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Post by Saint on Mar 15, 2010 21:57:48 GMT
So who are you supporting for the world cup? Got to be England surely? Our best chance for years and promises to be one the best world cups for many years! ;D And if England go out, then C'mon Holland! My 'second' national team who I support if there is no England, I acctually put a Holland flag in the window for Euro 08! ;D C'MON ENGLAND.
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Post by COYS on Mar 15, 2010 22:00:09 GMT
Nice thread. I'll be supporting England of course, I'd feel dirty if I was supporting anyone else. I think we have a decent chance, but only because of the manager. I don't believe the players are as good as we think they are, but Capello has them playing as a team, and playing well. Bad news about Beckham, though. Feel sorry for him, and I feel he could have played a part, but it's no more important than losing say a Wright-Phillips or a Carrick value player, if you know what I mean!
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Post by Daedalus on Mar 16, 2010 10:39:43 GMT
Good call for a new thread Saint. I'll be 'supporting' England although I think a standard quarter-final exit beckons. I actually went to see England play Egypt recently. It was my brother-in-law's birthday and he got us the tickets. First time I have been to the new Wembley. It was a decent game too! I'm looking forward to the World Cup. Ever since I was a kid, I've loved watching pretty much every game of the tournament! To be honest, it almost spoils it that England are going to be there! I actually enjoyed Euro 2008 more because I was entirely neutral for the whole tournament. As for Beckham, well, I imagine he was only going to come on for one of his cameo appearances anyway. Probably a good thing that he isn't going as it frees up a space in the squad and removes a potential distraction.
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Post by COYS on Mar 16, 2010 15:42:54 GMT
Really D? I hated Euro 2008 for the fact England weren't there! I hated the fact that all these other people were looking forward to their games, while I couldn't! I don't think I appreciate football as a neutral as much as I should ...
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Post by Daedalus on Mar 16, 2010 16:21:07 GMT
Don't get me wrong Coys. I still want England to do well and, of course, I would have preferred them to be at Euro 2008. But in a way, I probably enjoyed the tournament more without England. They were so disappointing at the World Cup in 2006 that it was refreshing to watch a tournament without them in it! Plus, I got behind some of the underdog sides, like Turkey who had a great run, and enjoyed it in a different way. Although I like watching football as a neutral, even then I still tend to pick a side to 'support'. I don't think I can watch a match without wanting one team to win more than the other! It's funny actually, now I think about it, but the two tournaments that England haven't been in recently (World Cup 1994 and Euro 2008) are two of my favourites looking back! Although I loved Euro '96 best though. If England go out, I always tend to follow the Italians. Like Saint does with Holland, I have a soft spot for Italy, but I wouldn't be putting their flag up in my window! ;D When I was a kid, I loved Roberto Baggio, so that explains it hopefully! Other than that, I'm sure some underdog will capture my imagination too. So how does everyone think England will do? I expect we'll get a quarter-final place under Capello and probably do a typical England and play really well against one of the better sides but still lose.
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Post by Saint on Mar 16, 2010 17:22:35 GMT
Maybe this thread should be pinned till after the world cup?
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Post by Daedalus on Mar 16, 2010 17:46:29 GMT
I've 'stickied' it for you Saint. I believe that is the official Internet term. Apparently.
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Post by Saint on Mar 16, 2010 17:48:49 GMT
Cheers D! Catching up on your internet lingo already eh?
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Post by EFMTFTV on Mar 17, 2010 10:15:51 GMT
I have a ticket for the final if England make it, flying out on the Thursday night via Kenya, night in Nairobi arriving Sat lunchtime in J'burg then back Tuesday arriving London Wed morning
I'll be supporting North Korea as my 2nd team
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2010 16:40:03 GMT
used to follow england from italia '90 till portugal '04, you'd have to pay me a large sum these days.
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Post by Daedalus on Mar 18, 2010 17:50:30 GMT
When you say follow Gaz, I take it you mean travelling to aways and tournaments as well?
Why did you stop going?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2010 18:01:50 GMT
£££
became too hard to get hold of tickets, priced out by the prawn brigade, and couldn't justify supporting the 'players'. Can/could no longer relate to the whole circus.
enjoy the tournaments more when 'we' don't qualify
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Post by Daedalus on Mar 18, 2010 18:15:05 GMT
I thought it would be something like that. I don't blame you.
Bet you've got some good stories to tell from when you used to follow the team though?
Any favourite matches/moments etc.?
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Post by EFMTFTV on Mar 19, 2010 10:14:38 GMT
I like the qualifying campaigns and going to all them places, tend to steer off the beaten track (i.e don't find the nearest Irish Bar) If I didn't go to SA it wouldn't bother me a great deal as I have trips to Montenegro and Bulgaria to look forward to....
I can see Gaz's point about the players, but I'd say it was real fans that went as part of the supporters club, I know there is more prawn sandwiches brigade in general but it don't feel like that in the England end
Thanks to England I've been to: A massive Canyon in Kazakhstan (the whole place was ace) Seen Jerusalem (Israel away - also Tel Aviv) Stopped in New York for a week prior to Trinidad Been to Red Square in Moscow Visited countries like Belarus, Macedonia, Estonia that I may not have bothered with before Seen Saltsburg in the snow Been to Copenhagen, Amsterdam (twice), Barcelona (twice) Seville, Paris for trips ....and more I'm sure
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2010 11:25:25 GMT
I should hasten I could no longer justify the expense for the little return. Your point of going off the beaten track is a fair one. i always stayed in a town nearby and got the train in on the day of the match. Though travellings great irrespective of whether england are playing
Albania away with when saturday comes springs to mind...
memebrs club? are they still charging 70£? was Free when it first started.
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Post by Daedalus on Mar 19, 2010 12:14:20 GMT
I like the qualifying campaigns and going to all them places, tend to steer off the beaten track (i.e don't find the nearest Irish Bar) If I didn't go to SA it wouldn't bother me a great deal as I have trips to Montenegro and Bulgaria to look forward to.... I can see Gaz's point about the players, but I'd say it was real fans that went as part of the supporters club, I know there is more prawn sandwiches brigade in general but it don't feel like that in the England end Thanks to England I've been to: A massive Canyon in Kazakhstan (the whole place was ace) Seen Jerusalem (Israel away - also Tel Aviv) Stopped in New York for a week prior to Trinidad Been to Red Square in Moscow Visited countries like Belarus, Macedonia, Estonia that I may not have bothered with before Seen Saltsburg in the snow Been to Copenhagen, Amsterdam (twice), Barcelona (twice) Seville, Paris for trips ....and more I'm sure I'm jealous!
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Post by EFMTFTV on Mar 19, 2010 12:50:59 GMT
Forgot about my two trips to Croatia, where I actually saw a good game for once and discovered 'Split'
Yes, it's £60 these days, but you do get a fiver off each home friendly so it pays for itself
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Post by Daedalus on Mar 20, 2010 17:51:54 GMT
Might as well post up the groups here. Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France Group B: Argentina, South Korea, Nigeria, Greece Group C: ENGLAND, USA, Algeria, Slovenia Group D: Germany, Australia, Ghana, Serbia Group E: Netherlands, Japan, Cameroon, Denmark Group F: Italy, New Zealand, Paraguay, Slovakia Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Cost, Portugal Group H: Spain, Honduras, Chile, Switzerland What are your thoughts on the draw and England's chances in their group? By the way, you can download one of those Excel prediction 'wallcharts' here. Fill it in and tell us your prediction!
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Post by Saint on Mar 20, 2010 19:22:11 GMT
I can see us gaining maximum points, but facing the USA will obviously be the toughest match.
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Post by Saint on Mar 23, 2010 17:28:13 GMT
The betting for the top 5 nations to win the World Cup looks like this:
1.) Spain 4/1 2.) Brazil 5/1 3.) England 5/1 4.) Argentina 9/1 5.) Italy 10/1 (Best available)
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Post by Daedalus on Mar 23, 2010 17:45:28 GMT
England are hugely overrated at those odds!
Then again, I understand that it is a winter World Cup this time around, and that the weather will be not entirely dissimilar to an English spring/summer. Perhaps it might suit us more than the Latin nations.
Spain are obvious favourites but there is a lot of pressure on them now and they have a past of not living up to expectations.
Don't Brazil have a big thing about not doing well when the World Cup is held on European soil? The conditions in South African will probably sort of like in Europe and might not suit them but they are always in with a chance.
We'll get knocked out as soon as we meet a big name, so quarter-finals for us.
I fancy Argentina or Italy. I mean, Italy were poor at the Euros but they are always a threat at a major tournament. Slow but steady, you can never write them off, and they are defending their trophy of course.
Talking of never writing teams off, what odds for Germany? I know everyone says they have a weak team these days but what chances of them somehow getting to the final against the odds as they so often do?
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Post by Saint on Mar 23, 2010 17:57:13 GMT
Well D, Germany have some very wild odds on them!
They varey from 14/1 to 9/1.
I understand the weather for the WC will change from location to location quite a lot:
Cape Town has mild and wet winters.
Durban aslo has these conditions.
Tshwane (Pretoria) has cool, crisp winters, but slightly warmer then Johannesburg.
Johannesburg has cool, crisp winter as stated above.
Port Elizabeth has pleasent conditions with 19-20C average.'
Kimberly has dry, crisp weather, with an average of 18-19C but has cool nights, dropping below 5C at times.
Bloemfontein has weather conditions similar to those of Kimberly.
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Post by Daedalus on Apr 12, 2010 19:47:07 GMT
My preparation for the World Cup arrived recently:
No images allowed -http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51msPchYoHL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU02_.jpg
Should make some good reading in the build up to the World Cup!
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Post by COYS on Apr 12, 2010 19:59:34 GMT
I can't stand World Cup books, DVDs and things like that. There is never too much that you haven't read before. Boring.
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Post by Daedalus on Apr 12, 2010 20:02:56 GMT
I love Brian Glanville's writing COYS and he is bound to have loads of great material in there as he has been at every World Cup since the one in 1958 held in Sweden. I love his anecdotes and I'm quite interested to read about the early World Cups and some of those that I am not that familiar with. I think it will be really interesting to read the history of the World Cup and read about each tournament in depth.
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Post by Daedalus on May 8, 2010 11:48:05 GMT
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Post by Saint on May 8, 2010 12:52:37 GMT
Carragher? Well, I'm not sure if it's the best move. In my oppinion, he hasn't been having the best season at Liverpool and there is a lot of talk about him leaving.
I just cant see it my self yet.
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Post by Daedalus on May 8, 2010 12:56:52 GMT
I was wondering myself whether or not Carragher is in decline to be honest. He is quite old now, isn't he? 32, I think?
But with the injury worries and so on, it could be a good move. The bonus with Carragher is that he is could be a versatile utility player and he always works hard for the team. He also has all the big game experience too.
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Post by Saint on May 8, 2010 13:10:54 GMT
Yep, he's 32.
It seems a lot of the news wires are reporting that he may get a call up from Capello which he will reply to.
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Post by Hatboy on May 9, 2010 8:14:42 GMT
Best available odds here: www.oddschecker.com/football/internationals/world-cup/win-marketAt the moment they are. Spain 9/2 Brazil 5/1 England 13/2 Argentina 8/1 (I quite fancy) Holland 13/1 (A lot of peoples outside bet) Germany 14/1 Italy 14/1 France 18/1 (No money on them in Ireland) Portugal 28/1 Ivory Coast 33/1 (African winner, I think not)
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