Ireland ask FIFA to be 33rd team in WC

[paul_oshea]

Thats because, many words are not actually spoken in jest

[tiktok]

what blinkered delusions of granduer LOI fans have. Davy Keogh is heavily involved in junior football week in / week out in this country as are a lot of other posters here. to me that contributes far more to real football in this county than a LOI supporter sitting in a stand somewhere patting himself on the back for being a "real fan"

You are of course 100% correct in your assertion that no LOI supporter is involved in junior football.

These crock of excrement arguments are pointless.

[jbyrne]

You are of course 100% correct in your assertion that no LOI supporter is involved in junior football.

These crock of excrement arguments are pointless.

where is that assertion?

[MariborKev]

Where did you hear this? In the "LOI Supporters - No Room for inferior infidels that wave plastic hammers" forum?

Yeah.

Meetings are held in Non Irish bars on away trips.

[tiktok]

where is that assertion?

pg. 15

I refer you to my earlier post about how pointless 'I'm a Superfan' arguments are.

[Greenforever]

Can't believe how people are buying this classic FAI back-tracking in their statement.


FAI today state the 33rd nation madness was 'explored only fleetingly' yet FIFA man makes it clear in his statement that it was an official request.


"Valcke said that, as Ireland had made an official request, the matter would have to go before Wednesday's organising committee meeting in Cape Town."


It was only after Blatter publicised the suggestion on Monday morning that the FAI decided to withdraw the request for it to be heard at Wed's convention.


There was no mention from Brady yesterday that the FAI withdrew this request.


The real issue here is that our overpaid and incompetent CEO went to meet Fifa and either he, or one of his colleagues who he's responsible for, was stupid enough to float this absurd idea.


The depiction of him in the Star as Oliver Twist begging was spot-on.

Does Blatters apology change your view?

Even if the muppet apologised to the Irish Football Association instead of the FAI, and his announcement that the Henry incident will be referred to the disciplinary committee, a big change in his attitude in a short space of time.

It's about time people copped on the only culprits in this are the French Football Federation and FIFA for not condoning what happened and pledging to prevent it happening again.

[paul_oshea]

Yeah.

Meetings are held in Non Irish bars on away trips.

Does ORA chair them?

[Alf Honn]

Does Blatters apology change your view?

Even if the muppet apologised to the Irish Football Association instead of the FAI, and his announcement that the Henry incident will be referred to the disciplinary committee, a big change in his attitude in a short space of time.

It's about time people copped on the only culprits in this are the French Football Federation and FIFA for not condoning what happened and pledging to prevent it happening again.

Not at all.

You're missing the point. It's nothing got to do with Blatter, what he said or what he's saying now.

On official request was made by the FAI to FIFA for us to be handed an extra place in the WC2010.

Desperate stuff and we'll continue to be the laughing stock of World football for many years to come.

[geysir]

Does ORA chair them?

No chairs, only stools.

[shakermaker1982]

Not at all.

You're missing the point. It's nothing got to do with Blatter, what he said or what he's saying now.

On official request was made by the FAI to FIFA for us to be handed an extra place in the WC2010.

Desperate stuff and we'll continue to be the laughing stock of World football for many years to come.

well they'd be even more of a laughing shock if they just lay down and said nothing. If you don't ask you don't get.

[paul_oshea]

No chairs, only stools.

Id say ORA would do a lot of "stooling" at these meetings alright

[paul_oshea]

Not at all.

You're missing the point. It's nothing got to do with Blatter, what he said or what he's saying now.

On official request was made by the FAI to FIFA for us to be handed an extra place in the WC2010.

Desperate stuff and we'll continue to be the laughing stock of World football for many years to come.

According this it wasn't:

"'The FAI has already clarified that this matter was peripheral, was not raised in any of its formal written submissions to FIFA "

Which goes back to my original point. IF this was a meeting and minutes were taken, it could have been requested to have this not on it. Either the FAI are lying or they are not. BUt blatter coming out publicly apologising makes me think they might actually be right in this case.

Again, if its not a WRITTEN request, ad lib, off the record its not a formal request and for blatter to come out and do what he did shows the man in his true light. He is obvious aware of the (legal and otherwise) consequences of such a matter and thats why he has come out and apologised. I think some people are missing the main point here.

[jbyrne]

Desperate stuff and we'll continue to be the laughing stock of World football for many years to come.

get a grip. some on here would love that but it'll be yesterdays news by the time the finals draw is made tomorrow

[Razors left peg]

Does the the fact that I watch other football(from my barstool and comfortable sofa) make me less of a proper fan even though I have been going up to Terryland for over 20 years? Im also part of the "Ole Ole" brigade so I must be a total sellout. Some LOI fans need to get over this superiority complex they have.And why in the name of God do people who obviously dont give a toss about the national team spend so much time posting in the International Section of this website.Im not a Shamrock Rovers or Drogheda fan so I dont bother posting in there because I have no interest in them

On a more relevant note I thought the statement today from the FAI was excellent. It made exactly the right points about the disgraceful behaviour of Blatter.They are totally right about keeping the issue in the public eye and I hope that it will lead to changes in the attitude towards technology being used in future.
As for lads telling us to get over it and move on, there is alot of Irish fans rightly still angry over that happened to Eoin Hands Irish team in Belguim in 81 and I suspect that in 20 years from now I will still be angry about what happened in Paris.

[Greenforever]

Not at all.

You're missing the point. It's nothing got to do with Blatter, what he said or what he's saying now.

On official request was made by the FAI to FIFA for us to be handed an extra place in the WC2010.

Desperate stuff and we'll continue to be the laughing stock of World football for many years to come.

Obviously you are so anti FAI that you cant even read statements of fact, the FAI never officially requested a 33rd spot, it was a fleeting comment made during a 90 minute meeting. Blatter has apologised for his comments. I dont recall Blatter issuing too many formal apologies in the past.

It is purely because so much of the football world is outraged at Blatters comments that he was forced into his apology.

[Alf Honn]

Obviously you are so anti FAI that you cant even read statements of fact, the FAI never officially requested a 33rd spot, it was a fleeting comment made during a 90 minute meeting. Blatter has apologised for his comments. I dont recall Blatter issuing too many formal apologies in the past.

It is purely because so much of the football world is outraged at Blatters comments that he was forced into his apology.

Really? This is what I and the whole world read from the FAI statement on Mon:

'A lot was discussed at the meeting and at one stage the FAI asked if Ireland could be accommodated into the World Cup 2010.'

Is there any other way we could be accommodated?

[weldoninhio]

1. Keane did handle the ball several times in the match, sometimes deliberately, sometimes accidently, but at all times he was punished for it, and you can be sure if he had scored a goal as a result it would have been disallowed.

2. I accept that the ref did not deliberately swing it for France. A combination of factors happened. He was unsighted by the malee of players in the penalty area, however having said that, he was very poorly positioned. I also think Henry took advantage of this poor positioning. The linesman was also probably watching for an offside and after that, that players who were returning from offside weren't interfering with play. Handballs in the penalty area are very rare, whereas offsides happen almost every attack, so he was focused on the offside.

3. While I am able to move on, the way I will always see the result is that France could not score a legitimate goal over 120 minutes and had to nick one illigimately. Henry showed no fair play, there are litterly tons of examples if you look up youtube of players holding up their hands when the ref gives a bad decision and saying to him immediately that it wasn't a penalty or a free or a yellow card.

4. It's ironic that while most people have moved on, the people who are still obsessed with this and dragging the issue up are those who keep saying the FAI are an embarrassment and all that. Maybe it's time for the 'move-on' brigade to actually, you know, move on themselves.

If Robbie Keane scored the exact same goal, how could the ref disallow what he didn't see, as per point 2??

[Greenforever]

Really? This is what I and the whole world read from the FAI statement on Mon:

'A lot was discussed at the meeting and at one stage the FAI asked if Ireland could be accommodated into the World Cup 2010.'

Is there any other way we could be accommodated?

Yes but yet again we do not know in what context it was said, as I've already said Blatter was embarrassed into making an apology.

Given that the meeting went on for 90 minutes and Blatter has chosen to ignore all other items discussed I know who's version of events I'd believe. It was meant to be a confidential meeting and if you have ever attended long business meetings Im sure someone has suggested something a bit whacky to lighten the tone, not execting it to be taken seriously or quoted publically when it has been agreed to keep the contnets of the meeting private.

Delany has behaved in a dignified manner in all the correspondence unlike Blatter who went missing for 2 weeks before condoning Henry's behaviour, breaching the confidentiality of a meeting before being forced into a humble uturn in apologising and refering Henry to a disciplinary hearing.

[John83]

No chairs, only stools.

Sounds like a really 5hitty meeting.

[Doire Abu]

I'm glad that Blatter has said sorry, but that doesn't mitigate the damage that his original comments have made. His version of events were twice around the world long before Delaney put his shoes on. The FAI should never have given him anything to spin with, but they did. I can see why Blatter is so good at staying in power, no matter what a reprehensible piece of human effluent he is.