Racket

[Jordyboy9]

hes won what a farce

[jno]

sorry, I've already agreed that the players were just pawns, and it's not the players I'm asking about.

You're right that I was confusing the Olympics - when the England players refused to give the salute (though they did visit Hitler and shake his hand) - and the 1938 match when they were ordered to salute.

[jno]

by the way, talbot, I'm not just talking about Qatar, which at least isn't invading its neighbours. Fifa's also given the World Cup to Russia, whose leader is rather more comparable to Hitler. Should British teams boycott that too?

Personally I'd say Yes to both but as I'm not a great football fan my opinion doesn't mean much. I was wondering what serious fans thought, but so far you're the only one to answer.

[-Talbot-]

Well that is news to me, have you got a link, jno?

[jno]

you mean the hand-shaking? It's here

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2011/nov/24/forgotten-story-football-1936-olympics

Not exactly on-topic, but I loved this para:

"The Poles were a lively lot and gave the British defenders a harassing time," reported the Guardian. "Gardiner annoyed the crowd by his hefty charging and there was some booing when he bowled over God." They meant the Polish forward Hubert Gad, so what appeared as a stupendous Nietzschean achievement is in fact the only known instance of a typo in the Guardian.

[-Talbot-]

Havent read the link yet but wasn't Jesse Owens rumoured to have shook Hitlers hand? And this was 1936 ....

The reasons not to have the World Cup in Qatar are fare more numerous than those that say we should not have it in Russia

[-Talbot-]

"According to [Casuals'] Terry Huddle, the squad were taken to Berchtesgaden, Hitler's castle nearly 400 miles away from Berlin,"


hmmmmmm!

[ichkeria]

It isn't too late for the 2018 World Cup to be moved, before any talk of a boycott. It was already looking somewhat implausible given the Russian invasions of Ukraine. What happens for example when hordes of Dinamo Kyiv ultras descend on Moscow Saratov or wherever for a group game?
UEFA have already studiously been keeping teams of those countries apart.
Then there's the violence corruption and mind boggling racism which makes Ukraine before Euro 2012 look like Utopia.
Greg Dyke does appear to be a very angry man at the moment. Not your typical faceless FA suit.

[jno]

the chances of it being moved are zero, I would have thought. That sort of thing just doesn't happen. But governments, associations and individuals can make up their own minds whether to attend.

[ichkeria]

I think all bets are off now as to what may happen. The balloon I suspect is about to go up big time. I hope Mr Blazer the chief super grass is being well looked after in hospital.