My Footballess World Cup

 

Support LGBT+ fans may not be seeing this World Cup

My first memory of World Cup was Argentina 1978 as the UK was on the March with Allie's Army. There was the first wall chart in Glenn family history hung on the cork tiles in the kitchen and one of the first games I may have watched involved Iran who played Scotland in the second of their group games.

This year Iran are gain taking on some home nations today playing England and later will take on Wales. However, unlike 1978 and every World Cup since I don't care. You see almost 10 years ago when the venue of this World Cup was announced I blogged with the concluding remarking saying:

So I guess I'll not even be watching the 2022 World Cup, even on TV, thanks to decision of FIFA today. Wonder what I'll end up doing instead?

Well true to my word I am not.

The announcement today that the 9 European nations who said they would wear the One Love armband all backed out of their commitment when it turned up that their captains would face a football sanction for doing so, makes that decision all the more real.

Before the tournament started FIFA President trying to rally people around te football rather than the failures of Qatar said amongst other things "Today I am gay". Sadly the actions of him and FIFA show that he is not gay. 

Also those who promised to be allies of LGBT+ fans have proven they are only allies in words alone, not when they might face consequences. They promised to wear an armband saying one love, in support of LGBT+ fans, but when FIFA said they would face football sanctions possibly a yellow card, those promises vanished. The LGBT+ fans were up in arms. You see gay people face consequences.

At the weekend, there were five people at a nightclub in Colorado Springs who lose their lives when a shooter invaded a gay nightclub, in a reasonably liberal society. In Qatar LGBT+ people face prision time for being who they are, today even some fans have been told to take off shirts with the price colours on them.

It reminds me of an anecdote of my time supporting Livingston. When you support a small team home and away the stalwarts all know you, there were three coaches of fans at away matches at the time, we were a large family. But occassionally we had more fans than normal travelling away. At one League Cup tie at Celtic Park we have a wedge in one corner of the stadium. So when a Celtic player stepped up to take a corner and as the players raised their hands calling for the ball, one of my teams fans started shouting "Put you hand up if your gay". So I did. He was only about 4 rows behind me, so I could hear some of the regulars telling him to stop, as they know I was was there and what me raising my had was all about. Survice to say he never tried that again suring that match.

Gay fans have step by step taken fans to stand up. Face consequences. Become bolder. Follow our teams, our countries and not hide who we are. Sadly today FIFA, the FIFA President, certain Associations and players have all shown that unlike gay fans or gay players they are not prepared to face the consequneces when it actually matters. 

Their words are hollow. Their support fair weather.

My World Cup for 2020 will remain footballless.

Slaves delivering Qatar's World Cup

The fact that FIFA awarded the 2022 World Cup would have been bad enough with the heat of the time of year it will be held and its human rights and LGBT offenses. But now it appears that the immigrant population that is building the infrastructure to host the event is being held in slave-like conditions.

Forty four young Napalise men died in a little over two months in June-August. They are not being paid and have their salaries retained to stop them running away. They are also not being allowed free water as their toil under the hot desert heat and are often left hungry as they work 12 hour long days. They also have their passports confiscated and not receive ID cards mean that their status officially is that of illegal immigrants, yet they are the workforce that is enabling Qatar to develop.

Will FIFA step in to this situation?

Sadly I doubt it, our world governing bodies are proving that while they are willing to talk to the talk about human endeavour and equality they are very reluctant to walk the walk when their decisions are found to have given their prestige events to someone who is not just less than perfect but so far from perfect that they should have known about the possibility in the first place of the controversy that would ensue. FIFA is probably not about to back heel the Qatar bid into someone else's net.

It's Friday...mae'n yw dydd Gwener, yn dod ar Gymru

In twelve hours time we should all be awake in front of the television cheering on Wales in the Rugby World Cup. Therefore I'm doing a special late night it's Friday to get us in the mood.

First up we need a rendition of the Cwm Rhondda. However, me being me this isn't going to be straight forward so here is Only Men Aloud.



Rugby separates the men from the boys, singing doesn't. Not really in Wales. So here are Only Boys Aloud! with an appropriate message, even if it is in Welsh.




Now no doubt, unless you've sung with gusto at a sports event of Lib Dem Glee club or wherever you may need some help with the lyrics of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau or Land of Our Fathers but come on we'll all be singing it in Welsh tomorrow so here are the words on the screen so you can learn to sing it. Cymru am byth.

Da iawn Cymru #rwc11

Shane Williams scoring the first try

Well done Wales.

Of course there will be debates over whether Ireland kicking those two penalty opportunities early in the first half would have changed the way the match panned out. But a 12 point win was not in most people's estimates of the way the first quarter final would go.

However, one thing that is certain after this match. Both Brian O'Driscoll, Ronan O'Gara, Gordon D'Arcy, Donncha O'Callaghan, Paul O'Connell and many of the others in the Ireland squad will not be there in 2015. There will be experienced young heads like Tommy Bowe and Kieth Earls on the wings, Johnny Sexton at Scrum Half. But Ireland had entered this world cup as one of the oldest teams, many of the figureheads knew this was most likely going to be their last chance to win the world cup.

After a slow start against the USA, but then there was that win against Australia. Suddenly from being talked about as a team that might struggle to get out of the pool we were being talked about as a team that could go all the way to the final. Then when we demolished Italy in the second half of the last pool game it was set up for the semi final of the two in form Northern Hemisphere teams to send one of them away home in the half of the draw that now guaranteed a six nations finalist.

Wales of course only just lost out to South Africa in the first game. But like Ireland also kept building on their start. Theirs of course was not a slow start and indeed many consider they were actually cheated of a winning three points by the match officials. We haven't even seen who Wales will play next weekend but I already feel that we will be hearing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau* being sung by the vast traveling Welsh Male Voice Choir in red at Auckland in the final.

* Land of Our Fathers

If FIFA is open to everyone...time to end Nigeria's homophobic practise

FIFA aren't having the best of times in dealing with homophobia in their sport. When they awarded the 2022 World Cup a country where homosexuality is illegal, their 'elected' demagogue Sepp Blatter said, "I'd say they [gay fans] should refrain from any sexual activities." He said when it was rewarded that people were too concerned about a tournament that was 12 years away (of course FIFA had only just awarded their most advanced tournament deal that far in advance.

He did try to clarify his position by saying:

"You see in the Middle East the opening of this culture, it's another culture because it's another religion, but in football we have no boundaries. We [FIFA] open everything to everybody and I think there shall not be any discrimination against any human beings be it on this side or that side, be it left, right or whatever.

"But this gives me the opportunity to say that in Fifa, and this is in the statutes of Fifa, whether it is in politics, whether it is in religion, we don't want racism, and we know what this means, and neither do we want discrimination. What we want is just to open this game to everybody and open it to all cultures and this is what we are doing in 2022."

Eucharia Uche who led the homophobic witch hunt in her squad

So let us go forward less than 12 months and the Women's World Cup, where one of the competing nations Nigeria, has gone on a witch hunt of their team to purge themselves not of bad players but of good players who were lesbians, or merely accused of lesbian activity.

Surely if FIFA truly are open to all they should have condemned this member nation of taking such action. Surely they should have implemented some sanction for a National Federation so openly homophobic to proudly declare that they have eliminated homosexuality from football in their country.

There is a petition to be signed (you don't need to include your mobile phone number as I found) to hold Sepp Blatter to his own words that World Cups are open to all, without prejudice and discrimination.

The President of the German Federation is behind this campaign and has issued the following statement:

"Our association resolutely combats any kind of discrimination. This also includes the fight against homophobia. The current issue around the coach of the Nigerian national team certainly requires further discussion. But this can only be done by the tournament host, which is FIFA."

The Women's World Cup is in full swing and FIFA is trying desperately to make the story go away and even trying to discredit the idea that there is a problem on the Nigerian team. But Nigeria's coach was very  clear when she spoke to The New York Times, when she said  "Homosexuality is a dirty thing, spiritually and morally it is very, very wrong".

My Thoughts on the World Cup Location Choice...No Not that One

Map of Qatar

Everyone English fan is so up in arms about 2018's FIFA World Cup being awarded to Russia that they have failed to notice something about 2022's.

It is being awarded to Qatar, a nation with a disgraceful human rights record, especially in the area of LGBT rights.

Article 201 of the 1971 Penal Code punishes sodomy between consenting adults (irrespective of sex) with up to five years in prison. There are also incidents of these laws being enforced on non-citizens. Now there are LGBT football fans, I know I'm one of them.

• What happens if we want to visit the 2022 World Cup, are we to leave our partners behind? 
• Are we to sleep in separate beds, rooms, hotels, cities? 
• What if in celebrating a goal or victory we forget where we are and get over affectionate even for just a fleeting second in full view of a policeman? 
• What if we turn up married or civil partnered with passports that say so, wearing matching rings? 
• Would we get lifted as we arrive and carted off to prison?

Gay Football Supporters Network

Qatar is not just homophobic it is a gay criminalising state.

If we are imprisoned I bet the cell wouldn't have the multi-million pound air conditioning that the stadia (as yet unbuilt) that will spring up in Qatar.

Bid logo

There is also the problem that Association Football does not currently have any 'out' professional players. There are suspicions that a number of players may be in the closet. Now would be a good time for those players to come out and stand up for the LGBT fans from around the world, but more important the LGBT community in Qatar itself. As we don't have a spokesman from within the game, it will be up to the LGBT fans and their friends to take this issue further. But I guess we may not have any players coming out, if they have a hope of playing in the 2022 World Cup, even though us gay supporters need a hero, one of 'the family'.

We should start by boycotting Qatari products:

• Qatar Airlines
• the Qatar Moto GP
• Qatar Petroleum
• Holiday in Qatar's fine hotels 
• etc.

(feel free to provide more in the comments)

Personally I'd not feel safe travelling to Qatar, especially if I was doing so with a partner, I'm just too affectionate. I don't even think I should even contemplate watching the games on television. So I guess I'll not even be watching the 2022 World Cup, even on TV, thanks to decision of FIFA today. Wonder what I'll end up doing instead?

Bunch of Gay Footballers: Not That There's Anything Wrong With That

Note by posting this picture I am in no way implying or speculating anything about the sexuality of any who appear in it. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

A question; which style of football would you rather have seen win the World Cup, the stylish play of say Spain, Argentina or Germany or the rather stiff and in the case of the Netherlands violent approach of Brazil and England amongst others?

I'm sure like me you are glad that the former won. Therefore the most bizarre excuse for World Cup failure from Michael Ballack's agent Michael Becker that the alledged reason is because there were gay men in the squad. Indeed he told Aleksander Osang in Der Spiegel that he put the new adroit, lighter and elegant style of play that has become a trademark of trainer Joachim Löw's players down to their homosexuality, in contrast to the typically more aggressive and offensive German style of past years, but suggested they played too delicately to assure themselves a place in the final.

Firstly if that is the only reason that the team played in a style that gathered many fans over the tournament not least because of their scoring four goals in 3 different matches, then why oh why aren't there any out gay footballers proud of the skills they produce in that style to delight the fans.

But of course more worryingly and seriously at the heart of Becker's allegations is the stench of homophobia and typecasting of the gay community. Recently ITV's Dispatches showed a programme call Africa's Last Taboo the same last taboo exists in football. There are no out players at the top level of the game. Being gay doesn't make someone any less determined to succeed. Indeed faced with possible opposition such as Becker's it makes one more determined to be seen not just as an equal but as better so that nobody can dispute your commitment.

So if some gay footballers did manage to come third in the World Cup it is something that should be celebrated, not ridiculed, mocked or used as an excuse for not going further. Hey there may even have been some in the final, we just do not know and may never know the way that football seems to think un-Seinfeld-like* that there is something wrong with that.

* The Seinfeld TV show had an episode called 'The Outing' about homosexuality and more to the point perceived homosexuality where every time the subject was broached somebody added, "Not that there's anything wrong with that."

It's Friday...so BP and World Cup

It's been a while since I did one of these but a few links have really got me in the mood.

First this one taking a sideways glance at the BP situation in the Gulf of Mexico.



Obviously I'm shocked by the environmental disaster that is unfolding, it really conflicts with my green credentials. Speaking of Green.



On the theme of the World Cup of course the story is the fellowship of the people playing those little plastic horns, aka Vuvuzeala's. They may sound like a hornets nest, maybe that is what they are.

It's Friday So......(Thiery Henry Special)

Well sorry I was not posting my usual 5PM Friday snippet for the last two weeks. Last week I had no t'internet. This week my little laptop has been playing up. However, as this weekend I'll be spending Saturday at the Lib Dem Blogger's Unconference in Edinburgh, I thought I better do my usual weekend tweet.

So courtesy of Dublin FM104 radio with a little help from Norwegian stars A-ha



For my non-Irish, or non-football following readers here is what has made the former Arsenal playing Ireland's most hated man. Having lost 1-0 to the French at Croke Park in Dublin. The Irish were in Paris for the second leg of the play off for the World. The got the equalising goal in normal time. But towards the end of the first period of extra time, the "hand of frog" incident occurred.



When the wife of Kevin Lang Edinburgh North and Leith Lib Dem PPC saw Thierry Henry over breakfast a few months back in their hotel, I know wish she's chopped off his left hand.

Blair Back Peddles Over Tartan Army PMQ Slur

Yesterday at Prime Minister's Questions Anne Begg the Labour MP for Aberdeen South asked her leader:

While accepting that people can be passionate about football, does he agree that that incident besmirches the reputation not only of Aberdeen, but of the tartan army, who can travel the world without attacking supporters of opposing teams?

The Prime Minister's response in full to her question was:

My hon. Friend is absolutely right both in what she says and the tone in which she says it. I am sure that everybody condemns what was an appalling and totally unjustifiable attack. In fairness to the football fans from England, as well, the vast majority of them behave extremely well. The way in which the present World cup is being conducted is absolutely excellent and it is a great tribute not just to the German authorities, who are conducting it and in charge of it, but to the English fans who have travelled there. I pay tribute to all those who lawfully and properly are football supporters. She is absolutely right about what she says about that particular case.

The fact that he did not point out that the vast majority of Scottish fans also abhor such attacks which was part of Miss Begg's question has caused upraor with the Tartan Army.

However, with comments flying in from various Tartan army supporters associations A Downing Street spokesperson said later:

"What the Prime Minister was agreeing with was Anne Begg's clear assertion that attacks like these should be seen for what they are, which is a disgrace."

Going on to assert that Mr Blair was "absolutely not" criticising Scottish fans, the spokesman said, endorsing Ms Begg's view of tartan army members as peaceful supporters. However, as seen above Mr Blair's comments in the House did nothing to suggest this about the Tartan army. While Scottish fans praise the English fans on their good conduct in Germany that is in no way related to the question about an attack on an English fan in Scotland.

If only Gordon Brown hadn't raised the issue of World Cup football into such a political arena.

Blair: England Expects Every Scot to Do Their Duty

The Facts:

On 6 May 1953 Mr Leo Blair's wife Hazel gave birth to a second son in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was given the name Anthony Charles Lynton Blair.

He spent his early childhood in Australia before moving with the family to Durham. But he has his secondary education in the city of his birth at Fettes College, Edinburgh.

Yesterday he became another Scot to become all English saying:

"I support England very strongly, but if Scotland was playing - not England - but a game against someone else why [take the attitude] that I don't want Scotland to win when they are part of the United Kingdom?"

The thing is Tony it is just this sort of attitude that the English will happily adopt an Scot, Welsh or Northern Irish sports team of person as their own when doing well but always reject them when they start to wane that leads to the Celtic nations looking for teams of excellence to support, especially if we are neutral. That plus the fact that the English still go on about 1966. So the Scots have to keep reminding the English that they were the first team to beat the World Champions when they met in 1967. The same may eventually be true of Rugby from 2003 but the Irish take great pleasure in reminding the English who beat them first as world champions.

We also live in a multi-cultural society Mr Blair are you asking the Australians, Germans, French, Americans, Italians and others who live in England and are supporting the land of their birth or forefathers to support Ingerland? Or what about Norwegians, Austrians, Russians or New Zealanders who are merely supporting a team maybe they have some connection with, or maybe has some players in their league?

Last time I checked I was free to support Northern Ireland living here in Scotland. In fact the other Livingston fans applaud me for it. I also support Ireland in the Rugby whether at Murrayfield or, as happened once, at the Scottish Lib Dem conference with the party leader stood beside me.

So when all this jovial anybody but England support is out of the way at some point from the 24 June to the 9 July we'll either be hearing about the 40 years of hurt continuing or ending ad nauseum until the next World Cup or beyond. So allow the Scots their 4 weeks of pleasure Mr Blair, after all tis only a game of fitba.

Could Scotland Knock Sweden Out of the World Cup?

The last time Sweden faced Scotland on 17 November 2004 the land of Abba and Sven Goran Eriksson celebrated a 4-1 win.

However, Sweden have yet to qualify for the second round of the World Cup, they need a single point to go through. Following Argentina's 6-0 win yesterday against Serbia and Montenegro England need to impress to be taken seriously by the other serious contenders, Portugal, Germany, Holland and Brazil have all looked equally fragile so far only Argentina and Spain have stood out.

So let's say Sven allows Gerrard and Lampard some freedom and that he has Owen and Rooney fighting it out to impress to play alongside in form Crouch in the second round. The team might just leave Sweden on four points with either a negative or neutral goal difference.

In the simultaneous game at Kaiserslautern on Tuesday night Trinidad and Tobago must play for a win against Paraguay who will only be playing for pride. Now sat on T&T's bench so far unused in this campaign sits Jason Scotland. Should Leo Beenhakker find his team winning and in with a chance of progressing he may wish to rest his starting strikers. Now he has used 5 already but maybe to gee up the Tartan Army support that has adopted his team he might throw on Jason Scotland.

So imagine the scenario:

T&T are 2-0 up Sweden are losing 3-1, therefore Trinidad and Tobago are one goal up on goal difference.

Scotland comes on with about 20 minutes to go.

Sweden score through Henrik Larsson (Scotland [the nation] doesn't know whether to laugh or cry) Sweden are now ahead on goals scored level on goal difference.

Jason Scotland scores and T&T deny Sweden by one goal as the games come to an end.

Pubs across Scotland start singing Scotland, Scotland, Jason Scotland after all they all seem to have been looking up the lyrics. As most of them have come through here in that search.

All Quiet on the Northern Front

As some of my regular readers may know I work in a call centre and last night I got called upon to cover the shift that finished at 7 o'clock. Fortunately work very kindly has TV sets so we can at least watch the action while continuing to take calls during the World Cup.

However, from 5pm to 7pm last night while we were constantly taking calls I only had two from male customers, every other customer was female. Of those two one was similarily still at work calling on behalf of a customer and the other was also located North of the Border in Scotland.

Maybe somebody could enlighten me to the derth of English males between 17:00 and 19:00 last night?

Scotland World Cup Song Soars Up Charts

"The World Cup Finals are on their way
With all the teams off to Germany
Brace yourself cause on every screen
There'll be nothing but the England team
But wait!
Hey!
There's hope at hand
We can still support Scotland, Scotland, Jason Scotland"

From Scotland, Scotland, Jason Scotland by the Trinidad and Tobago Tartan Army

Despite only selling 12 copies in London the above single has made the top 30 of singles charts. Somehow Scottish football fans have managed to get a World Cup song into the charts in a year that their team did not even qualify. Maybe that is what is meant by the immortal lyrics of the 1978 song 'Well we'll really shake them up when we win the World Cup'. At least in one respect the Scots are managing to maintain their hold on memorable World Cup songs.

However, the official Trinidad and Tobago song 'Fighter' by Maximus Dan is not fairing so well on the UK charts for the Soca Warriors.

Scotland Doesn't Believe in Mars

The home of the deep fried Mars bar has turned its back in disbelief at the actions of the company in rebranding its brand name product for the world cup.

Believe AKA Mars is currently experiencing a major slump in sales North of the Border. Being associated with the only successful home nation to qualify for a world cup may be one thing but it is backfiring in other regions, especially when that nation is the Auld Enemy.

However, Mars marketing claims that the Believe slogan can relate to Scotland's hopes of qualifying for South Africa in 2010 are falling on death ears on the tartan army as boxes of Mars are not shifting off the shelves.

Sweep Stake Blues

I found the following interesting letter in the Glasgow Herald on Monday:

I find myself in a quandary as to whom to support in the forthcoming World Cup. Last week in a sweep run by the Federation of (Scottish) Nationalist Students, I drew out both Paraguay and England. One of these countries is a right-wing junta, currently involved in suppressing human rights and kow-towing to US foreign policy at the expense of its own people. Should I therefore be cheering on Paraguay instead?

On the same day The Scotsman had a more laid back contributor.

Brown Sides with St. George

Oh dear. Raith Rovers' most famous fan Mr G. Brown with residences in Westminster and North Queensferry has become overly friendly to the team of the three lions.

While he might have got away with supporting the only home nation qualifying for next month's World Cup in a survey of Scottish cabinet ministers he overstepped the mark when he chose his favourite footballing moment. Admittedly the moment was from a Scotland international but he states that Paul Gasgoigne's goal against Scotland in Euro 96 is his hightlight. A fine goal maybe but maybe this casts doubts over Brown's Scottishness as he seeks to emphasis his Britishness to become PM.

Other moments which Gordon might have selected.

1. The 1967 Wembley International when Scotland became the first team to beat the newly crowned World Champions.
2. Archie Gemmills goal in Argentina 1978 against the Netherlands which gave Scotland hope they might yet qulaify for the second phase of the World Cup.
3. 1984 East Fife Beating Hibs in the third Round of the Scottish Cup replay at Easter Road.

Keep up the English act though Gordon at present Labour's best hope next may is if you're the leader, but if your seen as been too much of a Sassenach who can tell. Of his fellow Scots Gordon thinks 60% will be supporting England, yet their group rivals Trinidad and Tobago are selling more shirts than the 3 lions. But maybe Gordon was just respoinding to a three lion whip.

Editors Note: We apologise to non-sport fans for the number of football related stories today it's just the way the news fell. Normal service will be resumed soon.

World Cup Gains 33rd Country

The vote for independence for Montenegro means that this year's World Cup in Germany has actually just gained another country in the draw. Having qualified as Serbia and Montenegro the narrow vote (as yet not finalised) over the 55% threshold means that the team will have representatives of two states in their squad.

In political terms it would mean that Serbia, once the hub of Yugoslavia, will be returned to roughly the same land-locked area it occupied before the outbreak of World War One. Montenego was last independent in 1918 and follows Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina in voting to secede from Serbia. Pressure might now also be mounting in the semi-autonomous Kosovo region to press ahead for their independence as well.