A replay is the only way
Fri Nov 20 09:53AM
Now it has become political. Ireland's Prime Minister Brian Cowen has asked President Nicolas Sarkozy to step in to insist the World Cup qualifier between their two nations be replayed.
Mr Cowen has talked of the moral imperative, of the need to demonstrate the primacy of the rule book, of showing young people around the world that cheats do not prosper. And, though such a decision really should be nothing to do with him, Sarkozy probably agrees. Replaying the match would benefit everyone. Most French people of my acquaintance, already depressed by the decline in their national team, feel sullied and compromised by the manner of their qualification. They would welcome the chance to do it properly. Not just to win without recourse to a bit of ball-juggling, but to win in style, in the French way, the proper way.
How too would the referee benefit from the game being replayed. Poor Martin Hansson actually had a very good match on Wednesday, getting every decision right. Except the crucial one. He must have gone back to his hotel room after the game, run through the video of the decisive moment and immediately felt like someone who has just handed over their bank account details to an emailer from Nigeria who has been in touch promising to deposit therein several million quid. He was conned. And now his reputation is a joke. To erase this game from the record books is the only way he can be returned to the top table of officials.
Indeed, even Thierry Henry himself would be better off with a replay. Sure, his actions have projected his country to the finals, an outcome that seemed highly unlikely as they laboured against Ireland's spirited opposition. But the pay-off is, his carefully cultivated, hugely lucrative reputation is now terminally sullied. This wasn't Nicolas Anelka handling the ball, then admitting he knew what he was doing but didn't really care because as the ref didn't see it effectively it didn't happen. This was Thierry Henry, the clean cut promoter of clean cut razor blades. Hearing him deliver such a cynical view of his misdemeanour was a bit like hearing Sir Bobby Charlton outing himself as Belle de Jour.
Diego Maradona enjoyed a wonderful career, achieving the ultimate when he captained his country to World Cup triumph. But his wider renown has never fully escaped the shadow of his actions in the quarter final at Mexico '86. Even those who propose him as the finest player ever to play the game always have to add the caveat of his flagrant cheating that day against England. And such equivocation about his place in the pantheon is not just confined to England, where there is an obvious added reason not to forget.
What was the headline the French newspaper l'Equipe chose for its front page the day after the infamous game? "La main de Dieu". The Hand of God, a reference 23 years on to the Argentine's notoriety. Now, after the events in the Stade de France, Henry is forever linked with the cheat Maradona. Even if he were to lead his team to victory in Johannesburg next July, scoring a hat trick of beautiful goals in the final and then donating his winner's cheque to the local Aids foundation, the hand that lifts the cup will be forever regarded as tainted. A replay, however, especially if he himself proposed one, would go a long way to erasing such a stain on his character.
Plus there is precedent. And it involves a Frenchman. It happened in 1999 when Arsenal won a FA Cup tie against Sheffield United with a goal from Kanu which flouted the convention that a side cedes possession when the ball is put of play following an injury. Arsene Wenger graciously offered Sheffield a replay. Which Arsenal subsequently won, this time in far more satisfactory circumstances.
All this suggests a replay is not only essential, but practical and of enormous, cathartic benefit. But of course it is not going to happen. The machinery of the game has moved on, Fifa say there is no time to insert it into the calendar. And besides, the outcome is not one they regret. So France - shame-faced and embarrassed - will be in the draw on December 4. Henry will be booed every time he kicks the ball. Hansson can forget ever officiating in a big game again. The entire nation of Ireland will now be wound up in righteous indignation for the immediate future. But Fifa will be fine. Because for them, apparently, it never happened.
Ireland didn't deserve this but football is marred with cheating issues - sometimes less obvious but with major consequences on the game. There will be no replay. Ireland will not forget -France still remembers the 1982 semi-final defeat againts Germany- but others will. We're being told this is football. Video challenge is the only way.
From jeanlouis_monnier on Fri Nov 20 10:27AMgotta wonder how Platini feels about this
From irshad_0 on Fri Nov 20 10:40AMJim - you've nailed it. Comes down to a philosophical argument as to whether football is governed by the higher rules of sport or by cold hard cash. Do cheats really never prosper?
From gary.bradshaw on Fri Nov 20 10:49AMPolitically, a replay would be fair, but on a sport basis it's not valuable. The law is the law.
By the way, this kind of reaction from a sportive journalist makes me laughs. In France a lot of people also want the replay, but true football specialists do not, because they are specialist and they know that this is facts of the game (In fact, a lot of people in france are only "Footix", people that don't know what is an "offside", but just watch for major confrontations, these guys want the replay...)Concerning Henry, I think that people would have waited better form him, but indeed, nobody knows what he would do in such. Henry simply did his job, qualify his country for the WC. I don't think he will be seen as a cheater for the rest of his life, footbal lovers know him, and know that he is also a human.
Guys who want to dislike him will tell "He's a cheater", fans will tell "Now you're a legend"...From doublecafecreme on Fri Nov 20 11:00AMA good article. As a neutral, I think there should be a replay - as with Arsenal vs Sheffield United for the reason of unblotting the copybook. If France were to win a replay fair and square, no one could complain.
From bazzabazb on Fri Nov 20 11:01AMIs this the end of Thierry Henry? Hard to see how he can come back from this with any integrity. His legacy has been sullied. And to think, if only owned up to it during the match, none of this would have happened. He would have been seen as a fairplay hero - and inundated with awards. His name would go down in history as the player who made a difference. Even if the ref didn't disallow the goal, it would have been a remarkable gesture of sincerity and honour. As it is, he looks like a crooked little cheat - and has embarrassed himself and a nation. To make make matters worse, he even celebrated as if he had won the world cup! He may well have not "cheated" but the replays show that at least the second touch was intentional (more than borderline instinctive) and so he knew what he was doing... Shame on him. I'm an Arsenal fan too. In my eyes, Henry is not welcome back at the Emirates. It's the end of a love story - and as usual, hearts have been broken.
From felixlowe on Fri Nov 20 11:14AMagreed
From ian.lapsley on Fri Nov 20 11:21AMSpot on Jimmy. I will be there to boo the cheat next Summer.
From peculiarpraise on Fri Nov 20 11:22AMCome on Jim, be realistic, if Platini didnt run FIFA, then we wudnt have this problem. they seeded the draw - well thank goodness Bosnia beat Russia to wreck FIFAs plans. Ireland will support Bosnia in world cup 2010
From bobo.spamble on Fri Nov 20 11:43AMPLEASE PLEASE! It is critical to consider all the facts when comparing Le hand of God to Maradona's hand of God. Maradona then turned around and scored one of the greatest World Cup goals of all time. Henry sat down on the pitch and pretended to be remorseful. No comparison.
From ronanjmaher on Fri Nov 20 12:02PM'jay8my' You are very,very wrong! It was 1986, That's why it was called Mexico 86 and it's Aiden McGeady not Adrian! As you would say errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Some People!!
From brooksie6870 on Fri Nov 20 12:05PMGame will not be replayed because the rules were clear from the beginning, and Ireland had no objections to them before the game (and yes, the rules also say "no handball", but that's just football, things like this happen all the time, handballs, diving, the real problem is that the refs are not properly equipped to fight it - I'm not saying it's OK to cheat, all I'm saying is that unfortunately, it just happens...). Politicians are asking for a replay, but politicians should stay out of football. I would be honored if my team (I'm French) offered a replay. It would be the good thing to do, I wish they did. But let's be real, there's too much at stake financially, and like I said, rules were clear from the get go. I think that begging for a replay is a little silly on the part of the Irish. If anything, they should be pounding FIFA to request video assistance to referees, and make sure it's implemented before the world cup.
But a replay? Then I want to replay France/RFA from WC1982!
From olivier.gandou on Fri Nov 20 12:19PMWell done you plank. If we replayed every game a ref messed up in the season would never end. We'd have to replay at least 2 Liverpool games already, I'm guessing its similar for most teams, the Arsenal Celtic game. This insanity would never end. Too bad the Irish are out, we all have to move on with it now.
From lawrencemcneela on Fri Nov 20 12:19PMYOU ARE A FOOL FOR MENTIONING THE NAME OF MY COUNTRY IN THIS TRASH .THAT SHOWS THAT YOU VE GOT LITTLE ON ZERO HOME TRAINING. IDIOT. JIM FOOL.
From iyketony on Fri Nov 20 12:24PMIreland should have taken their chances when they had them. They should have started Adrian McGeady aswell. Oh and how thick are you Jim White, Maradona's famous hand of god was in 88' not 86' errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Some people.From jay8my on Fri Nov 20 11:40AM
Think you owe jimbo an apology there, there was no world cup in 88 that year was the european championships so how thick are you as Jimbo was correct you muppet & the chaps name is Aidan McGeady not Adrian you moron !!!! some people eh ????
Great article again Jimbo truly
From mjelliott72 on Fri Nov 20 12:29PMNice article. The Nigerian reference was totally uncalled for, though. From a Proud Nigerian
From bmaq007 on Fri Nov 20 12:29PM@jay8my: the Hand of God was in 86. U owe the nice fella an apology
From bmaq007 on Fri Nov 20 12:31PMShut it. Unless Roy Keane is banned from football for ending other player's playing career, there should be no replay!!!
From yp_mong on Fri Nov 20 12:41PMcorrect me if im wrong jimmy...but didn't you state that was "France were too good" in your last article, and would win.
i guess from the game you could have fool me.From cutterjay on Fri Nov 20 12:45PMShould we replay Ireland- Georgia as well??? just a question since it is all about being fair play, I didn't see many Irish complain to the referee that there was no penalty!
From tomaloro on Fri Nov 20 01:06PM"There was one match against Georgia where Ireland got a penalty and it was one of the worst decisions I've ever seen which changed the whole course of the game. I don't remember the FAI after the game saying we should give them a replay."
From Roy Keane..
He is totally right...and Im tired of all the hypocritical outrage outthere... this isnt the first time it has happened, wont be the last time...
You grant a replay for this, you might as well grant a replay for every match the refs have made a bad decision...which is pretty much every match in history.
Instead this should be a push for FIFA to introduce new measures, whatever they may be... to ensure such thing doesn't happen again.
From damilolafal on Fri Nov 20 01:06PMThere we go again ... the british sides always staking claim & raising a huge roar for "cheating" that occured against them !!!
And by calling these "offences" as "Hand of God" is giving divine statue to mere mortals :P ....
Recall the '66 WC match when England won despite a "ghost" goal, did the English then asked for a replay saying that the goal was not a goal?
Get a break and move on!
From pushkar2016 on Fri Nov 20 01:13PMBrilliant article. Gutless FIFA.
From micealor on Fri Nov 20 01:13PMHow dare you jim or what the hell do you call yourself. Do you have to mention "Nigeria" as "someone had just handed over their bank account details to an emailer from Nigeria" to stress your point? You pig i really believe that you are not well cultured and i put it to you that you are a nothing but a "RACIST". You better shut up if you lack comments.
From waleadejube on Fri Nov 20 01:14PMFIFA should have no other thought than to have this match replayed.
Millions saw this injustice and for the sake of the game of football,the belief that FIFA wants to be seen as acting in the fullest interests of the wonderful game,that Thierry Henry wants to be able to hold his head high again and that the little guys don't always get treated badly,let football supporters through out the world rejoice at commonsense and justice prevailing.
Lets also ensure introduce video surveillance to assist referees who physically just cannot see everything going on the field of play is introduced as soon as possible.From bobjackson77 on Fri Nov 20 01:20PMjay8my correct me if im wrong but Argentina isnt in Europe so why would they be playing in the Euros in West Germany because that was the tournament that happened in 88 we played Ireland Holand and USSR no Agentina game that I remember
From liamhorne007 on Fri Nov 20 01:20PMremember ireland vs georgia...VIVE LA FRANCE !!!
From matthiascrouzet on Fri Nov 20 01:21PMyeah, agree... everyone would benefit from the replay... everyone except for Platini and Blatter.
From fast_corey on Fri Nov 20 01:24PM144.**********************************************
**
BREAKING NEWS!!!Watch this on YOU TUBE ----------- : "Ireland - Georgia RIDICULOUS Penalty"
And see these irish cheaters in action to get the 3 points.
Did they ask a re-match for this one that day?
I don't think so.
Before giving to others some lessons of "FAIR-PLAY",make sure your own @#$% is cleaned first!
********************************************
(signed by a french supporter)
From jememarrebien on Fri Nov 20 01:26PM144.**********************************************
**
BREAKI NG NEWS!!!Watch this on YOU TUBE ----------- : "Ireland - Georgia RIDICULOUS Penalty"
And see these irish cheaters in action.
Did they ask a re-match for this one that day?
I don't think so.
Before giving to others some lessons of "FAIR-PLAY",make sure your own @#$% is cleaned first!
********************************************
(signed by a french supporter)
From jememarrebien on Fri Nov 20 01:27PM
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