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11.36am: Breaking news: Rain has delayed the start of today’s first ODI between England and South Africa. The umpires are to make a pitch inspection at 1pm. PW
11.31am: The first in today’s no doubt lengthy series of Premier League team news has landed: Rio Ferdinand is definitely out of Manchester United’s match against Everton but Alex Ferguson is not expecting a long layoff, saying:
“It is back related. We are not putting a timescale on it but it is not a situation where we are saying it will be months. It might be a couple of weeks or it might be a few weeks but that is it.”
Not sure of the difference between a couple and a few but feel free to clarify below the line. Plus don’t forget to make your predictions for Pick The Score. PW
11.25am: Apologies for the lack of morning meeting update: on the blog today: Paul Doyle’s Joy of Six: great football matches from the past decade; Kevin Mitchell’s latest boxing blog; Ewan Murray on the Scotland managerial vacancy; and Dara O Briain’s webfirsted Saturday paper piece reflecting on la main de dieu. JD
10.35am: Roy Keane has just been on Sky Sports News sharing his views on Ireland’s World Cup play-off defeat. Unfortunately none of us were quick enough to copy his quotes down here in the office, but we’ll have them either from a reporter or the wires shortly. Suffice to say there were a few gems in there. Surely the man needs his own TV show? No need for guests - just Keane and one slightly scared reporter to wind him up and then let him go. It certainly couldn’t be worse than Ian Wright’s Live From Studio Five … PB
10.13am: Fifa have confirmed that the World Cup play-off between France and the Republic of Ireland cannot be replayed. Here’s the full report. PB
9.50am: Does anyone remember Kieron Dyer? The Rumour Mill does, and today he thinks Dyer is set for a return to Ipswich Town. Plus test your knowledge of all things Va va voom with today’s football quiz. PW
9.39am: More fallout from Henrygate: A French minister has called for the game against the Republic of Ireland to be replayed, which probably won’t do much for her popularity in her homeland. Economy minister Christine Lagarde said:
“I am obviously very happy that the team is in the World Cup but I think it’s very sad to have qualified on this, well, on this cheating. And I think that Fifa would do well to look at the rules because I think it would be good, in such circumstances, to decide maybe to replay the match.”
But Thierry Henry has found an unlikely defender in the shape of David Beckham, who said he doesn’t think Thierry meant it. Plus France’s victory over Ireland has lifted them in the Fifa rankings, with Spain now officially the best team in the world. PW
9.24am: More fisticuffs in South America, this time at Palmeiras, who had two players sent off on Wednesday for fighting with each other. The club’s president said: “The two players will never again wear the Palmeiras shirt.” Read about it here or, better still, watch the angst here. PW
8.40am: Good morning and welcome to our daily sports news blog. You’re probably familiar with the concept by now, but if not, the idea is this: throughout the day we will update this page with news, links, and what’s expected to happen in the hours ahead. Time permitting, we’ll also try to wade in below the line, answering your questions and comments. However we’d like your input as much as possible – please send us your favourite links to stories/clips on YouTube etc and we’ll flag up the best above the line. JD
Thierry Henry’s handball lifts France as Spain replace Brazil as Fifa No1
• France move up to seventh in world rankings
• Spain move into first, England drop to ninth
France have risen two places in the Fifa world rankings following their controversial World Cup play-off win over the Republic of Ireland.
The French have moved up to seventh on the back of their 2-1 aggregate win over the Irish, secured after Thierry Henry handled in the build-up to their winner in the second leg at the Stade de France in Paris. The Republic have fallen two places to 36.
Spain top the rankings, displacing Brazil who drop to second. England have dropped two places to ninth and Portugal are up five places to fifth following a play-off win over Bosnia-Herzegovina.
While the mechanism for seeding the World Cup draw on December 4 has yet to be confirmed, Fifa have said they will discount November’s rankings as they have been distorted by the play-offs in Europe. Four of the World Cup qualified teams do not feature among the top 50 – South Korea, North Korea, New Zealand and South Africa.
Northern Ireland have dropped nine places to 39, Scotland have held on to 46th place despite their recent tribulations and Wales are the lowest ranked of the home nations, down one place to 79.
Ireland hopes dashed as Fifa says no to France rematch
• ‘To replay the match would cause chaos for football’
• Richard Williams: Henry let himself and the game down
Ireland’s hopes of being granted a replay of their controversial World Cup qualifier play-off second leg with France have collapsed after Fifa ruled out the possibility of re-staging the match.
The FIA had written to football’s governing body and the French FA to formally request a replay after Thierry Henry’s clear handball led to the deciding goal in extra time. But Fifa have responded, categorically denying the Irish any hopes of a rematch.
A statement this morning read: “Fifa has today, 20 November 2009, replied to the request made by the Football Association of Ireland to replay the 2010 Fifa World Cup play-off match held on 18 November 2009 between France and the Republic of Ireland in Paris. In the reply, Fifa states that the result of the match cannot be changed and the match cannot be replayed. As is clearly mentioned in the Laws of the Game, during matches, decisions are taken by the referee and these decisions are final.”
• Richard Williams: Henry let himself and game down
• David Hytner: Trapattoni gives Irish hope for the future
• David Beckham comes to Thierry Henry’s defence
• France 1-1 Rep of Ire (agg: 2-1): full report
A Fifa source added: “There is no way the game can replayed. To do so would cause absolute chaos for football. If it was replayed then every match in the future would also be subject to these calls for a replay any time a referee misses an incident.
“Fifa’s rules are absolutely clear. Law 5 states that a referee’s decision on points of fact are final. That is the end of it. You cannot replay the match on this basis. You have to have a rule that says the referee’s judgment is always right.”
The wording of Law 5 of the Laws of the Game states: “The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play, including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are final. The referee may only change a decision on realising that it is incorrect or, at his discretion, on the advice of an assistant referee or the fourth official, provided that he has not restarted play or terminated the match.”
The FAI had claimed there was a precedent because Fifa ordered Uzbekistan to replay Bahrain in 2006 World Cup qualifier after the referee made a “technical error” after a penalty had been awarded.
Today, the France Football Federation have tried to draw a line under the affair. “FIFA is the ruler of the game and we have to abide by what they say,” an FFF spokesman said. “What they decide we have to do and they have ruled it will not be replayed. So we should move on.
“The federation’s president and the coach and all of us involved feel that it was a bitter qualification. But we don’t decide how we qualify. We played poorly and it came down to a referee’s mistake, but that’s the way it went. It happened on our side, in our favour, but sometimes in history it goes against you.
“The Irish were really great, they played brilliantly and we played poorly. We were awful. And then at the end we achieved the qualification in this particular way thanks to a referee’s mistake. If it had favoured the Irish side well you can imagine how people would have felt and reacted here, the French media, the French team, the FA, everyone.”
Gannon hits out at McGhee talk
Motherwell boss Jim Gannon criticises his Aberdeen counterpart Mark McGhee over speculation linking the Dons with Jim O’Brien.
David Beckham comes to Thierry Henry’s defence over handball
• Henry is ‘a good person and a great player’ says Beckham
• ‘I really don’t think he meant it, I don’t think he is a cheat’
David Beckham has come to Thierry Henry’s defence after many branded the France striker a cheat for his handball in the build up to France’s crucial goal against Ireland in the World Cup qualifier play-off.
Henry handled the ball twice before passing to team-mate William Gallas to score the equalising goal in the second leg, giving France a 2-1 aggregate win to secure a place in the 2010 World Cup. The incident prompted a furious reaction with many calling the former Arsenal player a cheat. France’s economy minister Christine Lagarde even hinted as much when she suggested that Fifa look at replaying matches when ‘cheating’ was involved.
But Beckham said: “I honestly didn’t think Thierry meant it. I know him as a player and a person. He’s a good person and a great player. It’s a shame to see Ireland go out because they have such great fans but these things happen in football. I really don’t think he meant it. I’ve had a few headlines in the past which have not been nice but I don’t think he is a cheat.”
Asked whether he would have done the same thing in a similar situation, Beckham told Sky Sports News: “Who knows in that situation? You’re playing in a qualifier to go through to the World Cup, you don’t know what you’re doing. I’ve been involved in big games and reacted to certain things and looked back and thought I was wrong to do that.”
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