Blatter suggests dropping anthems

Gaz · Post by **Gaz** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 11:00 am

What an idiot, it's all part of watching an international game, don't know about other people but it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when our national anthem is sung.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has suggested national anthems should be scrapped before international games.
Blatter was upset by booing during the anthems in the World Cup play-off between Turkey and Switzerland.

"I consider it extremely disrespectful and of course disparaging to national pride," Blatter told Swiss magazine Schweizer Illustrierte.

"I'm wondering whether it makes sense to play the national anthems. We should at least consider not playing them."

A Fifa spokesman told BBC Sport that Blatter's comments were his own personal opinion and no official moves had been made to do away with national anthems.

But Blatter believes the booing of anthems may contribute to crowd trouble.

In Istanbul, the home fans booed the Swiss anthem, after the Turkish team had earlier complained about Swiss fans whistling over their national anthem ahead of the play-off first leg in Bern.

The second leg ended with the victorious Swiss players running for the tunnel as missiles were thrown from the crowd.

As they reached the players' tunnel, a fight broke out with their Turkish counterparts.

Blatter added: "We could also insist that the teams shake hands after the match.

"We cannot have the situation where the winning team is unable to celebrate but must instead sprint off the pitch like thieves."

Fifa has launched an investigation into events at Istanbul.

the-mole · Post by **the-mole** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 11:09 am

Anyone know what country that idiot is from........

SWITZERLAND!!!

It is only because something has happened which has affected his own country that such actions will be taken.

budgiebasher · Post by **budgiebasher** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 12:13 pm

The bloke is losing the plot, there's no greater pride than singing your national anthem along with 60,000 others, if it gets booed it should just make the players more determined to win and get one over on 'em.

Dubai Blue · Post by **Dubai Blue** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 3:17 am

Indeed. If people are aggresive and worked up enough to boo the opposition national anthem it is not because the anthem is being played. That aggression as already there.

Sure it shows a lack of respect but it can gee up visiting players and be highly counterproductive.

Mind you I would like to see handshaking after the match although sometimes when it has been narky on the pitch you just want to see the players get back to the changing rooms asap rather than have the chance to wind each other up or 'deliberately' not shake hands. Maybe its just creating another area which will need policing.

Post by **Dazza** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 5:26 am

It doesnt matter, we always sing God Save the Queen at the start of the second half, so we'd just have to do it at the start of the match too and twice as loud as normal!!!!

Proud to be English

the-mole · Post by **the-mole** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 9:29 am

Just had a thought about all of this shaking hands at the end of a game etc.

Now I played rugby last season and played it alot as a kid for school teams. Some of the matches I had competed in were verging on dangerous violence. Some of the play was of a highly dodgy type normally involving dangerous tackles and such.

Why is this relevant - simple - we played some highly charged games. People would be battered beyond all belief yet at the end of the game both teams would shake hands, form a tunnel and clap each side off.

No-one can sit here and tell me that rugby is not as passionate as football - perhaps if this sportsmanship was introduced into football at a lower level then we would reap the benefits of better national game. If the players can play fairly and in a sportsmanlike manner this will in turn cool the fans off.

I guess that is too simple for the twats in charge of world footy though!!!

Dubai Blue · Post by **Dubai Blue** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 10:20 am

With you there Mole for a change (today

)

freeblue · Post by **freeblue** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 1:33 pm

I think someone should drop him from a very tall building.

McDonna29 · Post by **McDonna29** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 8:51 am

the-mole wrote:Just had a thought about all of this shaking hands at the end of a game etc.

Now I played rugby last season and played it alot as a kid for school teams. Some of the matches I had competed in were verging on dangerous violence. Some of the play was of a highly dodgy type normally involving dangerous tackles and such.

Why is this relevant - simple - we played some highly charged games. People would be battered beyond all belief yet at the end of the game both teams would shake hands, form a tunnel and clap each side off.

No-one can sit here and tell me that rugby is not as passionate as football - perhaps if this sportsmanship was introduced into football at a lower level then we would reap the benefits of better national game. If the players can play fairly and in a sportsmanlike manner this will in turn cool the fans off.

I guess that is too simple for the twats in charge of world footy though!!!

Footballers could learn a lot from rugby, the biggest difference IMO is respect, for fellow players regardless of team and the officials. Rarely do you see rugby players screaming and shouting at the officials and whilst they might be battering seven shades out of each other during the match, at the end no one would think twice about not acknowledging the other teams players.

As far as the national anthem thing is concerned, like Dazza says, whether it's "officially" done or not, it's still gonna get sung anyway. Imagine the atmosphere anyway, 30,000 England fans and 30,000 other countries fans all singing their national anthems at the same time trying to out-volume the other nationality! Probably enough noise to make your ears bleed