Thierry Henry-The Thief Of St Denis breaks a nations’ hearts

“The thief Of St Denis “ is how RTE’s legendary commentator George “Danger here” Hamilton described Thierry Henry after his blatant handball led to the goal that destroyed Ireland’s World Cup 2010 dreams. Cheat would be a more appropriate soubriquet for one of the games heroes who has shown a darker side to become the villain who broke a tiny footballing nation’s hearts.

The Irish have what some would describe as an over inflated sense of fair play, but it’s in the DNA of a sports mad nation who must always punch above it’s weight. The rugby team are the top dogs in the Northern Hemisphere and the footballers reached the heights in the playoff only to be cheated by a man who is often held up as an inspiration to youngsters. The RTE studio pitbull Eammon Dunphy said “There will be kids trying that this weekend and hoping they get away with it- this sends the wrong message”

Right from the start the conspiracy theorists had it that the decision to abandon the blind draw and seed the eight teams favoured the 98 World Champions and that UEFA chief Michel Platini and the odious Sepp Blatter had hatched a plan to crush the little team. Does Platini forget who paid for him to be tutored in English as he ran for the top job? It was the FAI and I doubt John Delaney will be using anything other than pure Irish next time he talks to Platini, but then again the FAI Chief might need Platini to further his well known ambitions within UEFA.

There has been outrage from all corners over the hand of Frog as it’s been wittily christened with the French press showing great sympathy for Ireland and berating Les Bleus for cheating a nation who play to the rules out of a World Cup. Ireland’s Assistant Manager has called for a replay, but we live in a world where that won’t happen and more’s the disgrace.

Shameful, appalling, disgusting & disgraceful are all adjectives that fit the bill but can never convey the broken hearted feelings of the Irish nation, their fans who traverse continents in their face paint ,draped in tricolours to roar their brave boys on and was there ever a finer performance than the Stade De France? To go to the home of a former World Champion and to dominate so utterly and then to be so cruelly cheated -sport is all the poorer for the events of the 13th minute of extra time in Paris and those that govern should hang their heads in shame . Monsieur Henry has thrown away a 15 year career of being lauded through one second of cheating a nation will always remember him as The thief of St Denis.

Bob "The Voice" McKenzie Twitter: @BobTheVoice About: