It was UEFA, but I agree with your point.
No replay for me. Very hard luck, sh1t happens, move on.
Printable View
In fact, if there was a time to call for a replay it should have been after the second leg play off at Heysel in '97(?).
At 1-1 in the second leg (2-2 on aggregate) we were awarded a throw, there was a long delay for an injury to a Belgian, they restarted play with a throw and scored. So the story goes anyway, I was ****ed - or is it just ome of those urban myths?
The Uzbekhistan precedent cited in the press is directly comparable to that - incorrect application of the rules, rather than failure to observe something.
I'm pretty sure they were awarded the throw even though it obviously came off their man, Kenny Cuningham was very inexperienced at the time and didn't even call for it so was criticised at the time for not pressuring the linesman, I think he took an age to point their way for the throw and did so on their big shout for it. Not really the same although having been at both games I've been comparing the games and the trips since Wednesday, very similar pre match craic, similar belief we were in the asendency before their goal and similar post match devestation.
Of course there should not be a replay.
But I'd take one, and to hell with any precedents and mayhem it would cause in future.
Maybe its because I put my country first, why should I worry about problems it would cause Fifa? We owe them and the French nothing.
Henry, Evra and co well I hope their plane crashes on the way to S.A.
Now theres a thought!
A replay was never on the cards but John Delaney and the FAI were right to put the ball in the French Association's hands. Even if they had offered to replay I doubt if FIFA would have accepted it.
The one thing that really still wrankles with me is how Henry has conducted himself. All this 'after the event' crap from him admitting he did control the ball with his hand, agreeing the game should be replayed and that Ireland should be going to finals is being seen by many as Henry acting with integrity.
Absolute 'bullsh*t', Henry has been well schooled in taking this approach knowing that a replay was never going to happen and to do what he can to avoid any further sanction against him.
He could just have easily gone to the referee when the Irish players were protesting, told him he did control the ball with his hand and that the goal should not be allowed.
That would have been meaningful not this 'apres match' bull that he has come out with. Will always be remembered as a cheat.
There shouldn't be a replay as the rules don't allow for one, & there should be no retrospective punichment of Henry as the rules don't provide for that.
That said, the rules should be changed to allow for retrospective punishment.
Even if there was a replay though, it would still not be fair. It can never be fair. We were minutes away from penalties when nobody gave us a chance. Would it be fair to bring it back to 0-0 and leave us with all that work to do again? the only thing that would be in anyway fair would be bringing back the team on the pitch at the end of the game for a penalty shootout in the SDF
I understand that he cheated alright and I'm sickened by it as much as anybody but in my view if it was worth a yellow card when it happened then thats all it should ever be worth. Henry shouldn't be given extra punishment for the officials incompetence.
UEFA did that with Eduardo true and I didn't agree with that at the time either. I should have been more clear. I was disagreeing with the rule more than anything else.