What's the Big Deal??

[ChuckleBantam]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/england/5033004.stm

It's good to see England teams finally seeking to gain an advantage in this way, we've had it done to us for years.

Terry Butcher is fast getting a reputation as a sad bitter renta quote Headline seeker.

[Superfatbantam]

I don't care if there wasn't contact, it was two-footed, studs showing, the penalty can be for the intent for me. Gerrard did what any professional would do, he saw out of the corner of his eye a rash, lunging tackle and seized the moment. It was not half as bad as some of the dives we see week in week out in the Prem, and the dangerous play in any event merited a penalty.

[Rick]

After having two good goals (Sol's Goals more to the point) chalked off in 2 of the last 4 championships which we then proceeded to lose on penalties (1 World which would of taken us to the Quarters & 1 Euro which would of taken us to the semis) and having a cheating Argie druggy score with his hand to knock us out of tournaments you won't get any complaints from me if Owen goes down without contact and wins us a penalty in the the world cup, just like he did against the Argies last world cup. In fact if you can't beat them join them, I don't care how we win as long as we win.

[Wicker Man]

It was a shocking challenge, gerrard did well to get out of the way of it imo.....definately a penalty

[ChuckleBantam]

It was a shocking challenge, gerrard did well to get out of the way of it imo.....definately a penalty

Yeah and that's the fucking be all and end all of the fact, it was a chuffing penalty anyway, there was no contact but certainly intent. Makes you wonder what the dopey Hungarian Cnut was trying to achieve by lunging in like that in a pre world cup warm up friendly.

[tony d]

Three things...

First and foremost the "they do it so why shouldn't we do it" is the main reason we shouldn't do it... The fault lies with the refs and needs to be sorted their end...

Secondly hand of god yep....Cheating ex druggy apparently..yep..But he was still one of the best ever...

Thirdly as a ref myself watching that match studs showing choice i would have made is Penalty for the two footed lunge...

Main reason is simple...If a player squares up and smacks a player he is sent off...If a player squares up and swings and misses he still gets sent off

Correct decision for me..

[king billy]

My first impression was that like everyone else has mentioned - it was deffo a penalty for intent....
That said, i was dissapointed he dived to earn it, relieved he wasn't caught because we could have been looking at a broken ankle, but dissapointed he couldn't have just jumped over it!!....It just doesn't feel right watching an English player doing it - foreign tarts have made it an art, but thats their lookout, the English game is built upon better sportsmanship IMO - the fact it was Stevie G, Mr Billys boots himself and a hero to millions of young kids makes it slightly dissapointing....in a meaningless friendly like that with no great significance placed upon it there was no excuse IMO...

Agree re Butcher tho - he's a miserable gobshite, shame really cos as a young un he was one of my hero's!!...

[Parrot]

We've being cheated out of major tournaments for as long as i can remember, be it biased refereeing decisions or blatant handballstdwn: ...there's an old saying, "if you cant beat em join em"...Its fair game for me for an England player to "cheat" at International level, chivarly as got us nowhere, one World Cup when it could & should have been more:( ..."When In Rome, do as the Romans do";)

[bg]

intent did it for me. Should players cheat to gain and advantage? Well it would be nice to think that players didn't do that, but that was a long time ago, it has now sadly become part of the game, and until the FA & FIFA clamp down on it, we cannot afford to take the high moral ground, we keep losing!!!

Nevertheless I would like to see it stamped out, it should never have been allowed to become part of the game. We now have serious bungs going down, and all manner of clubs and countries trying to gain and advantage, it is up to the official organisations to sort themselves and the game's officials out.

[Yeadon Bantam]

My first impression was that like everyone else has mentioned - it was deffo a penalty for intent....
That said, i was dissapointed he dived to earn it, relieved he wasn't caught because we could have been looking at a broken ankle, but dissapointed he couldn't have just jumped over it!!....It just doesn't feel right watching an English player doing it - foreign tarts have made it an art, but thats their lookout, the English game is built upon better sportsmanship IMO - the fact it was Stevie G, Mr Billys boots himself and a hero to millions of young kids makes it slightly dissapointing....in a meaningless friendly like that with no great significance placed upon it there was no excuse IMO...

Agree re Butcher tho - he's a miserable gobshite, shame really cos as a young un he was one of my hero's!!...


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