Peter Anderson ⚽ For this week's blog I had intended to go to the Oval to see the Glens v the Blues on Friday night and report on my first Irish League game since the 90s. 

However, the weather was awful, windy and rainy and I'm getting old! So, I decided to watch it on the Beeb instead, but after 5 minutes of complete dross I turned over and watched Chelsea v Arsenal in the WSL. Which wasn't a whole lot better to be honest. At least the wind was manageable for the girls as they played out a nil-nil draw.

On Sunday afternoon I settled in to watch the Leicester v West Ham game. During the build-up it was reported that Kurt Zouma had pulled out of the game during the warm up. No reason was given. I immediately thought that he had bottled it following his cat kicking episode of last week. 


You see I am a cat lover. I have been rescuing cats for 30 years and currently have 3 little fur babies. What Zouma did was diabolical. How we treat defenceless animals speaks volumes about our character. West Ham immediately condemned his actions and fined him 2 weeks wages, probably over £100,000. The cats were removed from him and he is under investigation by the local Old Bill. Hopefully he will not get to have animals for a long time. 

All very justifiable actions. However, for some this is not enough. There have been calls for him to lose his job and people calling for West Ham to sack him. Where does it end? I am all in favour of him being punished. The boos he will receive every time he touches the ball are of his own making, but losing his job? No way. Such is today's society that every mistake or miss step must be punished by total cancellation. Take yourself off and lock yourself away, never to be seen again. 

On the Gary Neville podcast, Gary said that given today's attitudes West Ham should have suspended him for 3 games as well as fine him, just to give some time for this to calm down. He didn't think that a 3-game suspension was warranted, but that it was probably necessary in today's climate. I would have to agree with Neville in this case. Moyes was left in a no-win situation. If West Ham deemed Zouma available, then Moyes had to pick him as he is one of the best available defenders. But as Neville pointed out, it is Moyes that must face the press and own the situation, and the West Ham board should have not put Moyes in this position. 

When the West Ham striker Michail Antonio was asked what he thought of the Zouma incident, he replied that what he did was very wrong but that Zouma was a good lad at heart and regretted his actions. He then went onto say that it was strange why people were calling for Zouma to face tougher punishments than those faced by racists. Maybe the cancellationists would like to address that point.

Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports.

That Zouma Incident

Peter Anderson ⚽ For this week's blog I had intended to go to the Oval to see the Glens v the Blues on Friday night and report on my first Irish League game since the 90s. 

However, the weather was awful, windy and rainy and I'm getting old! So, I decided to watch it on the Beeb instead, but after 5 minutes of complete dross I turned over and watched Chelsea v Arsenal in the WSL. Which wasn't a whole lot better to be honest. At least the wind was manageable for the girls as they played out a nil-nil draw.

On Sunday afternoon I settled in to watch the Leicester v West Ham game. During the build-up it was reported that Kurt Zouma had pulled out of the game during the warm up. No reason was given. I immediately thought that he had bottled it following his cat kicking episode of last week. 


You see I am a cat lover. I have been rescuing cats for 30 years and currently have 3 little fur babies. What Zouma did was diabolical. How we treat defenceless animals speaks volumes about our character. West Ham immediately condemned his actions and fined him 2 weeks wages, probably over £100,000. The cats were removed from him and he is under investigation by the local Old Bill. Hopefully he will not get to have animals for a long time. 

All very justifiable actions. However, for some this is not enough. There have been calls for him to lose his job and people calling for West Ham to sack him. Where does it end? I am all in favour of him being punished. The boos he will receive every time he touches the ball are of his own making, but losing his job? No way. Such is today's society that every mistake or miss step must be punished by total cancellation. Take yourself off and lock yourself away, never to be seen again. 

On the Gary Neville podcast, Gary said that given today's attitudes West Ham should have suspended him for 3 games as well as fine him, just to give some time for this to calm down. He didn't think that a 3-game suspension was warranted, but that it was probably necessary in today's climate. I would have to agree with Neville in this case. Moyes was left in a no-win situation. If West Ham deemed Zouma available, then Moyes had to pick him as he is one of the best available defenders. But as Neville pointed out, it is Moyes that must face the press and own the situation, and the West Ham board should have not put Moyes in this position. 

When the West Ham striker Michail Antonio was asked what he thought of the Zouma incident, he replied that what he did was very wrong but that Zouma was a good lad at heart and regretted his actions. He then went onto say that it was strange why people were calling for Zouma to face tougher punishments than those faced by racists. Maybe the cancellationists would like to address that point.

Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports.

6 comments:

  1. I agree with Peter on the punnishment bit, in a court of law. I would ban him from keeping animals for life and fine him. As for a three match suspension, no way. It is not a football matter, and as for todays so-called climate I couldn't give a stuff for. It is not a natural climate regards football. Zouma is an employee, and as such certain rights are afforded. He sells his labour power, his ability to play football, to an employer for a monetary wage. If he was a bus driver who kicked his cat, would he be banned from driving for a given length of time? No, of course not.

    David Moyes, as any other manager, must pick his team on a best available basis. It is one of the few things they can do without referreing to know fuck all owners. Kicking a cat does not deem a player unavailable.

    Yes, the man should be punnished by the appropriate department, the courts. A heavy fine and life ban, no problem, but it is not a footballing issue.

    Caoimhin O'Muraile

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  2. what a sensible piece.

    The fervour is religious-like in its intensity.

    Sure he was wrong but the punishment should fit the crime otherwise it becomes a crime in itself.

    In matters like this I am reminded of the Nietzsche admonition to the hang and flog 'em brigade: “Distrust all in whom the impulse to punish is powerful.”

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  3. Peter - next time the Blues-Glens game is due to be televised let me know/

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  4. Caoimhin
    I'm not sure about a life ban on having animals. He will be a different man at 60 than what he is now.

    AM
    Sure

    Steve R
    FTG lol

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  5. Possibly Peter, he might be. I supposse at 60 or 70 his life may, like many, have reached a point of lonliness and a pet may be his only company. That is one way of looking at it. Another option may be a twenty year ban, after which to be reviewed by a competent body; the RSPCA perhaps? But some form of ban should be implemented. It is definately not a football matter though and should not be made one.

    Caoimhin O'Muraile

    ReplyDelete