THERE is not much more that can be said about the Thierry Henry handball that isn’t already out in the open.

After much raging, debate and even political intervention, nothing has — or will — change. As far as FIFA are concerned, Henry handled the ball, William Gallas scored and Ireland are out of the World Cup, so tough luck.

Unfortunately, the only message this sends out is that cheats prosper — which is a sad indictment on football. Saying it is part of the game and everyone has been at it for years is pathetic. It does not make it right. Cheating is cheating.

Contrast this with snooker, a game which prides itself on sportsmanship and is proactive in weeding out the cheats that shame its name. I play the game at local league level and that principle is just as strong. If you commit a foul, you own up to it.

Given the game’s intricate nature, the referee often has no chance of knowing if an error has been made, yet players still admit their guilt.

With very few exceptions, the players are as honest as the day is long and those that aren’t don’t last long. The same cannot be said of football. The Republic of Ireland won’t get their replay, nor should FIFA cave in and grant it them — that would set a dangerous precedent.

The best hope now is that Henry is banned and held up as a high-profile example to others that cheating is wrong. But, with so much money involved, perhaps that’s too much to ask.