What plea of mitigation??? :-) ZZ apologized to everyone but Materazzi in his interview, but also said he doesn't regret whaat he did.

Get a grip, Alan. There are far dirtier players out there than ZZ, and they get away with it because the abuse is verbal not physical. Your comments about ZZ (calling him a [censored], etc) show that you're not much better than Materzzi, or for that matter, ZZ himself. It's a physical sport, tempers are lost. It was an irresponsible mistake, but nothing more. All the morality stuff is rubbish.

As for your comparisons between sportsmen and explorers, what's the big deal in hero worshipping people who invaded other countries, subjegated the inhabitants and stole them blind?

As for shame, right now, most of the admiration in the media is for ZZ. Materazzi and the rest are looking like a bunch of crooks and thugs. At least Materazzi should have had the testicles to also admit what he said and take it like a man. I guess he's waiting for the FIFA hearing to be over.

WC

Who the hell is team GB? That bunch of losers was ENGLAND

Cheers

Craig

Hi Benjamin,

Nice set of Gernay armour there mate. Here's little taster for you. I'm in China at the moment and after much searching found a little model shop. Not excessively stocked but The Dragon Sd.Kfz.265 kleine Panzerbefehlswagen I - 3 in 1 kit just cost me 95 yen that's just less than 6 pounds 78 pence

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

Who cares about the football anyway.

Cheers

Al

Hi David,

Sorry mate - closed subject on my part.

Back to the modelling it's much more fun.

Cheers

Al

Craig, you are right. My bad LOL.

Alan,

Where are ya in China? I went to China twice Shanghai, Nanjing, and Beijing. The scenic views are breathtaking and the food are excellent! I didnt find any model shop there and really curious what is it like. The kit you bought is a bargain! It's about $10 USD here in the state! Woohoo!

Oh, not to bring up the subject again, the Chinese LOVES football!

Have fun there, to me it's a twice in a life experience

WC

Well, a lot of opinions for someone who doesn't know much about the guy... Perhaps someone should start talking about what he has given back to football - in the form of huge amounts to charities giving kids from inner city areas the chance to do something constructive with their lives... Not a saint perhaps, but a pretty decent guy nevertheless...

So how much more effective would it have been for Zizou to have played the full 90, no reactions, won the frigging cup, and in the ensuing press conference highlighted the words used by that Italian defender as a disgrace and publicly shamed him? Would have taken the fight against racism about 10 steps in the 'right' direction...
I am too surprised that a player that has probably endured the same if not worse throughout his career, would have chosen that moment to snap...
Don't get me wrong, I was a big fan of his skills and leadership throughout his career, and he shouldn't have tolerated any form of racist slurs levelled at him, but jeez, there's a time and a place...

Hi jim and greetings all,

What's up, you think it's OK to Head Butt people when your playing a game of football? Fine that's you opinion and you welcome to express it and defend it.

I've given my opinion and I given the reasons for it, sound valid reasons not emotions. If you don't like them OK, but don't attack me because I happen to have expressed them. I been around mate and don't take that from anyone - no offence intended just a statement of fact.

Bradleys right, there's a time and a place - he picked the wrong time and place. We can all have sympathy with him after the event, that doesn't change the fact that he shouldn't have done what he did in the way he did it.

These people are heros for millions of young impressionable people. If they see that it's OK to act in this manner and get away with it then they will act accordingly. I cannot understand how people cannot recognise just how damaging these things are and how much they impress upon the younger generation.

There's a right way and a wrong way to deal with stuff and he choose the wrong way, my opinions expesss that and the impression the event left on me at that time. We can all be wise after the event.

It has taken him years to build up a career, he may well have done many good deeds for charity, God knows they are paid enough, but all that has been undone in a moment and what he will be remembered for is this incident. It will be talked about and argued over for years, people will fight over it and get injured, possibly stabbed and killed as a result of it
and lots of young kids will think it's cool to head butt their mates in the playground over a penalty goal or a push or a shove.

Sorry mate but sometimes you need to make a statement, take a stand that is unpopular. If you disagree then that's fine by me, each of us has different values and standards that we live by and that is just life. Having some kind of 'Flame War' about it, and trying to make me look stupid, won't change anything because the event has already taken place.

Football's an emotive sport, it is a great game but like everything in life it is played by a set of rules and governed by a set of standards and laws, in the same way society is governed and regulated. If you break those rules and laws then there are consequences and criticism of his actions is the least of those.

With all this media attention his future is secure anyway ,as he can always do a Vinnie Jones and go to Holywood as a hardman, make lots of money and put two fingers up to the world if he wants.

The impression the event has left with me hasn't changed, neither has my condemnation of it. This isn't about what a great guy he is, it's about his actions and the consequences of those actions.

Now if you wish to continue the debate, just leave me out of it. I've said what I think and that's that. Maybe his mother didn't teach him this childhood rhyme.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones,
but names will never hurt me".

Ring a bell ??????


Cheers

Al

Alan, since you'd never heard of Zidane before the WC, you obviously no nothing of football, obviously. but for someone who says it's a closed subject, you insist on ranting along, though, so I'll say a bit more.

Impressionable youngsters, eh? Let's impress them then by fixing matches and bribing refs. Let's impress them by saying that there's nothing worth standing up for, and that winning is all that matters. Let's show 'em that the best way to win a game is by rolling around and crying rather than playing. Let's show 'em that the way to win is to have people sent off.

Zidane made a mistake and paid for it with the red card. That'll do for me. What would you prefer, Alan, prison?

It's funny that most of the venom is coming from people who have either never heard of ZZ or no nothing about football.

OK David,

I ignored you first personal attack on me (the get a grip comment), because I treated it with the contempt it deserves. I responded to Jim's post because it too had become personal and that's really not on, you want to disagree with me that's fine, you want to insult my intelligence and be rude and insulting that's a different matter.

I don't need to know every single player in the world to 'know about football' and becasue I live in a free society I can have an opinion if I want. Maybe you're a very keen football fan and you know all the names of all the players in the world. Good for you. Maybe you know their life stories and the size of boots they wear. Good for you.

Maybe you think it's OK to assault people. Maybe you think that sort of behaviour is an acceptable norm in society. If that's you're opinion your entitled to it., but don't dare tell me I can't express an opinion on something I feel strongly about and don't you dare try and make a fool out of me with your insuting remarks.

If you assault someone, then your going to get punished. Prison? Now there's a thought. If the authorities feel there is sufficient evidence to bring a prosecution then that's up to them and a judge to decide or don't you believe in the rule of law either.

Actually I'd clap loudly, and it would certainely send out the right message to all those who think it's OK to behave in anyway they want and that there won't be any consequences. People have been sent to prison for a lot less.

You think I'm being too hard on Mr Zidane, well he's a big boy now and I'm sure it will be like water off a ducks back, although somehow I doubt very much if he logs on to Armorama but of course I could be wrong.

Your profile shows the outline of what I assume would be a reasonably intelligent and responsible person. Your response shows the attitude of a irrisponsible spolit 10 year old with little or no manners who's had his cookie stolen. Of course football does that sometimes doesn't it?

Now have you got the message?

Al

Now who's being insulting!?!?! You seem to defend your right to an opinion with what amounts to a religious zeal, but it seems that unless all around you succumb to your interpretation of what is right and wrong, then it's.... hand bags at 20 paces time..... How about you noticing that your opinion on this subject matter is quite secluded...... and tiresome, and accept it without your usual response.

I think of all the reactions he could have done for whatever insult was hurled at him, the headbutt was the cheapest of cheap shots. That is what really bothers me more than anything. If ZZ would have challenged him like a man to a fight on the field face up I would have given him credit.

David, as usual, you are on the button. I'm sick of a collection of people allowing their own tiny little prejudices against football to get in the way,

I'll repeat it. If you don't know anything about the subject, then calm down in the respose dept.

Unfortunately football lost its way years ago as a sport as far as I’m concerned. Now there’s too much money involved, the players think they’re something special and gods gift to everyone. The aim of the game is to win by cheating. Falling down at the slightest tackle or even when nobodies even touched them trying to get the opponent a red card or if that doesn’t work goading the other sides best players into a reaction such as we saw in the world cup final. The whole games pathetic.

As far as the head butt thing goes I can’t condemn him. I think the Italian got off lightly.

Will this corrupt any kids? LOL of course not. All you got to do is look at the computer games they play where you kill everyone on site, Look at the violence in the TV programs they watch, even the bloody cartoons are violent. Add to that programs like big brother where every other word is f**k and just about anything goes and I think kids are pretty well screwed up anyway without worrying about a head butt.
I’ve heard kids coming out of junior school aged around 7 or 8 talking about what went on last night on BB and using all the language.

There’s a lot more to worry about than Zidane.


Edit. Oh yeah, Footballers run around crying when they loose, Real men eh LOL

Hi Alan, Vic

I agree with you and a lot of what Vic says, like football lost it's way years ago and your right Vic that there are important things to worry about the Zidane's headbut.

Hmmm, cheapest of cheap shots, veyr apt. There seems to be a lot of that around at the moment. FUBAR.

I can't really comment on what Materazzi said, as it hasn't been reported here or if it has my Chinese isn't good enough to understand it.

Not sure how reliable a Mexican Lip Reader is but if he said what he said then lets hope the Football Authorities Deal with him too, although as someone pointed out earlier that's one house that needs cleaning up and pretty much fits in with what Vic said about the overall decline of the game.

Cheers

Al

Isn't a Mexican lip reader only capable of reading Mexican lips?

I have heard the Italian guy has said everything from calling the French player a terrorist to insulting his mother and sister. Regardless, players insult other players all the time. They are still just some distasteful words. I still think the headbutt was a cheap way to retaliate. Both players exhibited unsportsman like conduct but the French guy definitely came out of the worst end. It was such a weenie choice of distasteful display of unsportsmanlike conduct.

Now, just why does this remind me of a Daily Express editorial?

Still trying to wind it up Jim - how pathetic.

Al

No Alan, your misinformed, prejudiced and (usual) 3 page editorial managed to stir it up sufficiently. Just as a FYI, football has changed somewhat from Roy of the Rovers days...Jim :-)

Faking injury is cheap. Coming back to the game with injured shoulder is not . Calling someone's mother and sister prostitutes is cheap. Defending your family and honor in front of millions of fans is not.

I would think less of him if Zizou did not do what he did. Even if he won the World Cup.

WC

Well I sort of agree with you Wildcard. I just think he should have taken on the guy with a swing, not a headbutt. Between headbutt and nothing he should have done nothing. Defend with honor. I guess I found absolutely no honor in the headbutt.

Ha, Now there's a name that showes you age Jim and mine too. I haven't heard that one in a long time. :-) :-) :-) :-)

There's were some great comics about when I was a kid, there were a series of Commando Books that covered the war and then there was Sgt Fury and his Howling Commandos along with all the Super Heros like Batman and Spiderman etc, etc.

God that's going back a few years - there was a great trade in swapping books, can't remember the prices 1s or 1s6d fortunately my elder brother was an avid reader so I just got them from him.

Yip, by gone days, I was never a big fan of Roy of the Rovers, but he was a popular hero for some.

Cheers

Al

Actually, I'm not a keen football fan. I haven't played it since I left school. I much prefer rugby. However I, and most of the world's population outside North America who have actually heard of the sport of football, have heard of ZZ. He's up there with the alltime greats. You haven't, however, which in itself is amazing. What is still more amazing is that you spout on about a subject you've confessed you know little about, and continue to attack anyone who disagrees with your venom. If you want to have an unopposed opinion, write a book. As for 10-year-old, you're the one who insists that something is so and that no one's going to change your mind. If your mind's made up, move on, don't continue to argue like a child. No one's telling you that you can't have an opinion, just that we think you're wrong. If you don't like personal attacks, don't level them against others. Including ZZ.

Hmmmm, I moved on some time ago - sticks and stones and all that.

Cheers

Al :-) :-) :-) :-)