Life Ban for Ben Williams?!

[O-ZoNe]

Jesus christ, can't we just let it go? Yes, he's a shitty ref and yes he screwed us. But for god's sake, we need to move on people.

It's because we have been "letting it go" for all of these years that AFC has been able to screw us over continuously. I am pleasantly surprised to see for once IFF and Iranian officials seem to be on the same page with TM fans and their displeasure.

Now is an opportunity to make change. As Einstein once said, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. For once, let's do something about an injustice...it might prove useful down the road.

[Farhad21]

why would they ban their own puppet?

[faraz]

It's because we have been "letting it go" for all of these years that AFC has been able to screw us over continuously. I am pleasantly surprised to see for once IFF and Iranian officials seem to be on the same page with TM fans and their displeasure.
Now is an opportunity to make change. As Einstein once said, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. For once, let's do something about an injustice...it might prove useful down the road.

Bolding the most important part of what you said my friend. So here are things we do time and time again, yet expect different results:

a) Piss poor preparations leading up to major tournaments
b) Lack of youth infrastructure
c) Corruption within IFF itself, let alone AFC
d) Terrible league quality

My point is - why not expend our energy in the right way, i.e, fixing ourselves first - and with some luck, we will get to a place where we and we alone get to dictate the terms on the pitch, regardless of any outside influences / factors.

[O-ZoNe]

Bolding the most important part of what you said my friend. So here are things we do time and time again, yet expect different results:

a) Piss poor preparations leading up to major tournaments
b) Lack of youth infrastructure
c) Corruption within IFF itself, let alone AFC
d) Terrible league quality

My point is - we should spend energy fixing ourselves first - and with some luck, we will get to a place where we get to dictate the terms on the pitch and not any outside influences / factors.

Agreed. But what you have mentioned takes years to address and to some degree have been addressed. These go beyond our TM but also hit with our futsal, beach soccer, youth, and women's programs. In all areas we are starting to improve, albeit slowly, and sometimes with reversing of progress...but in general things are getting better (i.e., Futsal, introduction of more european players, beach soccer, stadium construction (slow of course), IPL, less reliance on Esteghlal and Perspolis, exposure of corruption in football...)...

The Ben Williams thing is a task that can have immediate impact, not just for us, but all teams who may encounter corrupt AFC referees. This is something that at present is very salient, and requires a brief but sustained focus and will to make changes. Of course, in the end, progress starts with yourself, but tbh I think we are doing that, just very slow as compared to other great footballing nations.

[Camran khan]

"Our team was going to be the champions here. We worked on this team for four years. We brought a very good and ready team. They spoiled it. The referee spoiled it."

This sentence makes me cry


And yes, we should have him banend for life, other wise, what stops us from being screwed over again by an incompetent ref?

[xerexes]

I love how there's always at least one naive sanctimonious person acting like he's sooooo above it all.

Stop acting like these issues are mutually exclusive. We can try to fix our infrastructure and youth programs AND confront corruption at the same time. Good preparations won't mean crap when you get shafted by corrupt refereeing over and over. We have to make a ruckus about this and let AFC know there will be at least terrible PR consequences if they don't stop the blatant favoritism and the sabotaging of less connected teams. This has nothing to do with being a "sore loser". It's about stopping a decades-long pattern of being at the receiving end of bad calls in crucial matches. Bad calls that we're supposed to accept as innocent mistakes even though they always go in ONE direction. If you don't want to take part, no one's forcing you. Find something else to do with your time.

[O-ZoNe]

So I guess the question is, what can we do to support IFF's request to have him banned? Do we forward or help collect videos and info on BW to send over to IFF as part of the package they are creating?

[DireStraits]

farda mire mige dovlate teroristi iran tahdidesh karde be man

[Dejagah#21]

Jesus christ, can't we just let it go? Yes, he's a shitty ref and yes he screwed us. But for god's sake, we need to move on people.

Oh man, oh man, don't ever say this again. You sound really bi-gheyrat! It's disgusting to hear this coming from an Iranian. Have you no passion or love for your fellow country men and national team that got robbed from a 100% victory? Did you enjoy seeing them cry after the game?

Bi-gheyrat bodanam hadi dareh be khoda!

[faraz]

I love how there's always at least one naive sanctimonious person acting like he's sooooo above it all.

Stop acting like these issues are mutually exclusive. We can try to fix our infrastructure and youth programs AND confront corruption at the same time. Good preparations won't mean crap when you get shafted by corrupt refereeing over and over. We have to make a ruckus about this and let AFC know there will be at least terrible PR consequences if they don't stop the blatant favoritism and the sabotaging of less connected teams. This has nothing to do with being a "sore loser". It's about stopping a decades-long pattern of being at the receiving end of bad calls in crucial matches. Bad calls that we're supposed to accept as innocent mistakes even though they always go in ONE direction. If you don't want to take part, no one's forcing you. Find something else to do with your time.

If I'm being completely honest with myself, this is a fair comment. And look - I'm sincerely not trying to act above it all. I'm still incredibly pained / maddened by all of this just like the lot of you. I just can't justify spending so much of our mindshare, effort and resources on this stuff when those resources can be allocated elsewhere. Just my 2 cents.

[faraz]

Oh man, oh man, don't ever say this again. You sound really bi-gheyrat! It's disgusting to hear this coming from an Iranian. Have you no passion or love for your fellow country men and national team that got robbed from a 100% victory? Did you enjoy seeing them cry after the game?
Bi-gheyrat bodanam hadi dareh be khoda!

Gheyratam hadi dareh...lol...Gheyrat with the bounds of reason is admirable. Beyond those bounds, it becomes dangerous. I also have no idea how you make the connection between my comments and insinuating that I "enjoyed watching my team cry".

Bear in mind you're talking to someone who spent a garbage bin full of money that I didn't necessarily have to go to Brazil and watch them play...I'm a fanatic. Love this team just as much, if not more, than the next guy.

[PSGman#19]

Life ban?! Death penalty is the minimum for this dishonest garbage lol

[Martin-Reza]

Honestly, if he's suspended for that I'm not even bitter anymore. Then I'd understand it was just horrendous refereeing and he got his punishment for it.

That AFC acts as if nothing happened bothers me.

[O-ZoNe]

Honestly, if he's suspended for that I'm not even bitter anymore. Then I'd understand it was just horrendous refereeing and he got his punishment for it.

That AFC acts as if nothing happened bothers me.

Exactly...so at a minimum we have to make this an issue, and by sharing that video I re-posted earlier before tournaments and matches, remind Asian competitors and the world of such low level refereeing...this way it keeps AFC and the refs within Asian on their tows...for one, if the ref screws us, I will from now on refer to it as being "Ben William-ed"...my plan is to make this guys name synonymous with crappy refereeing in Asia...

[hassonoo]

well its not his first mistake in this tournament which makes me wonder why would AFC choose him again for QF !!

just watch this incident mark bosnic was referring too in Uzbekistan match
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qo3CPlPf9U&t=1m10s