Don't be a loser, Hammam

This is the face of Malaysia's Manchester United fans' Public Enemy Number One - Mohamed bin Hammam - who is so full of self-importance as the president of the Asian Football Confederation.

He thinks he can play god but he is just a devil in disguise. Not a Red Devil, mind you, but just a common, ordinary devil who seems to enjoy making life difficult for others. He throws diplomacy out of the window the way you or I may throw out dirty dishwater. He insists that the visiting Manchester United team should reschedule the dates of their Asian tour just to accommodate the Asian Cup. He threatens the FA of Malaysia with undisclosed penalties if the FAM allows United to visit on 27 Jul 2007. But he is alienating more people than he should. That's why I say that he thinks only about himself, thinks only about his own self-righteousness and self-importance, thinks only about his own perceived powers over people and governments. At the end of the day, he is exposed as a lonely coward who hides behind a legal agreement.

Don't be a loser, Hammam. You can be a winner. If you have football at heart, if you have the interests of the fans of football at heart, you'll be big enough to DO THE RIGHT THING! Until you do, I say BAH to you!

My good friend, Laurence How, president of the Malaysian Manchester United Supporters Club, was quoted in the New Straits Times today that the Red Devils could not be expected to change their schedule. "United are not being disrespectful to anybody. It’s AFC’s call to solve this problem or come to an amicable solution. The supporters club would like them to be here. I am not surprised that the fans are upset. You must remember that many of the fans cannot afford to visit Old Trafford to watch United play."

There were also strong words from UMNO Youth vice-president Khairy Jamaluddin. "I call on Hammam to do the honourable thing. No one is questioning your legal right to prevent the MU game from taking place. The issue now is whether or not you will accommodate the wishes of the government and the hopes of many Malaysian football fans who are asking AFC to show some flexibility. Indeed, the government’s position has been conveyed by none other than the prime minister himself and it has been made abundantly clear that the Manchester United game is an important event in the Visit Malaysia Year 2007 calendar. If Hammam is unwilling to agree to this request, it will be an insult to the government of Malaysia, which hosts the AFC headquarters and has been a strong supporter of AFC, and Asian football in general."