Source: Liverpool_Echo
BARRY HORNE: Deafening silence from Blat-man and Robin of world football
IN the wake of the Thierry Henry handball incident, isn't it amazing how many people get on their high horses and write opionionated nonsense - all produced in the cold light of day with as much time as they want to reflect.[LNB]That's in stark contrast to Thierry Henry's instantaneous and largely instinctive reaction.[LNB]There have been calls - in serious newspapers - for Henry to be banned from playing at the World Cup finals.[LNB]What a nonsense. Where's the precedent?[LNB]Is there anything in the rules to even say that this can be done?[LNB]That would be just a random act inflicted on one of the greatest sportsmen of his generation. Another writer, again from a 'serious' paper actually cited the example of the 2005 match between Bahrain and Uzb-ekistan, siggest-ing that offered a preced-ent for action to be taken. In that game the referee disallowed a penalty for encroach- ment but wrongly awarded an indirect free-kick instead of having the penalty retaken.[LNB]That is completely different.[LNB]That is a matter of fact. The referee did not know the rules.[LNB]Quite rightly an appeal was granted.[LNB]It wasn't a matter of judgement as we have here.[LNB]Let's just look at the facts. I'm willing to believe that the first touch was not deliber- ate, but the second touch clearly was.[LNB]As any sportsman will know, however, especially at the higher levels, the vast majority of things that you do are instinctive.[LNB]Such is the case here, as Henry quite rightly pointed out.
