Paphos Life

The opening match between Qatar and Ecuador starts in a few minutes on BBC1

I won't be watching. I think the whole thing is wrong.

I hope that those of you who do watch it have a good time though. Just not my cup of tea.

I enjoyed the first match, and will be watching England tomorrow

I wonder what will happen tomorrow when Harry Kane is wearing the "One Love" armband even when FIFA announced punishment if he does...

Max

Think we will be going out a lot for the next 2/3 weeks until it’s all over.

Morgan Freeman more then happy to pocket his blood money,
along with hypocrites like , David Beckham, Gary Lineker, Alex Scott, etc etc etc

I'm with Trev on this.

I'll be watching most games and enjoying it all.

cyprusmax47 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 20, 2022 10:42 pm I wonder what will happen tomorrow when Harry Kane is wearing the "One Love" armband even when FIFA announced punishment if he does...

Max

England and Wales won't wear OneLove armband


A joint statement has been released by the Football Associations of England, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands and Switzerland.

The captains of these countries were set to wear the OneLove armband in support of the LGBTQ+ community, whose rights are severely restricted in Qatar.

The statement speaks of the federations' frustration with FIFA.

It reads: "FIFA has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play.

"As national federations, we can't put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings, so we have asked the captains not to attempt to wear the armbands in FIFA World Cup games.

"We were prepared to pay fines that would normally apply to breaches of kit regulations and had a strong commitment to wearing the armband. However, we cannot put our players in the situation where they might be booked or even forced to leave the field of play.

"We are very frustrated by the FIFA decision which we believe is unprecedented – we wrote to FIFA in September informing them of our wish to wear the OneLove armband to actively support inclusion in football, and had no response.

"Our players and coaches are disappointed – they are strong supporters of inclusion and will show support in other ways."

Les Bean wrote: ↑Mon Nov 21, 2022 10:10 am

WHL wrote: ↑Mon Nov 21, 2022 8:55 am Morgan Freeman more then happy to pocket his blood money,
along with hypocrites like , David Beckham, Gary Lineker, Alex Scott, etc etc etc

Beckham and Freeman aside, not sure that journalists doing their job of reporting on football matches are necessarily hypocrites. That would mean that every sports commentator /pundit from myriad countries around the world are all hypocrites

No most journalists just do the job they are paid to do, Lineker and others like him take every opportunity on social media to lecture the world on their moral crusade.
If Lineker and Scott felt so strongly about the human rights issues, and that Qatar should never have been awarded the cup,, then I would have more respect for them if they refused to travel to Qatar , but like all these moral lecturers the minute cash is involved their high and mighty morals take a back seat, my opinion knowing how disgusting Qatar's human rights are, FIFA should never have chosen them, but then again FIFA have a record for taking bribes etc..

Afriend of mine in the UK said he would not be bothered in the slightest if England went out in the first round
Of course i had to ask how he could be so unpatriotic.
He explained.
With him owning a factory in the UK employing mainly males,,the more England progressed in the competition the more his employees mysteriously become sick and could not attend work

The company I worked for in UK before we moved to Cyprus in 2004, opened the canteen, moved TV screens into the room and we were encouraged to attend and watch in shifts whilst the work was still carrying on in the office.
It ensured bums on seats

Les Bean wrote: ↑Mon Nov 21, 2022 1:12 pm https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football ... h-28539697

From the article
Earlier this week, Everton Women's midfielder Izzy Christiansen revealed she had withdrawn from World Cup media duties because the conditions "don't ally with things we endorse in the Women's Super League".

Well done Izzy not a hypocrite like Scott and co.

WHL makes a valid point. The likes of Linekar make big plays of being "Socially Aware" on Twitter etc, regularly jumping on the latest bandwagon.

Mind you, it was revealed that the people who make the England kit in Bangladesh are paid a pittance...

But on the other hand, it's a game of football. It isn't International Politics. Which brings us back to Linekar. Had he not been in the habit of lecturing everybody on the latest bandwagon, then people wouldn't be holding him to task. Well, they would, but for his historical goal-hanging, rather than his idealogical failings.

What is football? Oxford Definition:
A. noun.

1. A large round or elliptical inflated ball, usu. of leather or (now) plastic. LME.

2. A primarily open-air game played with such a ball by two sides each seeking to move it across the opponents' goal-line by kicking or other permitted means; (manner or style of) the playing of this game. LME.

I would add:

3. A boring game inflicted endlessly on television viewers on many channels and every other conceivable medium.

4. A means of kicking a ball around by grown-up overpaid men many of whom use it to promote sexual deviations or political views.

As a footnote, I would add that you should note that all the official and unofficial definitions used the term "game" and not "sport". Q.v. Ted Moult on Question Time.

Devil, given that you clearly don't like Football, why on Earth are you posting on a thread about the World Cup? You are already the Forum Curmudgeon, is that honour not enough?

It was a good start for England and well worth missing my siesta for

Every forum needs a curmudgeon.

I always question what a football fan/player likes about it, and my conclusion is that our dog loves to chase balls.......

Les Bean wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 2:09 pm Wow wow wow, what a result for Saudi

My son back in London had put 5 pound at 22/1 for a saudi win, happy days

Everything you touch or get involved in turns to gold.