Madam, – With all the comparisons being made between Thierry Henry’s handball and Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” back in 1986, I would like to point out that at least Maradona had the decency to go on to score one of the greatest goals ever scored in that same match. Thierry Henry was practically anonymous over the entire course of the two legs, with the exception of his dastardly intervention. – Yours, etc,
Madam – I think if Gillette saw what their advertising man Thierry Henry did, then they should surely reconsider their choice of role model. I’m immediately throwing my Gillette razor and shaving cream in the bin.
Otherwise I would be reminded every morning how cheating is now something to celebrate.
Does he feel not an ounce of embarrassment for his euphoric celebration knowing what he just did? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – One way to ameliorate the outrage and anger at the scorer of the late goal against Ireland is to petition Dublin City Council to change the name of the main shopping street in the capital from Henry Street to something less likely to cause offence. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Let the world handball championships begin! – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Maradona scores a goal against the old enemy and it’s the “Hand of God”. Henry scores a goal against Ireland and it’s the “Devil’s Claw”.
Thank heavens sport is not political! – Yours, etc,
Madam, – "The Hand of Gaul" perhaps. C'est la vie. – Yours, etc,
Madame, – A short note to convey the apologies of a French citizen over the "sporting theft" which you suffered in the Stade de France. [This letter has been translated from the French.]
I love sport and am a fan of all France’s teams. I have taught the Marseillaise to my four-year-old son. Yet any debate on national identity is futile unless yesterday’s conduct by members of a French team is not condemned.
The Irish team behaviour was exemplary yesterday, both in sporting terms and in terms of the dignity and fair play they demonstrated after an unfair defeat. It was a great demonstration of the traditional values of your country.
Although I love the World Cup, I take no pleasure in our qualification in such dubious and unsporting circumstances, and many of my fellow French share my view and feel deeply uneasy.
Responding to my son’s questions this morning, I could only say that France won by cheating and that the Irish were brave in not weeping.
I also told him that Ireland is a wonderful country that we will soon come to explore.
France plays host to Ireland in February during the Six Nations; and that will still be a pleasure and an honour. I hope that your reception then will be dignified and warm and will do something to overcome the understandable bitterness that the Irish may feel after yesterday's match. – Respectueusement,
Madam, – As I searched the Fifa website this morning for Fair Play information, which is hard to find as it is well hidden, I came across the following 2009 quote from a Mr Sepp Blatter: “Football is a universal sport based on the fundamental principles of discipline and respect for opponents and the laws of the game as well as on the spirit of competitiveness and rivalry, underpinned by the values of fair play and ethics”.
I have to ask Fifa if this actually means anything, as the match report on their site bears no mention of the clear breach of Mr Blatter’s definition of fair play. Indeed, it mentions no controversy at all.
If fair play is to mean anything, then surely ignoring such breaches brings the whole game into disrepute. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – May I sympathise with the 219 French people made ill by consuming contaminated Irish seafood on behalf of the four million Irish made ill by French football? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Many Irishmen have gone to Paris and achieved great things: James Joyce, Samuel Beckett and Brian O’Driscoll, to name but three. Now can be added the names of the entire Republic of Ireland soccer team, the likes of Robbie Keane, Damien Duff and Kevin Kilbane. Their performance on the pitch earned them great honour, but not justice. Like the Spartans of Thermopylae, their defeat will be remembered when this poor French team are long forgotten. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – We do not know exactly if without this hand you would have won, but know that we do not deserve this victory. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The media and supporter reaction to the quashing of Irish World Cup dreams last night by France is over the top. I ask the apparently outraged out there how they felt when Diego Maradona infamously handled the ball into the England net during the 1986 World Cup. From my own memory, I seem to remember masses of celebrations throughout this land following the final whistle of that game.
On hearing of people organising petition action at Fifa, and such like, I fail to recall any such activity when Trapattoni’s men saved a game quite recently, having been awarded a penalty kick for the handball that wasn’t. It is strange how tribalism can be so convenient. I hope that when the dust settles, the people so vehemently outraged over Thierry Henry’s blatant foul will actually recall the sometimes beautifully crafted and sometimes gifted chances at goal that the Irish players squandered. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The result of last night’s match in Paris will be bemoaned by Irish supporters for a long time to come. We were the better team, and had we taken our chances the game would have been won long before Henry’s handball incident that led to the French goal.
However, it really is time that the backwoodsmen of Fifa, Uefa et al came to their senses and realised that, for such crucial incidents, it is simply unacceptable in the modern world to ignore the benefits of video evidence.
Of course, it would cause pauses in play from time to time (easily managed by stopping the clock for the duration), but at least fans would know that in about 95 per cent of cases the correct decision would be made.
Last night’s referee had a good game overall but like the rest of us, he’s human and humans are subject to error. What’s needed now is a means to manage those human errors so that their effect on the results of games is minimised. The value of video technology is well proven in other sports – clearly demonstrated in last weekend’s rugby match against Australia – and it really is time that soccer got its house in order.
Michel Platini’s idea for an extra official behind the goal really doesn’t help much as he’s going to be subject to the same human frailties as the rest. Technology can provide most of the answers, but are Fifa and Uefa ready for it? I fear not. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Sick, that’s how I feel. Why doesn’t Fifa just call it volleyball from now on, because that’s what is being played. Why Fifa has not yet introduced quick video replays is beyond me. I believe if Ireland had got through tonight, it would not only have been a just and superb sporting achievement for our nation, but it would have most definitely helped toward getting Ireland’s currently sombre situation and pessimistic mood heading in a better direction. It would have given us something to really smile about. Shame on you, Henry, and your official pals! – Yours, etc,
Madam, – It’s great that Fifa has adopted a multicultural approach to soccer with the inclusion of the Gaelic Football hand-goal. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I’m a Frenchman. Although I’m not a football buff, I happened to watch the match last night. I just wanted to tell all of those who will read this note in Ireland that I feel totally outraged by the French victory, which was so undeserved. The Irish players were the best. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I am done with soccer. Not because Thierry Henry blatantly handled the ball, which led to France’s winning goal, or because Robbie Keane blatantly handled at least four times during the game, or because Nicolas Anelka faked a dive which did not get an automatic yellow card. I am finished with soccer because most players believe it is okay to cheat.
Not one of the Irish interviewees after the World Cup clash with France would say on the record that Henry had cheated. One Irish player said Henry did what he had to do. The culture in the Premiership, Champions League and international soccer is to do anything, within or outside the rules, to win. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Robbie Keane was spot-on to question the motivations of Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini after Ireland’s heartbreaking defeat to France on Wednesday night.
No doubt the powers of world football are delighted that France, with a population of 60 million-plus, and thus far more attractive in terms of marketing, is on its way to South Africa and a “backwater” nation like Ireland is left out of the party. One cannot but be cynical about Fifa’s motivations, from its well-criticised U-turn on seeding the play-off draw to the events on Wednesday night.
Fair play? It appears that much-vaunted Fifa principle is applied on a case-by-case base. On a slightly wider point, Thierry Henry’s handball and the massive repercussions it has had has reopened the debate on bringing in some sort of video referee.
What reasoned arguments can be put forward against such a move? Again, it’s hard not to be cynical as to why this hasn’t been introduced heretofore. As for the “luck of the Irish”, whoever coined such a phrase must firmly have had tongue in cheek. A quick glance through the history books will show luck has been in short supply for this nation, with Wednesday night being another example. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The GAA has lost players to Australian rules football. Perhaps it could replace them with soccer players such as Henry. Of course, he may be put off by the fact that the GAA has two officials by the posts that help the referee when he cannot see that someone has broken the rules. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – So Ireland has made a grand exit from the next soccer World Cup. They gave us 120 minutes of heroics, but at the end could find no answer to the superb ball-handling skills of their French opponents. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The television replay clearly shows that the France goal was both offside and achieved by Thierry Henry controlling the ball with his hand.
For this result to stand and France to qualify is unfair and unsporting.
This does not correspond with Fifa’s Fair Play ethos, as France does not deserve to win by a combination of cheating and poor officiating by the referee.
A precedent has already been set when Fifa ordered that the 2006 World Cup qualifying match between Uzbekistan and Bahrain should be replayed due to official error by the referee. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – It’s a great pity there isn’t a World Cup for moaning and whining self-pity. We’d have won it outright by now. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Another glorious defeat, another heroic failure. Neither Irish team were strong enough to make it to the World Cup yet again. It is time to learn from their successful rugby counterparts and field a single team to represent the whole country.
Perhaps such a team would have sufficient breadth and depth to succeed. – Yours, etc,