FAI should demand replay – Andrews

           Fifa’s Fair Play campaign began due to Maradona’s handball

Deputy Chris Andrews TD has today, (19 October 2009), said the bias shown by FIFA to larger teams cannot be tolerated and says the FAI should demand a replay, following last night’s handball incident during the Ireland V France match.

Deputy Andrews was speaking following the silence by FIFA on Thierry Henry’s handling of the ball last night. He said the silence of FIFA on this matter thus far is ‘simply another example of the organisation’s bias towards larger countries with greater revenue potential’.

Deputy Andrews said, “FIFA’s Fair Play campaign should be suspended immediately if no action was taken on this matter.”

According to Andrews, “The FIFA website states that ‘The Fair Play Campaign was conceived largely as an indirect result of the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, when the handball goal by Diego Maradona stimulated the admirable reaction of the England coach, Sir Bobby Robson.

Deputy Andrews continued, “I wonder what the late Mr Robson would have said about last night’s result? If FIFA wish to retain any credibility, they must act on this.”

Andrews said, “Ireland was up against it from the start due to FIFA’s flagrant changing of the rules to give larger countries an advantage in advance of this playoff. The reputation of football is at stake. Not only did Henry handle the ball twice, but two French players were also offside. Henry has admitted he cheated so how can this be ignored? The FAI and the Irish people cannot sit back and accept this result. A replay must be demanded.”

Andrews was also critical of the lack of replay technology, stating, “In the 21st century, the lack of replay technology in football is incredible. Human error can happen but when a margin as small as a millimetre can be captured in tennis and horseracing, how can there be any excuse for not having cameras to capture angles that linesmen or the referee might not be able to see?”

ENDS