SHAME: IRAQ FA: SHAME!!!!!!!!!!

cbead · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 7:25 am Post subject: SHAME: IRAQ FA: SHAME!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Guys, this is an emotive post about our experience in Dubai today... it will be long and descriptive, but needs to be publically stated. We are strategizing as we speak (at 1230am) about our options before the game.

We (me, Ant, Pablo and Brendon 'WazzaLeeds [GGA]) decided to go out to Al Rashid stadium at 5pm today to do a reconnancence of the ground, talk to stadium officials etc about possibilities of getting tickets. Unbeknowns to us the Australian team was having a closed training session there at 5.30, so we were fortunate enough to be allowed to stay there during this training sesh whilst all others were evicted (which in itself was a great experience). We spoke to several Aus officials and Aus and UAE media about our dilema of getting tickets for this game. The low down was that the Iraq FA were being recalcitrant about all things in realtion to this fixture.

Anyway, the Aust team manager spoke to the officials of the Al Ahli Club (the team which runs the Al Rashid stadium) and after an hour or so these officials said thay had arranged tickets for us, and an Iraqi official will have them here in half an hour. Of course we were ecstatic and the SBS crew outside decided to interview us about what this 'pilgramage' meant to us.

So far, so good!

The Iraqi official who was selling tickets to iraqi fans said the Australian tickets were about to arrive. He was sellling tickets to the Iraqi's for 20 dirham ($7 ish) and 50 dirham ($18ish). Finally when the Australian tickets arrived he said, "$100 US"... they were official away supporter's tickets with $100 (360 dirham) printed on the ticket!

After much (and kudos to Pablo for his patience and negotiation) to-ing and fro-ing, it was established that the Iraqi official was not going to budge from this' official' rate. Many UAE Arab persons were there and to their credit, some tried to buy the tickets for us at Iraqi rates, but the Iraqi official got wind of this and would not allow it.

Pablo tracked down the SBS crew again and did another interview about the unfairness of this situation, and also was interviewed by the local UAE press. The Al Alhi club stadium officials also tried to intervene with now success, and were terribly apologetic and sympathetic to us. We finally got a hold of one of the heads of the Iraqi FA and he first promised us 50 free tickets, but reneged after we asked for them. He then went on to say that Australian IRaqi's had to pay $45 in Brisbane which we informed him was the price everyone paid, and his final comment was, "You are from Australia so you are rich". Another Iraqi official told us that they were pricing the tickets for Australia so high, so the stadium can be full of Iraq supporters only.

We spent lmost 5 hours at the stadium today, and made a pact we would not be a party to this extortion. We have plan B, C, D and E tomorrow (E being paying the $100 US) but we plan to email media tonight, and I'll even send an email to the PM about this situation.

Imagine this... Tickets in Brisbane for the World Cup Qualifier between Australia and Iraq... Australians pay $45, Iraqis pay $350!!! What would be the fall out of that??!!

We come over here to the Arab world being respectful of their customs, their culture and being true ambassadors of Australia and football. The Iraqi FA are not just disrespecting the Australian fans, but Australia itself. Who was the first country to play football with Iraq after the fall of Saddam? Australia.

I dont know if anyone has any media contacts in Australia, but if you do feel free to contact them to give me a call on +61418731538 because this is unfair and illegal and needs to be addressed.

Just as a footnote, the officials in the UAE and the Al Ahli club have been fantastic, and most of the Iraqi fans were sympathetic to our cause, it is only the Iraqi FA that we have a problem with.

It's a long rambling post guys, but we have come a long way to be treated like dirt, and it really is pissing us off at present.

Tezza · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 7:46 am Post subject:

That sucks CB. I will send on to my recent contacts and see if they can do anything.

northernspirit · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 8:13 am Post subject:

i read about this, bloody disgraceful - fifa must be informed of this, surely this is breaking the rules of international football

Tezza · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 8:22 am Post subject:

I have sent this off to Phil Willmington from Channel Nine, Mat Rankin from the Fox Sports promo from the Pig N Whistle on Sunday and my mate at the Courier Mail.

Any luck with any FFA reps in Dubai??

aussielfc79 · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 8:37 am Post subject:

Read that on foxsports just before. Thats absolute bullshit.

northernspirit · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 8:40 am Post subject:

well it really is good v evil now
if karma has anything to do with it we will eliminate iraq from the wc by taking our spot in the final stage of qualifying

hopefully this fires up the boys to beat those dirty cheating bastards

Tezza · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 8:51 am Post subject:

Simon Hill just mentioned it on Fox Sports News as well. Said that Aussies are being asked to pay up to 3 times the rate, and that we may not see too many Aussies in the Stadium.

This is just Bull Shit.

northernspirit · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 9:02 am Post subject:

i guess u just have to pay the $ if u travelled from oz
utter b.s

Tezza · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 10:01 am Post subject:

When we went to Germany, the face value was the same for ALL fans.

When we went to the Asian Cup, the face value was the same for ALL fans.

Surely there has to be a FIFA rule on this. Home associations must provide tickets to the away fans, and at the same price as the locals.

You can be sure the FFA will hear a lot more about this and their inaction on assisting travelling fans.

aussielfc79 · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 11:06 am Post subject:

Having had a brief look through FIFA's Code of Ethics, it looks like Iraq are clearly in breach of FIFA rules.
http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/administration/code_of_ethics_all_45.pdf

Page 4, under the preamble, it states "FIFA bares a special responsibility to safeguard the integrity and reputation of football worldwide." so surely this would contraviene the the ethical code of safeguarding the integrity of football.

I have found this link to contact FIFA

http://www.fifa.com/contact/form.html

and have already emailed them complaining about this matter and saying that the Iraqi FA must be held fully accountable for this blatant breach of ethics in regards to the accommodating of travelling fans.

cbead · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:00 pm Post subject:

Sent to ABC, FIFA and AFC

"Australian football (soccer) fans in Dubai for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifer beween Iraq and the Socceroos are faced with the dilema of having to pay US$100 for a ticket to the game, up to 1500% higher than tickets for Iraqi fans.

Some 50 -70 Aussies have flown in to Dubai especially to see the clash, and many of the 13000 expat Australians in the UAE will also be wanting to attend the game.

Several Australian fans attended the Socceroos final team training session at Al Rashid stadium last night, and were initially overjoyed that they were promised tickets. The joy turned to dismay when they fronted the ticket seller who had 'home' tickets for 20 and 50 dirham ($8 - 1 Cool

and 'away' tickets for US$100.

Protests to Iraqi officials were met with comments such as "Australians are rich", and "We only want Iraq fans in the stadium".

Travelling Socceroo supporter Chris Beadnell from the Green and Gold Army, has labelled this extortion on behalf of the Iraqi FA.

"This is against all of FIFA's laws in relation to ticket sales and allocations, and is simply extortion", Mr Beadnell commented.

"Many people have travelled thousands of miles for this game, and we only want fair play from the administrators."

"Could you imagine the scenes if Australia had charged Iraqi fans ten times the ticket price for the recent World Cup Qualifier in Brisbane?"

The supporters have been left with the unsavoury prospect of forking out the $100, and therefore allowing the Iraqi FA to get away with this extortion".

Probably wont do a thing, but we'll give it a shot

aussielfc79 · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:07 pm Post subject:

My letter to FIFA basically stated that the Iraqi FA are guilty of extortion, and I said that I expect FIFA to fully hold them accountable for their actions, wether anything comes fromit, we'll wait an see, but if enough people complain, that they'll be forced to act.

Tezza · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:29 pm Post subject:

AN eloquent letter as always CBead.

meatpopsicle · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:16 pm Post subject:

that is harsh, i hope it all works out for u CB and there rest of u over there!

northernspirit · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 5:10 pm Post subject:

good on u guys
can anyone give me an email address for fifa?

i want to send them an email regarding this too