Wednesday, May 9th 2012 - 02:32 UTC

Malvinas/Olympic ad Argentine hockey player left out of Games warm-up in Malaysia

The Argentine hockey player filmed training on the Falkland Islands in a controversial video that caused a furor in Britain last week has been dropped from Argentina’s final Olympic Games warm-up event.

Zylberberg, the face of the controversial spot misses the warm-up

Fernando Zylberberg, a 34-year-old midfielder who has captained Argentina, was not included in the 18-man squad for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia posted on the Argentine Hockey Confederation website www.cahockey.org.ar

The other teams participating in the six-nation tournament from May 24 to June 4 are the hosts, India, Pakistan, South Korea, New Zealand and Britain.

A veteran of the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, Zylberberg was in the Argentina side that qualified for London as Pan-American champions last year and his absence in Malaysia does not mean he is definitely discarded for the July 27-August12 Games.

The Argentine state-supported television advertisement aired in the run-up to the London Games and featuring Zylberberg was branded by Britain as “tasteless and insulting”. The Falkland Islands elected government described the spot as a piece “of cheap and disrespectful propaganda”.

It shows Zylberberg running past symbolic landmarks on the Falklands, the South Atlantic Islands over which Argentina claims sovereignty and invaded them in 1982, until expelled by a British task force 74 days later. Among the landmarks Zylberberg is filmed exercising on the steps of a war memorial to British soldiers from the Battle of the Falklands.

It ends with the strap line: “To compete on English soil, we are training on Argentine soil.” Argentina claims sovereignty over the islands it calls Malvinas.

The Argentine Olympic Committee (COA) issued a statement on Tuesday distancing itself from the advertisement.

“…using the Olympic Games to make political gestures of any kind is not acceptable and we will conduct ourselves in the proper Olympic spirit in all that we do in London and elsewhere,” COA president Gerardo Werthein said.

On Sunday athletes’ representative in the COA, Juan Curuchet warned about the impact of the spot for the Argentine competitors.

“The spot couldn’t have been worst ill-timed: Zylberberg has been really affected by all that has happened and is being said about him. And I don’t even want to imagine what could happen and how our athletes could feel if they are booed during the opening ceremony (in London). How can they compete after that?” said Curuchet who was track cycling gold medal in Beijing and holds the Argentine record of competition in Olympic Games: six times.
 

76 comments Feed

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1 Marcos Alejandro (#) May 09th, 2012 - 02:49 am Report abuse
Penguin News/Merco can't stop talking about this wonderful commercial.
I wonder who owns that bike outside Penguin News office showed in the commercial?

www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lSlyQp9NAoM
2 rule_britannia (#) May 09th, 2012 - 02:49 am Report abuse
As Jorge Lanata, Argentine journalist and enfant terrible, encourages viewers to say on his Sunday night programme on Channel 13: “F!ck you, Fernando Zylberberg”.
3 Boovis (#) May 09th, 2012 - 02:55 am Report abuse
Fernando can't make it because he's too busy replying to the responses on his Twitter account.
4 rule_britannia (#) May 09th, 2012 - 02:59 am Report abuse
3 Boovis: Wasn't his account invented by K-tweeters? His photo looks like someone from Star Trek to me.
5 Marcos Alejandro (#) May 09th, 2012 - 03:00 am Report abuse
3 Fernando can't make it because he's too busy filiming another commercial in Malvinas under the noses of thousands of sleepy Brits.
6 rule_britannia (#) May 09th, 2012 - 03:08 am Report abuse
5 Marcos Alejandro: What was it exactly that he was selling in that commercial? Smoke?
7 Britninja (#) May 09th, 2012 - 03:10 am Report abuse
@5 I doubt he has the balls to ever set foot on the Falklands again. You'll have to send another rat to creep around at the crack of dawn like a criminal instead.
8 Marcos Alejandro (#) May 09th, 2012 - 03:12 am Report abuse
6 The only smoke that I see is from some Brits like yourself and #7 still fuming over this wonderful commercial:

www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lSlyQp9NAoM
9 Britninja (#) May 09th, 2012 - 03:15 am Report abuse
Lol well you can watch it as many times as you like because it's the closest you'll ever get to that lovely scenery being part of your country. :)
10 brit abroad (#) May 09th, 2012 - 04:07 am Report abuse
marcos you are about as stupid as he is......face facts, he is now trying to explain to his family why he has fucked up his and their lives. I am pretty sure after admitting his lies, that he regrets getting involved.

Funny thing is, is that you dont see the tragedy of one of your own country mens situation and baltantly dont care! this selfish attitude (adopted by the hardcore Malvinists) is harmfull and you dont see it!!

You are a sad selfish and blind!
11 Suckitjesus (#) May 09th, 2012 - 04:52 am Report abuse
Lmao this commercial was awesome!
12 brit abroad (#) May 09th, 2012 - 05:23 am Report abuse
Why awesome? Jesus!!!! U must have such a dull life! You should get intouch with tobias, he has a worm farm that he's been training-up as part of the RG Olympic squad! Should keep u both amused :-)
13 Boovis (#) May 09th, 2012 - 05:39 am Report abuse
Most people in the UK won't know about this advert, it's fish and chip paper and forgotten.
14 brit abroad (#) May 09th, 2012 - 06:00 am Report abuse
@11

You may be interested in the works of the Gleichschaltung. Most of their stuff was in Black and White, but you should still check it out! I think it'll be right up your chocolate alley :-)
15 Martin Woodhead (#) May 09th, 2012 - 06:17 am Report abuse
Oh we know and just go meh.
Its an epic bit of trolling.
The falklands looks really lovely in it.
16 Xect (#) May 09th, 2012 - 06:18 am Report abuse
You've got to feel sorry for the Argentine Olympic comity and the athletes, there they are trying to do the right things and enjoy the coming Olympics whilst the Argentine government does their best to ruin for their athletes and embarrass their very own Olympic organizations.

First the story of the Argentine government demanding trade balances to obtain their training gear they need to best represent their country and now this.

This country is horribly disjointed and fragmented.
17 Lord Loverocket (#) May 09th, 2012 - 06:27 am Report abuse
I thought there was something odd about his appearance in the ad. If you look at the picture he's only wearing eyeliner like a big tranny!
18 cLOHO (#) May 09th, 2012 - 06:42 am Report abuse
5 - What a master stroke and fantastic wheeze to film a Nazi Progaganda film whilst the Falklanders where asleep. Its shows great bravery to sneak around before daybreak, then run away once the scary falklanders wake up. A mighty stand against the British Empire...i am sure we all agree. I had these RG's down as a brainwashed population run by a corrupt family dynasty, but this has shown me the true metal of fortress Argentina, cowardly, deceitful , and brave ...hip hip hurray.
19 fermin (#) May 09th, 2012 - 06:53 am Report abuse
@16: “This country is horribly disjointed and fragmented” Nothing further from reality, how can you explain that in Argentina the corporate media is AGAINST the Government and the social media is mostly SUPPORTING IT if the Argentine people is not represented by them? Social networks are bringing more democracy.

The funny thing is that the video talks about an idea in which Argentina and SouthAmerica believe, that the UK has a colony in the SouthAtlantic Ocean. It doesn't lie about other people, the British Government and the corporate media that supports them have been really talking about Argentina as if it was an aggressive not pacific country that threatens islander's life like a nasty monster and nobody asked for an apology... No Argentinian is expecting for one, we know where all those lies come from and took them with calm.

So why do these conservative little group of business british men and other ultra-nationalist british sectors of society should feel so angry and touched by this video?

The British Foreign Office gives not certain information about Argentina and its intentions regularly and nobody is asking them to shut their mouth up, what right do they have to ask Argentina to stop expressing the idea that Argentine people has?? I think they are not ok with the freedom of speech.

Well, after all British Government has even discussed the possibility of shutting down social networks after riots in London. What can the rest of the countries expect if they don't even want to listen to their own british citizens??
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hslfklj41eg

Of course they don't want discussions and controversy about colonialism, they are being exposed.

After all I believe that the video wasn't really took as an offense by too many people, it is just that it is not good for the British Governments and economic groups that make money out of this colony, the reason is not respect or offenses, the reason is that they DO NOT LIKE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.
20 Be serious (#) May 09th, 2012 - 06:54 am Report abuse
1
I was surprised to see the bike as well.

You would have thought that with a spic in town it would have been nicked.
21 toooldtodieyoung (#) May 09th, 2012 - 07:02 am Report abuse
19 fermin

Are you having a breakdown or a seizure? There are secure institutions that could help you get over your brainwashing and back into the light you know? The truth will set you free.
22 Xect (#) May 09th, 2012 - 07:04 am Report abuse
@Fermin - It really couldn't be simpler. The Argentine Olympic body doesn't support the actions of its own government.

And if we look at the wider picture the level of discontent in Argentina continues to rise.

As for the rest you posted, well that is nothing but nonsense.

The British press/government/non British official Olympic body took offense to this video because it was illegal, offensive and childish.

If you don't think defiling a war memorial isn't truly scum like behaviour then there is no hope for you.

You are also confusing freedom of speech which doesn't exist in Argentina (ask the economists) with a illegal and offensive act.
23 Boovis (#) May 09th, 2012 - 07:43 am Report abuse
@19 Very simple, the social media is crawling with La Campora. People are sheep and if they see that most posts support something, they'll follow along with the herd. This also explains why most abuse on pro-falklands pages are from either 15 year old kids or demented old farts.
24 ElaineB (#) May 09th, 2012 - 08:18 am Report abuse
When I read the story about the K Tweeters using fake/multiple ID's to give the impression CFKC's policies are more popular than reality, I did wonder if any of them are posting here.

The fact that they used fake profiles of famous people to try to influence their dumb supporters shows the kind of people they are. And worse, the kind of people that support CFKC. Not. Very. Bright.
25 GreekYoghurt (#) May 09th, 2012 - 08:59 am Report abuse
@24 They're not very bright.

K-Tweeter /keɪ ˈtwitər/
noun.
1. A type of Argtard who cannot get a date nor an er3ction.
26 The Cestrian (#) May 09th, 2012 - 09:02 am Report abuse
Ha, ha, you coudlnt make it up. the athlete makes the video, says he knows nothing about it, then admits he does, the Rg government applauds the video and then he is promptly dropped from the olympic squad.

Superb.
27 ManRod (#) May 09th, 2012 - 09:03 am Report abuse
what do you do when you backstabbed all your neighbours and nobody left to backstab, Cristina? Well, start backstabbing your own people...
was it worth it, Fernando?
28 Boovis (#) May 09th, 2012 - 09:11 am Report abuse
PressTV claims the UK made it to discredit Argentina and, of course, all the psycho nutters on their forums are now going on about Imperialist British, Zionist Olympics, bla bla bla. Seems weird, they say that if we discovered a backward civilisation on another planet then morals should stop us interfering with their natural development, discoveries, etc, and even when pyramids were being built, some peoples were still in caves, so why should we presume that all nations in 2012 are on an equal mental or culturally developed footing? It's time we acknowledged that some nations just aren't ready for the industrial revolution, nevermind the information age, and should be left to their own (wood and mud based) devices.
29 Idlehands (#) May 09th, 2012 - 09:28 am Report abuse
.....can you hear the guns Fernando?
30 brit abroad (#) May 09th, 2012 - 10:37 am Report abuse
Rugby, football, field hockey ...... All british sports! I think it is hide time KFC and her band of goose stepping muppets show “creativity” and invent their own sports to play within their own borders. Then the rest of us could piss ourselves laughing at them trying to create the rules.
31 Boovis (#) May 09th, 2012 - 10:38 am Report abuse
Throwing a dead patagonian indian's head through a hoop?
32 Idlehands (#) May 09th, 2012 - 10:46 am Report abuse
Bombing a Falklands fishing trawler with a recalcitrant Argentine nun?
33 PirateLove (#) May 09th, 2012 - 10:48 am Report abuse
“Zylberberg has been really affected by all that has happened and is being said about him”

nobody twisited his arm, he didnt have to take part in his countries political antics, but......He did! I doubt very much that hes losing sleep.
34 Boovis (#) May 09th, 2012 - 10:52 am Report abuse
I feel really surprised and shocked that sneeking around a politically sentitive area shooting clandestine videos could have such an effect and stir up such vitriol.. jeez, he's just as bad as those morons who go backpacking in Iran or sailing in the persian gulf, do these idiots actually read papers or investigate anything before venturing on their naive little crusades? Morons, Darwin at work.
35 Idlehands (#) May 09th, 2012 - 10:53 am Report abuse
I bet he is losing sleep. His personal Olympic dreams would trump his childhood indoctrination about the Falklands.

He probably saw his involvement as a double win whammy for himself but hadn't thought through what other consequences might transpire from his actions.

He's learnt one lesson - act in haste and repent at leisure.
36 Boovis (#) May 09th, 2012 - 10:58 am Report abuse
This gets better and better:

Hockey player in controversial Falklands advert 'to miss London Olympics'
Fernando Zylberberg, the hockey player who worked out on a British war memorial during a controversial Falklands advert, is set to miss the London 2012 Olympics.
By Our Foreign Staff 9:55AM BST 09 May
Zylberberg shot the advert ahead of the London games with the boast: “To compete on English soil, we are training on Argentine soil.”
The Argentine government has ignored international condemnation and laughed off criticism of the advert, with Cristina Kirchner, the President, saying its “creativity should be recognised and applauded.”
But she has been left red faced after it emerged the hockey player has been left out of a pre-Olympics hockey tournament and will almost certainly be passed over for London.
The ad starring him, condemned as “tawdry and cowardly” by Falklands survivor Simon Weston, is now expected to be dropped from Argentine TV screens.
A source close to the ad agency behind the video admitted: “Fernando missing the Olympics would be a bit of an embarrassment.
”He was picked because we thought he'd be a dead cert for the event. I suspect the ad will be quietly dropped now.
“It's difficult to see how you can make propaganda based on an Olympian training on disputed territory when it turns out he's not going to go to the Olympics.”
Another added: “Everyone involved in the project feels pretty silly at the moment.
”What was trumpeted as a kick in the teeth for Britain has turned out to be a spectacular own goal.
“There's a little-bit of wound licking going on at the moment.
”Cristina Kirchner never envisaged for one moment when she was making political capital out of the video that Fernando would be left out of the Olympics.”
Fernando Zylberberg trains on the island's Great War Memorial, which honours British sailors who died in World War I (AFP/Getty Images)
Zylberberg, expected to make the cut for what would have been his third Olympics, has been virt
37 GreekYoghurt (#) May 09th, 2012 - 11:05 am Report abuse
Maybe if he wasn't flying around the South Atlantic being a political pawn, and spent some time actually doing some training he might have been a little more than not very fit.

Makes the tag line quite amusing though.
38 Idlehands (#) May 09th, 2012 - 11:11 am Report abuse
Maybe the tagline should be changed to “Oops I should've thought a bit more about where I train”
39 Conqueror (#) May 09th, 2012 - 11:45 am Report abuse
It will be interesting to see whether Zylberberg goes to the Olympics. Unless he reads this site himself, someone should tell him to take his scuba gear. And wear it at all times. Wouldn't want him to drown when spectators recognise him!
40 Boovis (#) May 09th, 2012 - 11:46 am Report abuse
@39 read my previous post 36.
41 Idlehands (#) May 09th, 2012 - 12:45 pm Report abuse
Our Argentine friends seem to be late crawling out of their beds today.

I wonder if they are puzzling how to turn this and other articles here today into a positive news story for Argentina?
42 Islander1 (#) May 09th, 2012 - 12:50 pm Report abuse
Marcos- I guess that in Argentina you do not have any such thing as private Property and laws to prevent unwanted.unauthorised entry onto privare property - its called Trespassing?

The film compavy broke the Law here by using private property in a commercial advert without the owner,s consent - the land outside the house he was filmed starting from.
The athlete himself also committed trespass by entering that area.

Falklands are british territory - so it is quite a strong possibility that the private prperty owners here will make a case to the Police here - which would then be transmitted to Scotland Yard which would mean that the athlete himself could be liable to arrest on arrival at immigration in UK - transferred to a flight to the Falklands under police escort - flown here and appear before a Magistrates Court in Stanley and fined.
I think it would be a good move by Argentina to drop him from the team to save a lot of embarrasment to you folks!
The PR Company themselves, if taken to court- well we know the BA office will ignore it, but we can sue the parent company in UK - who would extract the money from BA office anyway - or even close it down.

Your President obviously has never read the famous saying - “When in Hole full of Shit - Stop Digging!”
43 GreekYoghurt (#) May 09th, 2012 - 12:51 pm Report abuse
@41 they'll probably just try to get everyone talking about something else like they normally do. Distraction is their only tool.
44 Boovis (#) May 09th, 2012 - 12:54 pm Report abuse
@43, yep, we're all imperialists, something random in the 1800's... bla bla bla jajaja... etc etc
45 Idlehands (#) May 09th, 2012 - 12:54 pm Report abuse
Couldn't you just throw cream pies at him instead? Seems like a lot of effort and expense to waste on a complete numpty.
46 ElaineB (#) May 09th, 2012 - 01:13 pm Report abuse
It appears that the Argentine athletes were at the British Embassy in BsAs last night enjoying hospitality. Fernando was a no-show but it was very polite and friendly. The president of the AOC closed his speech with “our only emblem is the flag of Argentina, as a sign of unity and fraternity in sport.” That sounds like a strong message that they will not be engaging in some government political stunt dreamed up by Her Madness CFKC.
47 zethe (#) May 09th, 2012 - 01:14 pm Report abuse
No-one over here even knows about the commercial. I doubt anyone would boo at them in the Olympics. I think it's another case of some Argentinians thinking that anyone really cares about what they say or do.
48 Simon68 (#) May 09th, 2012 - 01:35 pm Report abuse
41 Idlehands (#)
May 09th, 2012 - 12:45 pm

Idle, I don't want to disapoint you, so I'm presenting myself instead of the malvinista muthaf***ers.

There is really nothing to comment on here, the Zylberberg twit needed the money from the TV spot to help him in training for the Olympics as the Government here don't help at all. Unfortunately he wasn't bright enough to see what would happen to him:

Chucked off the team.
Made to look a right tit.
Lost his reputation as a sportsman throughout the world.
Probably lost his job as a player in Spain.

It was not a good deal!!!
49 Joe Bloggs (#) May 09th, 2012 - 01:50 pm Report abuse
Nobody cares what Argentina are planning for the Olympics. All eyes will be on the sporting giants like China, USA, Russia, Germany, Australia and the UK itself. Not some also ran nation that just scraped into 35th in the 2008 medals tally.

CFK could well order them to wear some sort of controversial Malvinas logo at the eleventh hour but nobody will care outside of Argentina, the Falklands or the UK. It certainly won't make the news for the majority of the 2 billion-plus expected global audience.
50 British_Kirchnerist (#) May 09th, 2012 - 02:22 pm Report abuse
#2 If Lanata siad that, he really is terrible

#9 “Nothing further from reality, how can you explain that in Argentina the corporate media is AGAINST the Government and the social media is mostly SUPPORTING IT if the Argentine people is not represented by them? Social networks are bringing more democracy”

Exactly.

#46 If the AOC prefer the corrupt IOC over the best President in the world, more fool them
51 Musky (#) May 09th, 2012 - 02:32 pm Report abuse
Well I'm glad the Argentine NOC have shown some sense. Let's hope he's not chosen to carry the Flag in the main procession on opening day!
Hmm, wonder if el presidente will be in the audience urging them on, all in black.
52 briton (#) May 09th, 2012 - 02:51 pm Report abuse
we wonder if he still thinks CFK is all great,

after all, he has been used screwed and lost his job,

loyalty, makes you think twice .
53 Idlehands (#) May 09th, 2012 - 03:05 pm Report abuse
The best president in the world is Kim Jong Un - get your facts straight BK.
54 Argentinaisfinishedjajajajajaja (#) May 09th, 2012 - 03:05 pm Report abuse
Argentine Olympians really do train on their OWN soil. JAJAJJAJAJAJAJA

What a bunch of incompetent Neo-Fascist colonists!!! jajajaja
55 ChrisR (#) May 09th, 2012 - 03:17 pm Report abuse
My next door neighbour, a lovely Argentinian, is a top field hockey player as is his best friend who I have also met.

I would imagine they are horrified at this load of utterly predictable crap. Pity it will be next October before they are back so I will miss out on the actual facts of the case.
56 WestisBest (#) May 09th, 2012 - 03:33 pm Report abuse
Maybe if he came back here some kind Falkland Islander would pull the knife out of his back for him.
57 Conqueror (#) May 09th, 2012 - 03:36 pm Report abuse
@50 Poor sap. Mugabe is a better president.
58 British_Kirchnerist (#) May 09th, 2012 - 04:04 pm Report abuse
#53 Kim Jong-Un isn't the President, his long dead grandad still is!

#53 & #57 No, they stand for a dictatorial model that has no future, Cristina is the people's will and the wave of the future
59 reality check (#) May 09th, 2012 - 04:51 pm Report abuse
@4 “Avatar” more like.
@5 Not a commercial, “Avatar 2”
60 scarfo (#) May 09th, 2012 - 04:58 pm Report abuse
Ohhh dear, egg, meet face. :)
61 Hands Off (#) May 09th, 2012 - 05:46 pm Report abuse
Is this a tourist advert about the Falklands? It looks like a great place and has inspired me to go an visit this great English outpost.
62 Malvinero1 (#) May 09th, 2012 - 06:22 pm Report abuse
Marcos- I guess that in Argentina you do not have any such thing as private Property and laws to prevent unwanted.unauthorised entry onto privare property - its called Trespassing?
We already know that.You are in Argentine property and you have trespassed....Get out our property squatter!
63 Southern Grenadier (#) May 09th, 2012 - 07:00 pm Report abuse
Considering the Spanish region of Galicia is very familiar with operations in the Islands maybe we should invite REPSOL to invest in our oil industry. At least we could be trusted not to steal their money or assets.
64 Chicureo (#) May 09th, 2012 - 08:35 pm Report abuse
“...the hockey player has been left out of a pre-Olympics hockey tournament and will almost certainly be passed over for London.” There is justice in this world.

To miss the London Olympics is a hard blow...
65 honoria (#) May 09th, 2012 - 10:04 pm Report abuse
A lot of Falkland Islanders train for international sporting events and it can't be underestimated what a disappointment it is for the athlete if he can't make it to the event he has worked so hard for. If Fernando has been dropped from the team it will be a very bitter pill to swallow but maybe it will begin to dawn on Argentinians that their aggressive and irrational behaviour is not acceptable on the world stage.
66 GreekYoghurt (#) May 09th, 2012 - 11:09 pm Report abuse
@65 It'll never dawn on them, they'll turn to victimisation again and blame the Islanders or British for stopping them winning Gold. They're pathologically incapable of taking responsibility for the outcome of any of their actions.

In this case, he's probably just unfit.
67 rule_britannia (#) May 10th, 2012 - 12:42 am Report abuse
50 British_Kirchnerist: As I said, Jorge is the “enfant terrible” of Argentine journalism. See for yourself - this is obviously directed at CFK: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc7WzAstcXg
68 WestisBest (#) May 10th, 2012 - 12:50 am Report abuse
@66

You're probably right about his fitness, if the extent of his 'training on Argentine soil' was one furtive early morning run then I doubt he would have made the grade.
69 Musky (#) May 10th, 2012 - 07:06 am Report abuse
He's been kicked off the Olympic squad. Excellent! Argentine NOC should replace the Argentine government!
70 ChrisR (#) May 10th, 2012 - 11:38 am Report abuse
We could be missing something here, what if The Mad Bitch 'orders' the NOC to send him 'to save her face'?

I know saving her face is an impossibility unless you have scaffolding and liquid rubber but you all know what I mean. :o)
71 cLOHO (#) May 10th, 2012 - 11:54 am Report abuse
only one response for this article jajajajajajajajjajaa Rg's are finished JAJAJAJAJAJa
72 British_Kirchnerist (#) May 10th, 2012 - 12:58 pm Report abuse
I hope my Queen orders the NOC to reward him for his loyal service; their current stance seems to be disgraceful, if he's been banned for taking a job from his own government to advertise the games
73 Joe Bloggs (#) May 10th, 2012 - 09:14 pm Report abuse
72 BK

He knew what he was doing and got what he had coming to him. At the end of the day who cares if he's in the team or not? It's not as if the Argentine field hockey team going to factor in the results or anything.

Anyway, what has the queen got to do with any of this? You ARE British aren't you? I would've thought it was more likely that the Argentine president could intervene. I don't understand why HM Queen Elizabeth would get involved.
74 Usurping Pirate (#) May 11th, 2012 - 07:28 am Report abuse
Campora kids think the comments on here are an over reaction to
the Zylbeberg film :
Ireland's Rugby Giants: Willie Anderson
Anderson’s international career was delayed due to a much-misreported incident involving a national flag in Argentina. In truth it was the sort of ‘boys on tour’ jape that happens wherever young sportsmen gather. The Argentinean authorities over-reacted in the most highhanded fashion. Their ridiculous macho stance made them an international laughing stock – ‘toy soldiers’ with no class. But it was no laughing matter for Anderson who was detained for almost three months, made aware that two generals amongst the Argentinean junta wanted him executed, and was more than £10,000 out of pocket by the time he returned home.

Back to Zylbeberg : Of course he has been dropped.As the film showed he is old and unfit .
75 Brit Bob (#) May 11th, 2012 - 04:38 pm Report abuse
@72

You have a queen that rules over a dictatorship and is loved inwardly by a simple folk. We have a Queen that is head of a Commonwealth of over 50 nations.
76 British_Kirchnerist (#) May 12th, 2012 - 09:55 am Report abuse
#73 You know what Queen I mean =) But come to think of it, if Elizabeth did help him it would be a great example of British fair play and tolerance, would it not? =)

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