The Second City Derby is always a powder keg on top of a bonfire in a nuclear waste repository, but the timing on Birmingham fans' decision to invade the pitch and chuck flares at Aston Villa supporters as a depraved way of celebrating a 2-1 Carling Cup quarterfinal win was less than ideal. Earlier in the day, Prince William, David Beckham and Prime Minister David Cameron charmed their way through a World Cup bid presentation to the voting members of FIFA's executive committee. The scenes at St. Andrews Stadium probably weren't what they had in mind as a final statement the night before a decision on the 2018 World Cup is to be made, though.
The '80s revival movement that took place on the pitch as Birmingham's pitch invaders charged toward the away supporters, throwing flares over the human wall of riot police that quickly assembled, and dodging the torn-up seats hurled by Villa supporters probably won't do much to affect the bid at this late stage, but still...it wasn't good.
Said Birmingham manager Alex McLeish after the ugliness (via the Guardian):
"I'm disappointed by that side of things," he told Sky Sports. "Fans shouldn't come on to the pitch at any time. It soured it a bit for us.
"I don't think that will affect the World Cup bid, I'm sure that's already decided, and let's hope England gets it because it deserves it. It doesn't look good though, when you see fans running on the pitch like that and carrying on. It takes us back to the Dark Ages."
The Dark Ages, you say? As this World Cup bid process and the corruption it has brought to the surface shows, FIFA -- with all its cronyism and collusion -- seems to be right there in the Dark Ages, too. What a coincidence.
Photos: Reuters, Getty Images
Katie Cassidy Estella Warren Cinthia Moura Monica Potter Brittany Snow
No comments:
Post a Comment