Thierry Henry has done me a rather dubious favour

By Pamela Weaver

It’s taken me 23 years, but at last I understand why my old man, who is English, still can’t let go of Maradona’s infamous “hand of God” goal against England in the 1986 World Cup. Next time he enters into what, for more than two decades, I have only ever heard as some kind of hybrid diatribe-monologue, I might actually show some empathy, even as he moves on to his exposition of the just-as-famous second goal for the shell-shock-exploiting product that it really was.

Thierry Henry’s refusal to apologise and disingenuous statement to the effect that he is “not the ref” might not be quite as audacious as Maradona crediting the “hand of God” for his goal, but it is no less galling. Defender Richard Dunne’s revelation that, as he sat gobsmacked on the pitch after the final whistle, Henry came up to him and told him Ireland should have won the match only adds insult to injury. The sense of grievance for Irish fans is compounded by Fifa’s earlier goalpost-moving decision to seed the playoffs — a move viewed by many as a cynical exercise to ensure that the financially lucrative German team would make it to South Africa should they not overcome a group-stage speed wobble.

Ireland, having been charged with making their way past the twin hurdles of both the champions and runners-up in the 2006 tournament, can but marvel at the fact that the only people on the planet who appeared not to see Henry’s double-dipping were the match officials. The well-placed linesman’s failure to blow for the clear offside that preceded the “incident” will no doubt add to the sense of conspiracy, but on a night when the visiting side played the hosts off the pitch, the least Ireland deserved was a bite at the penalty shoot-out, where a seriously on-form Shay Given might well have found his own “hand of God” status.

Many commentators have, for years, been calling for the introduction of television referees to the game — if any one recent incident illustrates the need for it (and perhaps, the reason for Fifa’s resistance) it’s last night’s debacle. With so much at stake, seeing a side cheated out of a fair crack of the whip dilutes everything that is so good about the beautiful game. Yes, it’s only a game, which is what makes cheating to win all the harder to take. At a time when players are (rightly) carded for diving in the penalty area and Fifa going through the motions prior to every game with its “Fair Play” initiative, it leaves a sour taste to see cheating to richly rewarded.

The dust might only be beginning to settle on the night the luck of the Irish ran out, but already I’m wondering what might happen in the event that England and France make it to the final in South Africa. The prospect of slews of Irish fans being forced to decide between the twin evils of 800 years of oppression versus Gallic cheating is almost too much for me. Of course, the real fence-sitters will wax lyrical about Spain flattering to deceive yet again (European Championship win aside), but I have a suspicion that, for the first time, I won’t be the only person in the bar cheering for our neighbours across the water.

Pamela Weaver is an Irish football supporter living in Cape Town.