Savaged by Simon Jordan – and thanks to the algorithm I want to be savaged again
A columnist was criticised by Simon Jordan after questioning whether Croatia’s decision to fill a football ground with children complied with the spirit of a ban on spectators. The article uses the episode to reflect on how anger and outrage shape football commentary and online attention, while admitting the criticism was relatively minor.
Croatia hosted England in Rijeka with the match intended to take place behind closed doors as punishment for disorder in Paris the previous year, including alleged Nazi salutes. A rules loophole allowed the Croatian FA to admit children, which the writer felt sat uneasily with the sanction. The supplied article text ends mid-sentence, so it does not include Jordan’s full response or the columnist’s complete account of the exchange.
- Simon Jordan criticised a columnist over comments about children attending Croatia v England.
- The match was meant to be played without fans after disorder in Paris.
- The writer says the episode reflects football’s increasingly angry commentary.