All game are called off tonight.

This of course includes ManU, I can't be bothered to consider how this effects wor game at the weekend. Playing ManU and I don't even care much. Jeez.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Answers

NUFC.com say Brentford is still on, and that it's UEFA games cancelled. Teams abroad will probably find a delay in getting back to the UK with the flight restrictions.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

All UEFA games called off, why cant our own league also do this , keegan was on tv last night saying he didnt feel like going ahead with city's match, citys chairman also asid the same and the oppo also agreed , however the powers that be want the games to go ahead , I have a ticket for tonight I am not attending out of respect. THIS IS NOT ATIME FOR FOOTBALL. I shall send my ticket to the FA with my disgust.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

I agree that noone will be in any mood to watch/play in a football match for a while, but surely bringing everyday life to a standstill means the terrorists have won ? We can't let that happen. It is understandable that the UEFA have called off all the games due to the disruption to international travel.

At all the domestic football matches going ahead tonight and at the weekend there will be a minutes silence which will hopefully be observed by all

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Amazed last nights matches went ahead.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Kats No i disagree I felt all matches yesterday and today should be called off as a mark of respect , remember we have some american players here and also im sure a lot of players have relatives/friends in NY.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

I'm torn as to what is the best way to handle this. I thought that last night's and tonight's games should be cancelled out of respect, but I think the weekend games should go ahead, as hard as it is Terrorism musn't be seen as to win.

However football seems very trivial to me right now.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Football does seem trivial Kats, but people coming together is a good thing right now. I think the silence tonight will be a profoundly moving experience and hopefully a little cathartic. I will no doubt end up blubbering like a wee bairn but don't much care who notices.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

life goes on.. .and so should football. It's a major disaster like many others that happen every year. We didn't cancel footy when thousands died in Turkish earthquakes. We didn't cancel footy when Kuwait was invaded. etc..... Is it different because most of the victims speak English and it was live on TV? I can't remember stopping games or having a minutes silence even for victims of Peruvian landslides (again thousands).

Euro matches were cancelled for security reasons ... NOT as a mark of respect.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

I was surprised to land on ESPN2 showing Roma v Real Madrid yesterday as I was flipping channels. In a way it was nice to have a break and escape from all the chaos. I wouldn't ahve expected European events to be cancelled because of this, but I suppose it makes sense for security reasons. Everything entertainment oriented has been cancelled over here at least through the weekend. I do agree, that we need to move on with 'normal' life so as not to give terrorists the satisfaction. So unless events are cancelled for security reasons, they should go on. The bastids want to see us all hiding in our homes, quaking with fear. We can mourn the tragedy and loss, but we must go on and show them they can't stop us from living.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

I'm inclined to agree with Softie that it can be a good thing to share grief, even if the event that brings the people together is utterly trivial, but the need to share grief I think is a purely personal response - it won't necessarily be what everyone wants.

As long as the medium (tonight's game in our case) doesn't trivialise the tragedy, which, incidentally, I happen to think the media coverage has ended up doing to some degree, I think it's down to the individual to cope in his or her own way.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Fully agree with Geordie. I can see practical reasons for cancelling UEFA games, but why cancel the Worthington Cup ties? Did the FA suspend football for the Rwanda genocide, Pol Pot's atrocities or the Mexico City earthquake?

We were all touched by the events in the USA (some more than others) but we risk getting caught in a web of self-pity. Let the grieving grive, but for the rest of us life must go on in defiance of terrorist scum.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Football is trivial but almost everything is trivial compared to the loss of lives. Shopping is trivial - should the shops in the Metro Centre and Newcastle be closed today? Pop music is trivial - should the radio stations be broadcasting nothing other than coverage of the rescue operation? It seems to me that closing the shops and so on would be giving into terrorists and I don't see how football is any different. I think we are all mourning in our own way for the general loss of life and for the loss of colleagues who worked in that part of New York, but a gesture like cancelling a Worthington Cup tie trivialises what is a massive tragedy, a tragedy that will cost yet more lives as hostilities with the Middle East escalate and millions of jobs worldwide. I am going to the game and I think we should dedicate the win (assuming we win) to Ciara, Syme et al who we are all overjoyed to see safe and well.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

people need to a distraction, not saying footie would offer relief, but as Colin Powell said last night, they can break buildings, but not the spirit. We would not be doing anyone a favour to sit in and hope for a miracle. It is a test of character to show that you can not only acknowledge the tragedy, but get up and resume living again.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Have to laugh at attributing the comment about breaking buildings, but not the spirit to Colin Powell, Sparxx. It was actually Jr that said it in his speech last night. But it was clearly written by someone else, and Jr was well-rehearsed in his delivery. Wouldn't be surprised if Powell had a hand in the wording of it. Have to admit, it's the first time I've not only sat through one of Jr's speeches, but actually agreed with everything he said. Fortunately we do have more level and experienced heads pulling his strings, and apparently good speechwriters putting the words in his mouth. I'm still not comfortable with him being the figurehead, but we don't have much choice so have to live with it. I just hope they don't do anything too rash. I'd rather take the time to find the righ targets and work with the rest of the world to eradicate the threat once and for all. This isn't just about the US, it affects everyone.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

A lot of truth and sense there Douggie...as sad as it is.

Andy

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

If there is a chance that something positive might come from this, I hope it'll be a climate of international co-operation in tracking down these scum.

Leave them with nowhere to hide and they might think twice about trying anything like this again.

And you never know, it might even widen to include the drugs trade, that's assuming governments are serious in wanting to wipe that out as well. I sometimes wonder.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Ciara.... Colin said it in Peru yesterday morning, Jr. quoted him last night....

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

Ahhh.....missed Powell's initial statement. Amazed I guessed right on who helped with wording Jr's speech. Too bad we can't just make Powell President.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

i disagree with cancelling football matches. i disagreed totally with cancelling the game after the Diana episode and i do now. as sad as it is, it is in fact an insult of large proportions to others who have died in disasters. if we want world peace, we have to treat every one and i mean every one as equals or we will never see an end to terrorism. a child in peru is no different to a child in new york, or even iraq. cancelling games for security reasons is a different matter entirely.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001

We can't postpone matches, it would take something catastrophic like the Queen Mother dying for the games in England to be halted.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001