I confess I might be paranoid

but you wouldn't need many people in on it and you could make sure they had their nose in the trough so no incentive whatsoever to squeal.

I'd loved to be proved wrong, but unless two top teams like (say) Portugal & France get drawn together in the playoffs they aren't going to convince me.

It's never happened before though and I doubt it's going to this year either.

Posted By: mr carra on October 14th 2013 at 10:35:04

Message Thread

According to the Guardian... (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Oct 14, 09:23:14
- Wow (Other Football) - norway, Oct 14, 10:05:42
- I'm sure they'll get a disgusting hand ball decision like against Ireland (Other Football) - pants, Oct 14, 09:33:28
  - would the "40,000 enthusiastic fans" have gone without that handball decision? (Other Football) - mr carra, Oct 14, 09:55:56
  - As you prob know, I don't buy your conspiracy theories re football reffing. But... (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Oct 14, 09:37:37
    - no chance we will get France in a playoff (Other Football) - mr carra, Oct 14, 10:00:16
      - how come no chance? (n/m) (Other Football) - SCC 28, Oct 14, 10:07:47
        
        because in my opinion the draws are rigged (n/m) (Other Football) - mr carra, Oct 14, 10:09:23
        
        based on....? (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Oct 14, 10:17:33
        
        just the way they normally turn out (Other Football) - mr carra, Oct 14, 10:21:55
        
        so rigged based on what you think their motivations are (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Oct 14, 10:28:19
        
        FIFA regularly have disgruntled ... (Other Football) - yellowman, Oct 14, 10:45:19
        
        I'm not saying i believe mr carra 100%, but i do understand why he's so cynical,fifa have (Other Football) - protheroe fitzgibbon, Oct 14, 10:37:49
        
        I confess I might be paranoid (Other Football) - mr carra, Oct 14, 10:35:04
        
        I don't see when the past draws you're talking about were (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Oct 14, 11:03:16
        
        this might be what I'm thinking of (Other Football) - mr carra, Oct 14, 11:21:37
        
        Ah, right. Well as I said above - I agree that having seeding is essentially fixing the (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Oct 14, 11:27:14
        
        I think I'm thinking of the Euro 2004 qualifying playoffs (Other Football) - mr carra, Oct 14, 11:31:30
        
        Bit harsh to accuse FIFA of fixing draws based on a UEFA draw from 10 years ago (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Oct 14, 11:40:23
        
        Turkey were at the time (Other Football) - mr carra, Oct 14, 11:48:03
        
        They made the Euro semi final before or after as well didn't they ? (n/m) (Other Football) - Steve in Holland, Oct 14, 13:38:29
        
        (Hopefully *not*, if we're involved...) (n/m) (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Oct 14, 11:49:02
        
        and surely they would have fixed it and just put France in an easier group to start with (Other Football) - Mecagoenti, Oct 14, 10:30:48
        
        oh (n/m) (Other Football) - SCC 28, Oct 14, 10:10:16
- yes tho portugal look the only decent seeded team (n/m) (Other Football) - SCC 28, Oct 14, 09:24:18
  - It's all irrelevant (Other Football) - norway, Oct 14, 10:06:41
  - ...which wouldn't be of much comfort to us, assuming we were seeded? (n/m) (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Oct 14, 09:27:18
    - ukraine iceland and romania look like the other unseeded so still good! (n/m) (Other Football) - SCC 28, Oct 14, 09:40:22
      - Ukraine wouldn't be in the play-offs if we are (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Oct 14, 09:52:24
        
        Sweden would be tough. Choice of Olsson and Elmander or England at World Cup. Hmmmm (n/m) (Other Football) - Steve in Holland, Oct 14, 10:51:12
        
        yes of course lol (Other Football) - SCC 28, Oct 14, 09:57:47
        
        Yeah, based on most recent rankings, Sweden would be seeds if we're not in play-offs (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Oct 14, 10:05:48
        
        france almost defo unseeded (n/m) (Other Football) - SCC 28, Oct 14, 10:07:23
      - also the only way we can be seeded at the world cup (Other Football) - SCC 28, Oct 14, 09:47:09
        
        belgium 6th in rankings (Other Football) - SCC 28, Oct 14, 10:00:28
        
        that's crazy.. how come belgium will be seeded above netherlands? (Other Football) - Mecagoenti, Oct 14, 09:58:28
        
        Look at belgiums starting 11,it's quality. (n/m) (Other Football) - protheroe fitzgibbon, Oct 14, 10:05:16
        
        not sure that's how rankings are calculated (n/m) (Other Football) - SCC 28, Oct 14, 10:06:07
        
        Er,thankyou. the rankings are completely irrelevant as they once had us at 6,however anyon (Other Football) - protheroe fitzgibbon, Oct 14, 10:12:30
        
        no disputing that.. but not sure what they've done to be ranked above Netherlands (n/m) (Other Football) - Mecagoenti, Oct 14, 10:21:27
        
        Fair do's,just saying they are a good side,and current form must surely play a part,as (Other Football) - protheroe fitzgibbon, Oct 14, 10:29:56
        
        does seem a bit mysterious - Holland have romped their group and qualified before Belgium (Other Football) - mr carra, Oct 14, 10:22:57
        
        assume points you get are partly based on who you are playing against (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Oct 14, 10:26:14
        
        so Holland are being penalised for being good (Other Football) - mr carra, Oct 14, 10:30:40
        
        that would also explain why Japan and South Korea are so low (Other Football) - Mecagoenti, Oct 14, 10:28:52
        
        agreed (n/m) (Other Football) - SCC 28, Oct 14, 10:12:59
        
        If you win games, you go up the rankings (Other Football) - norway, Oct 14, 10:07:46
        
        so why are uruguay still so high up? (Other Football) - Mecagoenti, Oct 14, 10:09:19
        
        won the Copa America (last year?) and semi-finalist in Confederations Cup (?) (n/m) (Other Football) - mr carra, Oct 14, 10:12:25
        
        Ah, that's down to the South American parabolic co-efficient. (n/m) (Other Football) - norway, Oct 14, 10:12:12
        
        I was thinking something similar looking at the rankings (Other Football) - Mecagoenti, Oct 14, 10:16:24
        
        you what? (n/m) (Other Football) - SCC 28, Oct 14, 10:13:24
        
        The South American parabolic co-efficient! You know.... (Other Football) - norway, Oct 14, 10:19:33
        
        Belgium currently 6th in FIFA rankings (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Oct 14, 10:00:24
        
        so it's all done on the FIFA rankings now then? (Other Football) - Mecagoenti, Oct 14, 10:08:21
        
        Seeds for the play-offs is. Dunno about seeding for the WC groups themselves. (n/m) (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Oct 14, 10:09:05
        
        Yup - appears no.1 group seeding is based entirely on the next set of rankings (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Oct 14, 10:11:24
        
        Looks like there could be a few groups of death (n/m) (Other Football) - Mecagoenti, Oct 14, 10:19:36
        
        ah ok, I'm probably in the minority (Other Football) - Mecagoenti, Oct 14, 10:11:18
        
        I suspect FIFA/UEFA would strongly agree with you! (n/m) (Other Football) - mr carra, Oct 14, 10:14:14
        
        yes (n/m) (Other Football) - SCC 28, Oct 14, 10:09:24

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