Russia: Should England boycott the World Cup?

[Foxxed]

19 minutes ago, Jordan said:

The rest of the UK decided to boycott the World Cup a few months ago, so you wouldn't be going it alone. 

Yeah but really, Scotland and Wales not partaking? Most people forget Scotland and Wales even have national football teams.

[Finnegan]

21 minutes ago, Jordan said:

The rest of the UK decided to boycott the World Cup a few months ago, so you wouldn't be going it alone. 

 

[Lovejoy]

I voted yes. I don't want to have to watch that garbage.

[Guest]

52 minutes ago, Buce said:

 

I think there is probably an argument for warning fans against travelling. A lot of anti-British hysteria will be whipped up between now and then.

I honestly can't comprehend why anybody would want to go anywhere near it after what kicked off in the euros, let alone now.

[AyewJoking]

I voted boycott because it would probably make more of a statement than if we won the whole thing

 

They will go and everything will be fine.

[Guest FriendlyRam]

They will go

 

But imo if they really want to set an example the world cup should be cancelled, they are bigging this up as something huge, but no doubt its not big enough to cancel their money making sporting event. if your going to make a big song and dance about something like this surely you need to make it something your bigging it up to be?

[Dr The Singh]

I think Russia should boycott the World Cup

[Jattdogg]

Perhaps we can go as the "world cup athletes from england"

[Jordan]

1 hour ago, Finnegan said:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whataboutism

[Countryfox]

Personally I wouldn't go near the place with a barge pole ...   all European teams and allies of the UK should boycott it  ...     but they won't.

 

However, if the fans take the correct kit with them they should be OK ...

 

 

 

[PegguyArphexad]

6 hours ago, a_k_b said:

In my opinion politics and sport should not mix, on the other hand it would probably save us the embarrassment of not getting out of the group stages

I disagree with the notion that sport and politics should not mix. It's an incredibly effective way of getting public engagement with political issues. Especially where other more traditional routes are not working. 

However, I am not convinced that England boycotting this World Cup would make much of a statement in isolation. If Russia's alleged actions over the last few years are proven then I believe that there should be a greater calling across the world for some response. Once you have several teams boycotting (especially if they are big nations), then sport has the real ability to make a real difference on a political level. 

Edited 15 March 2018 by PegguyArphexad
Typo

[lifted*fox]

oh you used chemical weapons on a participating country but don't worry Russia you keep the world cup.

 

doesn't send out the right message tbh.

 

should be stripped of it without question. 

 

EDIT: until Russia can behave like a rational, modern, sensible country - they shouldn't be allowed to host ****ing anything. 

Edited 15 March 2018 by lifted*fox

[Countryfox]

2 minutes ago, lifted*fox said:

oh you used chemical weapons on a participating country but don't worry Russia you keep the world cup.

 

Is that you Jezza ??? ...

[Vossen]

We won't be in it for long 

[Finnegan]

1 hour ago, Jordan said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whataboutism

 

[Jordan]

20 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

You're a grown man, use your big boy words.

[Webbo]

There's no point doing it on our own, if all the western nations did it it would send a message. There are plenty of non western nations that will take Russia's side though.

[Leicesterpool]

England pulling out of the world cup wouldn't benefit anything, rest of the world would laugh and say "fine then".

 

 

Edited 15 March 2018 by Leicesterpool

[Jon the Hat]

Better idea, wait for Russia to tell us we can’t go, then lobby FIFA to strip them of the World Cup, then offer to host instead.  Bobs your uncle.

Edited 15 March 2018 by Jon the Hat

[Kitchandro]

If they weren't planning to boycott after mass voilence and racism from Russian football supporters, or the proven and unproven institutional corruption within FIFA (some of which led to awarding Russia the World Cup in the first place), why should they now boycott just because of an isolated incident that's considered important by the regular media?

 

It's the same as when Liverpool supporters complained about being roughed up by the Spanish police and it was all over the news, yet when it was us nobody was bothered.

 

 

 

 

[Jordan]

27 minutes ago, Kitchandro said:

If they weren't planning to boycott after mass voilence and racism from Russian football supporters, or the proven and unproven institutional corruption within FIFA (some of which led to awarding Russia the World Cup in the first place), why should they now boycott just because of an isolated incident that's considered important by the regular media?

 

It's the same as when Liverpool supporters complained about being roughed up by the Spanish police and it was all over the news, yet when it was us nobody was bothered.

 

 

 

 

While I don't think this will effect English participation at the World Cup in the end, this matter is important, and it just may escalate. The UK just expelled 23 Russian diplomats and the United States has joined the UK, France and Germany in condemning Russia (something that's a minor miracle in itself, considering the Trump-Putin connection). Maybe this will soon blow over, but Russia will be planning tit-for-tat diplomatic action.

 

Hooliganism happens all the time, but how often do intelligence agents of other countries violate British sovereignty by using a WMD in an assassination attempt, and also expose unsuspecting civilians to a deadly chemical agent?

 

This is really serious stuff. International conflicts also have a funny way of spilling over into international football.

Edited 15 March 2018 by Jordan

[Guest FriendlyRam]

They banned us from european comps because of crowd trouble. But they are not even going to contemplate stripping Russia of the world cup despite what they've been getting up to over the past decade. quite ridiculous looking at it from that angle to be honest.

[Vacamion]

 

Given that this World Cup and the next one were awarded to the hosts under very suspicious circumstances, against a background of colossal FIFA corruption, the FA should have announced a boycott back then of both tournaments.

 

To back out now seems like mixing Sport and Politics, which isn’t ideal. 

 

England will fail when it matters, like we always do, anyway.  

 

After being kicked in the stones at the last umpteen tournaments, I am investing zero hope in this tournament, so if England did boycott, I’d not be all that fussed.

 

 

[surrifox]

A boycott by England might result in FIFA banning us from future tournaments as the high minded officials of that organisation are committed to stop politicisation of their flagship event . Indeed their sanctions so far as footy is concerned could extend to club competitions , so we need to tread carefully . I would certainly think that discouraging any British royalty or dignitaries from attending the event would be on the cards though 

 

[Parafox]

Russia would love it if we and others, boycotted the world cup. It would give them absolute freedom to portray themselves as the victims of western prejudice against them. Because they would deny any involvement in the poisoning, which they're already doing.

 

We should go and play and when we do, we should play in defiance of the Russian state and play for the free world.