Ireland ask FIFA to be 33rd team in WC

[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!

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.

[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.

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...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/fo...lay/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.
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.