The Fix Can't Possible Be Pro-Violence
While I'm not going to go as far as to call the fix in Liverpool's first round Champions League draw against Welsh side TNS, I am going to call it irony of the highest order. And not the Alanis Morisette kind of "that just sucks" but true irony.
The reason for this is that the drama that was the Liverpool decision could have been settled with a home-and-home series with TNS.
The side offered to play Liverpool in a play-in qualifier knowing the cash it would influx to the team. But the Welsh FA turned down the request at the end of May. And now they've got it anyway.
I can just picture the conversation that took place.
---
TNS: "But you know our leagues not very good, we're from a city so small that we're named after our sponsor because no one could find us on a map."
Welsh FA: "But we could get a win against a team from Kazakhstan because Total Network Solutions could buy that entire country. Don't you want one solitary set of wins in this tournament."
TNS: "Because flying to Kazakhstan and playing in a half empty stadium sounds like so much fun? Why should we have to do that? We'll probably lose anyway. Our league sucks!"
Welsh FA: "We're the FA and that's why."
---
With this series seemingly decided before it even kicks off (predicted aggregate: Liverpool 7, TNS 1), I'm far more excited, and yet somewhat worried, about a more important, much more evenly matched 1st round draw - Glentoran of the Northern Ireland Premiership versus Shelbourne of the Eircom League (in the Republic of Ireland).
This match, if anything, should prove that the fix is not on since what FIFA official in their right mind would send a team from Dublin to Belfast on July 12 or 13?
Belfast is in the midst of its summer marching season while this match is taking place! The summer marching season is a time where the different religious factions in Northern Ireland parade in Derry and Belfast basically trying to stir up trouble with the other side.
UEFA regulations require that this team from the Republic must stay in Belfast while the Protestants are marching against the Catholics. UEFA of course tries to ignore the political implications of the whole thing and couldn't pull Shelbourne out of the pool of possible opponents of Glentoran but they definitely wouldn't be trying to create trouble.
The increased security and potential for violence means that unfortunately the entire match is going to be overshadowed.
Still it should be a very interesting draw and if Shelbourne wins, it will go a long way to showing that the Eircom League and the Northern Irish Premiership should not be two separate leagues to begin with (there are already teams from Northern Ireland in the Eircom League) - politics aside.
The reason for this is that the drama that was the Liverpool decision could have been settled with a home-and-home series with TNS.
The side offered to play Liverpool in a play-in qualifier knowing the cash it would influx to the team. But the Welsh FA turned down the request at the end of May. And now they've got it anyway.
I can just picture the conversation that took place.
---
TNS: "But you know our leagues not very good, we're from a city so small that we're named after our sponsor because no one could find us on a map."
Welsh FA: "But we could get a win against a team from Kazakhstan because Total Network Solutions could buy that entire country. Don't you want one solitary set of wins in this tournament."
TNS: "Because flying to Kazakhstan and playing in a half empty stadium sounds like so much fun? Why should we have to do that? We'll probably lose anyway. Our league sucks!"
Welsh FA: "We're the FA and that's why."
---
With this series seemingly decided before it even kicks off (predicted aggregate: Liverpool 7, TNS 1), I'm far more excited, and yet somewhat worried, about a more important, much more evenly matched 1st round draw - Glentoran of the Northern Ireland Premiership versus Shelbourne of the Eircom League (in the Republic of Ireland).
This match, if anything, should prove that the fix is not on since what FIFA official in their right mind would send a team from Dublin to Belfast on July 12 or 13?
Belfast is in the midst of its summer marching season while this match is taking place! The summer marching season is a time where the different religious factions in Northern Ireland parade in Derry and Belfast basically trying to stir up trouble with the other side.
UEFA regulations require that this team from the Republic must stay in Belfast while the Protestants are marching against the Catholics. UEFA of course tries to ignore the political implications of the whole thing and couldn't pull Shelbourne out of the pool of possible opponents of Glentoran but they definitely wouldn't be trying to create trouble.
The increased security and potential for violence means that unfortunately the entire match is going to be overshadowed.
Still it should be a very interesting draw and if Shelbourne wins, it will go a long way to showing that the Eircom League and the Northern Irish Premiership should not be two separate leagues to begin with (there are already teams from Northern Ireland in the Eircom League) - politics aside.
posted by incendiarymind at 11:58 AM
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