Hand of Gaul

Well, its Friday the 20th of November. Last Wednesday night the Republic of Ireland were robbed in a world cup Qualifier by blatant piece of cheating by one Thierry Henry and an ineptitude on behalf of one Swedish referee. The nation is up in arms, and rightly so, but there are so many different angles on this whole debacle that I feel compelled to comment on it.

First of all, the goal itself. Though Henry may genuinely claim that the first handball was reactionary or impulsive, the second certainly wasn't! He clearly controlled the ball with his left to enable him to flick it to Gallas who duly dispatched his golden opportunity. Bad and all as this was, he took a chance and it payed off. What really sickened me was the way he celebrated it. It disgusts me to think that a so called icon of the game could derive such immense satisfaction from such an act of gamesmanship! His slight of hand broke the hearts of a team and a nation , and denied all the great things that football represents an opportunity to appear on the games biggest stage, the world cup. And boy did he love it.

What the Irish team did that night was amazing. Against all the odds, they displayed pride, tenacity, honesty, desire, courage, conviction, belief and integrity. They gave every morsel of their beings on that pitch in Paris for their team and their country and to have that taken away from them by such a vile act from a self professed ambassador of the game was devastating. For Henry to sympathise with the Irish players after the game merely highlighted what a coward he truly is. It would be like having a person wrongly convicted for a crime they didn't commit, and visiting them in jail after they had been sentenced to life imprisonment to offer a shallow sorry. It didn't wash with me. It was much to little and far too late.

So what could Henry have done? He could simply have walked over to the ref, told him he controlled the ball with his hand, and ensured the goal didn't stand. By doing this he would have cemented his place in footballing folklore as one of the most honourable players ever to grace the game. Instead, he sold his soul and his reputation for the instant hit of a positive result and the adulation of his fellow countrymen. After the sun sets on his glittering career, he will always be remembered as the man who cheated France to the 2010 world cup.

And would Robbie Keane have done the same if it had happened at the other end? Possibly, but is that the point? Does it make it acceptable if he would have? Of course not. Sport isn't about getting the right results, its about honesty of effort, overcoming adversity, fighting against the odds and always being honest in your endeavours on the playing field, regardless of the result. I may be an idealist but I firmly believe that playing the game right is much more important than getting the right result. Nobody likes a cheat and there can be no satisfaction derived from obtaining a win in a fraudulent manner.

Let us not forget that professional footballers are amongst the best paid athletes in the world. Their actions are mimicked by young children across the globe and they have a responsibility to lead by example both on and off the pitch. Is cheating acceptable as long as you aren't found out? Is a thief or a murderer a stand up member of society as long as they aren't convicted? Of course not. Sadly however, the actions of Henry in Paris on Wednesday seem to represent how society operates in the world today. People feel vindicated to do whatever or whoever they have to in order to get what they want. Football today lacks morality and integrity. All too often, examples of these despicable characteristics are lived out in our daily lives also.

And what of FIFA's role in this whole debacle? Well first of all they rigged the play off draws to ensure the top teams had the easiest possible passage through to South Africa. They bang on about fair play but when it comes to them having to stand up to the plate they hide behind their rule book and give fair play two fingers. Again, they had an opportunity to set a precedent and show that cheating was in no way acceptable in the game of football. What they did however, was show that cheating is ok as long as they get the result that they want. Their hypocritical "do as I say but not as I do" attitude is mirrored by institutions across the world (particularly by our own government) and it makes me sick to my stomach to see it. Drunk with power, they have lost the real value of what the game means and epitomises, sacrificing what is morally right for what they perceive to be the best possible outcome. They are not God. Its a black and white issue, what is right is right and all the rule books in the world can never change that!

There were no winners last Wednesday night, only losers. In spite of their remarkable performance against the odds, the Irish side failed to get the result their performance truly deserved. In spite of his glittering career, memories of Thierry Henry will always be tainted by the fact that he is a cheat. In spite of their promotion of fair play, FIFA have shown that they will get the result that they want, regardless of underhand tactics used to obtain it. There is one major lesson to be learned here. We are all responsible for our own actions. Every one of us should examine how we live our lives and learn how to do what is morally right, even if it means us loosing out on what we really want. At least we can walk off the pitch with our heads held high and our hearts filled with pride. You can't put a price on that.