Qatar Shitshow 2022 thread

So I suspect the reaction of most of us on here about the forthcoming World Cup and whether it should be held at all ranges from indifference to being outright opposed.

So we know stadium workers have died, and there has been issues of having their passport confiscated, signing contracts that prevented them from leaving the country, weren’t getting paid properly, on time and sometimes even at all.

However before today I wasn’t aware of the total number of deaths, but it is estimated to be in and around the 6,500 mark. Over an eight year period, that’s 15 people a week. The death certificates listing these as natural causes….but most of these guys are young guys in their twenties and thirties.

Now reading between the lines, natural causes would be heat exhaustion, heart attacks, malnutrition or just the result of living in unsanitary living conditions.

So put aside whatever your opinion is on Qatar’s record on treatment of the LGBT community (which really is no worse than any other Arab gulf state) for a moment. And this tournament is being played on the backs of the deaths of enough men to make up a small war.

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

However before today I wasn’t aware of the total number of deaths, but it is estimated to be in and around the 6,500 mark. Over an eight year period, that’s 15 people a week. The death certificates listing these as natural causes….but most of these guys are young guys in their twenties and thirties.

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Probably all because of the Covid Vaccine :sulk:


:run:

Still can’t believe this is happening but the footballing world has had 12 years to do something meaningful about it, so I don’t really see why there has been all this uproar over the last few weeks, as though their human rights record and views on homosexuality has only just been discovered.

Couldn’t give 2 shits about this tournament to be honest, not going to make any concerted effort to watch games like I would with a normal World Cup.

Brazil or Argentina will win it I think.

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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

Still can’t believe this is happening but the footballing world has had 12 years to do something meaningful about it, so I don’t really see why there has been all this uproar over the last few weeks, as though their human rights record and views on homosexuality has only just been discovered.

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Well. It's obviously because it's happening soon, it's brought it all into sharp focus again.
And there have been a few other things going on in the world in the last few years which have taken centre stage.

I can't really get the hang of it either, it's ludicrous that I'm trying to cross-check Christmas events with World Cup games to make sure there are no clashes. I'm not engaged as I usually would be although some of that is because of my feelings about football as a thing. But I booked the afternoon off for the first England game, I'll certainly be following them and will probably watch a reasonable number of neutral games because overall I do like the World Cup even if this one is certainly tainted.

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Originally Posted by Letters

Probably all because of the Covid Vaccine :sulk:


:run:

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Behave yourself :lol:

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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

Still can’t believe this is happening but the footballing world has had 12 years to do something meaningful about it, so I don’t really see why there has been all this uproar over the last few weeks, as though their human rights record and views on homosexuality has only just been discovered.

Couldn’t give 2 shits about this tournament to be honest, not going to make any concerted effort to watch games like I would with a normal World Cup.

Brazil or Argentina will win it I think.

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That’s human beings for you, whilst I do think a lot of especially sports journalists have very much tried to keep Qatar in the public eye, there’s been so much shit going on in and out of football that it gets forgotten. However I take your point, i think there is something to be said for the FA being behind England players taking the knee but quietly says nothing about this tournament.
Very western centric behaviour, it’s easy to take a stance on the easy issues

The other thing that doesn’t get talked about is that it’s going to be an organisational shit show, if you look at the Brazil and Russia World Cup which had their own problems but at least logistically they made sense because of how vastly spread out the tournament is. Here you have at most a 40 mile distance between the stadiums…the country is half the size of Yorkshire and you’ve got potentially the entire population of Qatar in terms of number descending upon the country to watch the tournament, you think of the pressure that will put on Doha international airport in terms of security, there’s no where near enough Hotels and they’ve even had to requisition cruise liners to dock on the harbours to become make shift hotels, security in stadiums and outside stadiums is a total nightmare and they haven’t even passed a safety certificate for some of them.
FIFA just don’t give a fuck that even if you look beyond human rights issues, this country just isn’t fit to host a tournament of this size.

The FCO should in my view in the strongest possible terms urge supporters not to travel

only just seen the England squad - it's good that Ben White's in as well as Saka and Ramsdale

overall though there's a lot of crap in there and i don't see us getting very far

as for the thing itself, like others here i won't pay as much attention as i do usually, the whole thing stinks

I'm pretty confident we'll get to the quarters. After that...well, it's only 3 games but we'll be playing proper sides then and you can't help feel we will come unstuck.
Last year broke me, if we can't win a home final then I don't think we'll ever win one :(
It isn't coming home.

Off to a promising start.

https://youtu.be/XERWe1uwhxI

Anyone who watches a single match is a liar to themselves. Or a person with so little integrity it might be said they have no integrity at all.

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

That’s human beings for you, whilst I do think a lot of especially sports journalists have very much tried to keep Qatar in the public eye, there’s been so much shit going on in and out of football that it gets forgotten. However I take your point, i think there is something to be said for the FA being behind England players taking the knee but quietly says nothing about this tournament.
Very western centric behaviour, it’s easy to take a stance on the easy issues

The other thing that doesn’t get talked about is that it’s going to be an organisational shit show, if you look at the Brazil and Russia World Cup which had their own problems but at least logistically they made sense because of how vastly spread out the tournament is. Here you have at most a 40 mile distance between the stadiums…the country is half the size of Yorkshire and you’ve got potentially the entire population of Qatar in terms of number descending upon the country to watch the tournament, you think of the pressure that will put on Doha international airport in terms of security, there’s no where near enough Hotels and they’ve even had to requisition cruise liners to dock on the harbours to become make shift hotels, security in stadiums and outside stadiums is a total nightmare and they haven’t even passed a safety certificate for some of them.
FIFA just don’t give a fuck that even if you look beyond human rights issues, this country just isn’t fit to host a tournament of this size.

The FCO should in my view in the strongest possible terms urge supporters not to travel

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Last I heard they killed 6,000 people to setup this marketing opportunity.

Real truth. I don't know the 6,000 people who died and, honesty, don't give a fuck. HOWEVER. I'd hate it to be said my enjoyment was based on 6,000 anonymous deaths. It'd be like watching a mega-snuff movie and yanking my tool anyway? I'd have to pause and wonder what sort of a cunt I'd have to be to engage in that.

But millions of ignorant cunts will consume. Braindead. Doing the current thing.

Then they'll vote.

Maybe explains a lot.

Oh, so NOW you care about lives being lost!

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Originally Posted by Xhaka Can’t

Oh, so NOW you care about lives being lost!

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I don't know the 6,000 people who died and, honesty, don't give a fuck.

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But I mentioned it about 2 years ago I think.

Was never watching the Shithole Cup. Made that clear in the past, I'm sure.

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

But I mentioned it about 2 years ago I think.

Was never watching the Shithole Cup. Made that clear in the past, I'm sure.

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Yeah, well I’m not watching it either.

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Originally Posted by Xhaka Can’t

Yeah, well I’m not watching it either.

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Will probably watch season 1-4 rerun of Game of Thrones while the shitshow is on.

And try to avoid the flags hanging out of the windows that harken back to a time when (even if it wasn't pure as snow) was digestible.

We're all guilty, but there are limits.

What difference will not watching make?

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Originally Posted by Xhaka Can’t

Oh, so NOW you care about lives being lost!

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no, he says quite explicitly he doesn't give a f*ck

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Originally Posted by Letters

What difference will not watching make?

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well it'll make me feel a bit cleaner i suppose, i'll look out for some of the big matches i like watching normally e.g. Germany v Holland or something - although i've no idea whether that fixture's a possibility as i haven't looked at the groups or their implications for how the tournament could play out - but that 'll be it

generally though i'll pretty much ignore it

I think if it was on PPV then "making a stand" would make more sense. I wouldn't go out of my way to fund this. But it's all free so... :shrug:
I don't see that me either ignoring it or fully engaging with it actually makes any difference, but if people want to do the former then that's fine.
It does certainly feel different, partly because of where it is but the when is a big factor too. There isn't the World Cup buzz you usually get in the run up to a tournament. I'll probably watch here and there. I actually booked Monday afternoon off to watch the first England game but to be honest I don't care about it that much.

https://twitter.com/theipaper/status...47151406911489

Gary posted that. Yeah, not ideal.
But c'mon, you surely want to see Gary Neville dragged off kicking and screaming by the authorities.

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Originally Posted by Letters

What difference will not watching make?

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Good point. A global TV audience in the billions is neither here nor there. I'm sure the sponsors will foot the bill regardless.

And the moral issue isn't worth a mention. Provided it doesn't harm us then no foul.

Neither is the theft and vandalisation of a sport that used to be accessible to the average punter.

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

Will probably watch season 1-4 rerun of Game of Thrones while the shitshow is on.

And try to avoid the flags hanging out of the windows that harken back to a time when (even if it wasn't pure as snow) was digestible.

We're all guilty, but there are limits.

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https://clickhole.com/heartbreaking-...gr-1825121606/

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

Good point. A global TV audience in the billions is neither here nor there. I'm sure the sponsors will foot the bill regardless.

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Of course they will. The TV and sponsorship deals are already signed.

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And the moral issue isn't worth a mention. Provided it doesn't harm us then no foul.

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It's definitely worth a mention.

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Neither is the theft and vandalisation of a sport that used to be accessible to the average punter.

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I have posted many times on here what a shitshow football is these days. I have little or no power to change that. One thing I have done is stop giving Arsenal my money. And I don't subscribe to any sport channels.
Other than that I have no real power to affect change.

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Originally Posted by Letters

Gary posted that. Yeah, not ideal.
But c'mon, you surely want to see Gary Neville dragged off kicking and screaming by the authorities.

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oh yeah, sorry XC

and well it's a close one with Neville but still...

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Originally Posted by Letters

Of course they will. The TV and sponsorship deals are already signed.


It's definitely worth a mention.


I have posted many times on here what a shitshow football is these days. I have little or no power to change that. One thing I have done is stop giving Arsenal my money. And I don't subscribe to any sport channels.
Other than that I have no real power to affect change.

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for me, i don't want to sit there watching matches taking place in stadiums which i know were built by, effectively, slaves - many of whom died in the process.

if you knew your office had been built by slaves would you feel comfortable going to work there?

I’ll still watch the England games and some of the other bigger matches. Normally I do what I can to watch as many games as possible but I just don’t give enough of a fuck about this to bother.

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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

I’ll still watch the England games and some of the other bigger matches. Normally I do what I can to watch as many games as possible but I just don’t give enough of a fuck about this to bother.

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Is that because of where it is or when it is or a bit of both?

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Originally Posted by Mac76

for me, i don't want to sit there watching matches taking place in stadiums which i know were built by, effectively, slaves - many of whom died in the process.

if you knew your office had been built by slaves would you feel comfortable going to work there?

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I don't know how I'd feel in that scenario.
I get why people might want to "boycott" it, I just personally don't think it'll make any difference. I like watching football so I'll probably watch here and there.
I'm just interested in the virtue signalling from some people* who usually baulk at that sort of thing...
(*not you)

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Originally Posted by Letters

Is that because of where it is or when it is or a bit of both?

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Bit of both. No way should it be held in a country like Qatar for whom it’s just another vehicle for sportswashing and the fact it’s in the middle of the season, a season where Arsenal also happen to be flying is quite annoying.

It’s all just a bit meh really. Maybe I’ll feel different when it’s underway.

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

Last I heard they killed 6,000 people to setup this marketing opportunity.

Real truth. I don't know the 6,000 people who died and, honesty, don't give a fuck. HOWEVER. I'd hate it to be said my enjoyment was based on 6,000 anonymous deaths. It'd be like watching a mega-snuff movie and yanking my tool anyway? I'd have to pause and wonder what sort of a cunt I'd have to be to engage in that.

But millions of ignorant cunts will consume. Braindead. Doing the current thing.

Then they'll vote.

Maybe explains a lot.

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Anyone - individual or organisation who says they’ll boycott this tournament, I’m actually of the view “ok you know what fair enough” and for the rest of us ? Well it’s cognitive dissonance….we know that we should probably do the same, but want the instant gratification of watching what we hope will be a decent tournament and try and compartmentalise that from everything else in the hope that we can convince ourselves we aren’t brazen hypocrites….well we are

I agree with a lot of that but are we being hypocrites?
I don't feel I'm condoning the Qatar regime or the way the World Cup ended up there by watching.
As I said, it's free to air, the sponsorship and TV deals are done. I'm not funding them.
If it was PPV and I had to actively pay and therefore fund this then I may take a different view.
I am less engaged than in a normal World Cup. Where it's hosted is a factor but bigger ones are a general lessening of interest in football as a sport and the time of year.
It just doesn't feel like a normal world cup, because it isn't one of course.

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Originally Posted by Letters

I agree with a lot of that but are we being hypocrites?
I don't feel I'm condoning the Qatar regime or the way the World Cup ended up there by watching.
As I said, it's free to air, the sponsorship and TV deals are done. I'm not funding them.
If it was PPV and I had to actively pay and therefore fund this then I may take a different view.
I am less engaged than in a normal World Cup. Where it's hosted is a factor but bigger ones are a general lessening of interest in football as a sport and the time of year.
It just doesn't feel like a normal world cup, because it isn't one of course.

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BBC and ITV’s decision to bid to win the right to screen this tournament free to air is predicated on getting the required viewer numbers, a mass decision by viewers to switch off would give these channels pause for thought in the event that a sporting tournament like the World Cup is in future given to a country like Qatar (let’s be fair FIFA is no less objectionable than it was when that little goblin Sepp Blatter was running the show).

Plus regardless of whether we can affect change, by watching we are tacitly condoning that this is a World Cup built on the bodies of over 6,000 men who would otherwise be alive today. I almost never agree with NQ but he’s absolutely right on this.

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

BBC and ITV’s decision to bid to win the right to screen this tournament free to air is predicated on getting the required viewer numbers, a mass decision by viewers to switch off would give these channels pause for thought in the event that a sporting tournament like the World Cup is in future given to a country like Qatar

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A fairly reasonable point, although this World Cup is very much an outlier.

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by watching we are tacitly condoning that this is a World Cup built on the bodies of over 6,000 men who would otherwise be alive today.

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I don't really agree, and if you believe that then I'm surprised you'd watch any of it.

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Originally Posted by Letters

What difference will not watching make?

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I don’t care about what difference it will make.

FIFA pushed me past my own personal tipping point of what I can stomach - so, I’m out.

That's fine. So long as you acknowledge that people have different tipping points.
I'm not convinced there's a clear right or wrong about where that point is.

I don’t care who watches or not - that is their choice.

But thanks for letting me know its ok for me not to want to watch as long as I’m aware that people have different tipping points.

I was hoping you wouldn’t overrule my conscience.

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Originally Posted by Letters

I don't know how I'd feel in that scenario.
I get why people might want to "boycott" it, I just personally don't think it'll make any difference. I like watching football so I'll probably watch here and there.
I'm just interested in the virtue signalling from some people* who usually baulk at that sort of thing...
(*not you)

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to whom am i signalling virtue?

i'm not a politician or an international brand - just someone who won't feel comfortable or enjoy watching this corrupt BS - (except Germany v Holland :lol: (if it happens))

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Originally Posted by Xhaka Can’t

I don’t care about what difference it will make.

FIFA pushed me past my own personal tipping point of what I can stomach - so, I’m out.

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it's this

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Originally Posted by Mac76

to whom am i signalling virtue?

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Literally said "not you" at the end...