The only class act of FIFA?

Have FIFA outsourced the Fourth Official's job to the US Navy because of the complexity of the task? Well the guy in the pic is enjoying his job.

Did you hear this joke about a Frenchman, an Irishman and Swedish man on a football pitch? The cliche of the bar is done away this time, it all happens on a football field. How this partucular Frenchman fooled everyone (Including the Swedish ref in the stadium accept  the Irish of course) and celebrated like he was drunk with joy. Anyway need I go on? You all know what I am talking about, the hand-ball incident of Thierry Henry in the World Cup Qualifier against Ireland. Like that is going to decide the fate of the World Cup..ya right, come on!! ..Oh Ya I almost forgot, in the 1986 World Cup Diego Armando Maradona went on to beat England 2-1 both goals scored by the wonderful and cheeky foot and hand of  Maradona. Argentina won the World Cup that year beating Germany 3-2 in the final,with that crucial decision of Maradona outjumping Peter Shilton and punching the ball with his hand in the background.

If the ref did not see that do you really expect him to see the Henry incident? I am not even going to bother putting videos of those events on my blog, youtube has loads of that even from different angles. At least Henry did not say it was the hand of God like Maradona. Although I think that was the wrath of Falklands coming out of him.

With the World Cup draw looming I would like to see FIFA announcing that Electronic (TV)  intervention will be introduced at the World Cup in South Africa. Play along with me here, imagine it is a match between Italy and North Korea in 2010 World Cup.

Italy have already gone to meet psychologists before the World Cup because the North Koreans and South Koreans are both for the first time together in the World Cup. Italy lost to the North Koreans in 1966 World Cup and in 2002 they lost to South Korea, Italians are now shivering and they find themselves playing North Korea in South Africa. Things get tense and psychology  plays a part on both sides. A sudden volley by Del Piero seems to have crossed the line, nobody is sure, the Italians crowd the referee, the ref is not sure too (The linesman is silent and wished he could jump into that fun and horn loving South African crowd).

The Ref is now thinking if I don't give this to the Italians they will think it is a conspiracy against them, that they will never win against the Koreans north or south, that the underdogs will always get a better deal. The North Koreans on the other hand think there is a conspiracy against them and the ref knows that, they will take it a  step further by saying we are not from the capitalist system so that played a part against us in that crucial decision.  So what do you do ref?? What do you do??!!! Well I cannot imagine the pressure he will be in, but imagine if he could consult the fourth official from that CIA ear phone of his and the fourth official watches a rerun of a Warner Brothers cartoon and says the ball crossed the line. The Ref blows the whistle to the centre circle, Italians rejoice no more anti-depressants for those past post-traumatic experiences, the next day the newspapers blow up the picture of the ball actually crossing the line, the ref looks good and so does the fourth official despite watching the cartoons.

What if the TV evidence still does not give a good account for a  decision? Well the decision should go back to the ref, the fourth offcial should say your call. All I am saying is that Electronic intervention should be given a choice, it should not interrupt the game, but the ref should be given the choice of using it.

The World Cup draw will be in Cape Town tomorrowand Charlize Theron will be there but surely this is not the only class act by FIFA?