The Lemon Fool

Thought I'd open a thread on the WC. If this becomes the least populated thread in LF history I shan't be surprised.
Personally, I'm delighted to not be there.

I always look forward to the World Cup though the timing and location this time round are both a joke
I went to see England in Germany back in the 2006 World cup
The atmosphere was brilliant, fans of all nations enjoying themselves

Snorvey wrote:Scotland aren't there as a matter of principle and decent morality.

Oh, so that's what you tell yourself

Leothebear wrote:Thought I'd open a thread on the WC. If this becomes the least populated thread in LF history I shan't be surprised.
Personally, I'm delighted to not be there.

Apparently it’s £12 a pint in the designated fan parks.

I’m also delighted to not be there.

HYD

I almost wish I liked watching football, then I could not watch it out of principle.

However as I've never watched a World Cup match AFAICR then I'll not watch it out of disinterest and principle.

Snorvey wrote:Scotland aren't there as a matter of principle and decent morality
....oh, and because we couldn't hit a barn door with a beach ball.
The first one mainly though.

Well, over the winter I'm watching a real football competition, the FA Cup, magic. Brilliant to see the lower league teams getting into the limelight and their supporters are great.

Salford City v Peterborough United the night, always feel I should have a pie and a hot drink when watching.

Leothebear wrote:Thought I'd open a thread on the WC. If this becomes the least populated thread in LF history I shan't be surprised.
Personally, I'm delighted to not be there.

A tournament in the middle of the European season, held in Qatar isn't a World Cup it's a FIFA fundraiser.

BobbyD wrote:A tournament in the middle of the European season, held in Qatar isn't a World Cup it's a FIFA fundraiser.

Dare I mention backhanders and brown envelopes

BobbyD wrote:

Leothebear wrote:Thought I'd open a thread on the WC. If this becomes the least populated thread in LF history I shan't be surprised.
Personally, I'm delighted to not be there.

A tournament in the middle of the European season, held in Qatar isn't a World Cup it's a FIFA fundraiser.

TBF many decisions they make are either driven by a desire to maximise funding or because the election process required them to hand out extra spaces to regional governing bodies.

There's therefore never going to be a tournament where the best 32 teams in the world (however you decide that) play to a finish.

For Qatar, its difficult to get away from their very poor record on human rights. I'm not someone who travels to these sorts of tournaments, but if I were, I don't think I'd be comfortable assisting with sportswashing the regime by attending. Having said that, if I were refuse to deal with all countries with unelected governments and dodgy human rights records (unelected head of state, more than half of national parliament not elected, current plan to disapply elements of ECHR..., say) then I'd be pretty limited in what I could do, so I will be watching.

Northern European teams seldom seem to do very well (Well, at least it seems that way, I've not checked) in warmer climate tournaments and there is likely to be high humidity to deal with, so its not going to be a surprise if England do badly. On top of that, I think there's a fair number of the squad not in great form right now.

Wales on the other hand have nothing to lose and a great team ethic. Even though their squad is a bit second rung, I think they will have a lot of fun and make some friends, or at least they will as long as Bale stays fit.

DM

dionaeamuscipula wrote:

BobbyD wrote:

Leothebear wrote:Thought I'd open a thread on the WC. If this becomes the least populated thread in LF history I shan't be surprised.
Personally, I'm delighted to not be there.

A tournament in the middle of the European season, held in Qatar isn't a World Cup it's a FIFA fundraiser.

TBF many decisions they make are either driven by a desire to maximise funding or because the election process required them to hand out extra spaces to regional governing bodies.

FIFA is all about the money. Always. Parasites feeding off the game, just like UEFA.

Normally they have the decency to make up a plausible cover story though.

This is a disgrace.

I'm sure Bale will have a wonderful World Cup. I'm sure Qatar has built some wonderful golf courses out in the desert.

BobbyD wrote:FIFA is all about the money. Always. Parasites feeding off the game, just like UEFA.

Couldn't have put it better myself
@nimnarb's post is worth a look
viewtopic.php?f=61&t=36751&p=547077#p547077

Goodness me, how we're all getting sucked in by the latest media circus. And how we love to preach to the rest of the World, eh?

Personally I'm looking forward to the WC.

BoE

Bubblesofearth wrote:Goodness me, how we're all getting sucked in by the latest media circus. And how we love to preach to the rest of the World, eh?

Personally I'm looking forward to the WC.

BoE

Yeah, same here, if all this whining about the policies of a small foreign country get any worse then I am going to flat out support the Qatari government in everything they do.

Whilst I have no interest in football at any level above my grandson's junior side, I do find it somewhat hypocritical by those who complain about the location of the upcoming World Cup and not a peep about Qatari investments in the UK. The UK has made little attempt to hinder the spending spree that has hoovered up vast amounts of real estate - particularly in the London. Canary Wharf, HSBC Tower, and The Shard all owned by Qatari entities. The Ritz, the Savoy, Claridge’s, the Connaught, the Berkeley, the Churchill and the InterContinental Park Lane are all either wholly, or partly owned by Qatari royals. I could go on - details are easily available on the net. The same is evident in France - particularly Paris i.e. PSG and again a number of luxury hotels and prestige buildings. Seems to me current complaints about Qatar human rights record could have started at home.

T7

terminal7 wrote:Whilst I have no interest in football at any level above my grandson's junior side, I do find it somewhat hypocritical by those who complain about the location of the upcoming World Cup and not a peep about Qatari investments in the UK. The UK has made little attempt to hinder the spending spree that has hoovered up vast amounts of real estate - particularly in the London. Canary Wharf, HSBC Tower, and The Shard all owned by Qatari entities. The Ritz, the Savoy, Claridge’s, the Connaught, the Berkeley, the Churchill and the InterContinental Park Lane are all either wholly, or partly owned by Qatari royals. I could go on - details are easily available on the net. The same is evident in France - particularly Paris i.e. PSG and again a number of luxury hotels and prestige buildings. Seems to me current complaints about Qatar human rights record could have started at home.

T7

You assume all the sentiment is anti-Qatari, not anti-FIFA.

You can debate the merits and demerits of selling property to notable Qataris on the open market but it is nothing close to a straight comparison to the organisation which is supposed to operate in the best interests of football awarding the hosting of a major international tournament to a small non-footballing country, whose atitudes to alcohol and LGBT matters were bound to cause frictions with significant parts of the world footballing family initially on the grounds that it would be played in air conditioned stadiums to counteract the insane local temperatures at the time of year the tournament is traditionally held in order to allow minimum disruption to the financial engine which keeps the game turning, then throwing their hands up in surprise and announcing that playing in >40° heat wasn't really going to work and so knock me down with a feather we are totally unexpectedly going to have to move the tournament to the middle of the European season in a process which the DOJ amongst others has said was corrupt, and tacitly endorsing the working practices at stadium sites which have resulted in the unnecessary deaths of workers.

Qatar going to Qatar. Football should be better.

...and there has been plenty made of the ownership of PSG.

BobbyD wrote:

terminal7 wrote:Whilst I have no interest in football at any level above my grandson's junior side, I do find it somewhat hypocritical by those who complain about the location of the upcoming World Cup and not a peep about Qatari investments in the UK. The UK has made little attempt to hinder the spending spree that has hoovered up vast amounts of real estate - particularly in the London. Canary Wharf, HSBC Tower, and The Shard all owned by Qatari entities. The Ritz, the Savoy, Claridge’s, the Connaught, the Berkeley, the Churchill and the InterContinental Park Lane are all either wholly, or partly owned by Qatari royals. I could go on - details are easily available on the net. The same is evident in France - particularly Paris i.e. PSG and again a number of luxury hotels and prestige buildings. Seems to me current complaints about Qatar human rights record could have started at home.

T7

You assume all the sentiment is anti-Qatari, not anti-FIFA.

You can debate the merits and demerits of selling property to notable Qataris on the open market but it is nothing close to a straight comparison to the organisation which is supposed to operate in the best interests of football awarding the hosting of a major international tournament to a small non-footballing country, whose atitudes to alcohol and LGBT matters were bound to cause frictions with significant parts of the world footballing family initially on the grounds that it would be played in air conditioned stadiums to counteract the insane local temperatures at the time of year the tournament is traditionally held in order to allow minimum disruption to the financial engine which keeps the game turning, then throwing their hands up in surprise and announcing that playing in >40° heat wasn't really going to work and so knock me down with a feather we are totally unexpectedly going to have to move the tournament to the middle of the European season in a process which the DOJ amongst others has said was corrupt, and tacitly endorsing the working practices at stadium sites which have resulted in the unnecessary deaths of workers.

Qatar going to Qatar. Football should be better.

...and there has been plenty made of the ownership of PSG.

Two issues here.

Firstly - greed, corruption, bribery and 'sports washing' - clearly covered by your comments above. I do remember the exhaustive work of the late Andrew Jennings into the fraudulent practices in the Olympic movement and FIFA. I vaguely remember BBC programmes into this by AJ. Of course we now have a current Netflix doc.

Secondly, my main point is more the 'moral outrage' criticism of the Qatar WC whilst business as usual regarding high finance and international investment. Go and picket the Shard if you feel strongly about this matter. Buy a share in the UK companies with massive deals in Qatar and attend Annual shareholder meeting. There are a load of means to highlight concern - but why the 'beautiful' game for the 'people'?

T7

terminal7 wrote:Go and picket the Shard if you feel strongly about this matter.

The shard didn't sell out football.

FIFA did.

World Cup 2022: Beer sales banned at World Cup stadiums in Qatar
(so lucky Scotland didn't qualify) that's a joke @snorvey
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63674631

pje16 wrote:World Cup 2022: Beer sales banned at World Cup stadiums in Qatar
(so lucky Scotland didn't qualify) that's a joke @snorvey
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63674631

Budweiser not best pleased!

And I also read that the hotel that the FIFA top brass were using isn't finished, and they have been put in a "dry" hotel so will have to cope without liberally flowing champagne.

Poetic justice if you ask me

pje16 wrote:World Cup 2022: Beer sales banned at World Cup stadiums in Qatar
(so lucky Scotland didn't qualify) that's a joke @snorvey
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63674631

"Those in corporate areas of stadiums at the tournament will still be able to purchase alcohol."

No surprise there then. The FIFA delegates will be alright. Though i'm slightly surprised by the use of the word 'purchase'. The ticket prices for these areas usually include free alcohol.

HYD