Re: 2018 FIFA World Cup.
 

Well they haven’t been banned, the whole team isn’t of Albanian descent like these three players are so why should the whole team protest. One of them had a father imprisoned as a political prisoner for a few years so had good reason to make his point.

You could even argue it was a just response to all the Serbian fans parading round with pictures of convicted war criminals emblazoned on their shirts, waving provocative flags and chanting vile insults. :rolleyes:

Personally I would not class ethnic cleansing as just ‘shady crap’ .:(

Re: 2018 FIFA World Cup.
 

But it doesn't belong on a pitch.

Every major FA in Europe alongside Uefa and FIFA seem to think it doesn't and again I'm inclined to agree. I'm not referring to this specific event as shady crap. I'm pointing out that there's things happening every single day that someone could take issue with and make such gestures about. We can't let it come to that. Regardless of our own or their moral stance on it, you have to punish it to deter it. As for the team side of it. I didn't really mean a team protest, I was referring to things like the home nation poppy kits. FIFA aren't just cherry picking though. We've seen this with Celtic fans a while back.

Serbia also received punishment for the same thing. So in haste earlier a fine for the players was fair. It would be inappropriate to issue bans when it's harder to identify supporters and punish them thus the Serbian FA deals with the fine.

I'd like to move on though because there's naturally a few gripes I have about that Portugal game. Unsure how you can give the Iran spot kick with VAR. I thought the standard of Premier League refereeing was horrid. Pointless calling into question that Ronaldo penalty then? Can't be the only one that noticed the goalkeeper starts behind the line, gets a run at it and is well off the line when the kick is taken, he's almost charged it down. It really should've been a retake and a yellow card offence.

The flailing arm, nothing in it to be fair. I've seen them given as red plenty of times but I'd be miffed if an England player was sent off for that.

Re: 2018 FIFA World Cup.
 

Several English players have been sent off in tournaments for which were yellow cards at the very most adzii.

Re: 2018 FIFA World Cup.
 

Kyle Walker escaped one against Tunisia. Don't believe that was a red either though. It'd be hard to justify red cards for Walker or Ronaldo. In the case of Ronaldo though, I struggle to even find an argument for a yellow. The lad for Iran for whatever reason found it acceptable to consistently block off the ball runs, Ronaldo tried to get round him and he again does everything he can to impede him, Ronaldo puts the arm over to push himself round and barely touches him to be fair. So really should be a yellow the other way. Same ugly tactics we had used against ourselves with Panama.

Problem being is the anti-Ronaldo agenda is just too much to let go.

This world cup is damaging VAR with its remarkably awful referees. Then again its the operators you have to call into question. Think there needs to be an open mic feed for VAR calls, some level of transparency is required.

Re: 2018 FIFA World Cup.
 

Guess we will have to agree to disagree.;)
FIFA are hardly the bastions of virtue TBH, well up the scale on Shady Crappiness, re World Cups in Russia and Quatar for starters.

You will always get political protests and what better place than a major sporting event, especially when you are being goaded by the object of your protests at the time.

Emily Davidson (suffragette), Jesse Owens (Munich Olympics), Tommie Smith & John Carlos (68 Olympics) , anti apartheid protests by several different sports people all had a great deal of justification IMHO.


On a scale from 1 to 10 on my Crapometer, normal, everyday crap would rank as 1. Shady crap a 2, FIFA would be a 5 or 6. Serbian ethnic cleansing and genocide would rank as a 9, just behind Adolfs Final Solution, Stalins Pograms or Pol Pots Year Zero.

Not sure why they even got fined because they didn't incite the Serbian fans, they were spouting bile and hatred at the three players right from the off.


PS. One protest that was not political and really peed me off at the time was the 1975 pitch destruction at the Headingly test match as part of the Free George Davis campaign. :(

Re: 2018 FIFA World Cup.
 

What was Jesse Owens protest?

Re: 2018 FIFA World Cup.
 

He refused to salute Adolf.

http://lalitkumar.in/blog/jesse-owen...us-photograph/

Re: 2018 FIFA World Cup.
 

Yep l remember the picture of it.

Re: 2018 FIFA World Cup.
 

On a similar note, I can't be the only one impressed by the host nation this world cup. I truly expected it to be riddled with Russian mobs as per previous posts but to my surprise they've either weeded them out or they've just become a respectful set of fans for this event.

I mean you'll actually find a few England fans have been caught up in Russia performing Nazi salutes...

Re: 2018 FIFA World Cup.
 

Well tonight's games look to be more far interesting then this afternoons snore fest.

Re: 2018 FIFA World Cup.
 

One thing a police state can do well ‘if it wants to’ is totally control the people.

When I went to St Petersburg a few years back everyone except the surly customs officials where very friendly.

Any predictions for Argentina v Nigeria?

Aguerro dropped.:shocked:

Re: 2018 FIFA World Cup.
 

I'd like Argentina to go out. Its one of the most open world cups I've been alive to see, I feel like a few teams have very decent shouts at this tournament including England. Is there going to be a better chance in a while?

Re: 2018 FIFA World Cup.
 

I fell into a coma listening to France v Denmark this afternoon.:D

Re: 2018 FIFA World Cup.
 

Sadly we are a bit further away from that..

Re: 2018 FIFA World Cup.
 

Come on Iceland.:D