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Saturday, June 19, 2010

Hooray for England!


I am delighted to report that after the Poms gave us such a rubbishing in the UK press over our dismal effort against Germany - England has managed to scrape together - rather badly I might say - two draws and now has to beat Slovenia to remain in the tournament.

Most of the England players looked like they would rather be somewhere else (and in fact the goalkeeper from the first game was). There was not much sparkle and you wonder what the outcome would have been if they had been playing someone other than Algeria.

This is a delicious situation and I will watch the next game against Slovenia with some relish. Not because I particularly don’t want England to get through to the next round - on that point I am ambivalent - because they cannot win the World Cup - but because they are so arrogant and pompous about Australia.

I think I have about 25 music channels on Sky Satellite TV and about 4 of them are showing non-stop English football anthems - ‘Hooray for England’ and all that stuff.

I wonder if they will keep playing them if England does not get through to the next round?

I imagine so - I don’t think many football fans in the UK actually require football to sustain them. 30 pints of beer and a broken bottle seems to set the average fan up for a top night - regardless of the outcome of any game played.

It is an English tradition that when they play in continental Europe and lose - they sack the town. This is sort of revenge for the Saxons, Normans and the Vikings. I think they may be a bit more circumspect in South Africa because it is a long way from Blighty.

8 comments:

  1. Oopsie, that's a tough one!
    I watches Australia against Ghana, parts of it, that is.

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  2. Errrm, Badger, please could you remind me who won the rugby test in Australia today (yesterday, now)? Does the name Jonny Wilkinson mean anything? Who currently holds the Ashes, I wonder?

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  3. Oh, Badger, you forgot the Angles and Hugenots.

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  4. i'm into the world cup too. we live in los angeles, but my mom grew up in italy and we always pull for the italians. in fact, when i heard on the tv that the americans had been robbed of a goal yesterday, i rolled my eyes, as the pro-us propaganda is so normally out of control. but yes, i think they were in fact robbed. eager to see how england responds to the accurate criticism.

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  5. I will never understand the commitment some people have with their nation's team for the SOLE reason that it IS their nations team...A team they were never actually part of or have (had) nothing to do with.

    I just cant fathom that specific motivation....i understand cheering for the underdog...cheering against the arrogant teams **usually with arrogant supporters inc. English Soccer, Australian cricket** etc etc.

    Hope you are well.

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  6. Yes OK Maalie but let's get some perspective. In the previous Ashes series we flogged you 5-0. You won the rugby test yesterday by 1 point - last week we belted you. I refuse to discuss Jonny.

    Oh dear Ed. Perhaps you should not read my recent blog about why I hate the Azzurri.

    Yes K I am well.

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  7. my husband blames the lack of vim and vigor in the England team to the fact that their wives and girlfriends are not allowed this time to stay in the hotel with them thus they cannot benefit from a good shag to clear the pipes/head...well it's a theory!!

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  8. EmmaK: Look I am not sure that England players ever needed a wife or girlfriend on hand to have a shag!

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