It's only in one paper and could well be a load of cack, but we'll see. Bolton Wanderers are ready to pull out of the FA Cup because of the Fabrice Muamba tragedy. The Premier League has postponed tomorrowâs trip to Aston Villa because of the distress of Boltonâs players and management. Boss Owen Coyle, who was with Muamba from the moment he collapsed and during his hospital fight for life, had told his chairman Phil Gartside that he did not want the Villa game to go ahead. Boltonâs players are too distraught to think about football just now while the senior officials try to work out what happens next. It is also likely that Wanderers will pull out of the FA Cup rather than face a re-match with Tottenham at the spot of the harrowing incident. The game would be played a week tomorrow, but the top figures at the Reebok fear that the psychological effect of a return would be too much for their team. One leading source said: âThis is a group of young men, just kids really. How could they cope with going back to Spurs and going through it all again?â Tottenham would be given a bye into the semi-final against Chelseaas a result, but Bolton would not face a penalty if they go down that road. Boltonâs relegation six-pointer with rivals Blackburn Rovers, due to be played on Saturday, will also be under review - with a decision on that game due shortly.
either way this is one of the strongest semi finals I have seen for a LONG time.. Liverpool Chelsea possibly Spurs Us and Everton I'm glad we've draw Liverpool, but away from home would be hard.....still got to be Everton who are by no means a pushover. Its a shame though about Bolton, but possibly the right thing. I don't know how you could play again after saying your team mate collapse and could possibly die...
I can totally see the rational behind this decision if it is true There are probably some very traumatised young players who dont want to play football right now in the Bolton team and I cant say I blame them. Only time will tell if they can get over this episode, and I feel for them right now. Btw, there are some players from Spurs clearly affected by this too, make no bones about it.
I can see it happening and can understand why and it would be easy to let this sad event spoil the cup this year, hope we don't let it. The truth is, IMO, Bolton and their fans have every right to want nothing to do with the cup this year and we have every right to be sad about what happened but, for this fan this is the best I have known it at Sunderland for a long time, I just want to enjoy it. I'm sure the lad himself would want us to enjoy our football, he did and hopefully still will. If we get through I will join everyone in thinking of the lad and paying my respects but after that I will hopefully have a cracking day.
I really really hope this guys gets better. I really really do. Its such a horrible thing to happen, especially for a 23 yr old. I think we all know that footballers these days are pushed to their limit, and maybe something needs to be looked at, especially considering its never happened to a prem league player.
Without doubt this is an emotional incident and the lad will hopefully survive. I do feel however that we are bordering on maudlin over this. Let events there course and make a decision on that outcome. I feel the key to this is team spirit and the need to do something for a mate in a bad time. Accidents and other events of this nature happen and friends, neighbours and workmates rally round as one in support of each other. If there is team spirit and oneness in the Bolton then the response must be "lets do it for Fabrice" and go all out for it. After all Man U made it to Wembley in Munich year.
I agree with this. It's a very modern phenomena that mass out pouring of collective grief seems to be expected for every tragic event these days. Of course there is empathy and sympathy towards this young man and his family. Of course we desperately want him to recover and be okay, that's just a normal humanitarian feeling. What is over the top is the apparent need to change the world now to accommodate such events. People suffer these problems, or even die every day of the week, in every walk of life, and yet those businesses don't close or change course. Bolton pulling out of the FA Cup won't change Muambas condition and isn't necessary imo. How far do they go? Give up in the league for the rest of the campaign? I've lost good friends and family over the years but at no time did I think it right that their places of work should close down. The world just carries on, whatever happens to individuals. What if in 2 or 3 weeks time Muamba recovers and goes home but Bolton have withdrawn from the FA Cup? What if he had suffered this tragic event at home after the game? We all hope and pray the lad recovers, that's a given but let's not go well over the top in reacting to one event.
as much as the whole footballing world hopes that muamba recovers, the show must go on and fixtures must be fulfilled, although i agree the postponement of the villa game was the correct one, pulling out of the f a cup would be crazy but it's just paper talk and is probably bollocks . anyway get well soon fabrice
"I think we all know that footballers these days are pushed to their limit, and maybe something needs to be looked at, especially considering its never happened to a prem league player." so they should be pushed to there limit! the top player's these days are paid far more money and have a contrast lifestyle to a lot of other men and women who have far higher risks caused by there jobs ie forces, police, fire brigade to name but a few. if being ultra fit means a slight risk to the players health then unforunetly this is what the slight risks are but they are certainly rewarded for it.
If Bolton do pull out of the cup, do spurs get a bye or will they be forced to play the team Bolton beat in the last round?
I wondered this as well Gil - Have no idea I also (tpo some extent) agree with the point above about "maudlin" - I agree the Bolton (and probably Spurs) players will be completely traumatised over what happened but they really do have to get back to "normality" as soon as they can - otherwise this will become something that affects them for their entire lives. I truly don't man to sound heartless on this but they have to get on with life and let things take their course - if that happened to one of our players I'd want the side to go out and win it for that player personally! No idea what will happen but time (as allways) will tell
As everyone does I hope the lad recovers and we will probably find he had a some kind of heart defect which hadn't been known about. In some ways he was lucky because it happened during the game and he had good quality medical assistance and equipment immediately at hand. I remember when I was at school, although it was about 50 years ago, there was a lad who was one of those guys who was good at any sport. At the end of the school year as most schools do we had our school sports day. One lunch time he was running round the track training and he just collapsed. Of course in those days medical knowledge wasn't as good as nowadays and, until an ambulance got there, he only had the help of some teachers who were only trained in the basics of first aid. He was only 14 years old and sadly wasn't as lucky and didn't survive.
Sometimes we are all guilty of over reacting to grief especially when it is because of something as sudden and unexpected as this. We are simply not prepared for it and don't know what to do for the best. In some ways it is like the Gary Speed thing, players like Given and Bellamy were playing within a day or so because they knew that is what he would have wanted. I would have thought that both Fabrice and his family would want Bolton to carry on in the competition and try their very best to get to Wembley.
It won't happen IMO too much at stake for Bolton as a club, sad about Muamba but, you have got to get on with it. Postponing the Villa game is fine but, talk of pulling out of the cup is probably just that lads talk.
Cestria, your opinion is pathetic. It's called specific circumstances. You're trying to brush it off as a general problem in the workplace. They're almost certainly still training, their office staff are still turning up for work presumably, seeing as their manager is. What you think is ridiculous, and it looks to me like you're clamouring for them to play the game for the tiny hope that they might 'do it for Muamba' and eliminate maybe the biggest threat to your FA Cup campaign. Nobody is going over the top with their reactions, what you're witnessing is football united. Real Madrid had/have a massive billboard up at the Bernabeu wishing Eric Abidal of Barcelona a speedy recovery from his transplant operation. Some things are just more important than football, trophies, rivalry and work. The world hasn't stopped to mourn Muamba's situation, the entire football community has come together to support one man, to show respect and to will him to come through this. At a time when English football has been divided up by Suarez/Evra/Terry/Racism, we finally come together as a whole and you find a way of putting a negative spin on it. Why don't you stick to brown nosing Div O'Neill afterall, he has magically managed one more point Brendan Rogers has for Swansea since he took over.
Bolton captain Kevin Davies says talk about the club withdrawing from the FA Cup is "irrelevant" as everybody is focused on Fabrice Muamba's health. Muamba is in a stable but critical condition following his cardiac arrest during their FA Cup tie at Tottenham. Davies said: "Any of those questions are irrelevant at the minute. "I've been speaking with the manager [Owen Coyle] and travelled with the chairman and the immediate thoughts are with Fabrice and his family." The FA Cup sixth-round match was abandoned on Saturday. Discussing Muamba, the Bolton captain added: "He's a natural athlete, box to box. There are not many stronger than him in the Premier League. He's a great lad. "Hopefully in true Bolton style, he will fight against the odds and come through." Bolton's Premier League game against Aston Villa has already been postponed. Blackburn manager Steve Kean is happy for his club's match against them, at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday, to be postponed if Wanderers feel they are not ready to play. Kean said: "We hope he makes a full recovery but, if they need a little bit more time and the game doesn't go ahead, we would respect that from Bolton's point of view. "I think the whole footballing world has come together. Whatever we have to do we would only respect what Bolton want us to do next weekend."
