Cheats, Fools and Procrastinators

Okay, so I've been meaning to give this blog thing a proper go for a long time. And lately, I've been more than a little bit angered into taking it up and becoming one more nutter with a soap box. So here goes.

Cheats

Well, it's been 3 weeks since that fateful day in Paris when Ireland were dumped out of the World Cup. The now infamous French goal (I apologise for the music) controversy still rolls on. I think it needs to stop. Yes, mistakes were made, and it's not hard to feel like there was a conspiracy to get France through, but what's done is done. Get over it.

FIFA, however, need to take action in some shape or form. Firstly, video referees need to be introduced. Whatever about these impinging on the dignity of the referee, or whatever excuse Sepp Blatter is hiding behind for not introducing them, the way that referee Martin Hansson has been hung out to dry by the world governing body is horrendous. How on earth do FIFA expect to grow the number of referees if this is the protection they give them? Hansson is by no means infallible, but the fact remains that FIFA have done nothing to help him, and what has happened to him will be held up as an example for others not to enter that side of the game.

Secondly, Henry needs to be suspended for Bringing the Game into Disrepute. If any manager can be hit with a touchline ban for talking about a referee after a game, then surely Henry is guilty of a similar offence. It's been 3 weeks already! The suspension needs to be meaningful - a two match ban which can be served in the warm-up games is pointless. The cardinal rule of soccer is that you do not touch the ball with your hand, and Henry blatantly and willingly broke this rule to his own advantage. More tellingly, he has shown no remorse for doing so. All his apologies are based purely on the fact there has been such an uproar. He needs to be suspended for at least the first three games of the tournament itself, but I would like to see a minimum 5 match ban. Still, though, FIFA and Fair Play mean that he will probably be the poster-boy for this World Cup.

Incidentally, France to be in South Africa's group when the draw is made tomorrow. Call it a hunch.

Fools

On a related note, the head of the FAI, John Delaney needs to just shut up and go away. The man is an embarrassment to Ireland and Irish soccer. There is no end to the cringe-factor every time this man decides to do something. Let's just take a look at what he's done.

• He has consistently implied that Ireland would have gone to the World Cup had the Gallas goal not stood. They wouldn't. They would have probably played out the final 8 minutes and gone to penalties. His basic failure to grasp the reality of the situation is embarrassing.
• He called on FIFA to act because this was for the World Cup, "not some league match between Bohemians and Waterford". There are two things wrong with this. First, Delaney has implied that cheating is okay so long as it's not at the highest level. Second, he has mocked his organisation's National Champions and his hometown club. Imagine the head of the English FA mocking Manchester Utd in an attempt to gain favour for their national team. It just wouldn't happen. And if it did, his office would be cleaned out before the press conference had even finished.
• Despite previously being part of the International Board and knowing that a replay was impossible, he appealed the result anyways, citing an incredibly spurious precedent.
• When that failed, he asked that the FAI be included in WC2010 as a 33rd team. How exactly did they feel this was going to work? Who would they have played? Would they have been in a group of 5? Why should 4 other teams have to play an extra game because Ireland has thrown a hissy fit? Sepp Blatter was rightly mocking in his unofficial dismissal of the appeal. I still watch that clip through a facepalm, and the more I think on it, the more ashamed I am to be an Irish soccer fan.

Enough is enough. Just get rid of the guy and bring some dignity back to our game.

By the way, don't get me started on the muppets who marched for a replay. I've only got so long before people stop reading!

Procrastinators

Now, for the truly important part of this rant. There is a climate conference starting in Copenhagen next week, with the aim of striking a deal to combat climate change. It won't work. There are too many countries who aren't interested in doing what is right, but only what is right for them and their financial wealth. Stephen Harper, the Canadian PM recently revealed that the draft has in excess of 3,000 pieces of bracketed text. That is articles which still need further negotiation. This is not going to happen, people.

A binding agreement that satisfies everybody will satisfy nobody because it won't achieve what needs to be done to save this planet. Now, I'm now environmentalist. I agree or back a lot of viewpoints that are contrary to what the tree-huggers tell us. For one, I don't believe in a climate-change apocalypse. Yes, it will be bad, but life will go on. However, it's hard to refute the evidence of global climate change. Action needs to be taken, and taken soon. Yesterday type soon. Talking shops with target dates for reductions 40 years down the line are pointless.

Here is what needs to be done: Countries need to sign up to a blank sheet, a binding agreement that what will be put forth will be held to, under international economic penalties. The action plan then needs to be formulated between a select group of countries (selected on basis of geographical and economic criteria) and the leading climate change science-guys (careful, I'm getting technical). By keeping the number of interests with input into this agreement to a minimum, there may just be a chance to get it right first time and preserve our current way of life on this planet.

Don't count on it, though.