Another Reason To Despise Blair

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

As an avid football fan who cares more for the game than anything else, I was sickened by something I found out earlier today.

Whilst watching the European Championship Final earlier, I noticed both the Prime Minister of Greece, Konstandinos Karamanlis, and Portugal, our new EU friend Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, were in the stands supporting their nation's football team as well as the President of Portugal, Jorge Sampaio.

I then remebered that in most of the games I'd watched, which was all but one (France .v. Greece), the leaders of the countries involved were in attendance. Infact, I'm pretty certain that in every game, they showed the Prime Ministers and Presidents of always one and usually two of the teams on show. Except one.

Yes, Mr. Blair.

I decided to invstigate this with the help of a couple of websites including mainly the UEFA site. What I found angered me more than Holland not getting to the final.

UEFA delegates 15 tickets to "dignitaries" of each country for each of their games. This is for the Prime Minister and 14 people of his choosing. Neither Tony Blair or any British government ministers took the offer of these tickets.

Thus, there were 15 empty seats. 15 empty seats that the common football lover like myself and my Dad cannot get because of the huge demand. Instead, we watch the games at home with the wonderful assistance of the BBC.

However, I cannot help but feel bitterness to these bureaucrats for not appreciting what they are given as a gift when it is something the rest of Europe would love to get their hands on.

If I could, I would rummage around the bins of Downing Street, find these tickets and slap him around the face with them all.

[h&s]

Yeah. but just think; If he did go someone would be saying that people are dying in Iraq every day because of him, yet he has nothing better to do than watch a game of football.

[Saint-Just]

I don't think people would say that because we all love football so much. It angers me that Blair didn't go since he claims to be a football fan.

[h&s]

Oh yeah, I'm not saying it didn't anger me, but I do think that people would have complained if he did go.

[DaCuBaN]

To be perfectly honest, how welcome would Mr Blair have been?

I think he made exactly the right decision in not going - and besides... what place does politics have in sport? It's a religion like any other.

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

Firstly, that's bullshit.

Sport is a form of escapism. Religion is form of worship. It shapes your life and tells you how to live. When people are following football, they are thinking about football only, then they return to life after it ends.

Sport allows you to enjoy something for a change in this horrible place.


And it isn't putting politics into sport. And that isn't even the point. The point is 15 tickets went into the bin and millions couldn't get tickets when they tried.

[Guerrilla22]

I think that politicians shouldn't be at sporting events, they should be in the office, doing the job they are paid to do. You also have to take in account the fact that there probaly aren't too many people out there that are wanting to kill the leaders of Portugal and Greece, however there are plenty of people out there who want to kill Blair, security would have been a hassle.

[cubist]

its only fucking football blair had more important OIL deals to barter in the east i imagine, your forgetting that blair and bush rule the world and don't have time for there european counterparts anymore

[DaCuBaN]

Sport is a form of escapism. Religion is form of worship. It shapes your life and tells you how to live. When people are following football, they are thinking about football only, then they return to life after it ends

Let's not destroy this thread - suffice to say I consider religion escapism, and that is my comparison. Many other passtimes are, in my eyes, a form of religion. Drugs come to mind, as does Golf :lol:


there are plenty of people out there who want to kill Blair, security would have been a hassle

This was the point I really wanted to make, but in my loathing of all spectator-sports I got sidetracked. My apologies.