Henry’s Handball
The final places at the 2010 world cup have been decided. 31 of the 32 teams present next summer can attend the tournament in the knowledge that they deserve to be there. One team does not have this luxury. France, or rather, Henry, stole a world cup place from the pocket of a battling Irish team on Wednesday night, who had arrived in Paris as underdogs and left as fallen heroes. The clamour for a replay is ludicrous, the calls for video technology less so.
Surely in such a modern game, with such high stakes and a nations dream on the line, the adoption of a video replay cannot be anything but absolutely necessary. In Rugby it works to great affect, delivering an answer in about 90 seconds. In tennis the hawk eye can tell the umpire within a split second whether or not the ball hit the line or missed.
Not only do I feel that this technology must be brought into use, I also feel that Thierry Henry must be retrospectively punished. I don’t care if it seems harsh, he deliberately handballed in order to keep the ball within play and cross to Gallas, who could hardly miss from two yards. This outrageous goal crushed Ireland’s valiant attempts to reach South Africa. But what was arguably even more proposterous is the fact that on Wednesday Henry stated “it was a handball, but I didnt do it deliberately”. He even repeated himself when pressed by a journalist. Yet today he is quoted as saying the following. “I had to exploit what could be exploited”. Or in everybody else’s terminology “I cheated because I could, and I got away with it”.
In order to send out a strong message to the cheats who adorn football, and an even stronger message to the children who idolise them, Henry must be banned for the group stages of the world cup next summer. Or else we face a situation where cheats thrive and children follow suite. Henry, your reputation will be forever tainted. Consequently your team must may the price.
For the sake of “FAIR PLAY”, the match between France / Ireland should be replayed. This is what the majority of supporters in Ireland and France wish.
FIFA are just a bunch of “political” bureaucrats !!!
How dare such an organization put themselves above the wishes of both supporters, and footballers and sportsmen all over the world.
As an Irishman and like most Irish supporters, we are not angry with Henry. He just had too much passion and wanted his national team to win.
(” should never walk on a football pitch– 2 hand balls + 2 offside !!!!
But these “MATCH OFFICIAL
France shouldn’t hide behind FIFA’s decision of not having a replay. If they are worthy of going into world cup, then they can beat Ireland again without resort using HANDBALL…..
I’m an American and don’t really care whether France or Ireland qualifies – they’re both good teams. So I guess you could say I’m impartial. I will say this. Whatever respect I had for Henry and the French team is now gone. There is bad officiating and unseen accidental fouls in all sports, but Henry’s actions fall into a different category. First, Henry intentionally uses his hand to set up the winning goal, and second, he declines the opportunity to immediately explain that to the ref when he realizes the ref allowed the illegal goal. In my mind, this is the same as when Mike Tyson bit the ear of a boxing opponent (hidden from the ref), or when a pro baseball pitcher uses sandpaper in his glove to scratch up the ball. Classless, stupid, and against every notion of fair play and sportsmanship. The French team should be thoroughly embarrassed to continue in the competition and should resign from the tournament.
Henry a man with no honour, France a team with no honour and FIFA a organisation with no creditability.
Henry a man with no honour, France a team with no honour and FIFA a organisation with no creditability
[...] Surely in such a modern game, with such high stakes and a nations dream on the line, the adoption of a video replay cannot be anything but absolutely necessary. In Rugby it works to great affect, delivering an answer in about 90 seconds. … Not only do I feel that this technology must be brought into use, I also feel that Thierry Henry must be retrospectively punished. I don’t care if it seems harsh, he deliberately handballed in order to keep the ball within play and …Continue Reading [...]