Thank you, Hemry. Thank you so much.

It will stick to your hands as long as you live.

Ireland would be going to the World Cup if

the Assistant Referee and Center Referee were in their correct position (Can someone tell me why the center referee was standing closer to the kicker on a free kick in such an important game?? and the AR needs to be much closer to the goal line when Henry handles the ball — look where he is standing when Henry handles the ball !!! — Maybe they need to be in better physical shape

the Irish coaching staff and players should have held up the restart of game until they showed the center referee a video of the handball. A referee can overturn a call easily before the restart of play.

The powers that be could also have showed the infamous handball on the stadium screen like they did with Zidane and the ref subsequently gave him a delayed red card because of the video. (I think the game was played in France so this might be asking the French to be too honest)

In the future, get with the 21st or 20th century and allow officials to view replays of videotape clips. Its not like they score many goals in World Cup matches.

… it would have been better had we lost than win like that.

1993 turned out to be a blessing, of sorts … perhaps had gone out on Wednesday, we could have had a fresh start.

But now, I just don’t see an upside …

1. Undeserved progress to the WC through blatant cheating on the part of one of France’s all-time-great players.

2. We look a terrible side of dubious morality that everyone will be hoping gets its comeupance.

3. At least another year of Domenech (and Escalletes) …

4. A lasting stain on the legacy of Thierry Henry.

http://arsenal.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=516781

Excerpt: “The FAI this week begged and pleaded with FIFA to ‘uphold the integrity of the game’ by giving them a replay. Strangely enough, when Ireland beat Georgia at Croke Park earlier in the Qualifying campaign courtesy of some incorrect officiating, I don`t recall them offering Georgia a replay. When Damien Duff dived for a penalty in the 2002 World Cup I`m not sure I recall the same media or FAI uproar. I`m also not sure why the FAI have demanded Thierry Henry apologise for his handball on Wednesday night, yet have somehow not asked Robbie Keane to do likewise- Keane, you will remember was twice penalised for deliberate handball in the match. Is it only intent to cheat when you get away with it?”

If Ireland are so pure and morally superior to France, then why didn’t the FAI offer to replay their game v. Georgia?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf9fx4ipF4Q

Keane deliberately catches the ball with his hand and somehow gets a penalty.

Not a good image for the young football players and fans.

I thought “fair play” in sport was to form decent honest humans to treat others with respect in daily life…

Henry should have stopped the match as captain and earned a penalty in compensation for his “fair play” towards Ireland.

The game was soiled and Henry is no longer a role model for football.

To avoid a brewing “war”; both teams should go to Joburg!