Football World Cup 2014

Weren't South Africa due to win the 2006 World Cup bid before being hijacked by Germany in the last moment?

tricycle wrote:Weren't South Africa due to win the 2006 World Cup bid before being hijacked by Germany in the last moment?

I think that was the bid that was unofficially earmarked to go to Africa in the "rotation" (Europe hosted the WC in 1998, Asia in 2002 - shouldn't have gone back to Europe for another 1-3 cycles).

But also England were convinced they had the winning bid, and lobbied hard against South Africa being suitably ready to host a WC.

They obviously made a good case for the WC returning to Europe. And then everyone voted for Germany.

I'm sure it was as dodgy as all the other bids, but no-one voting for England isn't. There is no love in world football for the motherland. None. And probably with pages and pages worth of justification.

Although England would of course host an excellent world cup.

I guess they'd be able to focus on being good hosts from early on.

and that would be after being in the group of death with The Gambia, Singapore and Scotland

Dello wrote:I think that was the bid that was unofficially earmarked to go to Africa in the "rotation" (Europe hosted the WC in 1998, Asia in 2002 - shouldn't have gone back to Europe for another 1-3 cycles).

But also England were convinced they had the winning bid, and lobbied hard against South Africa being suitably ready to host a WC.

They obviously made a good case for the WC returning to Europe. And then everyone voted for Germany.

I'm sure it was as dodgy as all the other bids, but no-one voting for England isn't. There is no love in world football for the motherland. None. And probably with pages and pages worth of justification.

It only requires one line of justification against Germany though. They're f*cking Germans.

They'll win the whole ****** thing now, but Italy just drew to Luxembourg.

It's probably just the players ensuring that their tax evasion arrangement are all secure for the next 4 years.

Englund woz gash at the back...

Is that like a wrong-way round frontbottom?

It's more like 5 retarded toddlers who are getting electrocuted and molested by Rolf Harris.

JGK wrote:It's probably just the players ensuring that their tax evasion arrangement are all secure for the next 4 years.

snigger

England's attack was pretty decent though, even for their second side.

I wonder what instument of torture the South Americans will have to rival the Vuvuzela.

Big Dog wrote:I wonder what instument of torture the South Americans will have to rival the Vuvuzela.

Endlessly looping videos of Australia trying to score a goal?

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/06/caxirola-vuvuzela-brazil-fifa-world-cup

Dello wrote:http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/06/caxirola-vuvuzela-brazil-fifa-world-cup

Not quite as obnoxious as the Vuvuzela. Looks like FIFA have already made moves to ban it.

5 days to go before we hear a myriad of complaints, form vastly overpaid footballers, about the World Cup ball being too light and impossible to control.

0-0 with Honduras? Welllllllll

Really good game for an opening game especially - I'm not sure the last time I saw an opening game so... open.

Cheating c*nts though. Never a penalty.

Good thing football is governed by such a fine and upstanding organisation such as FIFA or people might question the integrity of match officials basically handing a victory to the host nation of a troubled World Cup in desperate need of getting off to a good start...

Dello wrote:Good thing football is governed by such a fine and upstanding organisation such as FIFA or people might question the integrity of match officials basically handing a victory to the host nation of a troubled World Cup in desperate need of getting off to a good start...

I liked the white line the ref drew on the pitch though.

“The England football team went to an orphanage in Rio on Wednesday. ‘It’s heartbreaking to see their sad little faces with no hope,” said Jose, aged six.

Former England footballer and one time "next best thing" David Bentley retires at 29 after "falling out of love with the game". And, erm, also being without a club for a year.

Classic case of a reasonably talented player having one good season at an unfashionable PL club, getting a big money move (to Tottenham), becoming a Billy Big Bollocks (he refused to play in a tournament for the Eng U21s because he was saving himself for the senior side at Euro 2008 the following summer - he'd never been capped at that point, and didn't make the squad in any event), and pissing his career away as the realisation dawned that he wasn't actually anywhere near as good as his ego had led him to believe.

*cough* Adam Lallana take note *cough*

Made no more than 11 starts in a season after turning 23. No injury problems, just attitude.

Highlight of his career: kicking a ball into a skip.

Scored the first goal at the new Wembley didn't he?

For a year or so, after a false start or two to his career, it did seem like we could see another David B wearing 7 for England for a long time. But the Spurs move didn't work out and he just never got back on track. And now it's seemingly a "missed the boat with England, and can't be arsed to drop down and play in the Championship or go abroad and learn a new language" retirement. Says a lot about today's game that he has that option open to him without having to run a pub or a betting shop to keep a roof over his head. Although at least he seemingly hasn't pissed it all up the wall like a lot of them do, and somehow end up bankrupt before they've even finished playing...