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Russia 2018 General Chat

Spurslove

Well-Known Member
Jul 6, 2012
6,627
9,281
Anyone else thinking the very worst is going to happen out there with those neanderthal, paramilitary thugs? I bet they're all rubbing their hands in anticipation of us England fans turning up on their own patch, after the lunatic shambles of Euro 2016. A horrible prospect is looming. How they got the World Cup in the first place is highly questionable to say the least, but nobody since the cleansing at FIFA HQ has done anything about it.

Basically, I'm dreading the hoolie headlines.
 

ExpatFan

Well-Known Member
May 11, 2005
1,873
1,664
If there was any morality within Europe's individual FAs, they would all boycott it. But that's obviously a hypothetical statement. Same goes for Qatar which was even more of a bribed World Cup bid.
 

Gb160

Well done boys. Good process
Jun 20, 2012
23,646
93,314
Anyone else thinking the very worst is going to happen out there with those neanderthal, paramilitary thugs? I bet they're all rubbing their hands in anticipation of us England fans turning up on their own patch, after the lunatic shambles of Euro 2016. A horrible prospect is looming. How they got the World Cup in the first place is highly questionable to say the least, but nobody since the cleansing at FIFA HQ has done anything about it.

Basically, I'm dreading the hoolie headlines.
Not so sure about the hooligan element.
I read a piece by a Russian based journalist just after the Euros in the summer, and his view was that the Russian thugs in France in the summer were very likely to be state sponsored ex or serving squaddies...essentially there as Russian muscle flexing exercise.
He went on to say that there is no way Putin will tolerate any of this in his own country during the World Cup, as it will make him look weak and powerless infront of the worlds media...and if anyone kicks off they'll just be slung in prison indefinitely.

What i think he won't be able to control is the overtly racist abuse of black players.
 

teok

Well-Known Member
Aug 11, 2011
10,836
33,607
Not so sure about the hooligan element.
I read a piece by a Russian based journalist just after the Euros in the summer, and his view was that the Russian thugs in France in the summer were very likely to be state sponsored ex or serving squaddies...essentially there as Russian muscle flexing exercise.
He went on to say that there is no way Putin will tolerate any of this in his own country during the World Cup, as it will make him look weak and powerless infront of the worlds media...and if anyone kicks off they'll just be slung in prison indefinitely.

What i think he won't be able to control is the overtly racist abuse of black players.

It was really obvious they weren't football hooligans.
 

WorcesterTHFC

Well-Known Member
May 4, 2016
1,777
2,545
Not so sure about the hooligan element.
I read a piece by a Russian based journalist just after the Euros in the summer, and his view was that the Russian thugs in France in the summer were very likely to be state sponsored ex or serving squaddies...essentially there as Russian muscle flexing exercise.
He went on to say that there is no way Putin will tolerate any of this in his own country during the World Cup, as it will make him look weak and powerless infront of the worlds media...and if anyone kicks off they'll just be slung in prison indefinitely.

What i think he won't be able to control is the overtly racist abuse of black players.
I hope that Russian-based journalist's view of what will happen there during the World Cup is correct. Although I want all England's national sports teams do as well as possible, I won't be too upset if we miss the cut for the next two World Cups, as they'll be more trouble than they're worth. It isn't as if we'll win either of them, if we're realistic. At the moment, it seems that it would need a major upset to stop us qualifying for 2018, so I just hope my fears for that tournament are unfounded.
 

UpTownSpur

Says it like it is
Dec 31, 2014
2,266
4,362
They're gonna really struggle to fill the stadiums. Nobody wants to go there. They'll have to do a West Ham and give loads if tickets away to local school children.
 

widmerpool

Well-Known Member
Jun 18, 2012
3,378
5,605
Football365 has always looked at football in a wider context. Why shouldn't it? And they are absolutely on the money here.

If there was a tipping point at which participating stopped being conscionable, it was MH17.
 

spursfan77

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2005
46,680
104,956
Not sure about a football website weighing in so strongly politically, but it kind of resonates right now:

The Long-Term View: A Russian World Cup:
http://www.football365.com/news/the-long-term-view-a-russian-world-cup

I think that tournament will be the beginning of the end for international football. Follow that up with Qatar and the expanded tournament to follow and I suspect tv audiences will fall off. English fans aren't really going to want to treck to those countries then probably china to watch the games.
 

Nerine

Juicy corned beef
Jan 27, 2011
4,756
17,217
Have to say, I think a WC in Russia is a terrible idea. I think the observation above of half-empty stadiums is pretty much nailed on.

Even if I was a devout England fan, which I'm not, as international football literally bores me to tears these days, I would have to seriously think twice about the implications of what could happen if I were to go. I mean, I can't remember too many international games that lived up to the standards of what we are used to seeing week in week out in the Prem.

Qatar is the same, albeit not the violence issue. That's just dodgy beyond belief. I actually think it'll be an interesting one, but the amount of crowbarring that has happened to get a tournament to happen there is just so iffy it's unreal.

What's going to happen there anyway? Is it actually going ahead in the winter? Has it been said what's going to happen to all of the leagues around Europe and especially the Prem when it's in its busiest period? Just gonna fuck the league off for a month or something?
 

Sandros Shiny Head

Well-Known Member
Aug 20, 2013
4,794
8,765
Qatar is the same, albeit not the violence issue. That's just dodgy beyond belief. I actually think it'll be an interesting one, but the amount of crowbarring that has happened to get a tournament to happen there is just so iffy it's unreal.

What's going to happen there anyway? Is it actually going ahead in the winter? Has it been said what's going to happen to all of the leagues around Europe and especially the Prem when it's in its busiest period? Just gonna fuck the league off for a month or something?
Pretty sure they said the PL season will start in July and have a break then end in June
 

Gassin's finest

C'est diabolique
May 12, 2010
37,353
87,819
Wow. Is that supposed to be journalism? Reads like it was written by a five year old.
F365 are good website for reporting and analysis, but their opinion pieces can be tiresome. I was in two minds whether to post it, but the general point about making a stand against FIFA's monetising v the morality of the game seemed worth it.
 

Spurger King

can't smile without glue
Jul 22, 2008
43,881
95,147
F365 are good website for reporting and analysis, but their opinion pieces can be tiresome. I was in two minds whether to post it, but the general point about making a stand against FIFA's monetising v the morality of the game seemed worth it.

I agree with the sentiment. I'm just surprised that people who can't write are having their stuff published.
 
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