The Round Ball Game - II

[Lat-Literal]

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... how can you say that 'abde' is not a square?


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I'm not saying it isn't but there is no way - no waay - that all of those are on the shirt/jersey as observed.

(Surely?)

[vinteuil]

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... in which case I don't understand what you are saying.

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[Beef Oven!]

Yes, my favoured team won!

But they didn't deserve to win. Modric and Perisic were head and shoulders the best players on the park and that stupid penalty decision didn't only give France an extra goal, it meant that Croatia had to chase the game, and that stretched them and left them exposed. Beef Oven is not happy with the outcome.

Otherwise, probably the best organised and enjoyable World Cup for many years. I really enjoyed it. Well done Russia and well done all the teams and fans!

[LMcD]

Total UK TV audience for the 2018 final: 13.7 million (2014: 15 million, 2010: 16 million)
Average UK audience for the 2018 final: BBC 8 million, ITV 2.5 million

[zola]

Total UK TV audience for the 2018 final: 13.7 million (2014: 15 million, 2010: 16 million)
Average UK audience for the 2018 final: BBC 8 million, ITV 2.5 million

Not sure if you are trying to make a point with the viewing figure being lower than the previous years but explained easily enough I think. Afternoon timing instead of evening, clash with Wimbledon, scorching hot day outside.

[Lat-Literal]

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... in which case I don't understand what you are saying.

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I'm not sure that I do either. I've even been reading up on it and I still don't understand it. It was made worse when I discovered that the colour of Croatian socks has not in any way been consistent although it's in the right direction. I can only put it all down to the fact that the chess match between King Držislav and Ducar II Orseolo occurred quite a long time ago.

Total UK TV audience for the 2018 final: 13.7 million (2014: 15 million, 2010: 16 million)
Average UK audience for the 2018 final: BBC 8 million, ITV 2.5 million

Noted - but the figures for the England matches bucked the trend and indicated that there was still the potential for a Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show society. Terrestrial television triumphant as if it had never gone out of fashion. Families etc sitting together and in the knowledge that their neighbours were not only doing the same but tuned to the same channels.

Not that this applied here.

I was on my own throughout.

[LMcD]

Not sure if you are trying to make a point with the viewing figure being lower than the previous years but explained easily enough I think. Afternoon timing instead of evening, clash with Wimbledon, scorching hot day outside.

Mainly, I was trying to contrast the actual viewing figures with some of the more excitable predictions in certain parts of the media- up to 37 million in one case, I believe.
A few weeks ago, a (business) pundit on the BBC News Channel claimed that 'half the country will be watching the FA Cup Final'. Even allowing generous room for error, he was way out - IIRC the average TV audience was just under 7 million.
There's also a tendency to headline the peak audience - the number watching the last few minutes/penalty shoot-out - as the average audience.

[Nick Armstrong]

[Lat-Literal]

Well, it is......almost beautiful.

In parallel, there is a very obvious fight between peaceful relations and distorted concepts of democracy.

Democracy needs to start criticising itself....most people are turning towards peace.

Whatever.

[Lat-Literal]

This is a bit odd following on from discussions on the Wimbledon thread about raising the net to adjust to tennis players' heights which was based on an idea that was all mine. Mike Parry today launches the "Raise the Bar" campaign which proposes an increase in the size of the goalmouth in football also on height grounds. He says that the average height for a man in 1863 when the rules were agreed was 5 foot 5, a fascinating fact in itself. It was also very much lower than it is now when Dixie Dean scored 60 goals in one season (1927-1928).

https://twitter.com/hashtag/RAISETHEBAR?src=hash

I don't know if it is a phase I am going through but I reckon Talksport is the best commercial radio station in this country since its heyday in the 1970s. I do think that BBC 5 Live would be a much better station if it dropped most of its news output or perhaps divided out the two in a 5 Live and 5 Live Extra. It only finds a bit of range in the early hours on some days.

[cloughie]

Handbags at Mansfield looks like no such thing as a friendly, pre-season or any other time.

[Lat-Literal]

Handbags at Mansfield looks like no such thing as a friendly, pre-season or any other time.

The word "friendlies" has gone the same way as the word "signings". It is all now pre-season games and recruitment - to reflect the competitive boardroom. Man City is no longer a club. It is an international sports product if not a phenomenon. Mansfield may still be a club unless it has its own subscription tv station and training schools "with draft" across North America.

[Lat-Literal]

Behind the scenes films are the latest ruse of the football corporates. Man City's one on pep talks is a key example and my guess is that it will be as disappointing for viewers as most of the others. But, my god, did C4 succeed tonight with "The Football Club: Artist in Residence". The film follows artist Tai Schierenberg as he spends a season at West Bromwich Albion, during an incredibly turbulent period for the club. The result is not only educational. It's a thing of emotional beauty and a true contender for the best television programme of the year:

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-football-club-artist-in-residence

https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/west-bromwich-albion/2018/07/20/emotional-documentary-on-west-broms-season-being-aired-on-television/

[antongould]

Off and running

Maidstone United 1 Hangers 1 ...... They got a penalty late in the first half to go one up and when the iPhone pinged again I feared the worst but we had equalised .......,
One of the threads favourite managers guided the Mackems to a 96th minute victory .......

Delighted to see Stockport County got off to a flying start ......

[zola]

One of the threads favourite managers guided the Mackems to a 96th minute victory .............

Last minute goals seem to be a trend in modern football and it is almost a surprise when there isn't one. But even that pales into insignificance when compared to the events at Swindon. Macclesfield leading 2-1 in the 95th minute, only for the referee to award Swindon penalties in the 96th and 98th minutes for an 'unlikely' 3-2 victory.