Ireland ask FIFA to be 33rd team in WC

[Absinthe]

I saw the statement for the first time this am. In fact the more I think about it, the angrier I get.

No doubt he had a few cronies set up to giggle. Happy to get sympathy are we but you know what sympathy gets us....nothing but sympathy and yesterday's news like a bereavement. The family continues to feel the pain but everyone else moves on. "Poor Mick. He was unlucky to be knocked down. Now what's for breakfast, Maud?".

Any journalist worth his salt should have asked the following questions/statements:

(a) So Mr. Blabber, you find it amusing that Ireland should dare ask to be included in the WC when they were cheated out of a potential place?
(b) You think it funny that Ireland should ask to change the rules when you changed the rules for the play offs?
(c) You think it funny that you say the referee is to blame when you repeatedly have refused to have video technology?
(d)You think it funny that 15 thousand Irish people paid money to go to Paris to see their team cheated out of a potential world cup place?
(e) We think it funny that you should phone Thierry Henry to empathise with him?
(f) You have admitted that in a Junior game you cheated to score a goal as did Henry. Where does this leave FIFA's "Fair Play" initiative?

We in Ireland find the whole thing hilarious.

..add further as you see fit.

How dare that twerp laugh!!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

You need to get some perspective on this and see it from FIFA's point of view. As he said on the video clip, the laws of the game have been in place now for 125 years. FIFA don't want to bring in video replays, because video technology is not yet available at all games. (I would assume this is still true even at a World Cup Qualifying level, American Samoa vs Micronesia?)

They have already rejected the Republic of Ireland's appeal for a replay, correctly, as you aren't the first team to lose a match in controversial circumstances, just very unfortunate that it happened at am important stage in such an important match.

The FAI then requested an individual meeting to present their case to Blatter in person. There case amounts to, ok you arent going to replay the match, but could you just let us into the World Cup anyway?

Im guessing Blatter (as useless as he is) is a very busy guy. You're lucky he is laughing about this farce. Some posters have stated that you have nothing to lose with this, I would think you have damaged your reputation/standing within FIFA.

And just to confirm for those that seem to think this was a flippant statement in a large meeting with FIFA officials, it was a meeting between the FAI and Blatter, called for by the FAI.

[Stuttgart88]

I never was interested in a replay and asking for an extra slot is dumb, but OF's points (e) and (f) are very pertinent in my opinion.

[Leeside Swagger]

FIFA bringing in 4 extra assistant refs per match for the world cup according to reports on the radio this morning

[shakermaker1982]

That press conference repulsed me. Blatter and his cronies giggling like a gang of school girls.

SSN reported that Henry's family in London received death threats (Blatter apparently released this as well). Anybody else hear this? I hope this is not the case and it's just more BS from Blatter.

[Réiteoir]

http://www.rte.ie/arts/2009/1201/bono.html

It gets better. Guess who's hopped on to the bandwagon now...

You know how farcical this has become and how low everything has sunk when Bono comes out and makes a statement in support of the "33rd team" idea - but it ends up sounding like he's appealing for cash for starving African kids again

SSN reported that Henry's family in London received death threats (Blatter apparently released this as well). Anybody else hear this? I hope this is not the case and it's just more BS from Blatter.

The Police are in the process of investigating death threats made over the past few weeks - so it is true.

Make Emmet7 a mascot at next year's World Cup

We could drape him in the Fair Play flag and dress him up in Irish kit?

anyone....?

I'd be for it - but only if the flag is on fire at the time

[paul_oshea]

This hitman thing could be a good idea. see whose laughing then.

[ArdeeBhoy]

You need to get some perspective on this and see it from FIFA's point of view. As he said on the video clip, the laws of the game have been in place now for 125 years. FIFA don't want to bring in video replays, because video technology is not yet available at all games. (I would assume this is still true even at a World Cup Qualifying level, American Samoa vs Micronesia?)


Im guessing Blatter (as useless as he is) is a very busy guy. You're lucky he is laughing about this farce. Some posters have stated that you have nothing to lose with this, I would think you have damaged your reputation/standing within FIFA.

And just to confirm for those that seem to think this was a flippant statement in a large meeting with FIFA officials, it was a meeting between the FAI and Blatter, called for by the FAI.

You need to get some perspective;the first statement is BS at any level, especially from FIFA.
And Blatter is a senile tw*t;he won't be around for much longer (tomorrow is too long), why would anyone be worried about an organisation with zero credibility anyway?
Lastly;of course it was flippant and disrespectful, but that's Blatter. Just a prize clown.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Wouldn't FIFA be "cheating" by changing their rules to accomodate Ireland, regardless of how noble the cause?

Lets see how all you hypocrites riddle your way out of that one....

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

[jebus]

Thank Christ I've been off the internet for the last few days

This whole thing has gone beyond embarrassing for the whole country at this stage.
At least people might realise we're not all carefree rogues out for a laugh at all times now anyway
Silver linings and all that

[razor]

Duffer, for one, has said it will haunt him until the day he dies!

What? the handball injustice or the one on one he missed to send us to the World Cup?

They were right to laugh cos this whole 33rd country sorry mess is laughable.
but now that Bono is behind it we're pretty much there

i'm mortified, what a laughing stock we are.

[ArdeeBhoy]

i'm mortified, what a laughing stock we are.

As opposed to the great authority and credibility of FIFA!

[jebus]

As opposed to the great authority and credibility of FIFA!

Two wrongs don't make a right

Blatter is a clown, always has been, so I don't see why you are all getting offended at him laughing at such a ridiculous idea as us being the 33rd team

The Irish indigination and bitterness has pretty much out-stripped the English in terms of going over the top in their petty grudges.

Everything from boycotting Gilette, to Henry's death threats, to peeing yourselves with excitement when Bilbao boo Henry (SHOCK HORROR an opposing team use a situation to boo the other teams player), to how over the top the vast majority of you have been, to all those Facebook groups, to threatening legal action against FIFA, to demanding a replay, to pretending that no Irish player has ever cheated, to Damien Duff, to this 33rd team nonsense, and that's all it is

You should all be ashamed, you've made us worse than the English at this. I'm sure the Sun and the Daily Mail are considering moving their HQs over here in light of this hysteria

[Leeside Swagger]

Two wrongs don't make a right

Blatter is a clown, always has been, so I don't see why you are all getting offended at him laughing at such a ridiculous idea as us being the 33rd team

The Irish indigination and bitterness has pretty much out-stripped the English in terms of going over the top in their petty grudges.

Everything from boycotting Gilette, to Henry's death threats, to peeing yourselves with excitement when Bilbao boo Henry (SHOCK HORROR an opposing team use a situation to boo the other teams player), to how over the top the vast majority of you have been, to all those Facebook groups, to threatening legal action against FIFA, to demanding a replay, to pretending that no Irish player has ever cheated, to Damien Duff, to this 33rd team nonsense, and that's all it is

You should all be ashamed, you've made us worse than the English at this. I'm sure the Sun and the Daily Mail are considering moving their HQs over here in light of this hysteria

Well said, we are literally (going by that press conference yesterday) a laughing stock.

[geysir]

Wouldn't FIFA be "cheating" by changing their rules to accomodate Ireland, regardless of how noble the cause?

Lets see how all you hypocrites riddle your way out of that one....

Who are all the hypocrites here agreeing that we should be the 33rd team?

Blatter selecting one point, chuckling away on stage, made an ass of himself, his position in FIFA and FIFA itself.
How anyone could feel embarrassed by that spinning rogue, is beyond me.

[dr_peepee]

Who are all the hypocrites here agreeing that we should be the 33rd team?

Blatter selecting one point, chuckling away on stage, made an ass of himself, his position in FIFA and FIFA itself.
How anyone could feel embarrassed by that spinning rogue, is beyond me.

Exactly.. That's precisely the reaction he wants. Embaresment. Head down. Life goes on. etc etc... It's all deflection. Soundbites.... He threw the seals a beach ball and a few sardines, and they (and some of us I'm ashamed to say bought it). Berti was a master at it.

It's about what he's NOT saying. Don't get sucked in.... My committment to this sport is dying every day since, more due to what's gone on since Paris. Mistakes can be forgiven. What's gone on since is far from it.

[geysir]

According to reports the FAI made no mention of asking to be included at the WC in their written submission.

Examiner

'In fact, in their written submission to FIFA preceding the meeting, the FAI had not even mentioned the idea of filling an extra berth at next summer’s finals in South Africa, instead concentrating on issues designed to prevent incidents such as the controversial French goal in Paris from occurring again.

Nor, when they actually met with FIFA last Friday, did the FAI propose any kind of mechanism for accommodating an extra team in the World Cup finals in South Africa'

[drinkfeckarse]

If we did ask then it is something Delaney should resign about if true, making us look like amateurs. However, I agree that Blatter was an absolute disgrace the way he delivered the news and hopefully that costs him his job. Highly unikely IMO but a man in that position should not be acting as if he was looking down his nose to us. He wouldn't have spoken like that had it been one of the "big" countries.

[Predator]

Interesting, geysir, but could this be a case of backtracking? They simply say in the 'written submission to FIFA preceding the meeting'.

Here's a link from the FAI website detailing their statement after the meeting :

'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.'

Then again, Blatter did make it appear like we were actively looking for a place in the WC, which I don't think was the case at all.

[tiktok]

Nor, when they actually met with FIFA last Friday, did the FAI propose any kind of mechanism for accommodating an extra team in the World Cup finals in South Africa'

Maybe it was a request to be an automatic alternate should any team be excluded [as Yugoslavia were in Euro92? That'd be slightly less embarassing, though it'd still be against FIFA's own procedures for handling such an exclusion [unless of course Italy or France were the ones excluded].

On the other hand, if Blatter is making stuff up, he should be forcibly and publicly called on it. This request has made us a laughing stock. If it was made, it's deserved. If it was never made, Blatter should be dragged through the mire. The silence from the FAI on this would suggest that they did ask though [or that they're scared of upsetting Blatter].

[Den Perry]

Maybe it was a request to be an automatic alternate should any team be excluded [as Yugoslavia were in Euro92? That'd be slightly less embarassing, though it'd still be against FIFA's own procedures for handling such an exclusion [unless of course Italy or France were the ones excluded].

On the other hand, if Blatter is making stuff up, he should be forcibly and publicly called on it. This request has made us a laughing stock. If it was made, it's deserved. If it was never made, Blatter should be dragged through the mire. The silence from the FAI on this would suggest that they did ask though [or that they're scared of upsetting Blatter].

I don't think Delaney was too out of order if he did ask...nothing ventured, nothing gained. Regarding replay / 33rd team permitted etc, let sleeping dogs lie.

However, Blatter was an absolute disgrace in the condescending way he announced it and then laughed at the conferance.An arrogant, patronising swine.It really needs somebody in a powerful position in one of te powerful nations to take a stance on his behaviour. Forget about us going to the WC, but make as big a fuss as possible about Blatter's behaviour since Paris