The Sport Thread

[Newshound47]

It's "FU Russia" Rhys, just to avoid confusion with the Rugby Football Union I'm sure.

Of course the IOC speak up after their own event having bent over backwards to circumvent their own Rusdian ban in recent years. What is noteable though is if any ban extends to individual athletes that would presumably affect club football too with Russian players in the Premier League etc.

There are no Russian players in the PL and hasn’t been any since 2013. There har no Belarusians either and hasn’t been ant since 2011.

There is at least one Russian player in the Women’s super league so not sure what is going to happen there.

[JAS84]

RFU close to being suspended from FIFA and UEFA.
https://twitter.com/danroan/status/14983...4vYW2uTqTw

Now confirmed. So that's Spartak Moscow expelled from the Europa League and Russia kicked out of the World Cup Qualifiers.

[RhysJR]

[quote=RhysJR post_id=70714 time= user_id=1340]
RFU close to being suspended from FIFA and UEFA.
https://twitter.com/danroan/status/14983...4vYW2uTqTw

Now confirmed. So that's Spartak Moscow expelled from the Europa League and Russia kicked out of the World Cup Qualifiers.

[BcastCornwall]

Sorting out the World Cup Qualifications now will be an almighty mess. Replacing Russia with another country has even at this extremely late stage to be the 'fairest' solution. Awarding a Semi Final bye to Poland giving them only their 'final' against Sweden or Czech Republic seems 'wrong'. Norway, Albania or Finland would seem likely replacements from within the First Round group phase, Hungary could feature based on their Nations League performance.

Whatever route is chosen the atmosphere in Scotland where Ukraine will be the visitors will be intense.

[RhysJR]

Sorting out the World Cup Qualifications now will be an almighty mess. Replacing Russia with another country has even at this extremely late stage to be the 'fairest' solution. Awarding a Semi Final bye to Poland giving them only their 'final' against Sweden or Czech Republic seems 'wrong'. Norway, Albania or Finland would seem likely replacements from within the First Round group phase, Hungary could feature based on their Nations League performance.

Whatever route is chosen the atmosphere in Scotland where Ukraine will be the visitors will be intense.

Slightly reminiscant of the mess that was Wales' qualifying path to the 1958 World Cup.
https://magazine.faw.cymru/en/07/bizarre...ification/


And precident from 1973, where Chile were advanced after the USSR (ironically) refused to play Chile in the qualifying play-off.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-hist...cup-soccer

[JAS84]

Sorting out the World Cup Qualifications now will be an almighty mess. Replacing Russia with another country has even at this extremely late stage to be the 'fairest' solution. Awarding a Semi Final bye to Poland giving them only their 'final' against Sweden or Czech Republic seems 'wrong'. Norway, Albania or Finland would seem likely replacements from within the First Round group phase, Hungary could feature based on their Nations League performance.

Whatever route is chosen the atmosphere in Scotland where Ukraine will be the visitors will be intense.

The third placed team in their group was Slovakia, and they were only ahead of Slovenia on goal difference. Slovenia lost both games against Russia, and Slovakia won one and lost one - so if Russia's results were expunged Slovakia would lose three points and Slovenia would finish second in the group. Surely one of those two teams should be Poland's opponents?

[RhysJR]

Not to get anyone in trouble, but the Premier League highlights from Burnley v. Watford from February 5th are still available at the end of the FA Cup Match of the Day from that day, rather than only being available on iPlayer for seven days after transmission.

[Steve Williams]

If anyone's interested, I think that last time before tonight there were different football matches on BBC1 and ITV at the same time was thirty years ago this week...




I think the other time it happened was in April 1990 when BBC1 showed the FA Cup semi-final replay while ITV showed a live league game. A friend of mine on Twitter pointed me in the direction of this brilliant YouTube video, as BBC Scotland weren't showing it and it went to extra time, hence endless fillers...

[BcastCornwall]

ITV Hub up to it's usual tricks with Football on.

[TIGHazard]

Middlesbrough v Tottenham briefly losing the feed - currently without scorebar.

[Ste]

The world feed was also lost for a few minutes.

[RhysJR]

BBC scorebard now back sans clock

[BcastCornwall]

I suspect we'll be doing some channel switching if MIDTOT goes to ET. There's no way the Ten should be delayed tonight. Quite where it'll go is interesting. Newsnight shouldn't be delayed either imo. I think I'd pull Drag Race off Air for the football to go on BBC THREE.

[RhysJR]

I suspect we'll be doing some channel switching if MIDTOT goes to ET. There's no way the Ten should be delayed tonight. Quite where it'll go is interesting. Newsnight shouldn't be delayed either imo. I think I'd pull Drag Race off Air for the football to go on BBC THREE.

Guess BBC Two maybe better as there's a good chance it will be done by 22:30 and if Newsnight is delayed it will clash less with the News at Ten anyway which is arguably a positive of delaying it. Match is already on BBC Two Wales anyway so easier for them to organise too.

[Brekkie]

Quite rare for BBC Wales to kick an FA Cup match to BBC2 Wales for a night of largely original BBC Wales content on BBC1. Means both schedules are messed up for the week.

Dumping Drag Race mid-show to switch to football would be a terrible idea and very dismissive of the audience Drag Race serves so it'll go to BBC2 if it changes channels. Delaying Newsnight not too much of an issue given I assume the 10pm news is extended anyway.