The decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar didn’t bother me in particular, for me, World Cups are a chance to watch great footballers playing for teams I don’t have a vested interest in. That changed when reports of hundreds of deaths of foreign migrants, allowed in to build the infrastructure required to host the tournament.
The Indian embassy in Qatar report that the death rate of their nationals involved in construction projects in Qatar is reaching epidemic levels. 233 died in 2010, 239 in 2011, 237 in 2013 and 241 in 2013. 24 died in January this year, a total of 998 since the beginning of 2010. This is a blight on humanity.
The Guardian revealed that 197 Nepalese died in 2012 and 185 died in 2013. Many of the deaths are no characterised as classic construction accidents, the heat and environmental conditions, together with the lack of facilities for immigrants, mean many die of ‘natural’ causes, including heart failure, there are other nationals there too, also dying in alarming numbers.
Labour MP, Jim Murphy, last month said, “Some of the practices we know are taking place in Qatar amount to forced labour, and there are widespread concerns that the death toll could reach well into the thousands if nothing is done.” The International Trade Union Confederation estimate (without needing to extrapolate greatly) up to 4,000 workers could die before the country is ready to host the tournament.
The prospect of a sea of blood on the pitch has not been enough to convince Fifa to call a halt to the slaughter, or at least use the threat of withdrawal to ensure migrants experience safe and humane living and working conditions.
As the tournament draws nearer, pressure groups will become better organised, but by that time, many more will have died. As fans, or, in this instance, to adopt our more effective role as consumers of TV and companies who sponsor the tournament, we have a lot of work to do, and we need to start now.
Before Fifa act they will need a lot of encouragement from sponsors, unhappy at the prospect of their brands being associated with a death trade, and they will need approval from the lawyers. Qatar ‘invested’ hugely in football as they were busy vacuuming up votes, including buying real estate on the front of Barcelona’s shirts, once regarded as an ethically responsible club. The platform association with UNICEF looks like blatant opportunism.
Today’s Telegraph offers Fifa a chance to call a halt to the project. They allege former Fifa vice president, Jack Warner and his family, were paid $2m just weeks after Qatar were awarded the tournament. The Qatar authorities deny wrongdoing.
This is perhaps the most important article concerning the football industry in decades as it opens a door to stop the despair of thousands of workers living in abject poverty and mortal danger. According to the Telegraph, law enforcement agencies are already active on this issue. They need to quickly establish if the Qatar bid was assisted by criminal activity before the tournament can be withdrawn. The danger is that irrespective of what law enforcement agencies uncover, or who ultimately goes to jail, there is so much illicit cash floating around Fifa that those in positions of power will protect their paymasters.
Before this happens, you, me, our clubs, and whoever cares from the various football associations, must organise and turn up the pressure on the criminals with their snouts in the Fifa trough. If we pass up on this opportunity, we could wait decades for the next chance to rid the top of our game of criminals.
Seville – The Celtic Movement is available now:
“Of course we’d loved Blackburn, Stuttgart, Liverpool etc, but with twenty minutes to go in Oporto, I sat with my stomach recreating a range of football related sinking feelings from the past. You know, being told I was ‘rubbish’ by the high school team prima donna as another of his cannonball passes rocketed out for a shy under my foot, or the time I ran home from primary school to watch Celtic lose to…. someone…on a black and white television during the seventies. I’ve never wanted to find out who we lost to or what year it was. The memory is more intriguing left blurry like footage of the moon landings.”
Get yours here:
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BT –
Even 10 years ago when I lived in Scotland, it was obvious to me that most of the SSB callers claiming to be Celtic fans were nothing of the sort. Same goes for the Record Hotline.
TET-I’ve always liked Steven Thomson,he bats well for his Club IMO.
B B
Oh right. C P???
Geordie Munro
21:57 on
18 March, 2014
Dena,
It’s the cup mate. Anything is possible. 4-0 to Utd would please me. It wouldn’t surprise me though ;)
agree anything is possible we can vut hope
HH
I think the bigotdome is a neutral venue.
Sevco certainly don’t have the deeds to it…..
Ogilvie will have a direct line to their boardroom…..he will advise and keep them up to date on all matters…….the only thing he cant give is dosh
There are no replays in the semi-finals.
Bada & jude
Cup games at neural venues are played to a finish.
Tet @2219
The corruption is wrong and needs addressed but it’s much more of a minefield than the semi ticket allocation imo.
BadaB
He does, as I said, I just wish our suits were half as forceful, but alas no.
HH
BT
Will be asking thems in work tomorrow if they are going to their teams first ever SC semi. Thanks for that ammo. :))
GM
You being funny??
Until Sevco in whatever form are extinguished the SFA etc will continue to facilitate them
Good night all, well done to the young guns tonight especially John Herron.
There will be a few on here delighted for the Bhoy.
11 days to the Kano night hope it is a title winning night :)).
Till tomorrow
Be good
The reason there are replays in the Scottish Cup is to offer the away team the chance at their ground after holding the home team to a draw at their ground.
Since semi finals are held at ‘neutral’ grounds, as this does not benefit one team more than the other, there is no replay nowadays, and the game is played to a conclusion via extra time and penalties if required.
SFA – brass necks do not begin to describe them.
D D
You are awful!!
Normally both semis are played at hampden……so both semis should be played at celtic park…….so the huns have mucked it up….aren’t we glad.
GM
I disagree, when a rule is broken, someone should pull them up, end of.
The sfa are breaking rules on a regular basis, and no one is doing or saying anything about it.
It seem the bigot pound is the be all and end all, and sporting intergrity is not at the races.
How sad it that ?
And yet folks still pour money into the sham.
Looking into my crystal ball…..in a few years time, aramgedon will come to fruition, so many will have walked away from the game, and they will be back to where they feel their rightful position is, and the blogs will be full of people squeeeming and squeeeming and stamping their little feet about the corruption, and still doing feck all about it.
HH
HH
Is King still in town??
Jude
But I like you! :))
BREAKING NEWS.
Russia have offered to have face to face talks with the USA to solve the dispute regarding Crimea.
The talks will off course be held in a neutral venue – The Kremlin.
To ensure even handedness, Russia will have 23 representatives to USA’s 13.
leftclicktic We are all Neil Lennon
22:38 on 18 March, 2014
Good night all, well done to the young guns tonight especially John Herron.
There will be a few on here delighted for the Bhoy.
Too true
I just logged in tonight and I can confirm that celebrations are stretching across the Atlantic, from Kirkshaws to Kearney. :-)
Murrayfield……36 miles from Glasgow……..40 miles from Dundee……whats more neutal than that……even Utd would be confident of getting their 50% of gate receipts
Shawn Colvin & Steve Earle in town next week.
GG
Were you in the Kirkshaws CSC?
Brilliant Bhoys edge five-goal thriller
By: Mark Henderson on 18 Mar, 2014 20:57
SPFL Under-20s League
Cappielow, Greenock
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
CELTIC…3
(P. Twardzik 37, Fridjonsson 44, Herron 89)
ST MIRREN…2
(Baird 36, Barrowman 72)
TEN-MAN Celtic Under-20s produced a brilliant battling display to come from behind and edge a five-goal thriller at Cappielow, preserving their place at the league summit.
The young Hoops were forced to play nearly all the game with a man disadvantage after Eoghan O’Connell’s early sending off.
And it looked like the odds were stacked against them when they found themselves trailing to Jack Baird’s deflected shot. However, they rallied superbly to take the lead before half-time through goals from Patrik Twardzik and Holmbert Fridjonsson.
Although the Saints restored parity with a Mark Barrowman header, John Herron secured a memorable win for the Bhoys as the clock ticked down.
Stevie Frail and John Kennedy´s side made an encouraging start but found themselves facing up an uphill task after just four minutes when they were reduced to 10 men.
Anton Brady attempted to spin past O’Connell around 40 yards from goal and went down under the Irishman’s challenge. Marcus Fraser looked in a position to cover but the referee deemed it to be last-man challenge and gave Cork youngster his marching orders. It looked a harsh decision.
Recovering quickly from this early setback, the Bhoys regrouped and worked tirelessly to make up for their deficiency in numbers. Indeed, they were still carrying the greater threat. John Herron’s corner was only partially cleared and Jamie Lindsay’s thumping drive was deflected into Chris Dilo’s arms.
Holmbert Fridjonsson, now playing a lone furrow up front, then showed superb strength to hold off his marker before testing Dilo with a low shot.
As the half-hour mark approached, Patrik Twardzik ghosted past one defender but was denied by a last-gasp tackle as he prepared to pull the trigger.
However, in the 36th minute they fell behind from the visitors’ first shot on target. Gary Teale’s corner dropped at the feet of Jack Baird and the defender’s deflected shot crept inside the far post.
But the Hoops produced an instant response to draw level almost straight from the restart. Fisher’s raking pass over the top was controlled brilliantly by Patrik Twardzik, and with his next touch the Czech youngster drilled under Dilo.
And, remarkably, just before the break, they completed the turnaround. Lindsay sprayed a wonderful pass out to Fisher on the right and his searching pass fell for Fridjonsson, who coolly dummied one defender before finding the back of the net.
Frail and Kennedy’s young guns were determined to preserve their hard-won lead and they showed terrific tenacity after the interval to deny the Saints space on the ball.
And when presented with the chance to attack, they did so with so with poise and purpose. A thrusting run through the middle from Lindsay saw him advance into the box but Baird’s tackle denied him, before Herron fired wide from 20 yards.
But they were undone once again from a corner as the Saints equalised, with former Celt Mark Barrowman guiding a header beyond Fasan. And the young Italian made a superb one-handed stop two minutes later from Thomas Reilly to maintain parity.
The Bhoys had to withstand some pressure from the Paisley side but they recovered and resumed the offensive in the closing stages.
Twardzik thought he had scored a later winner but the linesman’s flag cut short his celebrations, but the youths weren’t to be denied a deserved victory as Herron fastened on to Denny Johnstone’s lofted pass and calmly picked his spot, sparking wild celebrations.
CELTIC (4-3-3) Fasan; Fisher, O’Connell, Fraser, Waters; Lindsay, McManus, F. Twardzik; Herron, Fridjonsson (Johnstone 79) P. Twardzik
Not Used: Breslin, Hart, Thomson, McMullan, Donnelly, Tierney.
Brilliant Bhoys edge five-goal thriller
By: Mark Henderson on 18 Mar, 2014 20:57
SPFL Under-20s League
Cappielow, Greenock
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
CELTIC…3
(P. Twardzik 37, Fridjonsson 44, Herron 89)
ST MIRREN…2
(Baird 36, Barrowman 72)
TEN-MAN Celtic Under-20s produced a brilliant battling display to come from behind and edge a five-goal thriller at Cappielow, preserving their place at the league summit.
The young Hoops were forced to play nearly all the game with a man disadvantage after Eoghan O’Connell’s early sending off.
And it looked like the odds were stacked against them when they found themselves trailing to Jack Baird’s deflected shot. However, they rallied superbly to take the lead before half-time through goals from Patrik Twardzik and Holmbert Fridjonsson.
Although the Saints restored parity with a Mark Barrowman header, John Herron secured a memorable win for the Bhoys as the clock ticked down.
Stevie Frail and John Kennedy´s side made an encouraging start but found themselves facing up an uphill task after just four minutes when they were reduced to 10 men.
Anton Brady attempted to spin past O’Connell around 40 yards from goal and went down under the Irishman’s challenge. Marcus Fraser looked in a position to cover but the referee deemed it to be last-man challenge and gave Cork youngster his marching orders. It looked a harsh decision.
Recovering quickly from this early setback, the Bhoys regrouped and worked tirelessly to make up for their deficiency in numbers. Indeed, they were still carrying the greater threat. John Herron’s corner was only partially cleared and Jamie Lindsay’s thumping drive was deflected into Chris Dilo’s arms.
Holmbert Fridjonsson, now playing a lone furrow up front, then showed superb strength to hold off his marker before testing Dilo with a low shot.
As the half-hour mark approached, Patrik Twardzik ghosted past one defender but was denied by a last-gasp tackle as he prepared to pull the trigger.
However, in the 36th minute they fell behind from the visitors’ first shot on target. Gary Teale’s corner dropped at the feet of Jack Baird and the defender’s deflected shot crept inside the far post.
But the Hoops produced an instant response to draw level almost straight from the restart. Fisher’s raking pass over the top was controlled brilliantly by Patrik Twardzik, and with his next touch the Czech youngster drilled under Dilo.
And, remarkably, just before the break, they completed the turnaround. Lindsay sprayed a wonderful pass out to Fisher on the right and his searching pass fell for Fridjonsson, who coolly dummied one defender before finding the back of the net.
Frail and Kennedy’s young guns were determined to preserve their hard-won lead and they showed terrific tenacity after the interval to deny the Saints space on the ball.
And when presented with the chance to attack, they did so with so with poise and purpose. A thrusting run through the middle from Lindsay saw him advance into the box but Baird’s tackle denied him, before Herron fired wide from 20 yards.
But they were undone once again from a corner as the Saints equalised, with former Celt Mark Barrowman guiding a header beyond Fasan. And the young Italian made a superb one-handed stop two minutes later from Thomas Reilly to maintain parity.
The Bhoys had to withstand some pressure from the Paisley side but they recovered and resumed the offensive in the closing stages.
Twardzik thought he had scored a later winner but the linesman’s flag cut short his celebrations, but the youths weren’t to be denied a deserved victory as Herron fastened on to Denny Johnstone’s lofted pass and calmly picked his spot, sparking wild celebrations.
CELTIC (4-3-3) Fasan; Fisher, O’Connell, Fraser, Waters; Lindsay, McManus, F. Twardzik; Herron, Fridjonsson (Johnstone 79) P. Twardzik
Not Used: Breslin, Hart, Thomson, McMullan, Donnelly, Tierney.
Brilliant Bhoys edge five-goal thriller
By: Mark Henderson on 18 Mar, 2014 20:57
SPFL Under-20s League
Cappielow, Greenock
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
CELTIC…3
(P. Twardzik 37, Fridjonsson 44, Herron 89)
ST MIRREN…2
(Baird 36, Barrowman 72)
TEN-MAN Celtic Under-20s produced a brilliant battling display to come from behind and edge a five-goal thriller at Cappielow, preserving their place at the league summit.
The young Hoops were forced to play nearly all the game with a man disadvantage after Eoghan O’Connell’s early sending off.
And it looked like the odds were stacked against them when they found themselves trailing to Jack Baird’s deflected shot. However, they rallied superbly to take the lead before half-time through goals from Patrik Twardzik and Holmbert Fridjonsson.
Although the Saints restored parity with a Mark Barrowman header, John Herron secured a memorable win for the Bhoys as the clock ticked down.
Stevie Frail and John Kennedy´s side made an encouraging start but found themselves facing up an uphill task after just four minutes when they were reduced to 10 men.
Anton Brady attempted to spin past O’Connell around 40 yards from goal and went down under the Irishman’s challenge. Marcus Fraser looked in a position to cover but the referee deemed it to be last-man challenge and gave Cork youngster his marching orders. It looked a harsh decision.
Recovering quickly from this early setback, the Bhoys regrouped and worked tirelessly to make up for their deficiency in numbers. Indeed, they were still carrying the greater threat. John Herron’s corner was only partially cleared and Jamie Lindsay’s thumping drive was deflected into Chris Dilo’s arms.
Holmbert Fridjonsson, now playing a lone furrow up front, then showed superb strength to hold off his marker before testing Dilo with a low shot.
As the half-hour mark approached, Patrik Twardzik ghosted past one defender but was denied by a last-gasp tackle as he prepared to pull the trigger.
However, in the 36th minute they fell behind from the visitors’ first shot on target. Gary Teale’s corner dropped at the feet of Jack Baird and the defender’s deflected shot crept inside the far post.
But the Hoops produced an instant response to draw level almost straight from the restart. Fisher’s raking pass over the top was controlled brilliantly by Patrik Twardzik, and with his next touch the Czech youngster drilled under Dilo.
And, remarkably, just before the break, they completed the turnaround. Lindsay sprayed a wonderful pass out to Fisher on the right and his searching pass fell for Fridjonsson, who coolly dummied one defender before finding the back of the net.
Frail and Kennedy’s young guns were determined to preserve their hard-won lead and they showed terrific tenacity after the interval to deny the Saints space on the ball.
And when presented with the chance to attack, they did so with so with poise and purpose. A thrusting run through the middle from Lindsay saw him advance into the box but Baird’s tackle denied him, before Herron fired wide from 20 yards.
But they were undone once again from a corner as the Saints equalised, with former Celt Mark Barrowman guiding a header beyond Fasan. And the young Italian made a superb one-handed stop two minutes later from Thomas Reilly to maintain parity.
The Bhoys had to withstand some pressure from the Paisley side but they recovered and resumed the offensive in the closing stages.
Twardzik thought he had scored a later winner but the linesman’s flag cut short his celebrations, but the youths weren’t to be denied a deserved victory as Herron fastened on to Denny Johnstone’s lofted pass and calmly picked his spot, sparking wild celebrations.
CELTIC (4-3-3) Fasan; Fisher, O’Connell, Fraser, Waters; Lindsay, McManus, F. Twardzik; Herron, Fridjonsson (Johnstone 79) P. Twardzik
Not Used: Breslin, Hart, Thomson, McMullan, Donnelly, Tierney.
http://www.celticfc.net/newsstory?item=5589
Some people will do anything to bag the longest post in a thread.
:-)
Tet,
But if the sfa corruption and ticket allocation are of similar magnitude, why has Mr Thompson said very little on the matter?
John O’Neil
22:05 on
18 March, 2014
Neo-nazis? They just invaded Crimea.
Mad Vlad.
I think he just said that Russia had no more territorial demands.
Globally? A nod to China to continue sabre rattling in the South China sea.
Obama? Missing in inaction.
Oops ~ sorry about the repetition in last post folks.
Neil Lennon % McCartney
So good you posted thrice
Why are the sfa only now using this ‘average gate’ to determine dundee utds allocation!?
Over the last 4 seasons, rangers in their many guises have amassed the grand total of ZERO fans at the semi final games.
GCT
How’s Antipodean life?
We disagreed about Dons fans, because I was at our cup defeat to them. Had you been at the match and heard their repugnant songs, you would agree with me Tom.
Lets not fall out bud. :)
Young Herron scores the winner.. Usually see his grandad at Mass on Saturday night.
Fine man!!
Just read the rules bhoys,it is played to a finish.
GM
The bigot pound ?
I have no idea how they think, but I’m sure you are not suggesting that the sfa are doing things by the book ?}
HH
Sleep well Timland, up afore I get to sleep, things to do.
Good night Timland
HH
geordie munro
23:02 on 18 March, 2014Why are the sfa only now using this ‘average gate’ to determine dundee utds allocation!?Over the last 4 seasons, rangers in their many guises have amassed the grand total of ZERO fans at the semi final games.
Brilliant.