An Ironic Poster
The pub a few doors from me is showing all of the Euro-2012 matches.
Some wag wrote this on one side of their advertising board.
Swedish Cheats Didn’t Prosper
It is being revealed in various newspapers this morning, that before they played England, the Swedes knew some of the England plans. It’s here in the Mail.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought England won in the end.
It all goes to prove that Swedish cheats didn’t prosper. Perhaps the adage doesn’t exist in Swedish.
The Fake Sheikh Strikes Again
With the demise of the News of the World, the fake sheikh, Mazher Mahmood, seems to have struck again for its sister paper The Sunday Times. It’s reported here on the BBC.
The Sunday Times alleges, during a two-month investigation in which reporters posed as Middle Eastern ticket touts, it found corruption involving people representing 54 separate countries.
Note the Middle Eastern ticket touts!
Obviously, these tickets weren’t distributed correctly, but then that had nothing to do with the London organisers. Yet again, Olympic rules are framed to feather the nests of members of the Olympic family.
I haven’t received my Sunday Times yet, but it will be explosive reading. They do name some of the countries on their web site and the list contains the usual suspects. The BBC reports that the Greeks actually asked for more tickets, because they had siold so many. This is from the BBC report.
Accusations include an allegation a member of the Greek Olympics Committee said he had “persuaded” Lord Coe, chairman of the London organising committee, Locog, to give Greece more tickets on the pretext demand had outstripped supply.
So did the Germans fund all of these Greeks to come to London?
I hope LOCOG trace the tickets that went to these countries and withdraw them, so that suckers will pay thousands of pounds for a worthless piece of card. There’s a fat chance of that.
After all the BBC has already exposed someone from Ukraine in this report.
Bye! Bye! Russia
I can’t say I’m sorry to see the Russians go home!
What price now that the Greeks vote for no austerity tomorrow? They will be backing on two miracles in a week.
Swedes 2 – Turnips – 3
I bet that headline turns up on one tabloid in the morning.
They could have played a bit better, but this was only Roy Hodgson’s fourth match in charge.
That Was A Strange Half
England are winning, but it was one of the strangest halves of football I’ve ever seen. it was so slow! Even the goal was good and slow!
Are The Frogs Floundering?
Let’s face it the French haven’t the best record as fighters when it gets wet; Trafalgar, Copenhagen, Quiberon Bay. And they don’t seem to be doing too well on a rain-effected pitch in Donetsk.
Could Hodsgon’s luck be thinking about turning as France need to beat the Ukraine.
Floyd Mayweather Doesn’t Like the Jail Food
Then he shouldn’t have beaten his wife. It’s here in the Telegraph.
England Think About Euro 2020
According to this report on the BBC, England are thinking about putting together a bid for Euro 2020.
The comments show most are sceptical, that we would win, due to FIFA/UEFA politics.
I also think England not bidding is what FIFA/UEFA wants.
After all if we don’t bid and the organisation in some neck-end ex-Soviet republic goes belly up a few months before the tournament starts, we have the stadia, hotels and infrastructure to stage it the next week. Probably only Germany, the USA and ourselves could do this!
After all, in a bankrupt London we did it with the Olympics in 1948, so we have form in this.
Incidentally, as the transport links between England and Germany will be more than excellent in a few years time, we could even stage it jointly with the Germans. Now that would be fun!
I’ve always felt that one of next two World Cups after Brazil will not be held in the designated host. Especially today, as Russia has been fined points for the behaviour of their fans as reported here.
How Many Points Do England Need To Qualify For The Next Stage?
In England’s Group in Euro-2012, the points totals are these.
England 1, France 1, Sweden 0, Ukraine 3
England and France still have to play both Sweden and Ukraine.
There are nine possible combinations of the French results.
1. France beats both Ukraine and Sweden which gives England 1, France 7, Sweden 0, Ukraine 3
2. France beats Ukraine and draws with Sweden which gives England 1, France 5, Sweden 1, Ukraine 3
3. France beats Ukraine and loses to Sweden which gives England 1, France 4, Sweden 3, Ukraine 3
4. France beats Sweden and draws with Ukraine which gives England 1, France 5, Sweden 3, Ukraine 4
5. France beats Sweden and loses to with Ukraine which gives England 1, France 4, Sweden 0, Ukraine 6
6. France loses to both Ukraine and Sweden which gives England 1, France 1, Sweden 3, Ukraine 6
7. France loses to Ukraine and draws with Sweden which gives England 1, France 2, Sweden 1, Ukraine 6
8. France loses to Sweden and draws with Ukraine which gives England 1, France 2, Sweden 4, Ukraine 4
9. France draws with both Ukraine and Sweden which gives England 1, France 3, Sweden 1, Ukraine 4
I think it is safe to say that England need four points from the last two games. They might do it with three, but I’d say they need a win and a draw to be safe.
