I've just realised it's been three days since I did my last post. Where did that go? I have watched some of the football but have being doing other stuff too. I'm afraid my enthusiasm for this World Cup seems to have lasted about as long as that of the England team's, although having written that, thinking back to their first two games it's hard to see that there was any true enthusiasm there in the first place. I wonder if they'd have played better if they'd been in a tougher group - I've heard it said that it's harder to play well against a poor opponent, but I'm not sure I buy that. They're supposed to be professionals and true professionals give their best whatever the situation. Given the struggle they had even to be 2nd in what was thought to be an easy group, perhaps they were lucky to reach the final 16 and didn't deserve to be there. Having said that, would the outcome have been different if the second England goal, from Lampard, had been given, as it should have been? Perhaps, but I didn't see anything that gave me any confidence that would have been the case. At any rate, FIFA must surely now be forced to adopt the technology used in so many other sports to back up the officials. Whatever, the referee's shocking mistake shouldn't have happened, but I doubt whether the course of the competition was truly impacted.
So, with so many top level players how come they never gelled into a top level team? Have they all got too big for their boots and are unable to put the good of the team ahead of their own individual agendas. They should by rights be a lot stronger as a group than they are as individuals. It's down to the manager to make sure that happens, but I'm not placing all the responsibility for failure onto Capello. It's more complex than that, surely. I've no idea, really, but over the course of the last week a thought has occurred to me. I know nothing about football, but I do know a little about team management. There is a management theory relating to team development that says that teams go through four stages of development:
1. "forming" - the initial stage, where everyone is sussing out their team mates and relating to each other very politely and perhaps rather distantly
2. "norming" - learning more about each other, beginning to work together but also starting to find the points of difference
3. "storming" - where the power struggles take place with team members jostling for position and where points of friction come to the surface and are resolved
and 4. "performing" - where the roles and dynamics within the team have settled down, the creative tension is harnessed as a positive force and the team benefits from the different personalities and abilities of the members.
It's the manager's job to pick the right team members, help the team go through the first three stages as quickly and effectively as possible and get them to the last stage. Not all teams get this far.
I have a theory that removing John Terry as captain earlier this year (but keeping him in the squad) and the even later loss of Ferdinand as captain and from the team through injury effectively meant the team were back at stage 1 when they started preparations in S Africa, the John Terry press conference and ensuing shenanigans were the storming stage which never settled into a "performing" team. Perhaps Fabio didn't give them enough freedom to work through the tensions to get to that stage, or perhaps it was just too late by then. Or perhaps it's nothing to do with that at all and they just didn't deserve to be there at all.
Anyway, it seems as though the South American teams will ensure many of the remaining matches are entertaining for the true football fans. I wonder if there'll be any European teams left in semi-finals?
That's it, from your slightly demotivated amateur pundit. I don't think I'll be making this a long term occupation, but here's a bit of light relief to lift the spirits: South African Homesick Blues
Sunday, 27 June 2010
Thursday, 24 June 2010
"Divots all over the pitch" and this time it's not the players!
I'm afraid I'm a bit footballed out. I did enjoy the England-Slovenia game and of course I'm glad they won and have gone through to the next round, but I'm also quite glad there's no longer a 12:30 match every day, and there are some football free days coming.
It's been another strange time in the tournament though, with Italy (the reigning champions) going out bottom of their group and New Zealand also going out, but not bottom of their group and unbeaten! How impressive is that! Add to that the snub from the French coach towards the S African coach by refusing to shake his hand at the end of their game, and an Algerian player slapping a journalist as he left the pitch. True sportsmen?
I now know where I stand on the boo-ing question. I don't think it's acceptable. Aren't football fans fickle? In fact, I'm surprised they dare call themselves supporters. When the team's doing badly they turn against them and badmouth them, only truly supporting them when they're doing well. That's completely back to front. It's so basic to know that the time when support is most needed is when things are at their worst, or are a struggle. When you're on top, or at least managing to show your potential you can cope better with being undermined (but why do it anyway). When you already know you're underperforming or not meeting expectations you don't need to be further demoralised. So, lets hope their "supporters" manage to get behind the team properly through the next stages and help the team do their best.
And now a bit of light relief - some very short videos created by children in a World Cup "spin-off" project. I hope they make you smile as they did me;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8742633.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8755233.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8755249.stm
It's been another strange time in the tournament though, with Italy (the reigning champions) going out bottom of their group and New Zealand also going out, but not bottom of their group and unbeaten! How impressive is that! Add to that the snub from the French coach towards the S African coach by refusing to shake his hand at the end of their game, and an Algerian player slapping a journalist as he left the pitch. True sportsmen?
I now know where I stand on the boo-ing question. I don't think it's acceptable. Aren't football fans fickle? In fact, I'm surprised they dare call themselves supporters. When the team's doing badly they turn against them and badmouth them, only truly supporting them when they're doing well. That's completely back to front. It's so basic to know that the time when support is most needed is when things are at their worst, or are a struggle. When you're on top, or at least managing to show your potential you can cope better with being undermined (but why do it anyway). When you already know you're underperforming or not meeting expectations you don't need to be further demoralised. So, lets hope their "supporters" manage to get behind the team properly through the next stages and help the team do their best.
And now a bit of light relief - some very short videos created by children in a World Cup "spin-off" project. I hope they make you smile as they did me;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8742633.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8755233.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8755249.stm
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
S America on top?
Skipped a day there and I'm now just sitting waiting for the England game, with more anticipation than for any football match I can remember. I don't know what's happened to me.
It's really not fair to take the microphone quite so close to the players though. They're footballers, not singers, and it shows. Wise are the ones who don't sing in that situation.
Since Portugal's seven goals, from six different players, I've seen the complete opposite in the game yesterday between Greece and Argentina, with Greece seeming to have about 99 defenders. All the more credit to Argentina for scoring 2 goals.
Apart from that game, we've seen France lose to S Africa and head home in disgrace, more from their behaviour than the football, Mexico lose 0-1 to Uruguay and Nigeria draw 2-2 with S Korea. So, the teams through to the knock-out stage so far are Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico and S Korea and Paraguay, Brazil and Chile are looking well placed. Even though S Africa went out they did so with honour. I'm delighted they won their match yesterday.
The England team shenanigans have continued to provide a side-show. My main question is what was Terry doing supposedly speaking for the team in the press conference - where was Gerrard? Lets hope they have found a bit of humility and put their hearts and souls into the game. It's looking quite physical so far. I'm sure everyone's seen this battle cry from Brian Blessed, but in case not, here's the link - stirring stuff. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8752379.stm and in similar vein here's a collection of relevant Shakespeare quotes put together by The Globe Theatre: http://bit.ly/9DyzdN
Not going to do any more for now - am going to watch the game. But will leave you with this little piece about the ball, given the amount of controversy there's been around it:
Clarence Seedorf and the Jabulani Ball
and a really heartwarming piece about the peripheral impact of the World Cup on a group of young South Africans:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulfletcher/2010/06/musical_youth_given_final_chan.html#224625
It's really not fair to take the microphone quite so close to the players though. They're footballers, not singers, and it shows. Wise are the ones who don't sing in that situation.
Since Portugal's seven goals, from six different players, I've seen the complete opposite in the game yesterday between Greece and Argentina, with Greece seeming to have about 99 defenders. All the more credit to Argentina for scoring 2 goals.
Apart from that game, we've seen France lose to S Africa and head home in disgrace, more from their behaviour than the football, Mexico lose 0-1 to Uruguay and Nigeria draw 2-2 with S Korea. So, the teams through to the knock-out stage so far are Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico and S Korea and Paraguay, Brazil and Chile are looking well placed. Even though S Africa went out they did so with honour. I'm delighted they won their match yesterday.
The England team shenanigans have continued to provide a side-show. My main question is what was Terry doing supposedly speaking for the team in the press conference - where was Gerrard? Lets hope they have found a bit of humility and put their hearts and souls into the game. It's looking quite physical so far. I'm sure everyone's seen this battle cry from Brian Blessed, but in case not, here's the link - stirring stuff. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8752379.stm and in similar vein here's a collection of relevant Shakespeare quotes put together by The Globe Theatre: http://bit.ly/9DyzdN
Not going to do any more for now - am going to watch the game. But will leave you with this little piece about the ball, given the amount of controversy there's been around it:
Clarence Seedorf and the Jabulani Ball
and a really heartwarming piece about the peripheral impact of the World Cup on a group of young South Africans:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulfletcher/2010/06/musical_youth_given_final_chan.html#224625
Monday, 21 June 2010
I've not seen any football so far today. Probably won't until this evening's game between Spain and Honduras, and then we'll see. I'm probably missing a good contest between Chile and Switzerland but feel in need of a mid-tournament break. And I'm not watching Wimbledon either - that doesn't hold much more appeal for me normally than football does.
What I'd really like to do is go out for a walk, but I'll have to wait another 3 weeks or so for that. I think I'm a bit jaded after the Brazil-Ivory Coast game and the nonsense going on in the England and France camps.
Much as I enjoyed watching the skill and energy of the Brazil team, who beat Ivory Coast 3-1, I didn't enjoy the game as a whole. OK, both teams showed commitment and a desire to win, and the better team won as far as I could tell, but it was a bad tempered game, particularly towards the end and the referee was absolutely appalling - perhaps it was "chicken and egg". There were some really nasty physical challenges from the Ivory Coast players, Fabiano's second goal was helped along by his 2 handballs (visible on the replay but to be fair perhaps not easily by the ref) and there was such a lot of play-acting and cheating you could be forgiven thinking you were at the theatre. I thought that kind of stuff had been left behind long since. Sadly Kaka, arguably Brazil's best player, ended up getting a red card (unjustifiably) as a result of blatant acting by Keita. What could have been a really enjoyable match, given the quality of the players, left me feeling annoyed and disappointed that the football itself had been ruined by the undisciplined and dishonest nature of the play.
On a positive note, I did enjoy seeing Italy kept well under control by New Zealand. Italy - the current champions; New Zealand, with a manager paid about £25k (if what I've read is correct) and with 3 amateurs in the squad as well as 2 professionals not attached to clubs. You'd have thought you could predict the result. Not in this tournament! And the goal scorer for New Zealand, Winston Reid, lives and plays in Denmark and wasn't going to join the NZ squad until he was contacted via Facebook by a NZ television station trying to persuade him to play.
What about the dissent in the England camp. Apart from the football matters and relationships with their manager, they complain of being bored. I can empathise with that to a degree, cooped up in a 5* hotel with too much time to spare in the afternoons. But why on earth are they cooped up. I agree with the sentiments expressed in this text that was sent into the BBC Sprot website:
From Rachel in Sussex: "I'd better start this message by saying I know next to nothing about football and am therefore happy to be shot down, but could the England players be suffering from - what I think is called - paradise syndrome? I imagine that players are cosseted and protected for much of their working lives by agents and others from being totally immersed in poverty, but in SA, what with some WAGS taking part in documentaries on poverty and the word being spread by the BBC's coverage, combined with hours to sit and think about the disparities between nations, maybe players have begun to wonder how important it all is? I certainly have at times during the competition. Paraphrasing Leonardo Da Vinci, 'inaction saps the vigour of the mind' - maybe the camp could organise something that got the players more involved on a practical level and give the players something to feel proud of and satisfied by?"
It's also just been reported that "Capello is said to have agreed to listen more to the players and to have agreed to relax the tight constraints on their free time but the message was clear - he will not back down to player power."
And the big news of today, so far: the Portugal-North Korea result - looks like I made an error of judgement and have just missed the best match of the tournament so far. The result was 7-0 to Portugal and by the sound of there were some cracking goals, 6 of which were scored during the second half. Perhaps I'll look out for the Brazil-Portugal game.
So, with that little bit of excitement (well, something a bit more positive at least) I'm going to leave you with a bit of light relief - some "free style football"! Did you know that existed as a discipline with world championships? I certainly didn't. Here's some anyway:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7596233.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8750580.stm
What I'd really like to do is go out for a walk, but I'll have to wait another 3 weeks or so for that. I think I'm a bit jaded after the Brazil-Ivory Coast game and the nonsense going on in the England and France camps.
Much as I enjoyed watching the skill and energy of the Brazil team, who beat Ivory Coast 3-1, I didn't enjoy the game as a whole. OK, both teams showed commitment and a desire to win, and the better team won as far as I could tell, but it was a bad tempered game, particularly towards the end and the referee was absolutely appalling - perhaps it was "chicken and egg". There were some really nasty physical challenges from the Ivory Coast players, Fabiano's second goal was helped along by his 2 handballs (visible on the replay but to be fair perhaps not easily by the ref) and there was such a lot of play-acting and cheating you could be forgiven thinking you were at the theatre. I thought that kind of stuff had been left behind long since. Sadly Kaka, arguably Brazil's best player, ended up getting a red card (unjustifiably) as a result of blatant acting by Keita. What could have been a really enjoyable match, given the quality of the players, left me feeling annoyed and disappointed that the football itself had been ruined by the undisciplined and dishonest nature of the play.
On a positive note, I did enjoy seeing Italy kept well under control by New Zealand. Italy - the current champions; New Zealand, with a manager paid about £25k (if what I've read is correct) and with 3 amateurs in the squad as well as 2 professionals not attached to clubs. You'd have thought you could predict the result. Not in this tournament! And the goal scorer for New Zealand, Winston Reid, lives and plays in Denmark and wasn't going to join the NZ squad until he was contacted via Facebook by a NZ television station trying to persuade him to play.
What about the dissent in the England camp. Apart from the football matters and relationships with their manager, they complain of being bored. I can empathise with that to a degree, cooped up in a 5* hotel with too much time to spare in the afternoons. But why on earth are they cooped up. I agree with the sentiments expressed in this text that was sent into the BBC Sprot website:
From Rachel in Sussex: "I'd better start this message by saying I know next to nothing about football and am therefore happy to be shot down, but could the England players be suffering from - what I think is called - paradise syndrome? I imagine that players are cosseted and protected for much of their working lives by agents and others from being totally immersed in poverty, but in SA, what with some WAGS taking part in documentaries on poverty and the word being spread by the BBC's coverage, combined with hours to sit and think about the disparities between nations, maybe players have begun to wonder how important it all is? I certainly have at times during the competition. Paraphrasing Leonardo Da Vinci, 'inaction saps the vigour of the mind' - maybe the camp could organise something that got the players more involved on a practical level and give the players something to feel proud of and satisfied by?"
It's also just been reported that "Capello is said to have agreed to listen more to the players and to have agreed to relax the tight constraints on their free time but the message was clear - he will not back down to player power."
And the big news of today, so far: the Portugal-North Korea result - looks like I made an error of judgement and have just missed the best match of the tournament so far. The result was 7-0 to Portugal and by the sound of there were some cracking goals, 6 of which were scored during the second half. Perhaps I'll look out for the Brazil-Portugal game.
So, with that little bit of excitement (well, something a bit more positive at least) I'm going to leave you with a bit of light relief - some "free style football"! Did you know that existed as a discipline with world championships? I certainly didn't. Here's some anyway:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7596233.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8750580.stm
Sunday, 20 June 2010
A bizarre World Cup
Should have done this earlier, as I'm now in the throes of watching Italy-New Zealand with the score at 1-1. So in the interest of seeing a bit of the game this is going to be very brief.
What a very strange World Cup this is turning out to be - isn't it?
What really is the cause of the strange outcomes - ball, environment, global warming, cosmic activity, prima donna behaviour, too much money in the game?
I'm looking forward to this evening's Brazil - Ivory Coast game this evening. How surprising is that?
In the meantime, thought I'd give you a couple of links to BBC World Cup Bus clips:
What a very strange World Cup this is turning out to be - isn't it?
- A fan wanders into the England dressing room looking for the toilet and is quietly escorted off in the right direction, until the media get hold of it.
- Police praise the behaviour of England fans following the disastrous draw with Algeria.
- France in total disarray: Anelka sent home; today's training session didn't happen when the players walked off following an argument between their captain and the fitness coach; and the head of the FFF resigns. I feel sorry for their supporters - what a way to repay their loyalty. Time to start with a blank sheet of paper perhaps.
- Spain, Italy (current world champions), England, Germany, France have all struggled unexpectedly, with games resulting in suprise results.
- New Zealand have their best result ever, and they're not even a fully professional team!
- I am providing information about teams etc to the menfolk of my family. This is the most bizarre.
What really is the cause of the strange outcomes - ball, environment, global warming, cosmic activity, prima donna behaviour, too much money in the game?
I'm looking forward to this evening's Brazil - Ivory Coast game this evening. How surprising is that?
In the meantime, thought I'd give you a couple of links to BBC World Cup Bus clips:
- a trip to Cape Agulhas, the most southerly point of the African continent and the place where Harold MacMillan completed writing his "Wind of Change" speech made to the South African Parliament in 1960. Beautiful photography and interesting content.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8737098.stm - visiting an orphanage where the orphans are all HIV Positive - there is such a lot of really valuable work going on in Africa I'm really glad the BBC is using the World Cup as a way of making more of us aware of what's being done (and how much more is needed): http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8749748.stm
Saturday, 19 June 2010
Abject, miserable, confusing, shambolic
What an absolute waste of an evening. The whole match was so boring and the England team worse than a disaster. The ITV team weren't much better, coming up with such insightful comments as Keegan's "they need to play better than that and win..." (or words to that effect). How profound is that!
Algeria at times looked the better team but they didn't help make the match entertaining football - they appeared to be playing not to lose rather than playing a game to win. Although to be fair a lot of the time it didn't look as though the England team were even trying not to lose. There was a short period of improved play somewhere in the middle of the match, if I recall correctly, but then it seemed that doubt and frustration set in and the England team just let the situation get the better of them. What are they paid their obscene salaries for if not to keep their heads in demanding situations. It's time they started delivering. However, if Capello's regime is as described by Keegan (I think it was) - that he "rules with a rod of iron stares" - then you can forgive them for being a bit confused.
Since the football was so dull my mind started wandering - first to the team kits - and I noticed how the England team scrub up rather well in their all white strip - the shorts seem to have changed design for this tournament too - the look almost like tailored shorts, much more structured than previously, and faintly reminiscent of the colonial policeman's style from other times and other continents. I like them, a lot more than the limp skirt-like pale green Algerian ones. In fact, they could almost have been dressed in camouflage, the green quite close to the green of the turf. Is that another excuse to add to the climate, altitude, ball, vuvuzelas, pressure - they couldn't see where the opponents were. Perhaps green kit should be banned.
And Rooney complained about being booed off the pitch by the England "supporters". I'm not sure what I think about that. On the one hand, you don't kick someone when they're down if you're truly a supporter, and boy do the team need support to get their heads up again. But on the other hand, how much does it cost to fly to S Africa, pay for a World Cup ticket and hotel accommodation, not to mention using holiday time for the occasion? And if you paid through the nose to go to a top-flight music festival expecting to see The Beatles (oops, sorry, different generation - Arctic Monkeys? - help me, I'm struggling for a contemporary equivalent to Paul and his pals) wouldn't you boo if you got served up a 5th rate tribute band. I've certainly walked out of a concert before now - not actually booed but the silent equivalent!!
I'm afraid that's all I've seen of or about the football yesterday. But here's a light-hearted comment on the Germany-Serbia game, which you might enjoy and I'm delighted to say Serbia won 1-0. I particularly enjoyed the Serbian goal-scorer's celebration where he ends up disappearing into the moat between crowd and pitch. Unfortunately we don't see how they get him out, which I assume they do: http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/collections/p0087lwp
And finally, a quotation, as usual, but not the best I'm afraid. Even the journalism is a bit lack-lustre! This is Kevin Keegan, reflecting (does he do that?) on Rob Green's destiny now that he's been dropped in favour of David James: "It doesn't put him in the bin and put him away totally". Maybe not for Rob Green, but I'd add my support if someone suggested doing that with Keegan.
Algeria at times looked the better team but they didn't help make the match entertaining football - they appeared to be playing not to lose rather than playing a game to win. Although to be fair a lot of the time it didn't look as though the England team were even trying not to lose. There was a short period of improved play somewhere in the middle of the match, if I recall correctly, but then it seemed that doubt and frustration set in and the England team just let the situation get the better of them. What are they paid their obscene salaries for if not to keep their heads in demanding situations. It's time they started delivering. However, if Capello's regime is as described by Keegan (I think it was) - that he "rules with a rod of iron stares" - then you can forgive them for being a bit confused.
Since the football was so dull my mind started wandering - first to the team kits - and I noticed how the England team scrub up rather well in their all white strip - the shorts seem to have changed design for this tournament too - the look almost like tailored shorts, much more structured than previously, and faintly reminiscent of the colonial policeman's style from other times and other continents. I like them, a lot more than the limp skirt-like pale green Algerian ones. In fact, they could almost have been dressed in camouflage, the green quite close to the green of the turf. Is that another excuse to add to the climate, altitude, ball, vuvuzelas, pressure - they couldn't see where the opponents were. Perhaps green kit should be banned.
And Rooney complained about being booed off the pitch by the England "supporters". I'm not sure what I think about that. On the one hand, you don't kick someone when they're down if you're truly a supporter, and boy do the team need support to get their heads up again. But on the other hand, how much does it cost to fly to S Africa, pay for a World Cup ticket and hotel accommodation, not to mention using holiday time for the occasion? And if you paid through the nose to go to a top-flight music festival expecting to see The Beatles (oops, sorry, different generation - Arctic Monkeys? - help me, I'm struggling for a contemporary equivalent to Paul and his pals) wouldn't you boo if you got served up a 5th rate tribute band. I've certainly walked out of a concert before now - not actually booed but the silent equivalent!!
I'm afraid that's all I've seen of or about the football yesterday. But here's a light-hearted comment on the Germany-Serbia game, which you might enjoy and I'm delighted to say Serbia won 1-0. I particularly enjoyed the Serbian goal-scorer's celebration where he ends up disappearing into the moat between crowd and pitch. Unfortunately we don't see how they get him out, which I assume they do: http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/collections/p0087lwp
And finally, a quotation, as usual, but not the best I'm afraid. Even the journalism is a bit lack-lustre! This is Kevin Keegan, reflecting (does he do that?) on Rob Green's destiny now that he's been dropped in favour of David James: "It doesn't put him in the bin and put him away totally". Maybe not for Rob Green, but I'd add my support if someone suggested doing that with Keegan.
Friday, 18 June 2010
A couple of entertaining games - I don't believe I said that!
I'm afraid the time has run away with me since yesterday's offering. But I have to say that I have surprised myself and am really quite enjoying following the football. Well, in truth it's the peripheral stuff that I'm learning that I'm finding interesting but nonetheless the matches are proving more enjoyable than I'd expected as well.
It looked really chilly at last night's match between France and Mexico. Below freezing I think I heard them say. I've meant to comment on the mascots who accompany the teams onto the pitch before - I bet they'll remember this for the rest of their lives, and didn't they look just wonderful in their oversized yellow coats last night. And the match itself was good to watch. France, beaten by Mexico 0-2, certainly lived up to Zindedine Zidane's opinion that their side is not a team. And I've never seen such a disinterested and dispassionate manager. Mexico played really well and I thought it was a genuinely exciting game.
The other game I saw bits of was Argentina against Korea, the former winning 4-0. Fantastic. Even Maradonna's prancing around was faintly amusing. I'm glad the Korean's scored a goal. It looked as though the Argentinian defenders were getting a bit complacent (or perhaps they'd dozed off through inactivity). But the Argentinians really kept me entertained - quite a surprise (for me that is).
Apart from the football I haven't stumbled across much else of interest. Alan Shearer presented a short piece about the impact of the World Cup on the poorer S Africans but it wasn't that informative. There was a view expressed that "after the show is over it will be back to square one." I do hope that isn't the case but it's hard to see the value of the massive stadia in the long term. Awareness of the plight of the majority of S Africans is a big thing but it's down to the rest of us to make sure it's not back to square one or perhaps it will all have been wasted. There was also a comment that a ticket to one of the games would cost a week's wages. In that case, why weren't complimentary or massively reduced priced tickets allocated to some of the local people rather than to the broadcasting teams? Actually, I've no idea what a world cup ticket would cost if staged in this country in relation to the wages of the lower paid here but I imagine it's nowhere near as unachievable.
On a lighter note, I didn't know but apparently JRR Tolkein was born in Bloemfontein (the location of the Greece-Nigeria game yesterday). The BBC (in an idle moment) suggested that the manager for the "Lord of the Rings Eleven" should be Gandalf Ramsey. Made me smile, anyway.
And finally, a link to some filming done in the Cape Town area. Looks fabulous, and Gary Lineker doesn't look too bad either. Just not sure recording a sound track against the noise from a helicopter is such a great idea.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8743832.stm
It looked really chilly at last night's match between France and Mexico. Below freezing I think I heard them say. I've meant to comment on the mascots who accompany the teams onto the pitch before - I bet they'll remember this for the rest of their lives, and didn't they look just wonderful in their oversized yellow coats last night. And the match itself was good to watch. France, beaten by Mexico 0-2, certainly lived up to Zindedine Zidane's opinion that their side is not a team. And I've never seen such a disinterested and dispassionate manager. Mexico played really well and I thought it was a genuinely exciting game.
The other game I saw bits of was Argentina against Korea, the former winning 4-0. Fantastic. Even Maradonna's prancing around was faintly amusing. I'm glad the Korean's scored a goal. It looked as though the Argentinian defenders were getting a bit complacent (or perhaps they'd dozed off through inactivity). But the Argentinians really kept me entertained - quite a surprise (for me that is).
Apart from the football I haven't stumbled across much else of interest. Alan Shearer presented a short piece about the impact of the World Cup on the poorer S Africans but it wasn't that informative. There was a view expressed that "after the show is over it will be back to square one." I do hope that isn't the case but it's hard to see the value of the massive stadia in the long term. Awareness of the plight of the majority of S Africans is a big thing but it's down to the rest of us to make sure it's not back to square one or perhaps it will all have been wasted. There was also a comment that a ticket to one of the games would cost a week's wages. In that case, why weren't complimentary or massively reduced priced tickets allocated to some of the local people rather than to the broadcasting teams? Actually, I've no idea what a world cup ticket would cost if staged in this country in relation to the wages of the lower paid here but I imagine it's nowhere near as unachievable.
On a lighter note, I didn't know but apparently JRR Tolkein was born in Bloemfontein (the location of the Greece-Nigeria game yesterday). The BBC (in an idle moment) suggested that the manager for the "Lord of the Rings Eleven" should be Gandalf Ramsey. Made me smile, anyway.
And finally, a link to some filming done in the Cape Town area. Looks fabulous, and Gary Lineker doesn't look too bad either. Just not sure recording a sound track against the noise from a helicopter is such a great idea.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8743832.stm
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