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Boycott Qatar

Amokachi said:
Sorry IF SEB, but from the Sunday Times -

In the strip-lit glare of the hospital ward in Kathmandu, Amit Ali Magar winced in pain as a nurse eased a needle into his arm. It was his second kidney dialysis session of the week, and afterwards he’d be so exhausted that he’d barely be able to stand. He had a high risk of having a heart attack or stroke, and an average life expectancy of between five and ten years. He was 24.
Magar did not envisage this future for himself when he left home for the Gulf three years ago. He was promised £220 a month and reasonable working conditions to work as a carpenter at the al-Thumama football stadium, one of the eight new and refurbished arenas being built for the World Cup in Qatar next year.
Like the former England captain David Beckham, who recently agreed a deal worth a reported £150 million to be a global ambassador for the tournament, he saw in the Gulf monarchy’s ambitious plans an opportunity to improve his circumstances.
But the reality proved very different for Magar, a talented footballer who used to play every day with his friends and who worshipped Neymar and Lionel Messi.
“It was really torture to work there,” he told me late last month in the hospital ward where he was waiting to be hooked up to a dialysis machine. Tens of thousands of migrant labourers have built the venues, hotels and infrastructure for next year’s tournament over a decade. Today, a silent plague of suffering among them can be revealed — in the plight of people like Magar, whose lives will be cut short by life-changing kidney damage that doctors say is likely to be linked to working conditions he experienced in Qatar.
In interviews, more than a dozen doctors and public health experts — most of them in Nepal — said that, based on their interactions with patients, significant numbers of healthy young men were leaving home to work in the Gulf and returning with kidney diseases so severe that they required either transplants or dialysis. Each doctor said that they saw new cases every month — some as many as ten a week — and many said they believed that the problem was becoming increasingly acute. Three estimated that about one fifth of dialysis patients in Nepal were workers who had returned from the Gulf.
The evidence will lead to extra scrutiny of the England team ahead of the World Cup. During qualifiers for the tournament, the Norwegian, Dutch and German national teams held on-pitch protests against Qatar’s human rights record. But in England criticism from within the game has so far been more muted.
In Qatar, Magar was forced to work outside all day in temperatures that can soar to over 45C. It was so hot, he said, that the workers used to pour water into their shoes so that their feet didn’t burn.
This unbearable heat persuaded the organisers to move the tournament from July 2022 to the end of November. Players, it was felt, wouldn’t be able to compete for 90 minutes in such temperatures, and fans would be uncomfortable.
For the migrant workers, however, it was apparently acceptable.
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f***ing horrific
 

I have a lot of sympathy for the views on here about some sort ot boycott. However, when Qatar was announced as hosts it was OBVIOUS that there had been bribes and corruption to get the place assigned (Yes I did say it at the time as many people did). Having lived in nearby Kuwait for many years the whole idea of a siummer world cup was never on. People talked about evening matches because of the heat --remember at 2 in the morning in Qatar, in the summer, it is over 100 degrees F - anyone knowing region knew that!! Construction throuout the middle east has a horrendous Health and Saftey record - deaths were inevitable -- it was known years ago. So NOW we want to boycott????? That horse has gone and the barn door stills swings open!
 
IanS said:
I have a lot of sympathy for the views on here about some sort ot boycott. However, when Qatar was announced as hosts it was OBVIOUS that there had been bribes and corruption to get the place assigned (Yes I did say it at the time as many people did). Having lived in nearby Kuwait for many years the whole idea of a siummer world cup was never on. People talked about evening matches because of the heat --remember at 2 in the morning in Qatar, in the summer, it is over 100 degrees F - anyone knowing region knew that!! Construction throuout the middle east has a horrendous Health and Saftey record - deaths were inevitable -- it was known years ago. So NOW we want to boycott????? That horse has gone and the barn door stills swings open!
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You can't boycott something If you haven't qualified for it or been picked to play in it. Were Wayne Rooney and John Terry going to announce a boycott of it in 2010 even though they'd be retired? It would have been hilarious if England decided to boycott it then didn't even qualify anyway

Now is the exact time for this to gather pace , a year out. The world is much more ethically and socially aware nowadays, social media can be a juggernaut when it gets moving in a certain direction, and all it will take is one or two companies to realise the cooperate and financial benefits of being associated with being anti-qatar and things would start moving.

It would have utterly pointless doing that 10 years ago as it all would have been forgotten about. Now's the time. I hope it happens

If it doesn't, I'll watch the England games with the lads like normal. But I'd love us to jack it. Won't even feel like a proper world cup anyway
 
IanS said:
I have a lot of sympathy for the views on here about some sort ot boycott. However, when Qatar was announced as hosts it was OBVIOUS that there had been bribes and corruption to get the place assigned (Yes I did say it at the time as many people did). Having lived in nearby Kuwait for many years the whole idea of a siummer world cup was never on. People talked about evening matches because of the heat --remember at 2 in the morning in Qatar, in the summer, it is over 100 degrees F - anyone knowing region knew that!! Construction throuout the middle east has a horrendous Health and Saftey record - deaths were inevitable -- it was known years ago. So NOW we want to boycott????? That horse has gone and the barn door stills swings open!
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A lot of fans said at the time they would not watch it and it should be boycotted, though as Englands were favourites to host that one, it did seem like sour grapes. It would not have gathered much momentum then either. Most fans would have shrugged and said we will see at the time. Now it is the next big event and beyond the corruption of the award (which there was an investigation but most of the paperwork was “lost”), we now know the death toll and we now know that it has been moved.

So, what are you suggesting, because any campaign didn’t get off the ground years ago, we should shrug it off and either attend or watch every game? Give FIFA and the sponsors their wad of cash and have it show as a roaring success?
 
I love this blog post by Richard Key's in which he attacks Eddie Howe for not challenging the moral issues of the Saudi takeover and how it's bigger than football, yet in the same breath, condemns Coady for raising world cup concerns and telling him to stick to football. 🤣

Some people are literally all over the place.

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Emcon said:
The taking-the-knee issue was always about compulsion and that escaped so many of the left around the site. So, whether your performing a roman salute(1936), or giving interviews to the media to promote the tournament, or taking the knee and your compelled, be it orders from management, or peer pressure then your flat out wrong to say the two issues are separate.

I will boycott the tournament because the whole thing is crooked and the beautiful game has become increasingly corrupted. For those players who see race as 'the' most important issue, I don't see how a big fat cheque makes the issue lesser in your mind and that calls into question the morals in the first place and a serious lack of commitment when money is involved.

An honest man is a rare find.
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Honest, but not proud of it.
 
IanS said:
I have a lot of sympathy for the views on here about some sort ot boycott. However, when Qatar was announced as hosts it was OBVIOUS that there had been bribes and corruption to get the place assigned (Yes I did say it at the time as many people did). Having lived in nearby Kuwait for many years the whole idea of a siummer world cup was never on. People talked about evening matches because of the heat --remember at 2 in the morning in Qatar, in the summer, it is over 100 degrees F - anyone knowing region knew that!! Construction throuout the middle east has a horrendous Health and Saftey record - deaths were inevitable -- it was known years ago. So NOW we want to boycott????? That horse has gone and the barn door stills swings open!
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Now is not the time, next August is! However we need Germany France and Italy ( if they qualify!) too. The cream of Europe walking away would be a great humiliation for FIFA . The remaining teams would be playing for a hollow victory.
 
One fan zone. Only there or hotels serving alcohol.
Poss pints £5 fan zone but tenner in hotels.
Dry restaurants.
Not allowed to take shirt off unless on beach.
No public shows of affection. Mixed or same sex, hence celebrations will be fun.

Respect our laws
 
Norton said:
Now is not the time, next August is! However we need Germany France and Italy ( if they qualify!) too. The cream of Europe walking away would be a great humiliation for FIFA . The remaining teams would be playing for a hollow victory.
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The major European nations don’t need FIFA. Unless there is a massive tie in with a national contract or in every players contract that is. You are right that if the top 10 European nations walked away (especially if they could take Brazil and Argentina too) and set up a Cup Of World Nations, FIFA would cease to exist as a meaningful body within 2 years. It would take one nation brave enough to be the first to stand up and say it, but others would soon follow.

I’m not sure if we have the international standing at the moment after spending the last 6 years politically breaking away from other nations. But if one of the three nations you said did it and we quickly followed, the other two would come. I suspect Sweden, Holland and Spain would be close behind. Add Norway and Denmark and you have a canny 8 team tournament in itself.

Money talks though. Would that get the lucrative sponsorship deals?
 
DaveH said:
The major European nations don’t need FIFA. Unless there is a massive tie in with a national contract or in every players contract that is. You are right that if the top 10 European nations walked away (especially if they could take Brazil and Argentina too) and set up a Cup Of World Nations, FIFA would cease to exist as a meaningful body within 2 years. It would take one nation brave enough to be the first to stand up and say it, but others would soon follow.

I’m not sure if we have the international standing at the moment after spending the last 6 years politically breaking away from other nations. But if one of the three nations you said did it and we quickly followed, the other two would come. I suspect Sweden, Holland and Spain would be close behind. Add Norway and Denmark and you have a canny 8 team tournament in itself.

Money talks though. Would that get the lucrative sponsorship deals?
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If a European super league attracted sponsor I think this would. I don't think FIFA run the world cup at a loss😁
 
Anyway, the Countdown Clock is now active from yesterday, counting down the days, hours, minutes and seconds to the start which is now 364 days away.

World Cup ambassador to Qatar, David Beckham, looking beautiful and in attendance at the opening ceremony on Doha Corniche yesterday.

Hurrah!
 
Dubai Si said:
Anyway, the Countdown Clock is now active from yesterday, counting down the days, hours, minutes and seconds to the start which is now 364 days away.

World Cup ambassador to Qatar, David Beckham, looking beautiful and in attendance at the opening ceremony on Doha Corniche yesterday.

Hurrah!
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I wonder if that bastard will ever have enough money
 
How does Beckham get away so lightly? It’s disgusting that he has taken this big pay day (which he doesn’t need) to represent Qatar. He somehow manages to escape criticism and this should be killing his precious brand which he cares about so deeply.
 
Thatheaderman said:
One fan zone. Only there or hotels serving alcohol.
Poss pints £5 fan zone but tenner in hotels.
Dry restaurants.
Not allowed to take shirt off unless on beach.
No public shows of affection. Mixed or same sex, hence celebrations will be fun.

Respect our laws
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Make sure you’re not a Muslim gay, you may be executed, think non Muslim gays only go to prison. What a lovely country to host a World Cup.
 
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As the title of the thread says really, does the nature of this tournament mean that football has gone too far? It's something I personally have been struggling with and the closer the tournament gets, the more I have been thinking about how I really feel about it?

Before you get into the human rights aspect there's the vast corruption which went into Qatar being awarded the tournament in the first place (along with Russia in 2018) and then the human rights situation. 6'500 deaths, mostly migrant workers who have been paid pittance are dead just so that we can watch a Football tournament for four weeks, it doesn't sit comfortably with me at all. For those of us who were never realistically going to attend the tournament in person, how do you boycott it? Not watch it on the tv? Refuse to purchase anything by the sponsors?

It's a tough choice to make for genuine football supporters who have a social conscience . It's why I have an element of sympathy for some of those who follow our nearest neighbours (not the tits turning up to games wearing tea towels on their heads, fuck those c**nts) Imagine if SAFC were associated with a despot regime like that? No amount of trophies could make me feel at ease with that.

Like I say, those 6'500 who have died in Qatar were someone's dad, brother and son... I don't think I could enjoy a tournament knowing that cloud was hanging over it.
 
Jelly Belly said:
You must be logged on to see external links

As the title of the thread says really, does the nature of this tournament mean that football has gone too far? It's something I personally have been struggling with and the closer the tournament gets, the more I have been thinking about how I really feel about it?

Before you get into the human rights aspect there's the vast corruption which went into Qatar being awarded the tournament in the first place (along with Russia in 2018) and then the human rights situation. 6'500 deaths, mostly migrant workers who have been paid pittance are dead just so that we can watch a Football tournament for four weeks, it doesn't sit comfortably with me at all. For those of us who were never realistically going to attend the tournament in person, how do you boycott it? Not watch it on the tv? Refuse to purchase anything by the sponsors?

It's a tough choice to make for genuine football supporters who have a social conscience . It's why I have an element of sympathy for some of those who follow our nearest neighbours (not the tits turning up to games wearing tea towels on their heads, fuck those c**nts) Imagine if SAFC were associated with a despot regime like that? No amount of trophies could make me feel at ease with that.

Like I say, those 6'500 who have died in Qatar were someone's dad, brother and son... I don't think I could enjoy a tournament knowing that cloud was hanging over it.
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Won’t be having anything to do with it.
 
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