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
Don’t listen mate …infuriating nonsense
I occasionally listen to RS , which whilst not good isn’t just as bad as SSB
Gct
Hoi!
Not me. I fully expect Utd to carry on their trend v teams from ibrox.
1-0 four years ago. 2-0 two years ago. 3-0 last season.
This year’s cup…..4-0 to Utd :)
Pfayr @ 2134
Lol.
maestro-number8
sorry fell asleep…..
You can contact me on: paul_mca@yahoo.co.uk
PF
mrs bt picked me up at 6.45
that was enough…
BT,
As someone who never even listens to the phone-ins, could you tell me why you think some of our supporters feel a need to give them airtime?
Evening Timland from a surprisingly warm hun free mountain valley.
Quite a boring game with Real tonight, not surprising they rested a few ahead of El Clasico on sunday, and for once I did the right thing cashing in a bet, was waiting for another goal at Chelsea which never came.
HH
Vmhan
Coatbrig laddie scored the winner!!
I’m far from convinced that those who phone SSB and claim to be CFC fans are genuine
Plants who keep the Huns interested in the crap show
PCS
probably the same who cintinue to buy the rags,
I go into my dads home and he is ranting and raving about the papers john mckay with the blue tie etc,
he is 73 and should know better, we need to educate them as much as the young who listen snyde.
Bamboo,
you go on and on about the fascist takeover in Ukraine. Could you tell me what kind of takeover we’ve just seen in Crimea? I have had the impression that what happened in Kiev was a rebellion against a bunch of Putin’s corrupt cronies, who gave every impression of being at his beck and call.
Iki at 21.32
very astute point
big cup winners………
thanks, have sent you an email
HH
Jude2005
A star from the county Coatbridge (thumbs up)
V
Chelski have dropped 15pts (rough calculations) either side of euro club competitions this season.
Tonight’s result might not be such bad news for city, arsenal and Liverpool.
Geordie Munro
21:43 on
18 March, 2014
Gct
Hoi!
Not me. I fully expect Utd to carry on their trend v teams from ibrox.
1-0 four years ago. 2-0 two years ago. 3-0 last season.
This year’s cup…..4-0 to Utd :)
Pfayr @ 2134
Lol.
O I so wish you are right
HH
Somebdy needs to explain odds to Adrian chiles.
Dena,
It’s the cup mate. Anything is possible. 4-0 to Utd would please me. It wouldn’t surprise me though ;)
Ice breaker Henry Larsen on Quest.
Got to be worth watching.
Oh! No! It’s about a boat not about a bhoy.
Good evening Park head Salford,
Neo Nazis were part of the mob who were in opposition to the democratically elected previous rulers.
The West has screwed Russia for decades. No more. Crimea is back where it belongs. Ukranians will suffer now as Russia will quite rightly renege on previous generous gas deals. The corrupt and undemocratic EU will lead Ukranians to greater poverty. What a horrible situation: provoked by The West’s contempt for international law.
Good stuff from Utd.
lack on Neutrality sort of jumps oot…..
HH
http://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/index.asp?tm=2&nid=4760&cd=2014
Tet,
I read the last line as ‘huns wulny demand so many tickets if game was at sellic park’
Does the semi final go to a replay after extra time? If so…….
GM
Aye,I read that the same.
I just wish our club were even half as forceful as Utd.
HH
Vmhan
Know his gran & granda nice folk!! Grandad is from Eire.
BadaB
Back to the neutral bigot dome >}
HH
Tet,
This situation is easy to be forceful about imo.
G M
Fart of a man!!!
Geordie Munro –
Agreed. I predicted 4-0 to United on here yesterday.
B B
Pens I think!!
Rubicon from 18.20
Yes those were the days – I should really have said that after that game in 1977 – all we had to do was beat Wales
The daft buggers took the game to Anfield and half if Scotland turned up – Kenny’s header followed a well worked penalty :-) Alan Rough Aldo made the save of the tournament from Terry Yorath – I was pished for the whole day and even managed a wee assignation at half time :-)
Thiseweretgedayscsc
GM
As is the on going corruption within the game as a whole……is it not ?
HH
I take it Ogilvie is at the core of all this??
Have to laugh at the SFA attempting to justify their ticket allocation at IPOX based on previous take up rates.
Assuming the other tickets go to the Huns this suggests stadia were 75%full of Huns. Have no idea if this was the case; not interested enough to look back but sounds like min attendance for the last two Huns semis must have been a minimum 45k using the SFA criteria as we were told today re united.
Maybe the rule only applies to one team….
blantyretim is praying for the Knox family
21:06 on
18 March, 2014
Clashcitybhoy
hope he doesn’t go looking in turkey for overpaid prima donas coming to the end of their careers..
Hope thats not me you are talking about!!!!!!!!.LOL.
Its sevco first semi final end of,……
No one should allow anything else to be said…
I think the supposed fans who do the phone ins…..probably take in the odd game every 2-3 years…..then theres the newbies who take up the seat next to you at the CL games…..and noticeceable start to drift out 10mins before the end,if the team is getting gubbed…..they love the satisfaction of being asked on the phone ins “were you at the game” the guy next to me always gives them a nice farewell eff of and don’t come back
Jude-i think it goes to a replay after ET mate.
Turkeybhoy
if the cap fits…o)