Cheating In Sport- It’s Nothing New
Posted on November 20, 2009
Thierry Henry, one of the greatest players of his generation has to face up to having his reputation being sullied, and being remembered for being one of the biggest sporting cheats for the handball against Ireland that cost them a place in the World Cup.
Everyone is up in arms screaming about immorality which is ruining sport, with stars cheating for high rewards, the FAI (Football Association of Ireland) in particular coming out with some crap that the Irish are some sort of sporting kings of morality (Apart from Michelle De Bruin and her 3 Olympic golds tanked out of her head on steroids). I didn’t see it, but Ireland apparently won a dubious penalty in a qualifying game versus Georgia. Robbie Keane gleefully took the gift which changed the game. Where was John Delaney(FAI Boss) then, was he offering a replay to Georgia, was he fuck.
This notion that cheating is new in sport is crap, WG Grace was a well known “non walker” when given out, Cassius Clay and his gloves, Argentina bribing Chile to let them win 6-0, The Hand of God, Ben Johnson, Tonya Harding, and the tragic tale of Donald Crowhurst the “not quite round the world yachtsman” who topped himself unable to live with being branded a cheat.
Cheating has always been there in sport, whether the individual concerned can cope with the consequences is another matter. Henry, the scorer of hundreds of wonderful goals, will now be remembered as a cheat in the same mould as Maradonna, the most gifted footballer I have ever seen, though I wouldn’t admit that for years and years after the “hand of god” in 1986, I hated the bastard. Henry must regret it, but the way the ball came to his hand would have tempted 99% of strikers, and 99% of refs would have seen it, it was just meant to be that Henry, a seemingly decent man, was chosen to become the subject of sporting morality.
Anyway, I could prattle on and on, but this is a fact, if Robbie Keane had done the same thing and Ireland had qualified, John “Holier than thou”Delaney would not be asking for a replay, not a chance. I get really annoyed when these softly spoken Irishmen spout all this crap about morality, if you want to hear an Irishmen who actually talks sense, listen to this interview with Roy Keane (sorry Trev and Priv in Aus, not sure you can get BBC) interview, it is spot on.
If this had happened to England, the Celtic nations of these Isles would tell the English to stop whingeing whilst they spent their wages on “Henry” French replica shirts, as they have this weird habit of being more concerned with English failure than their own success (or more likely failure).
Ireland won just four qualifying games, that’s not enough, and as Roy Keane said:
“Ireland had their chances in the two games and they never took them. They had chances at Croke Park (in the first leg) and they had chances on Wednesday. They could not as usual take the next step……….mentally weak as usual
They didn’t take them (the chances), but it’s the usual FAI (Football Association of Ireland) reaction – ‘we’ve been robbed, the honesty of the game…’ It’s rubbish
They didn’t take them (the chances), but it’s the usual FAI (Football Association of Ireland) reaction – ‘we’ve been robbed, the honesty of the game…’ It’s rubbish
They can complain all they want but France are going to the World Cup – get over it.”
Couldn’t have put it better myself.
Henry cheated, so what, the only people who have moral high ground are the English who have got better things to do than walk around Dublin in a France shirt, this despite the glee the Irish, Scots, and Welsh have indulged in when England have been cheated or crashed out of tournaments in the past.
I’m sorry, but John Delaney is a little bleating baby who preaches double standards, I couldn’t give a toss that the Irish are out.
Trevor and Amy
November 23, 2009 (12:38 am)
Hi Bob,
Yeah, I saw the Roy Keane interview (they showed it over here) and I think it was pretty much spot on.
Fundamentally Henry cheated, but it's happened before – how many penalties have been given by players taking a dive.
I take your point about Ireland trying to take the high moral ground. I do wonder though that if it had been the otherway around whatever standpoint Ireland took then, there would probably have been a reply as Fifa, Platini(I'm sure) would have had a whole different perspective on things.
As it is I'm not sure why they can't just play a replay on Fifa10 on the Playstation – it would be a lot cheaper to stage and you could still televise it etc.