% of irish fans.
have some sense bennocelt

[jbyrne]

someone who doesnt have the time nor interest in supporting their local LOI team every friday ie. 95% of irish fans

thanks for the clarification. is it only fridays or does it apply to other days of the week? :confused:

[dan o d]

LOI teams normally play on fridays

[Ronan85]

Definitely, more things to be worried about in this country at the moment with floods and all the corruption.
Ireland is a joke of a country and the reaction to this football match was embarrassing to say the least
The international section of foot.ie looks like it has been taken over by a gang of school kids who have just discovered the game. Its football, it is always like this, get over it and move on FFS. Just cause you cant have your big **** up in SA or wave your plastic hammer, or sing ole ole till the cows come home.................
Blatter was right to make a fool of the FAI. It was a bloody joke, a Father Ted moment.

What a load of rubbish. If Ireland is such a "joke of a country", why do you bother posting on this forum?

Blatter stayed quiet for almost a fortnight and has taken advantage of an opportune moment to make a joke out of the situation and deflect attention away from his own association. He's shown utter comtempt for a small football nation, FIFA's own ideal of fair play, and changed the rules when it suited him, so don't tell us he was right to make a fool out of the FAI.

[jbyrne]

LOI teams normally play on fridays

all hail the LOI supporter.... the real supporter of our national team :rolleyes:

[Newryrep]

Just here at work i had a lot of lads the first few days afterwards saying a disgrace etc, though it happens etc. Feeling sorry for Ireland etc.

Now though since that thing they are like get over it, move on etc. They aren't reading into what he is actually doing, but think we shoud let it go. Its getting overshadowed by the fact that they think we aren't getting over it, and losing sight of the fact that blatter is a cnut. When I actually took time to explain a bit more it was clear to them, but most are just seeing what we have said as "get over it its done now".

We arent going to SA we should get over it.

The fact that we should still be pushing for video evidence/retroepctive punishment if missed by the ref etc is the POINT. The fact that this has been overshadowed by the ludicrous request for a 33rd spot - is the embarassing bit as is the fact that fans cant see it.

The fact that Blatter is a cnut is hardly stop press news - you dont get to a top job in IOC/FIFA without being one.

[Girl in Green]

You’d wonder why Delaney requested to be the 33rd team thou wouldn’t ya; I’m always suspicious where he’s concerned……..maybe he’s mounting some legal challenge or something……

Ridiculous now; we need to have some dignity and stop clutching at straws it’s OVER.

[exiled_gufc_fan]

While I would not criticise the FAI for asking, it was never going to happen.

However there should be some punishment imposed by FIFA. What is the maximum ban for unsporting conduct? Any chance of a six (or seven) game ban for Henry from competitive fixtures?

[ArdeeBhoy]

The fact that we should still be pushing for video evidence/retroepctive punishment if missed by the ref etc is the POINT. The fact that this has been overshadowed by the ludicrous request for a 33rd spot - is the embarassing bit as is the fact that fans cant see it.

The fact that Blatter is a cnut is hardly stop press news - you dont get to a top job in IOC/FIFA without being one.

Agreed, except it's a question of approach. The FAI are a bit silly but it's a question of using any approach to try to embarrass Blatter/FIFA. If it works to even the slightest degree, should be happy enough with that.

[OwlsFan]

There are 2 issues here really:

(a) Ireland looking for the 33rd spot.

(b) Blatter's public ridicule of it.

As regards (a), it was never going to happen and the FAI must have known this. I wonder why did they mentioned it therefore unless they saw some opening.

I am not of the "get over it" brigade but I am of the "move on" - there is a sharp difference between the two. I will never get over it but I will move on. People should not confuse the two. The FAI should now move on. They have explored every avenue. All doors are shut.

As regards (b), Blatter's reaction was a disgrace for reasons I have already mentioned. ALong with Keane, Dunphy and O'Herlihy, he's off my Christmas card list forever. I suspect he'll lose a lot of sleep over that.

How far the FAI want to further provoke Mr. Blabber is interesting. Does FIFA control UEFA? If so we will never get a major game at Aviva Stadium beyond the Europa Cup Final. It's a risky tact to take.

[Réiteoir]

what a pathetic generalisation

Much like some on here boldly declaring that the whole of FIFA are "Corrupt"

[Greenforever]

I think you're giving the general football supporting public too much credit. This will look to the world as the idiot Irish trying to get in through the back door because they don't understand the rules. It's now obvious that Blatter used ideas thrown around in a private meeting to discredit the FAI. If Delaney doesn't know how Blatter operates, and how politically manipulative the man must be to have reached the top job in a very corrupt FIFA, then he really should resign. He is too naive to represent this country. He should have concentrated on the 5 officials issue and pointed out the unfairness of the seeded teams extra advantage in playing the 2nd leg at home in the EURO 2012 play-offs. That is an issue that might unite the smaller countries together to challenge Blatter on. But he blew it.


Everything you say would make sense if what Blatter says is actualy what happened at that meeting.

However why are people ignoring what is in the official FAI statement which Blatter conveniently ignores, the requests for extra officials, punishments for cheats etc.

Is it quite possible that in the private discussion that Blatter may have suggested sure we could consider a request to give a wild card similar to what Livewrpol got in the champions league a few years ago.... or is it possible that maybe it was a suggestion that maybe FIFA would look good if this was examined etc....

I personally would prefer to hear Delaneys side of what happened in a supposedly private meeting before passing judgement.

One thing is sure Blatter has no credibility at all, and anything he says should be taken with a inch of salt, I mean he has basically said Henry was right to handle the ball.

[dan o d]

[/QUOTE] ALong with Keane, Dunphy and O'Herlihy, he's off my Christmas card list forever[/QUOTE]

whats wrong with bill o herlihy??!!

[OneRedArmy]

What's hypocritical about getting them to address the issue of cheating and match-fixing, or do you really think these don't matter??Two completely separate issues.

The rules should be amended as soon as possible to apply to future events, but the rules as they applied on the day must stand. Therefore no replay, no 33rd place....

To take a different view in my view is hypocritical in the extreme as you are favouring the application of a certain set of rules supporting our own circumstances, whilst at the same time ignoring another set of rules that do not help our cause.

Also, whilst the facts may be that a huge decision went against us and FIFA are a bunch of corrupt muppets (I tend to support both views), one is not necessarily associated with the other. Both can be true, and yet not be linked.

[Greenforever]

We arent going to SA we should get over it.

The fact that we should still be pushing for video evidence/retroepctive punishment if missed by the ref etc is the POINT. The fact that this has been overshadowed by the ludicrous request for a 33rd spot - is the embarassing bit as is the fact that fans cant see it.

The fact that Blatter is a cnut is hardly stop press news - you dont get to a top job in IOC/FIFA without being one.


The fact is we dont know what happened in the meeting, all we know is Blatter broke a confidence and that shouldnt come as a surprise, so all anger should be directed at him.

[dan o d]

john delany knows that the introduction of video evidence isnt going to make up for the millions of euros the fai would have recieved had we made it to the world cup

[ArdeeBhoy]

Two completely separate issues.

The rules should be amended as soon as possible to apply to future events, but the rules as they applied on the day must stand. Therefore no replay, no 33rd place....

To take a different view in my view is hypocritical in the extreme as you are favouring the application of a certain set of rules supporting our own circumstances, whilst at the same time ignoring another set of rules that do not help our cause.

Also, whilst the facts may be that a huge decision went against us and FIFA are a bunch of corrupt muppets (I tend to support both views), one is not necessarily associated with the other. Both can be true, and yet not be linked.

Fair enough but they're also making up the rules as they go along....

[bennocelt]

:eek: For real mate? Granted there have been some passionate/angry/even somewhat 'overboard' suggestions in the last few weeks but it is only natural considering the great injustice that was done to the team we are all so proud of and who most would follow to the ends of the earth to support. Your generalising, patronising and extremely bitter above post serves no purpose other than to show up your own ignorance. Seems like you yourself is having difficulty 'getting over it'. :rolleyes:
P.S. Your 'joke of a country' comment says an awful lot about you...

So what, I am not going to be crying over it for the next year or whatever, move on.
All ye guys here moaning, the fact is Ireland are not in the World Cup. End of story

Sorry Ireland is a great place, how silly of me to think otherwise!

[Doire Abu]

Everything you say would make sense if what Blatter says is actualy what happened at that meeting.

However why are people ignoring what is in the official FAI statement which Blatter conveniently ignores, the requests for extra officials, punishments for cheats etc.

Is it quite possible that in the private discussion that Blatter may have suggested sure we could consider a request to give a wild card similar to what Livewrpol got in the champions league a few years ago.... or is it possible that maybe it was a suggestion that maybe FIFA would look good if this was examined etc....

I personally would prefer to hear Delaneys side of what happened in a supposedly private meeting before passing judgement.

One thing is sure Blatter has no credibility at all, and anything he says should be taken with a inch of salt, I mean he has basically said Henry was right to handle the ball.

I'd agree with most of that, Blatter completely ignored the official release from the FAI, exonerated Henry, and I would trust him as far as I could throw him, which considering the number of free dinners the cnut has had, that's not far. But I was taking what was reported in the Examiner today attributed to Brady.

“He’s a bit of a loose cannon. He’s an embarrassment to FIFA,” Brady told Sky Sports News.

Explaining the decision to approach FIFA and ask to be included in the World Cup draw, Brady revealed the FAI knew the request was likely to be dismissed.

He said: “I think when we asked for that we knew there was very little chance of that happening.

“We asked because we wanted to have them respond in a measured way, and see what they had to say.

“After all Mr Blatter was responsible for the (match) official.

“He didn’t say anything about the appalling mistake the official made to miss a blatant handball.”

[weldoninhio]

incorrect with the chelsea incident - øvrebø left on his scheduled flight booked in the lead up to the match, and his hotel was only changed due to there being an overbooking problem with the original hotel (this information comes direct from the horses mouth).

And as for direct threats - untrue as well:



As i recall from the oslo fk (our county football association) - tom henning was back in work as usual on the friday morning - and was back on tippeligaen duty on his next regularly scheduled game the following saturday.

Anyway - by the by - still doesn't really excuse the fact that the law authorities have been conducting investigations into death threats made to henry by some irish supporters

anders frisk!!

[elroy]

A few points (mainly summarising Bradys comments on NT this evening):

Ireland arent going to the WC, that is accepted by the FAI, the team, management and vast majority of supporters.

The request of a potential to increase the WC to 33rd was not an official request. It was an off the record request at a private meeting, the contents are which were supposed to be private. The request was made partly to see what reaction would be received from FIFA.

In response to the "get over it", this is football brigade. We as fans of our national team are hurt by this. We accept we arent going to the WC, but we are not going largely because of an injustice. So just lie down and accept this, what a sad place the world with be if some many iconic figures of the past did this. We're not looking for a place in the WC, we're looking for some sort of justice, some sort of reaction/change that will ensure that this injustice does not happen again. It may well turn out that due to the persistence of the Irish, a fundamental change was made to the rules.

Finally, this whole saga exposes FIFA ignorance and arrogance towards smaller countries. As Brady commented, there still remains no reason put forward why the playoff draw was seeded. The whole playoff process is apparently under review by FIFA, yet another change that may arise as a result of the Irish persistence.

[Gather round]

The whole playoff process is apparently under review by FIFA, yet another change that may arise as a result of the Irish persistence

The BBC seem pretty sure FIFA will announce scrapping the play offs. Is this official, ie confirmed by Blatter and co? Sorry if I've mised anything up-thread.

If they do scrap, how will Europe reduce 53 teams to 13 qualifiers for Brazil 2014? Nine groups with the best four runners-up qualifying? 13 groups of only four teams each (OK, one with five teams)? Invitation only?

[ArdeeBhoy]

With FIFA, who knows or cares. Unless they change that bunch of cretins, I'd all be for boycotting the Euros or the next WC.
It won't happen, but someone has to send them a message re. cheating & match-fixing.

[Junior]

Finally, this whole saga exposes FIFA ignorance and arrogance towards smaller countries. As Brady commented, there still remains no reason put forward why the playoff draw was seeded. The whole playoff process is apparently under review by FIFA, yet another change that may arise as a result of the Irish persistence.

The problem here being its under review by FIFA. Turkeys voting for Christmas etc... They will be careful not to restrict the 'Plan B' options they have in the event that their favoured countries are struggling to reach the dinner table.

Its an independent review that is required....though very unlikely.

[Emmet7]

The BBC seem pretty sure FIFA will announce scrapping the play offs. Is this official, ie confirmed by Blatter and co? Sorry if I've mised anything up-thread.

If they do scrap, how will Europe reduce 53 teams to 13 qualifiers for Brazil 2014? Nine groups with the best four runners-up qualifying? 13 groups of only four teams each (OK, one with five teams)? Invitation only?

I have a feeling that will happen as well. Anything that makes FIFA look bad, they will 'revew'.

However the play-offs, if they were handled right, with none of the seeding nonsense, is one of the fairest ways of deciding who deserves to go to the World Cup.

How will they decide it instead? Points total and goals scored by second placed teams in groups? Very unfair that, some groups are much tougher than others and that would leave it open to FIFA fixing it so teams like France have easy groups in the first place.

The Ireland match has really disrupted FIFA's plans. The plan was that France would beat the Irish easily and there'd be no trouble, only Trapattoni and co hadn't read Blatter's script.

FIFA has become a joke under Blatter. The seedings of the play-offs is another example of how the guy always puts money first and fair play last.

And if it wasn't for the years under Kerr and Stan, it's possible we would have actually been one of the seeded teams in the play-offs.

[SkStu]

I wonder how broke are the FAI that they're this desperate to receive World Cup cash?

wow - Pineapple Stu in financial viewpoint shocker! :eek: :)

i like how all this has managed to create a whole new Saipan by the way.

[Greenforever]

I wonder how broke are the FAI that they're this desperate to receive World Cup cash?


No more desperate than the French.....I doubt if there is any European FA that dont need the cash.

[Scooby Doo]

So what, I am not going to be crying over it for the next year or whatever, move on.
All ye guys here moaning, the fact is Ireland are not in the World Cup. End of story

Sorry Ireland is a great place, how silly of me to think otherwise!
Nobody asked you to moan for two years. The snide comments you made were misplaced.
And yes I do think that Ireland IS a great place, with some notable flaws but what country doesn't. Anyway grow up and consider some contributions of worth for next time rather than turning your nose up at those who offer differing opinions on fairly significant matter in world football.

[Alf Honn]

Listened to Brady's interview on Newstalk tonight and he must be hanging around with Delaney too much these days and it's polluted his mind.

He backed the FAI's claim to seek inclusion as nation nbr 33 at the World Cup! It doesn't wash that they asked it knowing it would be rejected but methinks it was rather one final, desperate attempt at reaching the finals.

How on earth could this be justified, never mind being logistically possible?

France got their 'goal' during a period of the game when they were on top. We all know it shouldn't have been allowed but even it was ruled it, who's to say they wouldn't have scored anyway as the French were the only side who created any chances in extra-time. Just because we might have forced penalties, it's enough for us to gain a wild card?!

If anyone had suggested this last weekend on here, they would have been sectioned.

Also, wonder where Delaney was today that caused him to avoid any interviews. Not an hour passed post-Paris that he was on our radios/tv screens and today he sends out Brady, who wasn't even at the mtg in Zurich last Friday, to enlighten us.

450k a year to go missing - the man's a joke.

[Qwerty]

I can't believe this is still dragging on, the FAI should take a positive approach to this and push for changes to make the game fairer and to use all available technology during a game and setup a mechanism to allow a replay where the result of a game was due to an undetected offense during a game, rather than making riduculous requests to be allowing to go to the WC as the 33rd team.

Another way of looking at this is we can save our money and watch the games in the local as we couldn't win the damn thing anyway. We may have had an unbeaten qualifying campaign but we didn't beat any decent teams either.

We're moving in the right direction but the sad fact still remains we haven't beaten a dcent team at home since 01 and haven't beaten a decent team way since 87.

[irishfan86]

We're moving in the right direction but the sad fact still remains we haven't beaten a dcent team at home since 01 and haven't beaten a decent team way since 87.

We beat the French over 90 minutes at the Stade de France, and it was a fantastic performance that had nothing to do with luck. :confused:

[Qwerty]

We beat the French over 90 minutes at the Stade de France, and it was a fantastic performance that had nothing to do with luck. :confused:

Dude 1-1 AET.

There was no 0-1 result, you are in the same cuckoo land as the FAI.

[tiktok]

Dude 1-1 AET.

You know those aren't real teams don't you?
Bodacious!

[endabob1]

I have the solution!!
France can play their games in the Kruger National Park

http://naady.com/destination_reviews/man-eating-lions-of-kruger-national-park/

[Absinthe]

Some people here have a major chip on their shoulder. A lot of people seem to be suggesting that if Robbie Keane had handled the ball for Dunne to score the goal that put France out, that France would have got a replay. This is utter, utter nonsense.

Fifa, favour the big teams, for example with the Groups for Qualifying, the seeding of those groups, and now the Seeding of the play-offs. (I agree you were shafted there).

But all this Fifa won't listen to us becasue we are small is just balls. Can anyone give an example in Football history where the result of a game has been declared null and void because of a decision on the pitch?

This is why the FAI as being viewed as idiots, they are not only asking for something that is logistically impossible, they are asking for a favour that no one else would ever or has ever asked for. Not even the English.

*(maybe the IFA - but God help you if their your yardstick)

There is no conspiracy, the officials didnt see it, the goal stood and you are harshly out of the world cup. As I keep saying, thats football.

p.s. If Keane had handled for Dunne,how many of you would have genuinely wanted to replay the game with the french?

[Gather round]

*(maybe the IFA - but God help you if their your yardstick)

Oi! Leave us out of this, Monsieur.

[tiktok]

Can anyone give an example in Football history where the result of a game has been declared null and void because of a decision on the pitch?

Well, Yes actually!
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/SPORT/football/09/05/bahrain.replay/index.html
But then the Uzbecs are a major footballing power in the region.

In other news, White Star Line's Titanic is feared lost on it's maiden voyage.

[geysir]

Some people here have a major chip on their shoulder. A lot of people seem to be suggesting that if Robbie Keane had handled the ball for Dunne to score the goal that put France out, that France would have got a replay. This is utter, utter nonsense.
Should some people have argued that France would have got a replay, then yes that is nonsense, but you could imagine Sepp looking furiously at the small print of the rule book.
Arguments of 'what if' (Keane had handled) or 'what about' (Georgia game) are nonsense.


This is why the FAI as being viewed as idiots, they are not only asking for something that is logistically impossible, they are asking for a favour that no one else would ever or has ever asked for. Not even the English.
They are foolish to be still running with that and naive to be expecting a guy like Blatter to keep the talk confidential. But as Brady alluded to, the truly scary bit for the rest of the football world was to witness Blatter on stage.


There is no conspiracy, the officials didnt see it, the goal stood and you are harshly out of the world cup. As I keep saying, thats football.
AFAIC the result was when the ref blew the final whistle, Henry and France deserved all the focus and flak. The FAI slithering around about the goal doesn't takes one teeny bit away from the performance of team to get there and perform over the two legs. France are still a very fortunate team to get through. We performed with appropriate belief in our ability which was more than good enough.

[elroy]

On the playoff seedings point, Platini the 'Champion of the weaker nations' has sanctioned the seeding of the Euro 2012 playoffs and wait for it the seeded team will play the second leg at home. :mad::(:o
So basically a further kick in the teeth.

However, I wonder if we make the playoffs for these, will we somehow manage to get a better draw than this time around. Save UEFA the hassle etc.

[Emmet7]

1. Keane did handle the ball several times in the match, sometimes deliberately, sometimes accidently, but at all times he was punished for it, and you can be sure if he had scored a goal as a result it would have been disallowed.

2. I accept that the ref did not deliberately swing it for France. A combination of factors happened. He was unsighted by the malee of players in the penalty area, however having said that, he was very poorly positioned. I also think Henry took advantage of this poor positioning. The linesman was also probably watching for an offside and after that, that players who were returning from offside weren't interfering with play. Handballs in the penalty area are very rare, whereas offsides happen almost every attack, so he was focused on the offside.

3. While I am able to move on, the way I will always see the result is that France could not score a legitimate goal over 120 minutes and had to nick one illigimately. Henry showed no fair play, there are litterly tons of examples if you look up youtube of players holding up their hands when the ref gives a bad decision and saying to him immediately that it wasn't a penalty or a free or a yellow card.

4. It's ironic that while most people have moved on, the people who are still obsessed with this and dragging the issue up are those who keep saying the FAI are an embarrassment and all that. Maybe it's time for the 'move-on' brigade to actually, you know, move on themselves.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Fifa, favour the big teams, for example with the Groups for Qualifying, the seeding of those groups, and now the Seeding of the play-offs. (I agree you were shafted there).

But all this Fifa won't listen to us becasue we are small is just balls. Can anyone give an example in Football history where the result of a game has been declared null and void because of a decision on the pitch?

This is why the FAI as being viewed as idiots, they are not only asking for something that is logistically impossible, they are asking for a favour that no one else would ever or has ever asked for. Not even the English.

There is no conspiracy, the officials didnt see it, the goal stood and you are harshly out of the world cup. As I keep saying, thats football.

Don't know who or what you are, but this is mainly nonsense. Especially when you keep saying :rolleyes: 'we' and 'you. Not to mention factually incorrect.

Deal with FIFA's incompetence before you slag Ireland....

[OneRedArmy]

and you can be sure if he had scored a goal as a result it would have been disallowed.Really?

Whats the Lotto numbers for tonight Nostradamus?

[Emmet7]

Really?

Whats the Lotto numbers for tonight Nostradamus?

I'm moving on.

I have nothing to say on France V Ireland again. Goodbye.

[tiktok]

I'm moving on.

I have nothing to say on France V Ireland again. Goodbye.

Waving the white flag?
What a wonderfully French way to end your participation.

[bennocelt]

Nobody asked you to moan for two years. The snide comments you made were misplaced.
And yes I do think that Ireland IS a great place, with some notable flaws but what country doesn't. Anyway grow up and consider some contributions of worth for next time rather than turning your nose up at those who offer differing opinions on fairly significant matter in world football.

You must be one of those top civil servants i keep hearing about:rolleyes:

Enjoy the world cup, I know I will anyway............................................ ..................:)

[pineapple stu]

Is Davy Keogh not a Bohs fan? Hazy memory of meeting him after a match in Dalymount once.

(Agree other than that obviously)

[OneRedArmy]

Is Davy Keogh not a Bohs fan? Hazy memory of meeting him after a match in Dalymount once.

(Agree other than that obviously)
Reminds me of the banner the lads displayed in the Faroes to celebrate Davy's flight being unable to land due to fog and him missing the match :D

[pineapple stu]

Reminds me of the banner the lads displayed in the Faroes to celebrate Davy's flight being unable to land due to fog and him missing the match :D
I was ridiculously hammered at the start of that match (weather sobered me up fairly quick though :p) - remind me again? Do remember a banner alright.

[tiktok]

Is Davy Keogh not a Bohs fan? Hazy memory of meeting him after a match in Dalymount once.

Did he say hello?