Hand of dog?

your a bit slow, thats todays chip paper.

I think civilised societies should reintroduce the concept of shame.

hero

tails

Not slow – just slow to get on STW….

Soda

but it's the French!

trailmonkey

Scared of meeting a real team in the world cup? 😛

Ginola on Newsnight now. He's ashamed.

Now the French may have a predilection for protecting and defending entertainment industry paedophiles, but this is a step too far as far as I'm concerned.

Yet another example of what a bunch of twaddle footy has become. Everyone knows the guy is a cheating scum bag, yet no action. The simple solution is to come up with a rule along the lines of professional players who are seen to cheat whether it be during the game or subsequent on TV replay will receive an automatic one year ban. About the 2nd time someone gets banned it will all stop. There is however no desire at the top level of the game, so it won't happen…… and don't get me started on that twunt Ferguson!!

These people are role models, and need to get a grip.

…..and breathe

twaddle fotty

😆

I didn't watch the games and don't really watch footbal so I am perfectly qualified to pass opinion on this matter on STW.

Professional sportsman accidently breaks the rules but isn't spotted so carries on playing. After the game someone says – That was a hand ball. He says Yes but the ref didn't say anything.

I seem to remember from playing rugby in my youth that we were taught to 'Play to the whistle' meaning if the ref doesn't blow his whistle you keep on playing.

I scored a great try like this once. Our bloke was running up the picth, they bloke threw him on the ground by his throat and everyone stopped, shocked at such a deliberate foul. I ran over and picked upo the ball and walked through their players who also had stopped and scored a try.

Sorry, the point of my post was to get an answer to 'What did he do wrong as a professional sportsman?'

As a Jonney foriegner, clearly he was wrong to beating those plucky underdogs the Irish

But surely guys this is the real case for the video ref in football? Football 'aficionados'would have us believe it would 'spoil the flow of the game' but I guess nothing spoils anything as much as having a national side kicked out through foul play?

heard some arsenal fans (of which i'm one) on the radio saying he'd gone down in their estimation and they would remember him for that rather than all he did at arsenal… **** that – i've already forgotten about the other night, playing like this (even in a friendly!) will live a lot longer in the memory. 🙂

Professional sportsman accidently breaks the rule

I would agree if he had accidentally handled the ball. But if you go to YouTube and watch a clip, you will see that it hit his arm THEN he flicked it back with a very deliberate flick of his hand – otherwise it would have gone out of play.

But I agree, they have to play to the whistle. It isn't the first time and it won't be the last that a sportsman breaks the rules – be it football, cricket, cycling or whatever. In my opinion, although it was quite deliberate, it wasn't pre-meditated – it was a spur of the moment reaction. No-one is defending what happened or claiming it wasn't deliberate. The only people who should be held to account are those at FIFA – video playback MUST be introduced – I don't see why in can't be – it works very well in both cricket and rugby.

Can see both sides of the story. Would be severely p1ssed if I was Irish and I reckon there is a small chance that if they protest loudly enough they might get a replay. It's happenned before.

He didn't accidently break the rules. Had he not handled the ball (twice) the ball would have gone out of play for a goal kick and no goal would have been scored.

The Irish didn't stop playing, but there was nothing they could do to stop the goal.

It's a shame because he was a great player for Arsenal (not an Arsenal supporter by the way) and he always seemed to me at least to be fairly sporting for a professional footballer.

But now I think people will remember him for the handball in the same way as Zidane for his headbutt.

The best outcome would be a replay in which the French beat the Irish fair and square.

But now I think people will remember him for the handball in the same way as Zidane for his headbutt.

similarly to my post about thierry above, believe me i remember zidane for this and all the other magic he displayed a lot more than one of his numerous sending offs!

I'd like to flatboy too but I suspect for the majority it won't happen

The best outcome would be a replay in which the French beat the Irish fair and square.

Ridiculous.

Do we want every football result to be provisional until the great and the good of STW decide it can stand?

I'm not keen on Henry at the best of times but believe his actions in this case were instinctive rather than considered.

IMHO a truly great player would have either caught the ball after he'd handled it or gone and told the ref what had happenned before play had restarted. They would have wanted to win fair & square.

He would then always have been remembered for being a great player and a fair player. As it is now, the masses will remember him as a great player and a cheat. The reputation he has taken years building has now been severely tarnished.

or gone and told the ref what had happenned before play had restarted.

It is my understanding that he did say that? Could be wrong though.

Football isn't a sport it's an multi billion pound entertainment industry, stuff like this is what makes sure everyone (even people like me who hate watching footy) is talking about it the day/week after. Thats one of the reasons there won't be a video ref.

bad for role models/cheating lowlifes but good for business

I don't honestly think the outcome has anything to do with football being 'entertainment' rather than 'sport'.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/8370327.stm

Has someone still got a chip on their shoulder?

The Irish had not at that point qualified, they still needed at least 1 goal anyway (was 1.1 on aggregate) so what's all the fuss about? And they still had time to get that 1 goal and didin't so out they go, less the chance of a penalty shoot out… which they may well have lost on anyway… A point I have not heard anyone else make?

A point I have not heard anyone else make?

Because there is no point – yes they hadn't qualified, but they were still drawing the game and it would have gone to penalties (assuming a goal wasn't scored in open play). The unlawful goal deprived them of at least that opportunity.

yes they hadn't qualified, but they were still drawing the game and it would have gone to penalties (assuming a goal wasn't scored in open play). The unlawful goal deprived them of at least that opportunity.

The 'unlawful goal' did not end the game. They could have equalised which would have put them through without penalties. That equaliser could have come from an off-side position, a player bundled off the ball, a cross that looped out of play and back in again or even another hand-ball.

These things happen.

The Irish are doing themselves no favours crying about it and the World Cup will be better for having the French there in my opinion.

I think the 'these things happen' argument is weak.

Plenty of things 'happen' – like wife-beating and theft and allsorts of dubious behaviours. Saying they 'happen' doesn't mean we shouldn't have an opinion on them, and judge them accordingly.

The bloke cheated. Simple as that. The real issue for me is that football won't do anything about it. In doing nothing, it is clearly saying that cheating is okay.

Teach that to your kids!

That could have happened but it didn't. If we throw in any variable then what is the point of any rules at all? Handball, don't worry, it'll sort itself out. Headbutt, these things happen, he'll get headbutted back. Pitch invasion? Ahh well.

I'm not saying handball in general (or Henry's in particular) is OK. It's not. It should have been penalised at the time on the pitch. But it wasn't.

Suppose the Irish carped their way to a replay. Suppose something else happened in that one that affected the result one way or the other. It certainly could over 90 (or120) minutes of football. Another replay?

What Henry did was wrong but a long way short of the worst thing I've seen on the field of football. To replay this one or call for Henry's head on a spike would be completely disproportionate.

I remember 1978 qualifiers Scotland V Wales, Joe Jordan raised his hand in the Welsh box above his head & punched the ball, the Ref blew for a penalty to Scotland, Don Masson scored from the spot to make it 1-0, Scotland went on to win 2-0 & go to the Argentina finals. It was a big moment but nothing was ever done about it, it also was not spotted during the game so why is Henry's any different.
Watch it here, at 2min 45sec, much worse than Henry's, watch Jordon's reaction after the kick is awarded.
I'm a Scot BTW & please no mention of what happened in Argentina.

Just when they think it was all over there's

Physco…

France are going to the World Cup. Get over it.

Legend

Just another reason for introducing video line judging.

Yeah, OK, it may slow down the game a bit but would avoid cricial match-deciding ballzups like this from happening.

BTW, for you Gunners fans, your manager and I were born on the same day -proper same day, month and year – 'tis true!!

Henry now says that a replay is the fairest thing to do. Has he just lost his Gillette deal?

He's no longer the perfect poster boy. Will Roger and Tiger still want to play with him in the washroom?

The best a man can get? Not any more.

Old Git – are you really Arsène Wenger?!

'Whazz ish shee prospeks for todays gaime?' 😆

Henry now says that a replay is the fairest thing to do. Has he just lost his Gillette deal?

Stangely after FIFA ruled it out absolutely. Henry should keep his gob shut, accept his good fortune and stop trying to appease the Irish.

Roy Keane pretty much sums my thoughts up.