The World Cup.

[Dingle Chris]

Just seen a tweet saying the World Cup would be starting this Friday if it hadn’t been moved to a desert.

What a sad state of affairs!

 

[Jefe]

Blatter's corrupt, bloodstained legacy.

 

[Sketchead]

Sad indeed. But truth is we'll quite like the timing of it come winter time!

 

[Boss Hogg]

Blatter's corrupt, bloodstained legacy.

Six years (!!) after being banned from football his trial finally starts:

Sepp Blatter tells court he is too ill to testify on first day of trial with Platini | Football | The Guardian

 

[maws]

Blatter's corrupt, bloodstained legacy.

Too ill to answer corruption charges, handy that

 

[Jefe]

Six years (!!) after being banned from football his trial finally starts:

Sepp Blatter tells court he is too ill to testify on first day of trial with Platini | Football | The Guardian

Too ill to answer corruption charges, handy that

Remind you of someone?

No chance Harvey: the charges against Weinstein are so serious his zimmer-frame shuffle just doesn't cut it

The disgraced film producer made a career of coordinating awards campaigns. His transformation on Wednesday into an enfeebled, poverty-stricken pensioner was an extraordinary masterclass of detail and daring

www.theguardian.com

 

[Jawwfc]

I have zero interest in this world cup, can't get any sort of enthusiasm for it,

I'm the same with most internationals up until the last two.

Qatar should never have had the world cup in the first place.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

Remind you of someone?

No chance Harvey: the charges against Weinstein are so serious his zimmer-frame shuffle just doesn't cut it

The disgraced film producer made a career of coordinating awards campaigns. His transformation on Wednesday into an enfeebled, poverty-stricken pensioner was an extraordinary masterclass of detail and daring

www.theguardian.com

Looks like Blatter didn’t go quite as far as Weinstein in trying to appear weak and frail. That Guardian report on Weinstein arriving at the trial was excellent by the way. Maybe Blatter could try the ****ing himself trick the Guardian writer suggested!

 

[maws]

There was a British journalist who was highlighting the corruption for years. All powerful people have to do is say is not true and the proles believe it! Scandalous he got away with it for so long, money truly does corrupt.

Meet the man that exposed the Fifa scandal that toppled Sepp Blatter

'These scum have stolen the people’s sport - they’ve stolen it, the cynical thieving *******s'

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Stafford]

I'm quite looking forward to a World Cup where all the teams don't look knackered.

 

[Eastyorksyeltz]

Looks like Blatter didn’t go quite as far as Weinstein in trying to appear weak and frail. That Guardian report on Weinstein arriving at the trial was excellent by the way. Maybe Blatter could try the ****ing himself trick the Guardian writer suggested!

No way back from that though! I seem to recall back in the 80's or 90's there was some high profile fraudster / businessman who convinced a parole board he had Alzheimer's, in order to get out of jail free....and then "got better"?

 

[Wednesbury Wolf]

No way back from that though! I seem to recall back in the 80's or 90's there was some high profile fraudster / businessman who convinced a parole board he had Alzheimer's, in order to get out of jail free....and then "got better"?

That was Ernest Saunders who is the only person in the world who has completely recovered from pre senile dementia (he wasn't actually ever diagnosed with Alzeimers)

 

[Wednesbury Wolf]

Don't think I've ever been less interested in a world cup ever, mind you International games have never really interested me.

 

[Hoganstolemywife]

Don't think I've ever been less interested in a world cup ever, mind you International games have never really interested me.

Me neither mate. They've absolutely destroyed this WC

 

[citrus_wolf]

I still can't believe it is actually going ahead there.

When the FBI started making noise, I was convinced they would be stripped as hosts.

The opening game is on a Monday at 10am, by the way.

 

[lets all have a disco]

I'm quite looking forward to a World Cup where all the teams don't look knackered.

Agree ...and no excuses for England....

 

[bigbluewolf]

I'm quite looking forward to a World Cup where all the teams don't look knackered.

In theory, all players should be at peak fitness and form. Let's hope it happens.

 

[MasWolf]

Sad indeed. But truth is we'll quite like the timing of it come winter time!

A winter WC just sounds so strange! People freezing in fan parks and throwing hot chocolate instead of beer when a goal is scored

 

[Brizzlewolf]

It's just another confirmation that football has lost its moral compass. A corrupt award process to a country with an awful human rights record and zero football heritage or future. As soon as the corruption was exposed the award should have been made null and void or other nations should have threatened a boycott.
I have no interest in this one at all......vote with your off buttons!

 

[sc91]

Who cares, a millionaires game built on the corpses of slaves. Have at it.

 

[Hsvwolf]

A winter WC just sounds so strange! People freezing in fan parks and throwing hot chocolate instead of beer when a goal is scored

At least you won't have to shut the curtains to stop the glare of the sun on the screen

 

[Loefah]

A winter WC just sounds so strange! People freezing in fan parks and throwing hot chocolate instead of beer when a goal is scored

Quite looking forward to that aspect of it. I hate the annual festive season so this will be a nice distraction for a change.

**** Christmas shopping, I'm watching the World Cup!

Not that I endorse it being in Qatar, but refusing to watch it isn't going to do a lot now.

 

[Sedgers]

I realise I may fail when I write this, but I won't watch it. And I love the World Cup. I hope I have the courage to stay the course.

 

[Contrarian]

It's just another confirmation that football has lost its moral compass. A corrupt award process to a country with an awful human rights record and zero football heritage or future. As soon as the corruption was exposed the award should have been made null and void or other nations should have threatened a boycott.
I have no interest in this one at all......vote with your off buttons!

The only real interest I have in internationals these days , is watching our players. Especially interesting when they look transformed into a much better player than they do these past 2-3 years for us, stuck in this rigid rope-a-dope football we play.

 

[Olivergoldblack]

I realise I may fail when I write this, but I won't watch it. And I love the World Cup. I hope I have the courage to stay the course.

I'm with you Sedgers!

 

[derbyrameater]

I realise I may fail when I write this, but I won't watch it. And I love the World Cup. I hope I have the courage to stay the course.

Same here, hoping for an early England exit so even less people will watch the farce.

Never missed a WC so this is a first and at my age will more than likely not be around for the next one which will likely be held in Saudi Arabia.

Shame we don't here from the poster who was out there posting his pics in the desert, I wonder what happened to him?

Well done all those involved in this corruption and I suspect many more than are up for public consumption.

 

[Norman Bell]

Yes there will be something special about watching a World Cup played in crazy hot temperatures in November / December with thermal socks and underwear, three sweatshirts / hoodies, wooly hats and cup a soups while shivering away and that is not a fan park but in the front room as the gas and electric predicted price increases turn peoples house into " Eastern Front Theme Parks "

 

[Frank Lincoln]

The biggest shame is that the leading football nations did not boycott this World Cup. Corruption is probably too polite a word for what has happened. I have no interest whatsoever in a tournament being held in Qatar.

 

[Darren M (Dazza)]

be an eye opener to see a World Cup where slade, wizard and the John Lewis advert becomes relevant during half time adverts

 

[VancouverWolf]

There was a British journalist who was highlighting the corruption for years. All powerful people have to do is say is not true and the proles believe it! Scandalous he got away with it for so long, money truly does corrupt.

Meet the man that exposed the Fifa scandal that toppled Sepp Blatter

'These scum have stolen the people’s sport - they’ve stolen it, the cynical thieving *******s'

www.independent.co.uk

If enough people boycott it, then it will send a message.

 

[VancouverWolf]

I realise I may fail when I write this, but I won't watch it. And I love the World Cup. I hope I have the courage to stay the course.

Right on!
I won’t be watching either even though Canada has qualified. My wife, who now is getting into soccer watching in a big way, will watch it.

 

[Norman Bell]

be an eye opener to see a World Cup where slade, wizard and the John Lewis advert becomes relevant during half time adverts

Hope you like my World Cup 2022 special version of Wizard's " I wish it could be Christmas everyday "


When the Arabs brought the " Dough "

Well they just might like to know, they put a geat big smile on Sepp Blatter's face

FIFA wish it could be Qatar everyday

When the tills start to " kerching " as the TV " blood " money comes into play

FIFA jumped into Qatar's bed

They don't give a toss how many construction workers are dead

Because they expect you to applaud

Even though the whole tournament is built on fraud

FIFA wish it could be Qatar everyday

 

[waggys left foot]

Semi automated VAR for offsides to be used in Qatar.

World Cup to use semi-automated offside technology

Fifa confirms semi-automated, state-of-the-art technology will be used at the World Cup in Qatar to speed up the time taken to reach offside decisions.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

If enough people boycott it, then it will send a message.

I'm afraid the sponsors are all paid up. There's enough interest in the region to sell out stadiums without travelling fans. Switching channel won't make a jot of difference.

 

[Munich_Wolf]

I realise I may fail when I write this, but I won't watch it. And I love the World Cup. I hope I have the courage to stay the course.

Me neither. I know the vast majority will watch it anyway and some others may watch it for the novelty factor but if we don't want to see this kind of **** being pulled again then we have no other chance or choice than to not watch. If viewing figures are just as high as usual FIFA will feel vindicated and it'll happen again, in even worse countries.

 

[Ginger Chimp]

Who cares, a millionaires game built on the corpses of slaves. Have at it.

When you put it like that ….

 

[BlahBlah]

There was a British journalist who was highlighting the corruption for years. All powerful people have to do is say is not true and the proles believe it! Scandalous he got away with it for so long, money truly does corrupt.

Meet the man that exposed the Fifa scandal that toppled Sepp Blatter

'These scum have stolen the people’s sport - they’ve stolen it, the cynical thieving *******s'

www.independent.co.uk

I did not realise that Andrew Jennings had died in January this year, what a shame.

Andrew Jennings obituary

Journalist and film-maker who investigated corruption in Fifa and the International Olympic Committee

www.theguardian.com

This approach was not always popular in the UK. In 2010, a source handed over a list of $100m of bribes to sports officials including three members of Fifa’s executive committee. The Panorama report that I produced with Andrew was broadcast that November, just days before the committee voted for which countries would host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The Sun branded the BBC “Brainless, Betraying, Cretinous” and, to Andrew’s raucous laughter, we were accused of being “unpatriotic” by England’s bid team.

It transpired that the decisions were indeed already as good as made. Three days later Fifa’s executive committee “voted” for Russia and Qatar, and now cries of outrage were directed against Fifa.
Agents from the US justice department wanted to talk to Andrew. He forwarded me their email at the BBC, observing gleefully that it was “unwise to do bribery scams in US dollars”.
For Andrew, Fifa was an organised crime syndicate, and he handed over material about tax evasion by the executive committee member Chuck Blazer to the FBI and the US tax authority, the IRS. Blazer became an undercover informant, and in 2015 seven Fifa officials were arrested on charges of racketeering, conspiracy and corruption. Blatter was banned from football by Fifa that year, and again in 2021.

Pretty much every program exposing FIFA was him doorstepping Blatter and being removed from FIFA premises, to the point where Blatter would run from him. He also exposed Chuck Blazer in the US and the FBI turned him, to then expose Jack Warner, Hayatou, and ex FIFA president Havalange and his son-in-law, Teixera.
He also exposed the Olympics and Samaranch, which were in exactly the same corrupt mess before FIFA and then underwent reform based on Jenning's investigations.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

Semi automated VAR for offsides to be used in Qatar.

World Cup to use semi-automated offside technology

Fifa confirms semi-automated, state-of-the-art technology will be used at the World Cup in Qatar to speed up the time taken to reach offside decisions.

www.bbc.co.uk

Another article on the new technology being used in the World Cup.

Semi-automated offside technology to track players at 2022 soccer World Cup

Soccer's international governing body, FIFA, has developed semi-automated offside technology that uses AI, stadium cameras and a connected match ball to assist on-field referees with offside calls at 2022 World Cup matches in Qatar.

newatlas.com

I love this quote from the article…

“The offside rule in soccer is a complicated one that can occasionally lead to disputes with the referee.”

 

[Huge of Sharjah]

Yes there will be something special about watching a World Cup played in crazy hot temperatures in November / December with thermal socks and underwear, three sweatshirts / hoodies, wooly hats and cup a soups while shivering away and that is not a fan park but in the front room as the gas and electric predicted price increases turn peoples house into " Eastern Front Theme Parks "

It's actually normally very pleasant in Qatar from November to January... just imagine a warm summer's day in England.

 

[Big Saft Kid]

It's actually normally very pleasant in Qatar from November to January... just imagine a warm summer's day in England.

Yeah the weather is OK in November/December. It's just that whole place is basically a flat featureless piece of sand with a few multi-coloured skyscrapers on it. After a day there I am always dying to leave. The most boring country in the world.