I am 19, and I don't think me or any of my mates would have done anything that childish and stupid a couple of years ago.
Still obviously a child though and still stick to the point that a professional should be able to rise above it[/QUOTE] He is also old enough to be a professional footballer. Supposing instead of Hazard doing that, it was a lad who had just turned 17, but was playing for the first team.
whatever the rights and wrongs of the ball boy its the actions of the supposed proffesional that are the issue, and if it were a 17 year old pro I would expect him to be a pro and not do that
As an add on to that I just spoke to my 18 year old brother who reckons Hazard should go to prison and that the ball boy (who now has over 80,00 followers on Twitter - really???) is, ahem, a "ledge" Seriously, what is wrong with this world? It's going to ****. Any room in that suitcase for a little one Redruth fella?
Something exciting and positive did happen at the same time last night - the incredible attacking football played by Arsenal. If that had been Man Utd or Barcelona the media would not have found time to talk about Hazard but as it was Arsenal, who the media have a down on, it has been barely mentioned. The only thing I find distasteful about the Hazard affair are the number of people in the game coming out and openly saying ' it is part of the game for Clubs to instruct ball boys to either slow up or speed up according to the scoreline ' Will there be any end to this cheating? Diving, time wasting, stealing yards at every free kick and throw in, ball boys having towels for long throw specialists ( only home team throwers of course ), substitutions taking for ever and a day to be completed etc etc. It all started when Refs decided that the obstruction rule did not apply to defenders wanting to let the ball run out for a goal kick which has since been extended to time wasting near the corner flag near the end of the game. Where will it end? When will people realise that we are paying to watch 90mins of football so it is our time they are wasting. Solution is simple. Change to 40 mins each way but the clock only runs when the ball is actually in play such as when the throw in, corner, goal kick, free kick etc have been taken. Time clock operated by an official in the stand with large clocks on each side of ground so that everybody can see how much time is left. After 62 years attendance at Carrow Road I am, probably for the first time, getting thoroughly disillusioned with the game and were it not for my stubborn loyalty to NCFC and the fun I get from the rest of my day out I would think very hard about renewing my season ticket.
Well that is the crap of the twitter society back in my day he would have been up before his headmaster for some correction which would have had him not wanting to sit down for a fair while
The lad fully deserved a good kick! Time wasting git! Also, what a meal he made out of nothing! Hazard KICKED THE BALL! The kid just rolled around like he had been kicked. It was a silly thing of Hazard to do but if I was Chelsea I would be perplexed as to why it was a red card! The Swansea lad should hang his head in shame for being such a little dick and rolling around as if he'd had seven bells kicked out of him!
I'm 18 and I, like many of the posters on here, think the ball boy looks, and acted, like a complete and utter twat. Hazard obviously should not go to prison but should, in my opinion, serve the standard 3 match ban. From what I've seen he did appear to kick the ball boy but there was no intent there, he's just frustrated and wants to retrieve the ball. Anyone who's played football should be able to understand things from Hazard's point of view; even if just a little bit. Oh, and I would never use the word 'ledge'. Unless maybe it could save Norwich from relegation...
If, in three months time, the ball boy reports a ruptured spleen, will Hazard be charged with GBH? Or attempted murder?? Or what, exactly? Blatant cheating by the lad - whether he was instructed to do it or not, and for me, over the two legs, the better team won. THAT'S what people should be talking about, a Swansea v Bradford Wembley final!
Absolutely bang on mate As far as I can see Hazard made no contact with the kid whatsoever, he toe-poked the ball from under him and the kid fell flat on his face. I can't believe the reaction to this, I find it utterly, utterly incredulous that such a hoo-ha has been made out of virtually nothing. I've even heard some comparisons with the Cantona incident! It's unbelievable
I think it's inconclusive as to what Hazard kicked - the ball or the ball-boy - but I am fairly sure he was aiming for the ball. Still a stupid thing to do.
Reading through these posts I am just amazed that some of you seem to accept that violence is ok! If this had happened on your local parks would you just laugh and walk away? What Hazard SHOULD have done was to bring this to the attention of the referee and not just sticking his boot in! There can be no toleration for taking the law into your own hands and certainly not with the use of violence. What sort of example does this send out to the youngsters who were watching the game on TV? The FA should impose the maximum punishment on Hazard in terms of a lengthy ban and impose some form of education to show him the error of his actions. The fact that the ball boy possibly provoked him into doing it should be in no way used as justification for Hazard's actions! Hazard is a professional footballer and more importantly a role model and should act accordingly while on the pitch!
Absolutely agree with every word. Except compare a lengthy ban alongside Terry's ban for racist abuse.
Sadly the press love a story, generally ones which cause controversy. They are more interested in this than the actual sport itself. It sometimes feels that football is now no more than a sideshow for some of the other antics that occur.
Sorry, but what a load of tosh. THE BOY WAD NEVER TOUCHED! Hazard kicks the ball (aiming for the ball) so there is no violence! They the lad acts like a twat holding his ribs as if he was kicked. This is ridiculous! Hazard was silly but he was not violent.
But there isn't hard evidence to prove this. It is rather inconclusive as to what Hazard made contact with. You can't say that he definitely only kicked the ball. He may well have hit the ball and the ball-boy. But for him to try and kick the ball, given where it was, was stupid.
Absolute rubbish of the very highest order "violence"?? he kicked the ****ing BALL for ****'s sake, never made any contact with the idiot on the floor at all and there was obviously no intention to - obvious to anyone with at least a modicum of sense anyway. Do your eyes work?
Good to see the knuckle draggers are out in force! Of course I should have realised that pushing a kid over and then kicking him while he is on the floor is perfectly acceptable behaviour!