Born and raised in London? I have dual citizenship (British - German) and don’t have an Irish granny. You can go right back to Zola Budd but any national soccer team these days has its immigrant content. All about making the world more colourful right?
A hack canter for England in the end, the Danes were cooked about 75 mins in. They will look back with more good memories than bad I should reckon, they did well to get to the semi final. Final promises to be a tight knit affair. Sterling surely player of the tournament?
Yep, slightly similar with me. Not quite 'born in London', missed that by three months, but certainly raised in the 'Smoke'. Brother and Sister born in nursing home just outside The Oval. Always kept my British citizenship, could have had a Canadian one and maybe a German one later, but the Resident's Permit here is good enough for me. I too don't have an Irish Granny, but I had a Scottish grandpa, apparently! Quite a game, as tense as all hell. Well played to Denmark too, they played their hearts out, as did England. Raheem Sterling will surely be the POTT? Good night all!
A hack canter my arse! Just like the cricket, they needed a Sterling dive and a bent refereeing decision to win- as I predicted to my mates beforehand. But for that, we know how the penalty shoot out would have gone, don't we? Football has become a cheating, diving, shirt-pulling, drama queen disgrace, officiated over by a bent, incompetent ruling body. When I played sport, fair play was the name of the game but, as an England supporter, it's time to speak out. Throw it in the rubbish bin. It's a joke, pure and simple.
I thought it was just me. We are in the final thanks to a cheating dive that was totally premeditated and that goes unchallenged by VAR which in my book renders it not fit for purpose. If that was an Italian the England fans would have the gallows out not recommending him for player of the tournament.
Well Tam, how do you follow that post...!! To be fair i have to agree with most of your outpouring towards the modern footballer and is the one thing that has dampened my enthusiasm for the game from what was a big part of my life for 12-15 years. The 'penalty' wasnt a pen in my eyes but in the 'modern' game somehow it is. The time wasting of players feigning injury is another one that clouds the sportsmanship of competing against a fellow man but again that is now accepted... Professionalism in sport has a lot to answer for, that comes with money involved with the selected sport, but when it works, when two sides actually get round to doing what they are so handsomely paid for then it can be a spectacular sporting event worth the admission fee... They just seem to be getting harder and harder to find...
The big question is mate. Who do you want to win the final. Country or bet slip? The game is full of soft fouls nowadays. All throughout last night's game I thought I was watching Neymar instead of Kane he was on his knees (behave) or rolling round more than on his feet
Red, there’s no need for sportsmanship to be “accepted.” I could clean up football in one month... 1. Get rid of VAR. Football isn’t an electronic game and current linesmen have become redundant - the delayed offside flag is a joke; likewise linesmen who have become just decoration. Employ strong, professional referees and four linesmen- two in each half. 2. For shirt pulling and professional fouls, immediate red card. 3. For diving and feigning injury, red or yellow, at referee’s discretion. 4. No substitutions after 80 minutes play. They’re just gamesmanship. Also, why on earth do you need squads of 20 plus players? It’s an eleven man game and, if a fit, professional player can’t last 90 minutes once or twice a week, then take up tiddlywinks! Three subs only from fourteen declared players. 5. No challenging or harassing referees by players- red cards would soon stop that. Only captains to politely request clarification. 6. Currently, far too many delays in a game. No coaching from the touch line. If a player on the ground claims injury, then he must leave the field immediately- with no return. Otherwise get up at once and carry on. No drinks on the pitch. Etc, etc. 7. Nobody wants to remove the physicality from the game, but the question is simple. Do you want the current circus or good , clean skill and endeavour? Herein lies the difference between current and past generations- or oldies like me. There you are, all sorted! PS. What price Italy have a man sent off in the final - to help our team?
I’ve seen penalties given for much less. The one lad clipped Sterling’s right leg, unbalancing him, and then the other defender barged him from the left. It would have been an amazing feat to stay on his feet. It should be a fantastic final and I think playing Italy will suit England - they certainly won’t park the bus.
Spinnazola has been my player of the tournament, even though he has been injured. I wonder if Everton can sign him
Oddy, sorry, I’m not buying that. Yes, I’ve seen penalties for less. That only proves that, given the number of ‘diving incidents,’ there’s a massive range of ‘degrees of severity.’ One method I use is to ask myself...Could that player have stayed on his feet? If you’re hacked down, your hands go out AFTER you start falling. Watch Kane and especially Sterling. Their hands are invariably wide out BEFORE they fall. Kane does it more subtlely than Sterling by having his back to the defender. A classic diver, if ever I saw one. Sterling’s dive is crude and extravagant.
I am not buying it either my old mate. He wasnt touched by the lad who had is leg out but Sterling knows its coming and is on his way down before the very slight side bump from the left. It was as blatant a dive as you will ever see. If Immobile does it against us in the Final there will be a very different point of view from England supporters. My mates laugh at me when I suggest that Premier League players practice this dark art in training!
The Danes have gotten over their defeat to the mighty Engurlund i see... World's tallest sandcastle built in Denmark Got to admit, its rather impressive...
