Are both FIFA and its President unfit for purpose?

Sepp Blatter is the 75-year-old President of FIFA (world football’s governing body), a position he's held since June 1998. Blatter has often been dogged by controversy and allegations of corruption. His initial election to the post was mired in controversy, and his re-election in 2002 provoked rumours of financial irregularities, backroom deals and a direct accusation of bribery. When he was re-elected last year, there was only one other candidate, who withdrew just before the vote was taken.

The awarding of the hosting of the World Cup to Russia for 2018, and in particular to Qatar for 2022, provoked more allegations of sleaze against FIFA in general and Blatter in particular. Qatar has no background in football, and will require matches to be played in very high temperatures. Blatter attacked the English as bad losers because we only received two of the promised votes in support of our bid, and as homosexuality is illegal in Qatar, Blatter said that gay fans would have to refrain from any sexual activities.

Blatter has upset women footballers by suggesting that they should wear tighter shorts and low cut shirts to attract more male fans. He thinks the English Premier League is one of the major problems in football because it has so many foreign players. His refusal to allow goal-line technology or video replays brought him fresh criticism after the controversial disallowing of a goal by Frank Lampard in the World Cup game between England and Germany in 2010.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sepp_Blatter

Now FIFA has banned England's footballers from wearing poppies during this Saturday's friendly match against Spain. The ban prevents England players having the remembrance symbol embroidered on their shirts for the game, as FIFA is concerned it would break rules on political symbols and "open the door to similar initiatives" across the world. The FA has recommended various ways in which the ban can be circumvented:-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/nov/09/fa-fifa-poppy-ban-listing

Is FIFA fit for purpose? Does it need overhauling, or should it be replaced by a new governing body? And is Mr Blatter long overdue for retirement?

Disregarding any other consideration, England is not top of the pops at FIFA Headquarters, because we don't bend the knee to King Blatter.

If the decision were mine, I'd say wear the shirts with the poppy logo, and take the consequences.

oftenwrong wrote:

If the decision were mine, I'd say wear the shirts with the poppy logo, and take the consequences.

A decision with which I would wholeheartedly agree - with the addition of suggesting to Blatter and his cohorts that they might wish to stick their 'regulation' up their collective bottom...

I agree with both oftenwrong and Phil Hornby on this one - wear them and be damned!

I hear that FIFA has now partially relented and will allow the English players to have poppies on their black arm bands.

BLACK ARMBANDS?

The bloody cheek!

These people died so the continent could even PLAY football

Of course we caan expect no better from the Swisssssss (bunch of snakes!) who did sod all for the allies and still have not cleared up the mess of the plundered Nazi treasures!!

Spain? I feel more British people died fighting Franco than did Spanish fighting the hun! (I feel, not knowing, I expect to be "put aright" in short time)

Franco's Spain never fought the Hun, but the Generalisimo fought a sound argument in denying Hitler access to Gibraltar through the peninsula. He had the sense to realise that if once the Germans were in, he'd never get the buggers out again.

Four years of bloody Civil War left Spaniards fully occupied dealing with their domestic difficulties. Italy did itself no favours siding with Hitler. Japan could have had an Empire all over Southeast Asia if it hadn't twisted the tail of the one Nation in a position to stop that expansion.

Getting back on subject, I see that Blatter has done it again, saying that racist abuse between players on the pitch should be "settled by a handshake".

Professional Footballers' Association chief Gordon Taylor has called for Blatter to resign saying: "He doesn't understand how divisive racism is - it creates 'them and us'. Football should be about pulling people together in society.......we want a world where nobody even thinks about prefacing what they say with the colour of a person's skin. But when you have the head of the world body saying that anyone on the receiving end of racism on the pitch should just treat it as part of the game and shake hands, it is outrageous and he is just not with it."

http://sport.uk.msn.com/football/news/blatter-must-resign-pfa-chief

Seems to me Blatter is trying the Politically Correct solution - always blame the victim - They just MUST deserve it

Or is it the christian ethic - pass the wrongs of the father onto the son?

Either way - he seems to think a nice thich carpet to sweep all these disagreements under will give him a peaceful life!

Quem deus vult perdere, dementat prius.

Those whom the Gods wish to destroy, they first make mad.

Blatter Reassures the Doubters


( guardian.co.uk)

" I am opposed to all forms of discrimination -some of my best friends are sane..."

why are english footballers wearing armbands?

didnt the nazis force the jews to do the same?

Until the day comes when the word brit is as ofensive as the word paki

you will never sort out racism,,if a british person is not offended by the terms limey or brit one has to wonder why others do.

like i say cant have it being legal for one and illegal for the other.

sticks and stones,,,remember that?.

NIN wrote:why are english footballers wearing armbands?

didnt the nazis force the jews to do the same?

First the English footballers are wearing them as a sign of respect for our war dead, whether they were military or civillian.
Nazis forced the Jews to wear them, those with armbands were marked for death.

I would think everyone would know that, both arm bands were for death, but they were for different reasons of death.

First the English footballers are wearing them as a sign of respect for our war dead, whether they were military or civillian.
Nazis forced the Jews to wear them, those with armbands were marked for death


YEP IT WILL BE HAPPENING TO US SOON,,when polish people are placed above british people for jobs,,in britain,,then the simple fact is that british people are becoming second or even 3rd class citizens in their own nation.

and all those closed down factories will make great gas chambers.

NIN wrote:-
and all those closed down factories will make great gas chambers..

As Captain Mainwaring in 'Dad's Army' would probably have remarked: "I think we're getting into the realms of fantasy"......


It's not Poles you want to worry about, it's the evil people who are governing the country at the moment, those who are reducing the benefits of disabled people but want to cut the top rate of Income Tax for directors who've just had 49% pay rises. There's nothing the Tories like better than to hear one group of people blame another for this country's ills, instead of putting the blame where it belongs - at 10 Downing Street.

Now, getting back to the subject of the thread.....

Quote
YEP IT WILL BE HAPPENING TO US SOON,,when polish people are placed above british people for jobs,,in britain,,then the simple fact is that british people are becoming second or even 3rd class citizens in their own nation.

and all those closed down factories will make great gas chambers..
NIN
There were more polish people living here after the war than there is now, Polish soldiers who wouldn't go back because Poland was occupied by Russian troops instead of German ones. They didn't fight a war to get one jackboot of their necks only to have it replaced by another.
Polish pilots flew in the battle of Britain, thousands of Polish soldiers died taking Montecassino in Italy, after American and British attempts had failed. A friend of mine who served in a Guards regiment who was there at Montecassino had nothing but respect for the Polish soldiers bravery.
Those same soldiers stayed and worked in our coal mines, at a time when we were short of miners, they worked as they fought, bloody hard.
They have blended in with the community, people talk about integration, their was no one who integrated better than the Poles
When talking about the Poles, you should show a bit more respect, don't blame the Poles, blame this useless Con/Lib government.

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Now, getting back to the subject of the thread.....


Sorry Ivan, just couldn't help myself.

FIFA is a self-perpetuating oligarchy, with only a passing interest in Sport as a means to that end.

Softly, softly - catchee monkey.

So Blatter has resigned. What finally got to him? Was it the loss of the Duke of Cambridge's approval as well as David Cameron's?

This was in 2011 - Cameron's judgement as sound as always....  


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CGlCtPnXEAIzFdV.jpg

Cameron on FIFA: "You can't have such corruption among senior people and not blame the person in charge".


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CGcFkc9WcAAKcbE.jpg