Qatar 2022

[Drink!Drink!]

not a revelation, but just how disgusting an organisation are FIFA

Watching the tournament draw and what Infantino was doing and saying on those days. FIFA have literally offered their PR and Comms department to work on behalf of the Qatar regime. They aren't just promoting the football, they are promoting the regime as well. It's gut wrenching.

I also see that the Qatar regime is getting quite arrogant and cocky now. Obviously now it's nearly here they've had enough of faking they care what other people think. Attacking people who criticise their human rights record, or their disgusting treatment of migrant construction workers.
They are even now piping up and saying fans with rainbow flags will have the flags confiscated....for their "safety". I fully support any and every player who makes a statement of protest during the tournament.

 

[Marty]

The question becomes how far down the pyramid would you do the two thirty minute halves? At the pro level it's easy enough. You have a million refs and could easily have a timekeeper like the NFL. But what about at the pub level when you have a single ref and no assistants, much less a scoreboard and timekeeper? Does that level just continue to play 90 minute games like now?

Yes.

I know some argue that the beauty of football is that it's the same game at all levels but for me making this change at professional level isn't a big deal and it would bring only benefits to the professional level.

 

[Drink!Drink!]

....and purely just on the football...in winter....what will it be like in Britain....

Going to be in pubs....with Christmas decorations....watching possible huge games...weird, trying to get me head around whether there will be more or less potential for town centre carnage compared to a summer tournament...fearing the worst for some Christmas markets in city centre squares after an epic evening that went to penalties...

 

[LSUY]

The question becomes how far down the pyramid would you do the two thirty minute halves? At the pro level it's easy enough. You have a million refs and could easily have a timekeeper like the NFL. But what about at the pub level when you have a single ref and no assistants, much less a scoreboard and timekeeper? Does that level just continue to play 90 minute games like now?

Do what rugby does and have the ref act as timekeeper. All you need is a stopwatch.

 

[cwy21]

Do what rugby does and have the ref act as timekeeper. All you need is a stopwatch.

Imagine being the sole referee on a pitch of 22 men trying to call fouls, decide throw-ins, cover offside, and now you need to remember to start and stop your watch 200 times a game? It adds a lot more to the plate than it does in rugby. It wouldn't be a good thing to bring down past the pro level.

 

[BosSpurs08]

Imagine being the sole referee on a pitch of 22 men trying to call fouls, decide throw-ins, cover offside, and now you need to remember to start and stop your watch 200 times a game? It adds a lot more to the plate than it does in rugby. It wouldn't be a good thing to bring down past the pro level.

Not sure where you'd find the statistics to back this up, but my sense is that VAR has made this problem substantially worse due to the replay stoppages (which are longer in England than in the German leagues). Cleaning up stoppages is the obvious place to look.

If we're talking about bringing over reffing innovations in rugby, you could do the following without blowing too much up:

1. Mic the referees up, and have them in constant communication with a replay official empowered to overturn calls when obvious. (This would have the added benefit of improving transparency which is a conversation I'm not sure the FA is ready for)
2. Players speak through the captain (or in the case of a captain being a keeper, a designated field player), with an automatic warning/booking for those who break the process. Clock stops when ref calls the captains over. You get rid of the crowding issue, get quicker decisions made on the pitch.

 

[cwy21]

Not sure where you'd find the statistics to back this up, but my sense is that VAR has made this problem substantially worse due to the replay stoppages (which are longer in England than in the German leagues). Cleaning up stoppages is the obvious place to look.

I'm solely talking about grassroots football here where you have one ref and no assistants. Under the proposed time change, they'd need to stop their watch for every foul, throw-in, goal kick, etc. If we want to do it for the pro game then fine, but it adds a lot to the single referee at grassroots.

 

[BosSpurs08]

I'm solely talking about grassroots football here where you have one ref and no assistants. Under the proposed time change, they'd need to stop their watch for every foul, throw-in, goal kick, etc. If we want to do it for the pro game then fine, but it adds a lot to the single referee at grassroots.

Agreed that would be crazy.

 

[Marty]

Wales' World Cup play-off final set for 5 June

Wales' rescheduled World Cup play-off final against Scotland or Ukraine will kick off at 17:00 BST on Sunday, 5 June.

www.bbc.com

Looks like June 1st for Scotland-Ukraine is set in stone, with the winner playing Wales on the 5th. I can't see Ukraine being in any sort of state to turn up.

 

[spursfan77]

Wales' World Cup play-off final set for 5 June

Wales' rescheduled World Cup play-off final against Scotland or Ukraine will kick off at 17:00 BST on Sunday, 5 June.

www.bbc.com

Looks like June 1st for Scotland-Ukraine is set in stone, with the winner playing Wales on the 5th. I can't see Ukraine being in any sort of state to turn up.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Scotland given a bye in that game and it being a play off against the welsh.

 

[dudu]

....and purely just on the football...in winter....what will it be like in Britain....

Going to be in pubs....with Christmas decorations....watching possible huge games...weird, trying to get me head around whether there will be more or less potential for town centre carnage compared to a summer tournament...fearing the worst for some Christmas markets in city centre squares after an epic evening that went to penalties...

How pathetic a species we are that this is something we genuinely have to worry about.

I hope we go out in the group stages somehow.

 

[nipponyid]

FIFA: Pay for Harm to Qatar’s Migrant Workers​

(London) – Hundreds of thousands of migrant workers in Qatar have not received financial compensation or any other adequate remedy for serious labor abuses suffered while building and servicing infrastructure for the FIFA World Cup, which begins in November 2022, Human Rights Watch said today.

On May 19, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, FairSquare, and a global coalition of migrant rights groups, labor unions, international football fans, abuse survivors, and business and rights groups said that the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the government of Qatar should provide remedy for serious abuses that migrant workers have suffered since the 2022 World Cup was awarded in 2010. These include thousands of unexplained deaths and injuries, wage theft, and exorbitant recruitment fees. Human Rights Watch has opened a global campaign, #PayUpFIFA, to support this coalition call. Amnesty International is releasing a report, “Predictable and Preventable,” setting out how FIFA and Qatar can remedy 12 years of abuses.

FIFA: Pay for Harm to Qatar’s Migrant Workers

Hundreds of thousands of migrant workers in Qatar have not received financial compensation or any other adequate remedy for serious labor abuses suffered while building and servicing infrastructure for the FIFA World Cup, which begins in November 2022.

www.hrw.org

 

[Marty]

Scotland v Ukraine tomorrow night. Have to say I'm very surprised Ukraine are going to manage to field a team, no idea what sort of state they'll be in when the domestic players haven't played a competitive match in six months.

 

[BoringOldFan]

FIFA & Qatar get the thumbs down on their ‘carbon neutral’ claims.

Report discredits 'carbon neutral' World Cup claim

Fifa and Qatar's claims that the 2022 World Cup will be carbon neutral involve "creative accounting", according to a new report.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Yid-ol]

Scotland v Ukraine tomorrow night. Have to say I'm very surprised Ukraine are going to manage to field a team, no idea what sort of state they'll be in when the domestic players haven't played a competitive match in six months.

Could be an even game then... It is Scotland after all

 

[UncleBuck]

Seriously? Not content with dismantling all clubs seasons by having this when they are the FA have now asked the big clubs not to play against eachother the week before, as if that’s going to stop anyone getting injured!!?

 

[southlondonyiddo]

Seriously? Not content with dismantling all clubs seasons by having this when they are the FA have now asked the big clubs not to play against eachother the week before, as if that’s going to stop anyone getting injured!!?

Hopefully we get a small club like West Ham that week!

What an absolute nonsense. Actually embarrassing

 

[BoringOldFan]

Seriously? Not content with dismantling all clubs seasons by having this when they are the FA have now asked the big clubs not to play against eachother the week before, as if that’s going to stop anyone getting injured!!?

The World Cup dates were decided last July. The FA leave it until eight days before the PL fixture list is published to ask this? Either fire the planning director - or recruit one.

 

[cwy21]

It's a total guess without statistics but I'd almost wager that the matches between the top teams might have fewer injuries because you probably have fewer strong tackles going in compared to mid and lower table sides.

On the other hand maybe we can be up 3-0 at halftime and take off some of the key World Cup players.

 

[Tucker]

Premier League should tell them to fuck off.