Obi-Wan Kenobi

Pity Sir Alex has long retired. Can you imagine the drama if this injury time policy was adopted while he was still managing?

Well yeah, I'm such a huge England fan as you know and listen to every bit of news about them. Good news then it was scrapped. Always thought it was a barmy thing to have, plus just a kiss of death for the manager, and would have been if it kept.

Nothing said then of him by far missing the FA's long-term target to win this year's World Cup?

Again. Showing absolutely no lessons were at all learned from the Qatar farce, pursuit for more money trumps everything else it would seem.

Ditto here.

Needs to drop the last two letters in his first name with comments like that. Decent documentary I'm watching on netflix right now on Fifa corruption called Fifa Uncovered, also another one on Prime as well, Kickback I think that one is. Incredible to how virtually most of the world has stood-by for decades allowing Fifa to become the monster of bribes and backhanders it is.

I call bollocks on virtually all of that. If FIFA were truly going to do any such a thing, then the FAs all should have joined forces and called FIFA's bluff by holding all their players back until the armband was allowed. Would FIFA have the bottle to deal with 7 sides refusing to take the field and award them all 3-0 forfeit defeats? Strength comes from collective numbers, it's why trade unions work, and if the FAs or players united in a stance, they would force FIFA's hand, but they won't do it because it's a little bit difficult. They'd rather take the easy out and say "oh well, we tried and that's that now, just get on with the football" it's spinless behaviour no matter who it's pinned on.

Spineless cowards, no bottle to boycott back in the day and now won't even take on Fifa for a gesture of solidarity. Players should just take matters into their own hands. They've done far worse, such as down tools for managers they dont like anymore. If all them do it, will Fifa have the stones to book the whole squad at kick-off? Doubt it.

Pretty much using the "but Labour" style argument.

It's getting into real slippery slope territory this. What's the line for banning sporting teams on the account for their government's behaviour? Is the many numerous deaths/human rights violations committed by the host nation cause enough to ban them, or is that on the "acceptable" side of it? I'm sure plenty of folk in the Far East think the likes of the USA and other western nations are the cause of similar travesties in their nations in the not too distant past, should the USA get thrown out too? Ideally sport shouldn't need to wade in on such matters, but recent events have proven the lines are rapidly blurring, and a debate is going to be required on how sport acts as it's becoming clear "we're just sport" doesn't fly any more. Going back to the start though, what is the line, and who decides where the line goes? It would be mad to only draw it at Iran, plenty of cause chucking Saudi Arabia too along with the hosts, I'm sure arguments could be made for virtually every other nation that's qualified.

What stadium building work is it they're expected to do, and were their passports taken off them?

I thought this was a fair and interesting video regarding English football's response:

Follow-up:

More like don't want to pay any of their staff bank holiday rates.

And not until 4pm on the Tuesday. Assuming they don't reverse this in any shape or form, be interesting to see what they'd do with people who simply refuse to leave.

I'm not a royalist, but I can get and respect people are, with others simply interested in it for one reason or another. My only objection to it is so much of the country effectively going on hold, or other important matters pushed completely out the limelight, and therefore scrutiny. My last count on the BBC news homepage was no less than 18 articles/media relating to the queen, even matters on the Ukraine was forced off until a couple of days ago. Other stuff in the world is very much still going on, and not seeing anything about it is damning. Even working in an SG department, we all might as well be on holiday, as next to naff all is happening with Ministers and Parliament all off, and even when they have not been, it's monarchy matters only. Pretty much working in a stasis bubble right now, at least if they formally told us we're off, I could do useful things around the house, instead of sitting-by and hoping an e-mail or Teams message eventually comes in with something for me to do.