[Football] Tme to scrap Russia 2018

[vegster]

It's early days yet but it is an option. Russia and Putin especially thrive on positive propaganda it would be hard for him to explain to Russians why there are teams missing at this years finals.

 

[Husty]

It's early days yet but it is an option. Russia and Putin especially thrive on positive propaganda it would be hard for him to explain to Russians why there are teams missing at this years finals.

Wouldn't be that difficult... Western conspiracy, same as everything else.

 

[Dr Bandler]

The problem with boycotts is that someone has to use their subjective judgement to make the decision. I would imagine that all countries execute enemy spies and there has been collateral damage in many such incidents. A good example is American drone strikes in the Middle East. The world is imperfect and if you look hard enough you will find reason to boycott just about anybody. I think that as football fans we should not let our sport be used as a pawn in a political battle.

Most sensible comment on the thread.

 

[cloud]

1. We have no chance of winning.

Especially not if they are going to use Russian VARs

 

[Saunders]

If we boycott world cups for political reasons we would never go to another one again. We should have boycotted the Brazilian one in support of the brazillian protesters at the curruption before the event. We should boycott the Qatar world cup because hundreds have died building the stadia under slave labour. Why start with a russian "ex" spy who we will know nothing about. We dont know what he has done past or present for either country because it will all be covered by the official secrets act.

Keep politics out of football.

 

[Albion Dan]

The problem with boycotts is that someone has to use their subjective judgement to make the decision. I would imagine that all countries execute enemy spies and there has been collateral damage in many such incidents. A good example is American drone strikes in the Middle East. The world is imperfect and if you look hard enough you will find reason to boycott just about anybody. I think that as football fans we should not let our sport be used as a pawn in a political battle.

Agree. The hypocrisy and little England mentality on this thread is astounding. To even suggest a boycott because Russia bumped a spy on our turf with a small risk someone else got ill when this country and its friends have recently blown innocent civilians to kingdom come in drone strikes is frankly insulting. The US have killed over am estimated 11000 civilians in drone strikes in Syria and Iraq in 2017 alone!!!! Compare that to one Russian spy and we start banging on about boycotting a world cup and sanctions. We're an embarrassment of a nation.

 

[Sorrel]

If we withdraw from the WC no-one will be in the slightest bothered.

 

[blue-shifted]

I would support a world cup boycott ... The reason is that I think this is one of the only non violent things we can do which can realistically piss Putin off ...... however the following points are swirling around my head about it

No other country would contemplate joining us in the boycott, so we'd be on our own

I'm not convinced the Government can enforce the boycott. What power do they have over the FA? ... possibly the withdrawal of some funding?

The FA will only be thinking of the reward money from the tournament so won't give a hoot, rightly or wrongly, about geopolitics.

There is a very high risk that we wouldn't be allowed to enter future tournaments (The next 2 are shams anyway so I personally wouldn't care)

The FA have a also probably signed a contract with massive punitive measures if we don't go. The Treasury would of course have to make good on this.

If the Government could force the FA to boycott, it would be electoral suicide, so it won't happen

Ideally sport and politics should be separate, but we boycotted Apartheid South Africa, sometimes it's unavoidable

 

[supaseagull]

I dont really get all the furore around Russia. Don't countries bump off spies all the time? That's what happens in James Bond?

It’s called diversion tactics. The government are in the midst of burying shitloads of bad news


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[Pretty pink fairy]

what friends , we have just told all our european friends to shove it and we want to stand alone

when exactly has anyone one said we're standing alone at any point in the future
regards
DR

 

[beorhthelm]

If we boycott world cups for political reasons we would never go to another one again. We should have boycotted the Brazilian one in support of the brazillian protesters at the curruption before the event. We should boycott the Qatar world cup because hundreds have died building the stadia under slave labour. Why start with a russian "ex" spy who we will know nothing about. We dont know what he has done past or present for either country because it will all be covered by the official secrets act.

Keep politics out of football.

this in spades. really cant see how we could entertain going to Qatar if we boycott Russia. and h'e spin it anyway, saying he banned us to the home media.

 

[beorhthelm]

I dont really get all the furore around Russia. Don't countries bump off spies all the time? That's what happens in James Bond?

possibly, we wouldnt know, tradition is to bump people off a little less publically. an induced heart attack, a car accident, a "suicide", not nerve agents in the home counties.

 

[dangull]

Winning the World Cup in Russia would probably be a bigger statement. I know the chances of that are not huge.

 

[studio150]

Rather than withdrawing which we won't do, due to the ramifications from the Governing bodies around Governmental interference with the national football association we should look to make a statement when the national anthems are being played.
This will have the benefit of being picked up by the worldwide press and TV.

 

[essbee1]

Rather than withdrawing which we won't do, due to the ramifications from the Governing bodies around Governmental interference with the national football association we should look to make a statement when the national anthems are being played.
This will have the benefit of being picked up by the worldwide press and TV.

How would this work exactly?

 

[dangull]

Maybe the players could wear a logo similar to a poppy showing gratitude for the brave soldiers who helped defeat the Russians in the Crimean war. That should go down well over there.

 

[Honky Tonx]

Keep politics out of sport as some have suggested? If this were the case, the boycott of South Africa should not have happened. Two people targeted by the Russian authorities, why use a chemical agent in a crowded Restaurant/Pub endangering the lives of others? Is a football tournament more important than human lives? This was a chemical attack and chemical weapons are illegal under international law. Russia has supported the use of chemical weapons in Syria. Can one honestly say that they believe Russia when it denies that it was behind the attack in Salisbury? It's record on telling the truth is hardly commendable. It's denial of State sponsored doping is just one example. It's certainly not too late to cancel the World Cup in Russia. Yes there may be financial losses incurred by others apart from Russia, but it's a price worth paying. The tournament could be held elsewhere.

 

[Saunders]

possibly, we wouldnt know, tradition is to bump people off a little less publically. an induced heart attack, a car accident, a "suicide", not nerve agents in the home counties.

Sometimes spies are bumped visually to make a statement drones nerve gas etc other times it would look like suicide/ natural causes if they prefer it that way. I dont see why we need to get pissy when its the former when its not just the russians doing this and we will never know the full facts.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

The world cup is going to be an utter shambles with violence, this is a great excuse to cancel it

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[Saunders]

The world cup is going to be an utter shambles with violence, this is a great excuse to cancel it

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I dont think so it will take a very brave russian to taint a russian world cup with voilence against visiting fans. Something the biased media hasnt thought of.