Qatar 2022?

[prostak]

Formally legalized. It never was illegal, though. And it's never had a separate age of consent there.

I think some places, in some regards, have done much to advance gay rights. We're still at a stage where precisely one footballer has come out (anywhere in the world, to my knowledge), so I don't think we can quite issue moral judgements yet.

[soggy biscuit]

We're still at a stage where precisely one footballer has come out (anywhere in the world, to my knowledge), so I don't think we can quite issue moral judgements yet.

Who is that by the way?

Mario Gomez pretended to be for a while to assist with gay rights but then admitted he is not actually down with the brown

[prostak]

Justin Fashanu.

Don't know if Gomez did claim to be gay - in the interview he did say "they" should come out...

[leon]

Lawro must be surely? The moustache and that voice?

[prostak]

No - Lawro is, in fact, a middle-aged Lancashire housewife since he shaved.

[Hoop Blah]

Formally legalized. It never was illegal, though. And it's never had a separate age of consent there.

I think some places, in some regards, have done much to advance gay rights. We're still at a stage where precisely one footballer has come out (anywhere in the world, to my knowledge), so I don't think we can quite issue moral judgements yet.

So, just so that I'm clear on this, your original statement about it only being the UK that have come on since the 60'sin terms of gay rights etc (because we were so far behind the rest of the world) is in fact a load of rubbish right?

Just going back to Poland again, it was criminalised in the 19th century, although admittedly whilst under foreign control so not of it's own doing.

[prostak]

So, just so that I'm clear on this, your original statement about it only being the UK that have come on since the 60'sin terms of gay rights etc (because we were so far behind the rest of the world) is in fact a load of rubbish right?

Just going back to Poland again, it was criminalised in the 19th century, although admittedly whilst under foreign control so not of it's own doing.

Well that wasn't Poland criminalizing it then, was it?

I stand by my original statements. You wish to draw out contradictions, but these are only there if I agree to your specificinterpretation of my words. Which I don't.

[Hoop Blah]

It was still illegal in Poland though. Do our laws passed under the Romans not count?

You said, in reply to my statement that the World had changed quite a bit since 1966, "No, the UK has. I think it was quite some way behind the rest of Europe with such laws".

Some of the powers of European football for you, and the year they legalised

Italy, 1890
Germany, 68/69 or '94
Spain, 1979
France, 1791
Portugal, 1983
Netherlands, 1811
Denmark, 1933
Russia, 1993
Croatia, 1977
Austria, 1971
Sweden, 1944
Norway, 1972
England, 1967
Ireland, 1993

I don't see England as being way behind the rest of Europe with those dates in mind, do you?

[prostak]

First of all, that date for Germany is a massive simplification of the legal status there. And secondly, Poland actually didn't exist then, so it wasn't illegal in Poland.

Anyway, this has drifted wildly off-topic. PM me if you really care to continue it.

[PEARCEY]

Only on HNA can a thread about the World Cup in 2022 ended up in debate about when the Poles legalised homosexuality.

[Skyline]

More moves to get the 2022 WC moved to the Winter:

Asian chief joins calls to switch Qatar World Cup to winter

FURTHER ridicule has been heaped upon Fifa’s decision to award the World Cup to Qatar after one of Asian football’s top officials said there was “no way” the country could host a summer tournament.

Qatar was last week picked to stage the tournament in 2022 but questions have been raised over whether the Middle Eastern state’s extreme climate, with temperatures soaring to over 45C in the summer, could pose a danger to players and fans.

And Asian Football Confederation general secretary Peter Velappan has added to calls for the competition to be held during the winter despite Qatar’s proposals to build air-conditioned stadiums to combat the summer heat.

“Qatar is a nice country but there is no way football can be played in June and July there. No player will ever want to play in these conditions,” said Velappan. “I would strongly recommend that Fifa reschedule the tournament to January, February. Fifa is obliged to do everything possible to provide the best for the teams and the football fans.”

Fifa executive committee member Franz Beckenbauer has called for the tournament to be moved to January and February, but general secretary Jerome Valcke has defended the world governing body’s decision and insists that the tournament will take place in the summertime.

“Certain people, like Franz Beckenbauer, said that we should change the calendar and put this World Cup in a winter period,” said Valcke.

“But the invitation to tender was to play this particular World Cup in June, and that’s how it was done and countries replied on this basis.”

This is the biggest shambles since frimmers' last music quiz...

[frimmers3]

my last(and current) music quiz(was) has been a roaring success thanks.

[SLAMMED]

my last(and current) music quiz(was) has been a roaring success thanks.

Was it?

[frimmers3]

my last(and current) music quiz(was) has been a roaring success thanks.

Was it?

it is thanks.

[Ferris]

Paul Bearer


Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani

[floyd__streete]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/9284186.stm

You'd if it wasn't for the fact that this cretin has so much power and influence over the game. He should have been sacked long ago, his comments about female footballers wearing tighter shorts - although true - was pretty outrageous. But this spineless collection of frauds do not have the bottle to overthrow this megalomaniac.

[Seal]

Just playing Devil's advocate here, but what categorically has Blatter actually been responsible for that makes him so hated? Are people just jealous that he has a lot of power and gets some nice free lunches? Now I think about it I struggle to think of anything either corrupt, or that has damaged the heart and sole of football that he is responsible for.

The corporate monsters that are the EPL and Champions League? Blame the clubs, FA and UEFA for that.

Player salaries? Clubs again.

The Bosman ruling? That one was the EU.

The only things I can see are an unwillingness to adopt modern technologies (e.g. goal line), some weird experiments (silver goal) and some questionable voting practices, although many people would argue the results are beneficial for what is after the global game (taking the sport to Brazil, Africa, Russia and the Middle East is in a way honourable if you look at it on paper).

He is without question a meglomanic who refuses to give up power (hardly the first in history of those) but I would interested to hear people like Floyd justify use of the word cretin, amongst others that have been used...

[floyd__streete]

The only things I can see are an unwillingness to adopt modern technologies (e.g. goal line), some weird experiments (silver goal) and some questionable voting practices, although many people would argue the results are beneficial for what is after the global game (taking the sport to Brazil, Africa, Russia and the Middle East is in a way honourable if you look at it on paper).

Taking the game to Brazil ? The words coals to Newcastle spring to mind. Otherwise, your post is a very fair one. I guess my main issue with this clown is his history of verbal gaffes, this most recent one sums up for me football's self-importance in failing to tackle the good many issues prevalent in the game.

[Seal]

The only things I can see are an unwillingness to adopt modern technologies (e.g. goal line), some weird experiments (silver goal) and some questionable voting practices, although many people would argue the results are beneficial for what is after the global game (taking the sport to Brazil, Africa, Russia and the Middle East is in a way honourable if you look at it on paper).

Taking the game to Brazil ? The words coals to Newcastle spring to mind. Otherwise, your post is a very fair one. I guess my main issue with this clown is his history of verbal gaffes, this most recent one sums up for me football's self-importance in failing to tackle the good many issues prevalent in the game.

Very pedantic. I meant taking the World Cup to Brazil (hasn't been there since 1950 when the world was a very different place).

But that point regardless, "a few verbal gaffes" hardly makes him the Antichrist does it?

[Stranded]

Couldn't that same arguement have been made about bringing it to England.

I meant taking the World Cup to England (hasn't been there since 1966 when the world was a very different place).