Why do you all care so much that the there is a fight between the money saturated European clubs and the money saturated FIFA world cup about when exactly one competition ought to be held. Personally I've always thought of football as a winter sport and therefore the most important competitions should be held in the winter. Having a few weeks off in the PL would do no harm at all.
Hey it's not much different in the winter, say 48 degrees in the summer and 42 degrees in the winter, 33 min during the night in summer and about 27 min in winter, still bloody hot. Also what's all of this slave labour? they will pay them $2 for a 15 hour day whether they deserve it or not. Same as the bloody British mining companies do to African labour, it's not just them, we do it as well you know. Something about removing the plank from our own eyes first should be under consideration. Rant over.
So slave labour is ok because we do it? And your climate info suggests it should just not be there winter or summer. We can always transport the slaves somewhere else to build the thing. Why are we worrying about millionaire footballers anyway who are acclimatised to heat anyway from their luxury holidays. Poor bastards having to run about in the heat for a couple of weeks and all for just a few million a year. Make the bastards earn their millions I say, let's have tigers on the pitch and crocodiles on the touch lines that should keep them moving.
It's not about how much they're been paid, these things rightly fluctuate depending where in the world you are, it's about the violation of their human rights.
The original point is getting lost in all this. Which is, WTF is the World Cup doing in some giant sandpit in the Middle East?...
They held one in a country that thinks football is a bunch of steroids and shoulder pads playing rugby incorrectly, so it's too late to bolt the gate now.
I think you'll find that there are not only a few more people living in that particular country. That soccer was popular amongst a certain proportion of the population. Additionally, the climate is just a tad more friendly. Not to mention that their record on basic human rights, whilst nowhere near perfect, still far exceeds, by far, that of this bloody Arab dictatorship!..
You misunderstand me, I'm saying that it's not alright, but my point is that we should put our own house in order before we criticise others. British companies are just as bad when given the chance. (outside the jurisdiction of UK labour law). And yes I am saying that the football should not be there either winter or summer, it's a bloody stupid idea. There's an indoor ski slope in Dubai with real snow but you wouldn't hold the winter Olympics there. Football should be played in conditions that make for the best football, not just about bearable conditions. I like the idea of crocodiles and tigers though (providing the animals are looked after properly).
Fair enough. I like the comparison that a couple have brought up about the winter Olympics it puts the stupidity (or financial cynisism) that Blatter has when it comes to the World Cup. It's time for a revolt from the fans along the lines of the Arab Spring.
I'd be happy for Qatar to be ruled out on human rights grounds (although I don't have sufficient knowledge to know if they are any worse than other host countries). But I don't think they should be ruled out on climate grounds especially when there is a partial solution to that - play when it is coldest! It's too easy to be Euro-centric about this sort of issue. There are a lot of countries in the southern hemisphere where the timing of the World Cup already disrupts their season. Why shouldn't the northern hemisphere share the pain! And why should tropical countries be ruled out on weather grounds (and no-one is arguing that Brazil shouldn't be chosen and that will be nearly as hot as Qatar in some venues). Blatter has got this one right.
I would argue that any venue (including Brazil) with temperatures in the 80's plus is madness for football, it's a winter game. Mexico at 10'000 feet was crazy and led to arguably the best ever England team running out of steam. A tournament to showcase the best players in the world is spoiled by climatic conditions time and again all in the name of big bucks. We should just refuse to take part in crazy places and if others followed suit FIFA would have to address the realities of what football is supposed to be.
So countries where European players are at a disadvantage should be ruled out? Shame on you Spurf.... But i agree that it is a winter game so why do we play the World Cup in the summer at all?
Why shame! Having admitted that European players are at a disadvantage you are happy with such a situation! It's ok for individual teams playing one another in unequal conditions it happens in many sports, but that's surely different when stageing a World Cup? The tournament is held in the summer so that it does not clash with the major leagues in Europe presumably so you could argue that Europe is itself to blame. If it's that important then leagues could be suspended for 3 weeks or so once every 4 years couldn't they. Like everything in football it comes down to money. Why do I like this game!
i have a better idea. Scrap the world cup and the european championships and then every 2 years clubs (through an overly complicated and bewildering set of qualifying criteria*) can play an expanded world club cup. At least that would put to bed the talk of a "european super league". *which will no doubt include the mandatory qualification of certain teams, sigh.
I think you have the germ of a really good idea there Spurm it's the 'Clubs' thatwe really support anyway. All this National teams lark can go back to what it used to be, 3 or 4 games against selected opposition. Maybe bring back the Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England games, that would in the long run be better for British football.
