The Round Ball Game - II

[burning dog]

Does anybody really talk about 1966 much these days, other than in passing, or with a bit of damp-eyed nostalgia ? I'm 56, been watching football for nearly 50 years, and I don't remember 1966 at all. .

1966 is the first football I remember, the first when I knew what a centre-half or inside-left was anyway. To my fathers generation only the England Scotland game awoke strong passions before '66, and the World Cup was seen as a showcase for players like Pele, listened to on the radio and seen at the Cinema after the event.

TV didn't feature much according to him, partly because extended families often shared a set in those days.
No sense of tragedy when England were knocked out.

The 1966 footballing thing seemed to a a product of the '90 ( There's obviously a good feeling about that era in general from those brought up on rationing and smog). The phrase "they think it's all over" was revived in a TV series called Sleepers among other things and used by coal miners when they were finally shut down. Then the TV programme of that time plus 96' and "30 years of hurt".
I never felt "hurt" until 2010 and 2014 when England played awfully and had a poor attitude IMO.

[aeolium]

I liked the pedantic point made by a correspondent to the Grauniad, that in fact "30 years of hurt" (as of 1996) was incorrect since from 1966-1970 England were World Champions, so the "hurt" should only have commenced in 1970. "26 years of hurt" wouldn't have worked that well in the song, though....

[burning dog]

"26 years of hurt" wouldn't have worked that well in the song, though....

good point

[Lat-Literal]

For England's sake, very best wishes to France tomorrow.

An economically structured Les Bleus track to send them beyond a mere organic Macronism:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp7mamCpdcc

[teamsaint]

And back to actual football ?

Right, I'm going to be busy tomorrow, not sure if I will get home in time for the first half of the semi, so a few questions:

Who do you think will win tomorrow?
who should England want to win, just in case...you know....?
Should people who haven't watched a game in years be allowed to join in the celebrations? ( Croydon WAY out in front, maybe Lat is leading the singing?)
Should Southgate make any changes to the team.
Is tomorrow night the real final ?

I did have some others, but forgot them......

[johncorrigan]

Right, I'm going to be busy tomorrow, not sure if I will get home in time for the first half of the semi, so a few questions:

Who do you think will win tomorrow?

I said in an earlier post that I thought the winner would come from the Belgium/ Brazil game, sainty, so I reckon Belgium will go through; but Griezmann might well have something to say about that. He and Pavard have been two of my favourite players in the tournament so far. Interesting to see if Fellaini gets a start again for Martinez - he's such a pest in the box. Belgium 3-2, I'm going for.

[Lat-Literal]

And back to actual football ?

Right, I'm going to be busy tomorrow, not sure if I will get home in time for the first half of the semi, so a few questions:

Who do you think will win tomorrow?
who should England want to win, just in case...you know....?
Should people who haven't watched a game in years be allowed to join in the celebrations? ( Croydon WAY out in front, maybe Lat is leading the singing?)
Should Southgate make any changes to the team.
Is tomorrow night the real final ?

I did have some others, but forgot them......

Belgium.
France.
Hovering over Boxpark - it's ticketed which is a minus - I identify as quiz master/statto and am only Sterling in stature but the alter ego is early shyness running riot, often fulfilled. I've got a weirdly deep roar of a voice, mildly laddo tendencies with much anxiety, and I'm tuneful. I'm kind of peed off that everyone was once big and I was small and now everyone is tiny I have something of a stomach without it being big enough to be a joke rather than a disappointment. This is counter-balanced by an "I couldn't give a toss" combined with a long held admission of self-irrelevance. To the extent that people go by the presentation, they would not see any intellectual capability so far as it goes. When they know, they get scared or dismissive. But that swinging of shirt around just seems to be not drawing out my strengths, whatever they were, obscured. It kinda troubles me. I did go from being a joke to a joker, hard though it is to believe from the writing. I was keen on entertaining but not as much as my father and no disrespect to him but I could have been a more self-taught. grounded Dad. Basically, I talk a lot - too much - but I absorbed huge amounts from wanting to learn/listen for the sake of it - I rarely had time for inflexible comfort zones until becoming unnerved.
And that is way too much information.
No - none whatsoever.
Nope, matey.



For Pippa - Spurs, Al and Catholicism ain't everything.....in fact Spurs were never anything:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm6TsYypBpY

[teamsaint]

I said in an earlier post that I thought the winner would come from the Belgium/ Brazil game, sainty, so I reckon Belgium will go through; but Griezmann might well have something to say about that. He and Pavard have been two of my favourite players in the tournament so far. Interesting to see if Fellaini gets a start again for Martinez - he's such a pest in the box. Belgium 3-2, I'm going for.

Strange one, Fellaini. I have seen him at SMS a couple of times, and his touch really is pretty dreadful. But he does also offer a lot of positives. An asset to be used wisely I think. Whether France are the right opposition for him, I wouldn't know.
I'd go for Belgium at level odds,( just) but it should be fascinating.

[Lat-Literal]

Here you go - and I've stolen it from Talksport - who are the ten England players who have featured in the most World Cup games? : no qualification games allowed. No Googling.

[Lat-Literal]

OK.

From memory and not necessarily in this order : Moore, B Charlton, Shilton, Owen, Waddle, Lineker, A Cole, Beckham, Gerrard, Butcher - a fair few big names are missing from this list!

[Beef Oven!]

Hair Bear was sleeping for that corner - looks like we'll be playing France in the final.

[Beef Oven!]

Here you go - and I've stolen it from Talksport - who are the ten England players who have featured in the most World Cup games? : no qualification games allowed. No Googling.

Just from memory with no googling etc - Billy Bonds, Rodney Marsh, Alan Devonshire, Derek Hales, Tony Curry, Ryan Giggs, Mike Summerbee, Tommy Smith, Mervin Day and Jimmy Greaves.

[Beef Oven!]

Never seen so many corners not clearing the first defender as in this World Cup ......

[Lat-Literal]

Just from memory with no googling etc - Billy Bonds, Rodney Marsh, Alan Devonshire, Derek Hales, Tony Curry, Ryan Giggs, Mike Summerbee, Tommy Smith, Mervin Day and Jimmy Greaves.

I had given the answer.

It was Neil Ruddock, Glenn Hoddle, Jay Boothroyd, Joey Barton, Alan Shearer, Gavin McCann, Mike Hooper, Stan Bowles, Wayne Rooney and Perry Groves,

[teamsaint]

To which one response might be"

Allez les bleus!

Les Bleus dug deep, Doug.