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What’s All The Fuss With Thierry Henry’s Handball? All Footballers Cheat

November 23, 2009

Thierry Henry R.F.Wilson writes: Pardon me for not joining the indignation brigade that has been busy screaming their heads off, demanding a replay of that supposedly ‘fateful’ World Cup qualifying match between France and Irealnd because Theirry Henry had helped to score the decisive goal in injury time with a skilful hand gesture. And let me also discard the preposterous suggestion that the disputed goal supposedly put the integrity of the beautiful game into doubt.

I will start with this: what exactly do they find beautiful in the game? The beauty has all but gone a long time ago, especially from the international matches. National teams now consist of overpaid players, who have multi-million contract obligations with their clubs and sponsors that overshadow any other commitments. Let me ask you this: when have you last watched a really good match between national teams? I have long ago stopped showing any interest in the non-club football. It just does not have any of the energy or beauty in it. Reluctant ball pushers half heartedly running about the pitch, that is what national teams are all about now.

But that is not even the main point here. The main point is that Thierry Henry did what most other footballers do a lot of the time: they cheat to win. The difference in his case was that referee did not see it. Which sort of makes him a great player, but up to a pint, as he should have seen to it that the cameras would not pick him out handballing. (Should work on your handball tactics, Thierry.) The Irish were, of course, outraged, simply because they were the ones on the receiving end of the foul. Would it have been the other way around, they would not have said a word. Especially as Robbie Kean did try the same trick in the same game a couple of times, but was unlucky to be spotted by the referee. But as it happened, the Irish were the losers and they chose the role of the unjustly offended side and played it to the full.

The point of the matter is that football is all about cheating. Every leading club in the world does that at different levels of skill. Just look at the way the players have perfected the art of diving. I find it remarkable that there is no Oscar nomination still for the category of diving in football with all the theatrics, the suffering and the acrobat like falling that are involved. I can just see the five contenders, sitting at the award ceremony, biting their nails and waiting for their names to be announced as winners.

What I also find rather amusing about every row that erupts around cheating on the football pitch is the way everyone tends to go for the ref, who is accused of not noticing the foul, rather than the players, who committed them. Where the hell was the ref, you hear the fans and the commentators asking. And that was the question that came up countless times with the France/Ireland match.

And another thing: how is it that professional footballers always argue with referees on the pitch after a disputed goal, demanding that it is disqualified, as it happened in the match between France and Ireland. In all of footballs history not one referee has ever changed his mind about the goal just because the players told him to do so. So what is the point of all these meaningless theatrics? What do the players want to achieve by that?

The only one point I’ll make in favour of the Irish is that small countries should have an easier ride to the finals of the World Cup. Just look at how they celebrate even the tiniest of achievements of their teams. So I say, give them a chance to have a bit of fun with football. They lose out to the big boys in so many other things.

– End –

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One Response to “What’s All The Fuss With Thierry Henry’s Handball? All Footballers Cheat”

  1. Diallo Lam on November 23rd, 2009 9:36 pm

    What annoys me really is Henry’s hypocrisy. He pretends not to know what he did but it’s a pretention. I mean he pretended not to realise what he did. The act was conscious and perfectely deliberate, prove the man jubilated correctly the goal. I would have dragged him in one of the hidden corners and told him the truth instead of consoling him like that Irish Richard Dunn did after the final whistle.
    Foolballers are conditioned to cheat, it’s in their blood. But it’s a mockery when somebody after cheating receives your consolation words. Was Henry really saddened by what had happened? Apparantly, yes ! But in his heart he was happy.
    I would like people to analyse it and realise that Henry was delibrately guilty Why didn’t he tell the referee at the exact moment the incident happened? As we saw, during some contested penalties the referees gave in.

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