Ireland ask FIFA to be 33rd team in WC

[danthesaint]

For the 100th time, where was the cheating for that goal? Did the result affect the qualification in any way?

yes it was 1-0 to Georgia at the time, with 20mins to go i think, so it affected the match, which in turn affect our positioning the group imo

[Réiteoir]

Wouldn't letting a 33rd team in damage the INTEGRITY of the World Cup????????

[Newryrep]

For the 100th time, where was the cheating for that goal?

Did the result affect the qualification in any way?

Probably not

Are you seriously asking this question ? no penalty possibly no equaliser, no equaliser no winning goal, no 3 points no top 8 2nd spot , no play off

Maybe Norway could appeal on Georgia behalf

Laughing stock

[twoenz]

When I saw the title of this thread a few minutes ago, I thought it was a joke. Can anyone explain how it would be logistically possible to run a 33/or even 34 team format?

One group of 5 teams, Ireland to be a wildcard at the very end.

Logistically there's bound to be a 33rd hotel that is on standby for the teams, and if we were paired in a host town with say, Honduras, we'd bring in fans that wouldn't necessarily be there otherwise.

But it's a daft idea on the FAI's part and would make a mockery of the whole thing. Decisions happen. If we get in this time we should just apply after the event from now on in case people like Rowlands get injured in qualifying games.

[JT,New'09]

Ur all worse than pack of women

[PartySaint]

For the 100th time, where was the cheating for that goal? Did the result affect the qualification in any way?

Eh yes, if we had of lost that game you dont no if we would have even made the play-offf

[DeNiro]

One extra team in two groups?

Fine, but where would the venues be? They would need to be allocated in the coming week. Surely teams in a five team group would be disadvantaged than those in four. If three teams were to qualify we would have a last 18 instead of 16 (I presume).

It's ludicrous. The FAI has lost the plot totally.

[sixesandsevens]

And where exactly did having the world on our side get us? No place!

It didn't get us anywhere but the incident was putting serious pressure on FIFA to consider replay technology/extra officials etc. Something that the FAI could have been proud of if nothing else.

I am not in the least bit embarrassed by this approach. FIFA and Blatter wanted France at the WC so there was no hope of a replay as that would endanger France's participation. So a bit of creative thinking - why not have a 33rd team?

Well good for you if you don't think its an embarrassing request. If FIFA reject a replay well naturally enough they're going to be accommodating enough to allow an extra team into the competition WHich would mean putting more pressure on the fixture list, accommodation, transportation, etc, etc in a country thats barely fit to run it in the first place. Not to mention having 32 other teams against it, cause none of them will want to play an extra group game, we'd be the lepers of the WC. FIFA don't do creative thinking, I think the goal line technology goes a long way to prove that one.

[Réiteoir]

Probably not

Are you seriously asking this question ? no penalty possibly no equaliser, no equaliser no winning goal, no 3 points no top 8 2nd spot , no play off

Maybe Norway could appeal on Georgia behalf

Laughing stock

Actually - I have to meet with Sondre Kåfjord (the Norwegian FA President) and Karen Espelund (the General Secretary) this afternoon - I'll see what they say

[Torn-Ado]

Anyone else think that maybe Blatter is talking out of his hole here. Maybe I'm naive but surely the people running football in Ireland are not daft enough to ask for an extra place to be put for them in South Africa. There's a chance Blatter just exaggerated Delaneys request to make the FAI look like the unreasonable, ridiculous ones in the whole saga.

I wouldn't be surprised if Delaney and the FAI soon come out and deny the statement.

[Emmet7]

A victory for cheats, including the cheats in FIFA and a victory for Irish fans who in every dispute side against their own players.

At least the genuine Irish fans will side with the players to the very last, and until the first and indeed the last ball is kicked at WC 2010, genuine Irish fans will know the competition is more about revenue streams than football.

[sixesandsevens]

Anyone else think that maybe Blatter is talking out of his hole here. Maybe I'm naive but surely the people running football in Ireland are not daft enough to ask for an extra place to be put for them in South Africa. There's a chance Blatter just exaggerated Delaneys request to make the FAI look like the unreasonable, ridiculous ones in the whole saga.

I wouldn't be surprised if Delaney and the FAI soon come out and deny the statement.

You really would hope thats the case, but its ridiculous enough to be true, even by FAI standards

[Junior]

Just watched it there on SSN. This was a nice piece of PR spin from Blatter. If Im going to look bad, you are all going to look bad with me. In the little that Blatter has said on the issue over the last 2 weeks he has now

- loosely criticised the officials
- suggested that handball is the worst of all crimes
- suggested the FAI have now wanted the rules bending

Delaney may well have asked for the 33rd spot (Which I disagree with) however, the way Blatter brought it up was completely in the tone of "poor silly little old Ireland" He and the gathered media had a good chuckle at our expense and there was even an underlying hint at "they have been whining for the last 2 weeks about fair play and then the FAI suggest this?"

[Emmet7]

I'm sure Robbie Keane will eventually, through years of therapy, get over his abandonment issues that have come about as a result of my post, which didn't mention him.

Glad to see you are making fun of Robbie Keane's misery. Any of the other player's misery you want to make fun of? I mean they were all in tears at the final whistle having given it their all, the hardest work you did during the game I'd say was turn up the volume on the remote.

As for FIFA, they are a bunch of corrupt, lying c**ts.

As for Delaney, he is looking at a loss of at least 10 million Euro to the FAI, and possibly 20 million when everything else is thrown in.

It's hard to simply ignore 20 million Euro and most head's of organisations would try every route to recoup that money.

At this stage its not just about football, its about money as well. The FAI want a piece of the World Cup cake, and can you blame them?

[PartySaint]

Obviosuly the FAI are not content with just being a luaghing stock in Ireland, they wanted to show the whole world how stupid they are, job done

[Alf Honn]

Anyone else think that maybe Blatter is talking out of his hole here. Maybe I'm naive but surely the people running football in Ireland are not daft enough to ask for an extra place to be put for them in South Africa. There's a chance Blatter just exaggerated Delaneys request to make the FAI look like the unreasonable, ridiculous ones in the whole saga.

I wouldn't be surprised if Delaney and the FAI soon come out and deny the statement.

FAI Statement (today):

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.


-- Looking at that second paragraph, can only imagine Blatter found it hard not to burst out laughing.

[Alf Honn]

Glad to see you are making fun of Robbie Keane's misery. Any of the other player's misery you want to make fun of? I mean they were all in tears at the final whistle having given it their all, the hardest work you did during the game I'd say was turn up the volume on the remote.

As for FIFA, they are a bunch of corrupt, lying c**ts.

As for Delaney, he is looking at a loss of at least 10 million Euro to the FAI, and possibly 20 million when everything else is thrown in.

It's hard to simply ignore 20 million Euro and most head's of organisations would try every route to recoup that money.

At this stage its not just about football, its about money as well. The FAI want a piece of the World Cup cake, and can you blame them?

-

Didn't Delaney say it wasn't about money?!

[Emmet7]

-

Didn't Delaney say it wasn't about money?!

I've been working so I think you will excuse me if i haven't followed the detail of the story. Someone has to keep the country going.

Even if he said that, much of it is about the money whatever he says.

[jbyrne]

The players have moved on.

have the players moved on? thats not what they have been saying in recent interviews I have read / seen. but i will bow to you superior mind reading skills as to what they really think. how stupid of some of us to feel that they might still feel cheated about the way we were eliminated from the WC

asking to be the 33rd team is over the top but if we werent fighting our corner on this one the same people that are saying this is embarrassing would be using the FAIs non activity as a stick to beat them with

[tiktok]

Glad to see you are making fun of Robbie Keane's misery

Why are you Glad, what have you got against Robbie Keane, did you not see the effort he put in versus the French? You shopuld be ashamed of yourself Emmet7 [if that is your real name].

Any of the other player's misery you want to make fun of? I mean they were all in tears at the final whistle having given it their all

My God but you're a sadist, encouraging people to go making fun of players at their lowest ebb. Is there no end to your hatred of Ireland and it's national team? Those players are heroes to children all over this Island, but that doesn't matter to your sort does it. Won't somebody think of the children.

the hardest work you did during the game I'd say was turn up the volume on the remote

Actually the hardest work i did was to clean up the projectile vomit of my two year old son who was sick, I missed the half time analysis and start of the second half mopping vomit up off a floor. True Story [and clear evidence which one of us places an importance on the children of this world, they're the future Emmet&, why do you hate them so?]