Irish Row Rumbles On

*** For some reason, yesterday's blog didn't post, so we'll fix this and get it reposted asap. In the meantime, here's today's blog...***

The row over Ireland's controversial World Cup exit has rumbled on today, with all the major players having something to say and a few other unwelcome noses being stuck in as well.

Unsurprisingly FIFA have announced that there will be now way that the France-Ireland game will be replayed.

As much as I would like it to be played again, it would be a very dangerous precedent to set, as we mentioned yesterday.

I wouldn't expect this to be the end of it though. The FAI are still furious about what happened and I'm sure they'll be looking to see what legal action they can invoke, although again I would see this as doomed to failure.

I'm not sure what court would be willing to open a huge can of worms by ruling against FIFA, especially after a day like today where nearly 200 European matches are being looked into for match fixing. They can't all be replayed!

In a big surprise, and in a move that smacks to me of trying to salvage his reputation, especially in England, Thierry Henry has come out and said that he feels the only fair thing would be to replay the match.

Interesting that this announcement was made after FIFA made theirs to say that this would be in no way be possible. I don't doubt for a minute that this is genuinely how he feels, but it is no way going to make any difference for the Irish.

Perhaps the most surprising comments on all of this came from former Irish international Roy Keane who basically told the Irish to get over it and stop whining that they usually do, even going as far as to suggest that the players should have finished it long before that incident (which is true) and have nothing to complain about.

Nothing like the backing from one of your own. Which this was.

You still feel for Ireland in all this but there is no apparent route to fix this for them sadly and next year's finals in South Africa will be decidely worse off for their fans not being there.

Hand Of Henry Seals Ireland's Fate

Ok, so it's the biggest story out there at the moment and everyone's commented on it, so we're not going to be any different!

Ireland's controversial extra time defeat to France in yesterday's World Cup playoff qualifier is going to be in the headlines for many days to come I would think and rightly so.

Cheating has been a big talking point in recent seasons. Diving, embellishments, match fixing, we thought that would be pretty much about it. Then along comes Thierry Henry to do a Maradona and handle France through to South Africa.

The Irish are quite right to be furios but their calls for the match to be replayed will fall on deaf ears.

FIFA can't go down this road for fear of future mayhem and backdated claims. Where would it all end.

France deserve to be punished but my favoured option of just kicking them out of the tournament isn't likely to happen either.

I've always been a fan of Thierry Henry. I think he's a class player and there's still rumours around that he will be pulling on a Vancouver Whitecaps jersey for their inaugural 2011 season. That thought had excited me before, but after what happened I don't want to see him anywhere near a Whitecaps jersey.

Henry's reputation will now be tarnished, no matter what apologies will no doubt be forthcoming after the event. He could have put matters right on the night if he was that bothered by it.

Ireland will be as angry that they didn't kill the French hopes off long before extra time as much as with the handballs that led to the winning goal. They could and should have been the runaway victors on the night.

Sadly, they're now left to think what might have been, wallow in anger towards Henry and everyone will have to live with the fact that cheats do win. It's a sad fact of life these days.

Being An Exile Gives A Fresh Perspective

Finding myself as an exile two years ago, it gave me a whole new perspective in following my team.

All the little things you take for granted. Being able to read about them in the papers. Being close to all the gossip and action. The smell of pies and bovril. The banter. The cameraderie. Being there to cheer them on at home and most importantly away.

I'm heading back to Fife tonight and included in my brief trip will be two East Fife matches.

Clyde away on Saturday is a real six pointer already at this stage of the season. A loss will see us bottom of the League.

The following week it's Montrose away in our first game in this season's Scottish Cup. A trip to oh so familiar surroundings to face a team struggling more than we are just now.

Neither are really matches you would travel thousands of miles home for. Neither are what I hoped for when I booked my trip.

But you know what? I don't care. It's the chance for me to see my team for the first time in 19 months and no matter what the outcomes, I wouldn't swap it for the world.

C'mon the Fife!

Next Scotland Manager Has To Be The Right Decision Or Freefall Looms

It wasn't exactly a shock when the SFA announcement the parting of company with Scotland boss George Burley yesterday.

Saturday's embarrassing 3-0 defeat by Wales was the final straw for many.

Burley's days are now over and it's not a happy period to look back on, so let's just quickly move on.

Maybe not too quickly though as it is vital that the next man given the task of managing Scotland is the right decision to take us forward in the coming years.

As we've said before in this blog, we're happy if we miss out on the Euros in 2012 (well maybe not happy but we can accept it) if we can see some development and a base for a team that will take us to the 2014 World Cup and beyond.

There are a number of young players out there who seem like they could be coming through in the next few years. It's important that we get the right manager to bring them up to full international standard.

All the usual suspects are being bandied around. Even Walter Smith is being mooted for a return, but this would be a backward step to go with someone that left the national team in the lurch to return to the lure of Club football.

The SFA need to take time to make the right decision. At the moment, I have no idea who to even suggest that this could be. I'm perfectly happy for it to be a non Scottish manager (Guus Hiddink anyone?).

All I do know is that this is a vital decision. The wrong one could send the national team into a freefall that it will take a very long time to recover from.

Decisions, Decisions For Lower League Fans

Not for the first time in recent seasons, East Fife fans were faced with a Club v Country clash on Saturday afternoon. Should we spend our hard earned cash watching our beloved East Fife or stay at home to watch the Scotland game live on Sky or even make a long trip to Wales to cheer on Scotland, in what was a pretty pointless friendly exercise at this stage of the season?

To some this will have been a no brainer. Club will always come first and why would you spend all that time and money to just go and watch a meaningless friendly between two depleted squads?

To others, country and following the Tartan Army on their travels will always be the winner.

Why should we have to choose though? And why is it always the lower league Scottish football fans that are penalised for supporting their local team and giving them a vital source of income?

On occasions, unlike Saturday, kick off times are either moved forward or delayed to the Sunday, both of which are more of an inconvenience to the fans than a valid solution and it’s no help at all to the fans that want to actually physically attend both matches.

Some fans will even have been happy to have an excuse not to come out in the cold and watch the Fife, in what’s been an up and down season so far and that’s what becomes worrying.

We’ve debated this point often on AFTN over the years. Why do regular faces start to disappear from Bayview? What is it that turns them away from being regulars in the Fife faithful and what is it they find to do instead? And why is it easier to find other things to do than to follow your team these days for many?

The football authorities shouldn’t be giving the more fair-weather fans this get out clause and the chance to not go and support their team. Surely everyone connected with the game should be trying to do everything to increase regular attendances? Clashing any Scottish League club fixture with an international does not do this.

So many of the lower league Clubs, including the Fife’s opponents on Saturday Stirling Albion, face serious money worries this season and every pound they can bring in through attendance, food and anything else on a match day is vital for many teams. For the football authorities to have yet another clash like this, eating into this possible money, is disappointing.

The fans have made their feelings well known many times before regarding this matter, but it just seems to fall on deaf ears. You’re left wondering if anyone in authority actually does care about us lower league sides and supporters.

You have to believe they do, but it’s just another issue, in what is becoming a very long list of things this season, that adds to the calls for a complete overhaul about how Scottish football is currently run at all levels.

As it turned out, both games were painful. Scotland were embarrassed and the Fife were hurt by yet another late loss. Even with that, I’d still say that those that made the decision to head to Bayview on Saturday were the ones that made the right decision. It’s just a shame they had a choice to make in the first place.

Euro World Cup Playoff Qualifiers Delicately Poised

Yesterday's four European World Cup qualifiers maybe didn't quite set the heather alight with their action on the pitch, but they have certainly set up four intriguing second legs on Wednesday.

As we discussed before (see Blog of October 20th), the unfairness of UEFA's seeding is basically trying to secure some big names don't miss the big show.

Thankfully it might not turn out that way.

Portugal may well rue only taking a one goal lead into a hostile Bosnian stadium. If Bosnia can tie things up at any stage of the proceedings, I tip their fanactical and loud support to carry them through.

I'll still be rooting for Slovenia and taking only a one goal deficit back from Russia, including that vital away goal, gives them a great chance of qualifying and will be one of my teams to support in South Africa next year if they do.

Ireland have their work cut out now. They had so many chances in yesterday's game that they deserved to be going into the second leg with a lead and not facing a game of chase. Like it always is though, and as East Fife know to their peril so far this season, chances count for nothing if you don't convert them.

If ever that fighting Irish spirit was needed it was now and if they just play the way they did yesterday then they can restore some Celtic pride that Scotland seemed to do their best to evaporate.

The last tie between Ukraine and Greece could still go either way, but your have to feel that the Greeks have blown their chance to progress.

All in all, thankfully no blow outs and a cracking case of four do or die matches midweek.

Should be exciting as hell. It feels like the World Cup has started already!

Stirling's Late Late Show Breaks Fife Hearts

It was more last minute heartbreak for East Fife today, when Martin Grehan scored for Stirling Albion in injury time at Bayview.

The goal gave Stirling a 2-1 victory in a match which East Fife dominated in the early stages and confirmed the visitors spot as joint League leaders.

Paul McManus gave the Fife the lead on 21 minutes after loan signing Paul Sludden did well to disposses Adny Gibson to set up the chance.

With the pressure and the chances East Fife created, they should have been out of site by half time. Sadly they weren't and Stirling made us pay.

Five minutes after the restart David O'Brien fired home the equaliser and although it was an entertaining game and the Fife were dreadfully unlucky to lose so late yet again, it felt like an inevitable conclusion.

The defeat leaves East Fife thirteen points behind the top two but more worryingly two points of the automatic relegation spot in second bottom place. The knives are already out from some with regards to Stevie Crawford's position as manager.

Being able to take in the next two games personally, I'll reserve my own judgement and comments untik after that.

The promising signs are that we played well, didn't get/take the breaks and were unlucky once again. Surely our luck must change some time soon.

Those that did watch the game left disheartened but at least they didn't have to suffer by watching the Scotland national team who played at the same time.

Yes, we're already at that stage of the season where we're grasping any straws of comfort going.

Keeper's Death Should Make Us All Think

The death of German international Robert Enke on Tuesday stunned football when the sad news came out that he had taken his own life by stepping in front of an oncoming train.

Enke had been suffering from depression since 2003 and had suffered the agony of losing his daughter in 2006 to a rare heart decision. Most that knew him would not have known his suffering as he tried to keep his mental illness out of the public eye.

Suicide is always a shocking experience to those that are left behind. When former Fife player Paul McGrillen took his own life in August (see Blog of August 3rd), it was a stunning shock to all that knew him and knew of him.

Enke's death just made me think about how much abuse we give certain players on the pitch. I'm sure I'm not alone in admitting guilt in this respect.

When we're dishing out the abuse, we never stop to think if it really is just trying to get under the player's skin or whether he may be truly hurt, disturbed and mentally unsettled by what is being said. We don't know what kind of mental anguish or problems they may be facing in their private life, for it is just that - private.

Earlier this season, the abuse meted out to East Fife goalie Michael Brown was pretty bad at times. It later came out that he was going through a very trying time off the pitch due to family illness. I'm sure the abuse didn't help.

Some may argue that if a player feels that he is ready to play, pulls on that jersey and takes to the pitch, then all is fair. Players like Enke clearly wanted to play to help take his mind off these other things. It was his escape to the harsh realities he faced at home and which finally pushed him over the edge.

Perhaps next time, before we all abuse a certain player, maybe we should take a step back and think how we would react if we were on the other end of such abuse. I know it'll make me think twice about certain things in the future.

East Fife In Search For The Elusive Heather

We've been going on about how this has been pretty much a rollercoaster season for East Fife so far. It's been hard to know at times whether we're going to see a Fife side battling it out for the promotion playoffs or the relegation ones.

After last Saturday's game though, i think a lot of fans will have realised that it's looking worryingly like the latter.

There is something just not clicking with the team just now. Whether the blame for that cane be laid at the door of gaffer Stevie Crawford, I don;t think we can honestly say yet.

Stevie said at Monday's AGM that there is a fine line between success and failure in the Scottish Second Division this season and he's spot on.

We could and should have won the game on Saturday. Instead we ended up on the wrong end of a 2-1 defeat, with a Peterhead goal that never crossed the line. Them's the breaks and them's the ones we're not seeing much of so far this season.

It's also the kind of decisions that can drain a team that's already low on confidence completely.

With Shaun Fagan and Jonny Smart now both sitting out multi match bans for their actions on the pitch (five and three games respectively), our top goalkeeper and a key experienced defender out long term injured and the young players just not making the breakthrough we all hoped, East Fife haven't had their troubles to seek so far this term.

Now with the joint League leaders Stirling Albion coming to visit on Saturday, if we ever needed to get out that lucky white heather, then I'd say it's now before we sink too deep into the potential relegation mire.

Dreams Can Come True

Two weeks ago we covered Spanish third tier side Alcorcon's amazing 4-0 victory over Real Madrid in a second round, first leg match up in the Copa del Rey (see Blog on October 28th).

With the second leg to come at the Bernabeu we said that you could be sure that Real Madrid wouldn't make the same mistakes again.

Well they didn't, but they still only managed to win 1-0 despite fielding a strong side including Kaka.

Alcorcon were solid throughout and advanced 4-1, whilst the Madrid fans were clearly irate, booed their team off the park and called for the head of boss Manuel Pellegrini.

For the money that Real spent over the summer it's nice to see them get their comeuppance in any competition going. It's good for football and great for the fans of the smaller, less financially liquid sides.

Pellegrini has already had that dreaded vote of confidence that he will be at the helm to the end of the season, no matter how the side fare in La Liga and the Champions League.

They're already struggling a little in the latter and in the former they're trailing Barcelona by a point after the first ten games. With form of three win in their last eight games the pressure is going to mount quickly on Pellegrini.

As for Alcorcon, well it's like a fairy tale for them and full marks to the Real fans for giving them a standing ovation at the end of the game.

It's moments like this that fill your heart with joy.