The Beautiful Game

Imagine Cristiano Ronaldo playing for Brighton & Hove Albion. He'd just get in the way. 
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November 25, 2009

Arise Sir Jimmy Bullard?!

There is always someone who comes from nowhere to have a real impact on a tournament.

With the World Cup Play-offs and Henry-gate behind us the world's eyes are now focusing on Cape Town next Friday evening and the draw for the 2010 World Cup. Who will be in the group of death? (it could be England, ivory coast, USA and Portugal!) who will win the golden shoe? Who will walk away with the trophy?

In terms of England the predictions for the team are virtually agreed (pending david James and his knees) but there is still debate over the final 23 and there are a few names that will make a late surge - and who knows could end up being our star player.

There are bound to be metatarsals snapping and groins tweaked as we near the end of the brutal English season and you can be sure that Rooney apart Capello will not take anyone who is not fit, so here are a few scenarios and a few heros;

Frank Lampard gets injured building IKEA furniture. In steps Jimmy Bullard.

An exceptionally talented footballer and he will be the reason that Hull City will be playing Premier League football next season. Great technique and more consistent than Beckham with set pieces and would also bring some Gazzaesque charm to a pretty strict squad.


Ashley Cole gets arrested. In steps Kieran Gibbs.

One mistake aside Gibbs had a great start to his Arsenal career and has been quality for the U-21s. If anything happens to Cashley it would not surprise me for Capello to give the number 3 shirt to Gibbs over the very average Wayne Bridge and see if the boy can make a real name for himself.

Gareth Barry becomes an Abu Dhabi National and is makes himself ineligible (but he has not done it for the money). In steps Phil Neville.

The much ridiculed P.NEV has been much more consistent at Everton and does have the ability to do the simple things very well - could be the perfect foil for Lampard and Gerrard.

Wayne Rooney has to stay in England to babysit. In steps Michael Owen.

He probably will not make the final 23 if everyone is fit (which I disagree with) but he has scored in World Cups before and is capable of doing so again. In fact I wonder what the odds on Owen winning the golden shoe are...

 

 

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Filed under  //   Beckham   David Beckham   England   FIFA World Cup   Football   Gerrard   Group of Death   Jimmy Bullard   Lampard   Phil Neville   Soccer  

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June 10, 2009

The real fan, the real loser


The RMT strike that has effected London's Underground network yesterday/today/tomorrow has created a knock-on to the poor old real fan. England are playing their final FIFA World Cup Qualifier tonight against Andorra at the £850M planned and 8th wonder of the world Wembley Stadium, and with the transport issues not only will the FA lose more than £1M, but the real fan will be the one losing out.

It is still a tough ask to get a ticket to an England match, especially the big ones that come along. Andorra at home gave a opportunity for kids who might never get to a competitive England game to go with their families and experience an England game live, without there being 55 substitutions.

I remember as a lad going to Wembley to watch England play, it was always a real treat, something special and amazing - the home of football, where we won the World Cup - and even though I have never experienced England actually winning anything those early memories have always been the foundation to my passion for football. Across the country today families will be accepting the bullet - and killing kids dreams - by getting a refund from the FA and giving up the chance to see Rooney, Beckham, Gerrard and Co. All this because a small % of Union Officials are not fully satisfied and have a threat of redundancies - imagine if this approach was taken by everyone, the country, the world would fully shutdown.

It is great that the FA are refunding tickets, but I don't understand the set-up. So the tubes are down, but the trains are not even stopping at Wembley tonight, there are no extra bus services or parking options. I understand that they want to make a protest, but surely they can see that they are hurting the general punter, not the Government.

I am still going to go, and will have to walk, bus, train, walk to get there to cheer on the 3 Lions - ill be amazed if there are more than 30,000 there, but want to be there and not let these few take it away from me. I just think it is a real shame that this is going to have such an impact on the future England fans.

Just imagine if they pull this again during the Summer of 2012......


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Filed under  //   Beckham   England   RMT Strike   Rooney   Wembley   World Cup  

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