O/T Qatar World Cup

[Andy_Faber]

The 2022 world cup is almost upon us, blanket media coverage guaranteed, England victory unlikely IMO but who knows?

Anyone got a view on the 'appropriateness' of holding a worldwide event (of any sort but especially the 'world' game) in a country with IMO shocking disgregard for human life (migrant workers, and not just the stadiums) and human nature (LBGT especially but from what I've read its really anyone who doesn't fit their'model')?

More pointedly, anyone with a view doing anything about it? after the reading I've done (not TV stuff, it can't IMO be trusted) I'm pretty switched off to the whole thing but I can't say I'm going to 'boycott' it (ie not watch it) because it will be 'on' in my house and in pubs/bars etc anyway?

Anyone?

[SithHappens]

I don't feel excited like I usually am. Combination of location and time of year.

Personally think our FA along with other countries should have qualified then boycotted and done their own thing.

Its those that have the biggest opportunity to make a stand. I'm sure I'll watch and probably gain some excitement if we do well but if the Fa said tomorrow we weren't going I'd actually be supportive.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Wasn't there a world cup in Russia not so long ago? And in the land that originated BLM, the good old US of A. Brazil hasn't got a great record either. You can probably picks holes in most hosts, but Qatar has no doubt thrown enough cash at the problem to help it go away

[Andy_Faber]

Wasn't there a world cup in Russia not so long ago? And in the land that originated BLM, the good old US of A. Brazil hasn't got a great record either. You can probably picks holes in most hosts, but Qatar has no doubt thrown enough cash at the problem to help it go away

Interesting comment on t'wireless a bit ago about the hypocricy of footballers happy to take the knee but also happy to implicitly support Qatar. Maybe the migrants put to death to build the stadiums weren't black enough?

[Trickytreesreds]

Interesting comment on t'wireless a bit ago about the hypocricy of footballers happy to take the knee but also happy to implicitly support Qatar. Maybe the migrants put to death to build the stadiums weren't black enough?

The migrant workers dying in Qatar, aren't part of the social media point scoring and virtue signalling.
Your profile will never get clicks, moaning about that.

Plus there is money to be made- FROM BOTH CAUSES, (KOFF)

[swaledale]

Interesting comment on t'wireless a bit ago about the hypocricy of footballers happy to take the knee but also happy to implicitly support Qatar. Maybe the migrants put to death to build the stadiums weren't black enough?

That is an interesting point, this would be an ideal opportunity for those high profile players (Rashford perhaps?) to withdraw from playing in the World Cup on the basis that it would be a small sacrifice for their career, but make a big statement.


However these things are all nuanced, in reality the English FA should have withdrawn from the World Cup decades ago, it was known to be run corruptly and basically a cash cow for Blatter and his cronies and hangers on.

There is an argument that says interaction with countries like QATAR will see changes in attitude and approach to human rights etc. The truth is in an inter connected world we will all benefit, interact with regimes that are run in a manner that is not exactly what we would choose and that isolating countries rarely works.

What the Uk can do of course is as it usually has but lately seems destined to abandon, lead the world is observing human rights, so Tricky your acidic comment about football players might hold true, if you personally hadn't in your posts espoused not observing the human rights of the numerous nationalities who have migrated to the UK and who you have demonised in an appalling generalised manner.

Pluck the log out of your own eye before pointing out the splinter in someone elses!

[Andy_Faber]

Wasn't there a world cup in Russia not so long ago? And in the land that originated BLM, the good old US of A. Brazil hasn't got a great record either. You can probably picks holes in most hosts, but Qatar has no doubt thrown enough cash at the problem to help it go away

Yes you’re correct. Not a simple subject is it

[SithHappens]

Let's face It money talks, if saddam Hussain had lined blatter and platinis pockets a couple
of decades ago the world Cup would have been in Iraq.

[SithHappens]

Also why do the BBC (and therefore us) have to pay to send Lineker etc al to Qatar. Surely their studio based punditry could be done from a studio in the UK.

[ramAnag]

It’s at least twelve years since Qatar won/bought their World Cup bid, Sith. I think if there were going to be questions raised about the ‘appropriateness’ of holding the competition in a country with such a poor human rights record (as I agree there should have been) it should have been done then. Raising questions on the eve of the competition seems a bit daft to me.

Agree with you about the time of year...doesn’t feel quite right to me...but I can see the point of commentators/summarisers actually being there rather than just watching on TV.