First comments from Martin Hansson

[francesco_1]

Sky did a graphic analyis of this last night

Shows that the ref may have been unsighted, but linesman had a clear view

But then why did Hannson tell the Irish players - as reported - that Henry took it on his chest ? Either a liar or incompetent - or else working to Platini's instructions

If you watch the replay after the goal you can see the ref pointing at his chest/tummy area when the players confront him.

[cavan_fan]

You're talking single figures Neil. Small single figures.

Its not fair to label those who criticise the hysteria as being lesser fans, which has been asserted in a number of threads.

You fight the battles you can win. This was a battle we were never going to win, no matter how many Facebook groups were started or how much Sky Sports and the British red tops stirred it up.

Life goes on, it doesn't mean we need to forget what happened and hopefully it will push FIFA to make the necessary changes in the future, but the mass hysteria is ridiculous. After laughing at the English for bringing up Maradona at every available opportunity for the last 20+ years I sincerely hope we aren't in the same boat.

Life is tough sometimes, and there are bigger problems out there.

I dont agree, I think you kick up a fuss even if you know it wont work. It may come back to help you later on with other decisions. Alex Ferguson has made a career out of it.

[jebus]

Is anyone else getting p*ssed off with the small number of people on here who are taking such glee in our defeat. We know you dont like the Ireland team, we know you think that FAI clubs are under supported, we know you dont like British clubs and especially Irish people supporting them, we know we are being slightly irrational in our anger, we know worse things happen in life, we know things arent going to get changed, we just want to be angry.

I take no joy in the defeat

I just think you're all an embarrassment to the country and so an embarrassment to me as an Irishman so I'd like you all to stop with this nonsense

To me you are all acting with a mix of Princess Di hysterics and Pro-Flag Americans when the wars started

[Réiteoir]

I think the ref was badly positioned but his linesman is the official who got it most wrong with the blatant offside not to mind the handball. In fairness though none were cheats.

Let's hope the real cheats lose their lucrative marketing contracts and their FIFA job.

It wasn't offside under the current wording of Law - there were two players stood in an offside position (which is not an offence in itself) - and by Law - those two players were neither interfering with play, an opponent, or gaining an advantage.

agree. the ref had a very good game. the linesman on the opposite side of the pitch must have had a great view. id say he saw it but didnt want to make such a big call

Saying that - the Assistant down that end of the pitch has a pretty superb view of it - but he's really too far away to make a credible and accurate judgement on it.

Where Hansson is positioned on the edge of the area - he's got no chance of a clear view of that - much like Peter Walton with the Ngog incident against Birmingham - just unlucky positioning

forget video evidence during a game IMO. have 4 linesmen right and 2 officials at each goal just like umpires in GAA. is that not simple. personally i wouldnt be in favour of stopping the game. its a bit different in other sports there more stop start like rugby.

The 5th/6th Officials have done sweet FA in Fulham's Europa League matches so far, not assisting the ref in making fairly simple corner/goal-kick calls, not being able to spot the correct player from 5 yards for a potential DOGSO situation and the list goes on. So I have no faith that a 5th/6th official would have helped here, or if they are of any use at all. And who was the bright spark behind the 5th/6th official idea, Monsieur Platini...

Sky did a graphic analyis of this last night

Shows that the ref may have been unsighted, but linesman had a clear view

But then why did Hannson tell the Irish players - as reported - that Henry took it on his chest ? Either a liar or incompetent - or else working to Platini's instructions

It could simply be that the Assistant who had the clearest line of sight to the incident - but couldn't be 100% sure on it being handball - from being quite a way from it - could have simply said to Hansson over the headsets in reply to the question from the Referee "Have you seen what it hit" - he replies with "I'm not 100% sure - I think he's contacted the ball with his chest".

Much like Simulation - you have to be sure to the last iota that you've seen what you think you've seen. Imagine the furore if, for example, Keane had chested the ball over to Doyle from exactly the same position in the last minute of the 90 only to see it disallowed for what the officials tell them "Well we can't be sure - but we think it's hit Keane on the hand"

I take no joy in the defeat

I just think you're all an embarrassment to the country and so an embarrassment to me as an Irishman so I'd like you all to stop with this nonsense

To me you are all acting with a mix of Princess Di hysterics and Pro-Flag Americans when the wars started

Or worse - behaving like England fans after the Portugal game in Euro 2004...

[OwlsFan]

I take no joy in the defeat

Glad to hear it.

I just think you're all an embarrassment to the country and so an embarrassment to me as an Irishman so I'd like you all to stop with this nonsense

Us all?? What are we supposed to do on a football forum? Say "hey old boy, that was a darned bit of bad luck. Now what would you like for dinner?". Football is a passionate game. People spent a lot of money to go to Paris and see one of the best performances ever by an Irish team. Thousands would also have gone to South Africa. But we're not because of a maradonna like incident. It's not just Ireland which is talking about it. The whole football world is.

I agree the politicians should keep out of it but imagine if John Delaney did nothing. What a roasting he'd get here.

There's an old phrase: tread carefully when you tread on my dreams. Our dreams have been crushed by one of the most blantant handballs/wrong decisions ever in sports history. If we can't get excited about that, then what?

To me you are all acting like Pro-Flag Americans when the wars started

Not sure anyone is "acting" here. And thank God for the American flag waving otherwise we'd be part of either the Nazi Empire or the Soviet Union.

[Metrostars]

Hansson was also who gave that ridiculous penalty to Gerrard against Atletic Madrid last year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwfgbHOZHE0

[Milesmayhem24]

It wasn't offside under the current wording of Law - there were two players stood in an offside position (which is not an offence in itself) - and by Law - those two players were neither interfering with play, an opponent, or gaining an advantage.

Surely Squillaci can be be viewed as interfering with play. He challenged for the ball with Richard Dunne (albeit neither got a touch on it but he was definitely going for it) when the ball came in.

Also , was the second person standing offside not Gallas? (not 100% he was offside) He scored - I would consider that gaining an advantage!

[Réiteoir]

Surely Squillaci can be be viewed as interfering with play. He challenged for the ball with Richard Dunne (albeit neither got a touch on it but he was definitely going for it) when the ball came in.

The Laws currently state that:
"interfering with play" means playing or touching the ball passed or touched by a team-mate
If he doesn't touch the ball - then he cannot be penalised - much like the goal scored in Serie A the other week.

Also , was the second person standing offside not Gallas? (not 100% he was offside) He scored - I would consider that gaining an advantage!

Gallas did not become active in the first phase of play - which was the ball in.

By the time the second phase of play came into action - which was Henry playing the ball back into him to score - Gallas was not offisde, as he was behind the ball when it was played to him.

[jebus]

Us all?? What are we supposed to do on a football forum? Say "hey old boy, that was a darned bit of bad luck. Now what would you like for dinner?". Football is a passionate game. People spent a lot of money to go to Paris and see one of the best performances ever by an Irish team. Thousands would also have gone to South Africa. But we're not because of a maradonna like incident. It's not just Ireland which is talking about it. The whole football world is.

I agree the politicians should keep out of it but imagine if John Delaney did nothing. What a roasting he'd get here.

I'll retract that and say the vast majority of you, maybe not all, although I will say that any of you marching on the French Embassy tomorrow are a disgrace

Anyway on to the rest. Of course people are angry, I was angry watching that game, not just at people like Henry and Anelka for cheating, I was angry at McShane, I was angry at Given, I was angry at McGeady, Duff, Keane, O'Shea, all of them that messed up at certain stages during the game. But this bile that has been spewing from most people's mouths about Henry needs to stop. I've had people who watch maybe one or two games of football a year trying to tell me I'm wrong in my opinion of the sport being full of cheats, at every level. I was actually physically threatened the other night for saying 'Henrys a cheat, so what?' after the match had ended. Those Facebook groups are full of people that no one would miss if they all forgot how to use designated walkways and marched themselves over a cliff tomorrow morning. People saying boycott Gilette and French Cuisine need to slap themselves a few times in the face. People on about marching on the French Embassy need to look around at the real problems affecting Ireland at the moment and direct their marches elsewhere. But worst of all, and this is one of the main reasons that football sickens me these days, is the hypocrisy of the football fans who actually know about the game. You all are acting like you've never been a part of the cheating process that runs through football, or your team has never cheated in any way shape or form. I'll say this to you, have you never called for a free or penalty to the ref for your team when you're not certain it was, or sometimes even know it wasn't? Do you Owlsfan shake your head in disgust when Mark Beevers tugs the jersey of the oppositions attacker when a corner comes in? Berate a constant offender like Robbie Keane when he puts his hand up for a corner after he's had the last touch?

On Wednesday night people were going on about stamping out all cheating, when they realised that they couldn't hold their ground on that when people like myself, Dodge, In Exile, passinginterest and others pointed out that very point above me they started to quantify it with levels of cheating and importance of games, which only make them sound even more idiotic and hypocritical. This isn't a new thing, I hear it in the pub every week after (say) a Man Utd player has dived against Liverpool and the Pool fans are up in arms, forgetting that their team captain throws himself to the ground at the slightest touch. Remember Celtic's disgust at Eduardo? Where were they when McGeady was rightly sent off for diving 4 days later? Hypocrites the lot of them and their attitude has soured football for me. This is just the latest chapter.

Not sure anyone is "acting" here. And thank God for the American flag waving otherwise we'd be part of either the Nazi Empire or the Soviet Union.

Wasn't the wars I was referring to, as I think you may know, more the type of American who started calling french fries Freedom Fries, had a completely blinkered view to the holes in their arguments and who responded to rational questions by shouting louder about the injustice of it all and accusing the questioner of being unpatriotic. Remember how much we all laughed at them in civilised Ireland, guess who's the butt of the joke now

[Milesmayhem24]

The Laws currently state that:
"interfering with play" means playing or touching the ball passed or touched by a team-mate
If he doesn't touch the ball - then he cannot be penalised - much like the goal scored in Serie A the other week.




Gallas did not become active in the first phase of play - which was the ball in.

By the time the second phase of play came into action - which was Henry playing the ball back into him to score - Gallas was not offisde, as he was behind the ball when it was played to him.

There is something seriously wrong with the rules in that case. Regardless of whether he touches the ball, he is preventing Richard Dunne heading the ball clear. If that's not interfering, I don't know what is!!

Fair enough on the Gallas point , I'm not sure he was offside in the first place anyway.

[Quadruple1928]

Great stuff all very true..

People on about marching on the French Embassy need to look around at the real problems affecting Ireland at the moment and direct their marches elsewhere. But worst of all, and this is one of the main reasons that football sickens me these days, is the hypocrisy of the football fans who actually know about the game.

[OneRedArmy]

Shoe on the other foot, would we offer a replay?

Would we [insert random swear word].

And that, is a clear case of hypocrisy.

[jbyrne]

The Laws currently state that:
"interfering with play" means playing or touching the ball passed or touched by a team-mate
If he doesn't touch the ball - then he cannot be penalised - much like the goal scored in Serie A the other week.

thats not true. refs constantly blow up as an interfering player runs towards the ball. he does not have to make contact to be penalised. also a player standing directly in front of the gk will be blown up without touching the ball

[Milesmayhem24]

Shoe on the other foot, would we offer a replay?

Would we [insert random swear word].

And that, is a clear case of hypocrisy.

Of course we wouldn't.

We'd be saying sh*t happens, get over it. It was the ref's fault for missing it, take it up with him...

[Réiteoir]

thats not true. refs constantly blow up as an interfering player runs towards the ball. he does not have to make contact to be penalised. also a player standing directly in front of the gk will be blown up without touching the ball

That example there would only be valid in the case shown below:

“A player in an offside position may be penalised before playing or touching the ball if, in the opinion of the referee, no other team-mate in an onside position has the opportunity to play the ball."

This is specifically targeted at one on one balls with a goalkeeper - to prevent physical contact and possible injury.

The Assistant in LAW was correct not to flag Squillachi offside on Wednesday night - this has since been confirmed to me by two currently serving FIFA Assistant Referees and one friend of mine who runs the line on the Coca Cola Football League.

If he had have flagged in that situation - he would have been slaughtered by the Match Assessor and both the referee and the Assistant involved would be marked accordingly with 59/100 for failure to apply Law correctly when involved in a "CMI" (Critical Match Incident).

[geysir]

Anyway on to the rest. Of course people are angry, I was angry watching that game, not just at people like Henry and Anelka for cheating, I was angry at McShane, I was angry at Given, I was angry at McGeady, Duff, Keane, O'Shea, all of them that messed up at certain stages during the game. But this bile that has been spewing from most people's mouths about Henry needs to stop.

Sure, your opinion matters most, it is most valuable input in the history of foot.ie. No other opinion matters.

I've had people who watch maybe one or two games of football a year trying to tell me I'm wrong in my opinion of the sport being full of cheats,at every level.

Imagine the cheek of somebody to tell you that you are wrong, they must be the biggest morons in Ireland. How can they not recognise your wisdom.

Or was it some people having an opinion on a football matter trying to express it to an opinionated gobs with an exaggerated view of his own importance.

I was actually physically threatened the other night

I can believe that happens often.

Remember Celtic's disgust at Eduardo? Where were they when McGeady was rightly sent off for diving 4 days later?

McGeady was not sent off for diving, he picked up a yellow card. It takes 2 yellow cards to be sent off.

[old git]

Sky did a graphic analyis of this last night

Shows that the ref may have been unsighted, but linesman had a clear view

But then why did Hannson tell the Irish players - as reported - that Henry took it on his chest ? Either a liar or incompetent - or else working to Platini's instructions

yes referee supposedly told kilbane that he was 100 % sure it was not a handball liar & incompetent all he had to do now was admit he made mistake after reviewing incident ... cannot also understand how such an important match watched by millions worldwide and the president of fifa mr blatter thinks it is ok to sit back and not get involved

[soccerboy]

the lino had a perfect view across the pitch at the incident...just watched the game again and when kilbane approaches the ref,hansson indicates to him that henry used his chest to control the ball...so either him or his linesman saw or apparently saw henry "chest" the ball

[jbyrne]

That example there would only be valid in the case shown below:

if this was the case you would have to be nostredamus to officiate. in my experience if a player in an off side position makes an attempt to go towards the ball (within reason) he will be penalised for offside irrespective of there being another player being in a position to play the ball or not. if what you say is true most refs are not sticking to the rule you quote

[4tothefloor]

But worst of all, and this is one of the main reasons that football sickens me these days, is the hypocrisy of the football fans who actually know about the game. You all are acting like you've never been a part of the cheating process that runs through football, or your team has never cheated in any way shape or form. .................................................. .....Hypocrites the lot of them and their attitude has soured football for me. This is just the latest chapter.

The irony here is that your points are all hypocritical as well Niall. You're banging on about fans being hypocrits and coming out with stuff like "he's a cheat so what" or just accept it as it happens all the time. But that's the problem, it happens all the time. So when are people going to take a stand and get this crap stamped out of our game? Well we're certainly not going to achieve it with your "just accept it" attitude. If nobody kicks up a fuss, how can these wrongs be put right?

It's time video refs were brought in. It's time that players were retrospectively punished for cheating. It's time that incompetent referees and assistants were brought to task for their decisions. It's time that the game of football was cleaned up and it's integrity restored. And that applies to every team and player regardless of whether you're Ronaldo, Gerrard, Keane or Henry.

I haven't spent my hard earned money following Ireland to be sat in Paris being told "ah sure it happens all the time, just have to accept it". Bulls**t, we do not have to accept it and we are dead right to kick up as big a fuss as we can. And it's no coincidence that the whole of Europe, including the French, agree with us as well.

I am not embarrassed for what we are doing in Ireland, and the fuss we are kicking up. I am embarrassed though for football and people like Roy Keane. Would this happen in rugby? Absolutely not