Liverpool FC Forum

by **Dazzer** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 3:11 pm

Irish appeal to French honor, demand playoff replay after Henry handball 'costs us our dreams'

DUBLIN (AP) — Ireland appealed to France and soccer authorities Thursday to replay their World Cup playoff in Paris after an obvious handball by Thierry Henry produced the winning goal.

Ireland's government and opposition leaders united in demands for Wednesday's 1-1 draw in France to be replayed, and the country's soccer federation said it is considering a protest.

In extra time, Henry twice handled the ball to prevent it going out of play, then passed to William Gallas in the Irish box for the deciding goal.

France advanced to next year's World Cup finals in South Africa with a 2-1 aggregate score. At the time of Henry's unpunished handball, the match was 17 minutes from reaching a penalty shootout.

"If that result remains, it reinforces the view that if you cheat you will win," said Irish Justice Minister Dermot Ahern — who also pointed out that two French players appeared to be offsides on a free kick that preceded the goal.

"Millions of people worldwide saw it was a blatant double handball, not to mention a double offside," Ahern said. "We should put the powers that be in the cozy world of FIFA on the spot and demand a replay."

The Football Association of Ireland said it was still mulling whether to protest. But Irish assistant manager Liam Brady and several players appealed to France's sense of honor.

"If the game's going to survive, it's got to be an equal playing field," Brady said. "If we're going to have integrity and dignity in the world game, the game should be replayed. And we'll go to Paris to play it."

Some Irish players accused Henry of lying when he told them that his handball had been accidental and instinctive, and criticized Swedish referee Martin Hansson for missing the infraction.

Irish left back Kevin Kilbane said replays showed conclusively that Henry "handballed it once and it's still going out of play, so he's handled it again to make sure it doesn't go out of play. ... I asked him on the pitch: Did you handball it? And he said, 'Yes — but I didn't mean it.'"

Kilbane said he also asked Hansson after the final whistle if he had seen the incident.

"He said: 'I can 100 percent say it wasn't handball.' When he said that to me, I knew full well that he was just lying to me because he hadn't even seen it."

Irish lawmaker Joe McHugh said France should follow the 1999 precedent set by Arsenal's French manager, Arsene Wenger, who volunteered to replay a match in England's FA Cup after Arsenal won on an unfair goal.

"Throughout the country today there is an air of bitterness. We were beaten unfairly and there is general disgust in France too," McHugh said. "Friends of mine who attended last night's game phoned me this morning from a cafe in Paris to report that the French people are ashamed and do not regard this as an honest victory."

Several Irish players were in tears after Wednesday's match and rued their own missed scoring chances after outplaying France for much of the night.

"We got robbed. ... We feel cheated. We were the better team," said Irish defender Sean St. Ledger.

Ahern said he doubted that soccer's world governing body FIFA would sanction a replay. He reflected the widespread Irish view that the sport's powers were biased in favor of ensuring France's qualification.

"They probably won't grant it as we are minnows in world football," Ahern said, "but let's put them on the spot anyway."

To bloody right I hope they kick off and make as big a fuss as they can really put some heat on FIFA

by **Big Niall** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 3:12 pm

Dazzer wrote:Maybe its payback for all the years the Irish have given england stick about the hand of god thing. (by the way I am 23.6789% Irish but isn't everyone nowa days ?)

But on a real note its bang out of order just as that case was and I doubt the game get replayed even tho it should in my book.Sums up Fifa in it for the big guys feck every one else.

One of the English lads at work was (half) laughing saying Maradonna stole his childhood and he is still bitter 23 years later and so will we in 23 years time.

While Maradonna did cheat there is no reason to believe FIFA screwed England over to ensure Argentina made the semis.

FIFA screwed Ireland over to get France to the world cup.

by **Dazzer** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 3:14 pm

Big Niall wrote:
Dazzer wrote:Maybe its payback for all the years the Irish have given england stick about the hand of god thing. (by the way I am 23.6789% Irish but isn't everyone nowa days ?)

But on a real note its bang out of order just as that case was and I doubt the game get replayed even tho it should in my book.Sums up Fifa in it for the big guys feck every one else.

One of the English lads at work was (half) laughing saying Maradonna stole his childhood and he is still bitter 23 years later and so will we in 23 years time.

While Maradonna did cheat there is no reason to believe FIFA screwed England over to ensure Argentina made the semis.

FIFA screwed Ireland over to get France to the world cup.

True but don't matter what the motives are they both hurt the same.

I wouldn't even doubt that the match was fixed like the Ref was told to let something dodgy happen if it ment getting france a winner.

Same way I know the CL draws are fixed every year.

(any ways got the day off , gonna have a monty python day starting with holy grail ftw) :buttrock

by **Emerald Red** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 4:46 pm

Big Niall wrote:
Dazzer wrote:Maybe its payback for all the years the Irish have given england stick about the hand of god thing. (by the way I am 23.6789% Irish but isn't everyone nowa days ?)

But on a real note its bang out of order just as that case was and I doubt the game get replayed even tho it should in my book.Sums up Fifa in it for the big guys feck every one else.

One of the English lads at work was (half) laughing saying Maradonna stole his childhood and he is still bitter 23 years later and so will we in 23 years time.

While Maradonna did cheat there is no reason to believe FIFA screwed England over to ensure Argentina made the semis.

FIFA screwed Ireland over to get France to the world cup.

That fella needs to realize it was a completly different time with a completely different context. I know for a fact that the Irish won't be bitter about it in even a year's time. In fact, it's not just the Irish who are upset about it. Watching SSN all day, it's other's who are just f*cked off with the state of the game today. Anyone who doesn't think there is a hidden agenda can f*ck off! Trappatoni, for his lack of clear English speaking, put it as clearly as I was thinking on the night, and that is that it's all about the revenue, and the small country is always going to get f*cked over. They rigged that draw thinking France would have the easiest passage possible. They were wrong, so they went to dirty tactics to f*ck the little man. Small country Vs big country and not in footballing terms. It was all about who would make the most money in the games. Was all about mathematics.

I don't blame Henry. I don't hate the French for t. I do, however, hate those two massive c*nts Platini and Blatter and Fifa for moving the goal posts in the rules they make up whenever it suits them.

by **Big Niall** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 5:24 pm

Emerald Red wrote:
Big Niall wrote:
Dazzer wrote:Maybe its payback for all the years the Irish have given england stick about the hand of god thing. (by the way I am 23.6789% Irish but isn't everyone nowa days ?)

But on a real note its bang out of order just as that case was and I doubt the game get replayed even tho it should in my book.Sums up Fifa in it for the big guys feck every one else.

One of the English lads at work was (half) laughing saying Maradonna stole his childhood and he is still bitter 23 years later and so will we in 23 years time.

While Maradonna did cheat there is no reason to believe FIFA screwed England over to ensure Argentina made the semis.

FIFA screwed Ireland over to get France to the world cup.

That fella needs to realize it was a completly different time with a completely different context. I know for a fact that the Irish won't be bitter about it in even a year's time. In fact, it's not just the Irish who are upset about it. Watching SSN all day, it's other's who are just f*cked off with the state of the game today. Anyone who doesn't think there is a hidden agenda can f*ck off! Trappatoni, for his lack of clear English speaking, put it as clearly as I was thinking on the night, and that is that it's all about the revenue, and the small country is always going to get f*cked over. They rigged that draw thinking France would have the easiest passage possible. They were wrong, so they went to dirty tactics to f*ck the little man. Small country Vs big country and not in footballing terms. It was all about who would make the most money in the games. Was all about mathematics.

I don't blame Henry. I don't hate the French for t. I do, however, hate those two massive c*nts Platini and Blatter and Fifa for moving the goal posts in the rules they make up whenever it suits them.

Exactly

While I was cursing Henry last night in the light of day I realise most players cheat (don't know why it is accepted, they don't do it in other sports).

What gets me is that FIFA fukked us over for commercial sponsership. Football as a sport is dead. Criminals like Platini and Havallanche (spelling?) are money hungry thieves betraying the ideals of sport.

Man Utd and Real Madrid are probably the two clubs worth the most money for t.v. companies, why not just rig the whole champions league to get them to the final every year?

Disgusting cunnts have Fukked us over :angry:

by **tonyeh** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 6:05 pm

I honestly believe that Henry thought the whistle would blow and the goal would be disallowed. But, when it didn't, he wasn't going to say anything and risk the wrath of tens of thousands of French fans in the Stade de France (despite later saying he told the ref he handled the ball). He would have been a fool to do so as well. Unfortunately, Henry has blunted his rep to very large degree and I'd say this morning he had some bad thoughts in his head, despite the fact that France had gone through to the finals.

Also, while I do think that FIFA pulled a fast one with the seeding nonsense, producing the playoff structure, I don't believe that there was some sort of conspiracy (or fix) to allow the French to win. If that was the case, then Anelka's dive would have resulted in a penno, or his later offside goal would have stood too.

The reality is that the Swedish officials just missed what was going on, both the offside and Henry's incredible handball(s). It happens.

Video evidence is what's needed to sort these instances out, even if it's limited to situations in the box only.

Another thing is, that the ref could simply have asked Henry "Did you handle the ball?". While 9 times out of 10, a player may say "eh...no", it may give some of them pause for thought, if their reputation is at stake the next morning, when the ref goes to the media and says what happened. Some players may just go "Yes, I did", when actually confronted, especially when the offence is as blatant as the one Henry committed last night.

It's a shame to go out like that, but Ireland had enough chances to put the game to rest. Ireland could have ended that game with 3 goals or more. Either way, if it had reached penalties, we probably would have gone out anyway.

by **Big Niall** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 6:39 pm

Why would we have probably gone out on penalties?

While the cheating hurts, it happens a lot (too often even when for a team I support).

It is the feeling of a stitch up i.e. the ref or linesman saw it but decided on what the "right" result should be for their FIFA masters.

by **SouthCoastShankly** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 6:45 pm

Number 9 wrote:I feel gutted too but at least when England win the world cup they can't say - "yeah but France weren't there"
YOU ARE AN ABSOLUTE LITTLE WA,NKER..that is all patronising people like that....fuc'k off!

Unlucky Ireland.....robbed!
Bet DD is on the fanta!

Dry your eyes, chump

by **tonyeh** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 7:12 pm

Big Niall wrote:Why would we have probably gone out on penalties?

While the cheating hurts, it happens a lot (too often even when for a team I support).

It is the feeling of a stitch up i.e. the ref or linesman saw it but decided on what the "right" result should be for their FIFA masters.

They have better strikers of the ball. I'd say they'd get on pennos.

But, you never know with a shootout.

I don't agree it was a stitch up though. If it was, why wait til that moment to put it into action? They could have simply let the offside goal stand, or awarded a penalty to Anelka's dive. Which many a ref might have given.

by **Big Niall** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 7:43 pm

I'm not saying a memo went around before the game. But in the instant it happened everyone kept quiet, 2 offsides and 2 hand balls unnoticed just doesn't happen. Throw in the FACT that FIFA changed the rules to help the big teams qualify and it looks that way.

Do you think the goal would have stood if it was Ireland with our tiny t.v audience and no world stars?

FIFA NEVER WANTED IRELAND TAKING UP A PLACE!!

by **JC_81** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 8:10 pm

Why the fu.ck are people focussing the blame on FIFA here?

Sure they fu.cked us with the draw, but actually we were a match for France over two legs and it was that decision that cost us, not the fact we had to play France.

Now I'm not going to be too hard on the officials, plenty would have crumbled in that atmosphere and given a penalty for Anelka's blatant dive minutes before when he was clean through. I'd say 9 out of 10 refs would have given a pen there, so at that point I thought we're in with a chance here, strong ref.

How Thierry Henry can come out and blame the official for allowing it is absolutely disgusting. He cheats and then blames the ref for not spotting it... well done.

I don't buy into the conspiracy theory here, a player simply cheated and the officials missed it. He cheated just like Ngog did against Birmingham, but the stakes were much higher here. I hope this is what Henry is remembered for and I hope his reputation throughout world football is tarnished for good. Cu.nt.

by **Big Niall** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 8:14 pm

Yes, Henry's reputation as a sportsman is sullied in the same way Maradonna's was. He is no sportsman.

however, you must admit that FIFA are happy France won and you must also admit that FIFA tried to fukk us over by changing the rules at the end of the group stages.

by **tubby** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 8:35 pm

I heard a request has been put in to replay the match. I doubt Fifa will agree. Ireland should boycott all future comps in protest. :censored:

cheating frogs.

by **SouthCoastShankly** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 8:40 pm

Big Niall wrote:Yes, Henry's reputation as a sportsman is sullied in the same way Maradonna's was. He is no sportsman.

however, you must admit that FIFA are happy France won and you must also admit that FIFA tried to fukk us over by changing the rules at the end of the group stages.

Interestingly Henry has admitted that it was a handball. Obviously doesn't turn back time but it is far more than Maradona did to rectify his actions. Also I see that Ireland have written to FIFA to ask for a replay, it obviously won't happen as it would set a precedent for every team making a claim based on a wrong decision.

Looking back though, on balance Ireland must be cursing the sitters they missed in the first leg more than the missed decisions in the second leg. They fell into the trap of not taking chances and getting punished. How many times have we seen that?!

by **Big Niall** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 9:02 pm

Half the Irish team play for teams like Coventry,Wolves,Hull and stoke etc. They gave everything so I cannot give out about them against a team with stars.

Henry is a cheat but so are most footballers. I wonder will he lose his gillette sponsership as he clearly isn't "clean cut" like Federer and Tiger Woods. I reckon he is ashamed of the man he is.

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