Politics have no place in football

starbelgrade

Following the World Cup qualifier last night, the fallout today in mainstream politics in Ireland has been baffling. Cowen said he would be discussing the matter with Sarkosy, Fine Gael's Alan Shatter brought up the issue of video refereeing in the Dail, supported by Dermot Ahern & on Matt Cooper's show, I heard some female politician (didn't catch her name), saying that the F.A.I. should consider bringing F.I.F.A. to court over the issue.

The issue is also set to discussed on Prime Time later tonight!

Now I'm a huge soccer fan & was very disappointed with last night's result, but I really believe that mainstream politics has no business interfering with how the governing bodies of football operate or in the politics of football.

The only bit of sense I heard spoken from the political world, was from French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, who said that the Irish government 'should not interfere' in footballing decisions.

(Please note that this is a discussion of the politics of the day & not the match itself - there's plenty of that over on the soccer forum).

mikemac

It's not new.
Remember 2002.
India and Pakistan with access to nuclear technology having border incidents and many said war was imminent. You wouldn't have noticed this in the Irish media.

Our own Taoiseach was offering to act as an intermediary in the Irish football team, that was the main political news here for a number of weeks

Scofflaw

Why is this in the Economy Forum?

moderately,
Scofflaw

Liam Byrne

Why not ? There was enough politics going on in changing the rules, and it's hard to separate the Platini connection from the issues.

And there is the wider angle for society (as signified by FF and the banks) where it doesn't matter what you do as long as you get away with it and you don't get caught!

dresden8

Bread and circuses.

Cowen should have better things on his mind.

Mr.Micro

Cowen knows that a victory last night would be a major boost to the morale of the Irish people and now that has been extinguished. He has no business interfering as a politician in this issue IMO, he is bound to mess it up ( not that FIFA will agree to a replay).

yoshytoshy

Finally ,fianna fail plays ball . lolls.

Nodin

Little to be doin with their time the pair of them, tbh.

Aidric

Completely agree. Politics should be left well away from this issue. Let it to the governing bodies to sort out.

Just out of interest, When we are in a world cup, does national spending not rise? If it does affect the country that much, why should the government not get involved? Whatever about the morale, surely being in a world cup is worth a couple of million in the state coffers?

Bards

I wonder what the result would be if Lisbon II were held tomorrow?

judging by the way FIFA/UEFA modified the draw to suit the big countries a lot of parallels can be drawn on how the EU is run

starbelgrade

Papa Smut wrote: »

Just out of interest, When we are in a world cup, does national spending not rise? If it does affect the country that much, why should the government not get involved? Whatever about the morale, surely being in a world cup is worth a couple of million in the state coffers?

I can't disagree with the spending issue - yes, if we'd made the World Cup, the state, the publicans, the airlines & the guys who make the shakey shamrocks would have, undoubtably, made a few bucks out of it.

I would even have understood if the government were debating the issue based on the economic losses as a result of not qualifying, but they weren't - the Dail debated the issue of TV refereeing! And Cowen waffled on about "fair play" (as if he ever ran his government or it's budgets based on fair play).

I find it ridiculous, headline grabbing nonsense that has no place in Irish politics & even less of a place in international football. It's not like the politicians of our country don't have better things to be doing.

And it's not like there aren't enough politics in football as it is.

Red Sleeping Beauty

Kind of ironic considering the result of the Referendum second leg there a few weeks back.

I guess we're not in the "heart" of Europe anymore

nesf

Politicians making political hay out of some issue that's grabbed the minds of (some of) the people and (all) of the media. Really, is anyone actually surprised?

starbelgrade

I'm watching Oireachtas Report now... jeez, calls for a European directive to force FIFA to introduce video refereeing & Eamon Gilmore bumbling over his works to try & make a "joke" about the referee, saying that he could work for the Financial Regulator, as he did a great job at turning a blind eye.

Great to see the Oireachtas discussing such important matters with such sincerity.

seclachi

They are scrambling all over the first bit of news since the recession that they can blow off some hot air and seem like the good guys. They can go on all they want about footy, I wont forget there mess, and I wont forget the freight train thats coming in December.

The_Minister

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article6924267.ece

What.
The.
****.

First I see Dermot Ahern (noted soccer enthusiast on tv).

Then a Fiana Fail backbencher.

Then the opposition.

Then the Minister for Sport.

Thought it was odd, but said nothing.

Now it's a bloody international incident.


How the hell did this get so out of hand?

starbelgrade

There's already 2 threads on this issue.

The_Minister

starbelgrade wrote: »

There's already 2 threads on this issue.

I didn't see them till after I posted.

I've PM'd the mods to lock, move this thread.

starbelgrade

A ban would be more appropriate.

nesf

Locked, because I'm fickle like that.

Edit: And simultaneously moved by Scofflaw... :P

Scofflaw

nesf wrote: »

Locked, because I'm fickle like that.

Merged, because I'm fickler...

moderately,
Scofflaw

nesf

Scofflaw wrote: »

Merged, because I'm fickler...

moderately,
Scofflaw

Don't tempt me to split the thread just to lock it...

starbelgrade

"MOD FIGHT, MOD FIGHT!"

(please don't kill my thread in the battle!)

AlmightyCushion

None of this would have happened if we had just voted no to lisbon.

anonymous_joe

The_Minister wrote: »

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article6924267.ece

What.
The.
****.

First I see Dermot Ahern (noted soccer enthusiast on tv).

Then a Fiana Fail backbencher.

Then the opposition.

Then the Minister for Sport.

Thought it was odd, but said nothing.

Now it's a bloody international incident.


How the hell did this get so out of hand?

Because this is something people actually care about, mon ami.

Also, let's make something clear - if Ireland had qualified it would have been a lifesaver for FIFA. Any study on football has found that international success has great effects for a country. This can range from reduced suicide levels (seriously, it's true) all the way to the obvious increase in spending.

Given how much of economics relies on psychology, and people being happy to spend money, the effects can be massive. Happy people spend more money. SPending money boosts the economy etc. If Fianna Fáil were to hang on to power long enough to see an economic recovery they might get away with fcuking up in the first place. Hence their interest in it.

Also, distracts people from Nama, banks, etc.

starbelgrade

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Also, let's make something clear - if Ireland had qualified it would have been a lifesaver for FIFA.

I think you mean the FAI? It was a lot more in FIFAs interests for France to qualify.

Either way, I don't think if Ireland had qualified, then it would have brushed over the government's failings. Surely at this stage, the smokescreen of today's political meanderings could not be seen as anything more than what it was?

anonymous_joe

starbelgrade wrote: »

I think you mean the FAI? It was a lot more in FIFAs interests for France to qualify.

Either way, I don't think if Ireland had qualified, then it would have brushed over the government's failings. Surely at this stage, the smokescreen of today's political meanderings could not be seen as anything more than what it was?

I meant the FAI and Ireland in general there. Late night and I've had a few. :pac:

Of course not, but it would have cheered people up and distracted them.

Bottle_of_Smoke

Has to be opportunitism and trying to be liked.

There's no way there'll be a reply unless France actively push for it.

If FIFA were to order a replay imagine the precedent it would set. In football terms this is no different to demanding a replay over a dubious penalty decision.

Yes it was deliberate, yes it was blatant. Still no different to diving for a penalty.

AlmightyCushion

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

Has to be opportunitism and trying to be liked.

There's no way there'll be a reply unless France actively push for it.

If FIFA were to order a replay imagine the precedent it would set. In football terms this is no different to demanding a replay over a dubious penalty decision.

Yes it was deliberate, yes it was blatant. Still no different to diving for a penalty.

One of the lads I work with told me that something similar happened years ago and there was a re-play. Some guy on the radio was yapping on about it.

starbelgrade

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

One of the lads I work with told me that something similar happened years ago and there was a re-play. Some guy on the radio was yapping on about it.

It happened in 2005 - FIFA decided to invalidate the result of a World Cup qualifier between Ukbekistan and Bahrain on the basis of "a technical error by the referee of the match".

A penalty was awarded & encrouched. Instead of awarding a re-take of the penalty - as per FIFA rules - a free kick was awarded instead.

As a FIFA spokesman said today, that was a "very different" case, because the referee in the match "saw the incident in question and simply failed to apply the proper rules".

In the case of the Ireland match, the officials didn't see the handball & the goal stood.

Basically, the rules of the game were applied during the Ireland v France game & not in the other match, so there is no grounds for a replay.

Someone should explain this to the Dail.