Commiserations to the English Football Team - At least some of the team have a film deal

via auldreekierants.blogspot.com

Posted via email from poobumwee's posterous

How Maradona uses the #vuvuzela

via tweetphoto.com

And while we are at it, why do we need soccer strips anyway.

If that is not enough, you can get the full world cup atmosphere right here on this blog.

Posted via web from poobumwee's posterous

What happens when… 100 children play a top division soccer XI? – More Than Mind Games

via morethanmindgames.com

Just for fun, here is the last of a series of 3 Youtube videos showing what happened when J-League side Cerezo Osaka took on a team of 100 pretty useful-looking primary school kids.
As you might imagine, both offside and playing the ball along the ground become irrelevancies. And when you’re not just enjoying the fun, it’s actually quite interesting to see how the professional team try to think their way around a set of 100 new problems. The answer for both teams is – go wide, and use set pieces: this happened in Edwardian football too…
Looks pretty frustrating. Thanks James

Posted via web from poobumwee's posterous

Scotland set to feature in sequel to Top 50 World Cup Moments

via telegraph.co.uk

Top 50 World Cup Disasters - The Movie

The degree of disappointment at the Scottish football team not qualifying for the World Cup in South Africa next year is only tempered by the many bitter memories from earlier campaigns. Too many individual and collective horrors to list.

Posted via web from poobumwee's posterous

Scottish Sports Roundup Que Sera Sera Version

Ecstasy



Agony (Macedonia Version)

You definitely have to be Scottish to appreciate this.

From the Guardian.

World Cup 2010 qualifier

Macedonia v Scotland - as it happened

• Guardian report
• Observer report
• Min-by-min
• Match facts

World Cup Euro Qual Gp 9

Macedonia 1	Naumoski 5
Scotland 0

• Scott Murray
• guardian.co.uk,
• Saturday September 06 2008 12:00 BST
• Article history

This is more than a graph than an o-meter, but I didn't have time to change it, sorry

Kick off: 2pm. Scott will be here from 1.30pm. Although he just texted in to say his train was delayed, so make that 1.47pm.

1.47pm: Tom Lutz wasn't wrong. How queer.

Oh how I love you, Lisa Gray, PA Sport Chief Scottish Football Writer, Skopje: "There were no real surprises in George Burley's team selection for Scotland's World Cup qualifying opener against Macedonia.
Kenny Miller and James McFadden both started and were given the task of getting the goals despite a less than inspiring partnership in last month's friendly against Northern Ireland at Hampden. With West Brom's James Morrison injured, Barry Robson was given the nod in midfield alongside Celtic team-mates Paul Hartley and Scott Brown, as well as Darren Fletcher. As expected, stand-in skipper Stephen McManus was able to shake of a knock he picked up in last week's Old Firm derby to take his place in the heart of defence with Gary Caldwell. Kirk Broadfoot was named among the substitutes after his surprise call-up earlier in the week.

At last, they bother to send the teams through, though I can hardly bang on about other folk being tardy this afternoon. Anyway, FYR Macedonia: Milosevski, Noveski, Petrov, Sedloski, Mitreski, Lazarevski, Georgievski, Shumulikoski, Maznov, Pandev, Naumoski.
Subs: Pacovski, Polozani, Tasevski, Demiri, Trajanov, Grncarov, Ristic.

Scotland: Gordon, Alexander, Naysmith, McManus, Caldwell, Hartley, Fletcher, Brown, Miller, McFadden, Robson.
Subs: McGregor, Boyd, Broadfoot, Maloney, Commons, Stewart, Berra.

Referee: Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic)

The way I look at it is this: One of the Official Rules Of All Football is that Scotland are only ever any good when there is absolutely no expectation whatsoever. In fact, that's rule one. So I think it's only fair to note that the couple of wins against France in the Euro qualifiers - while wholly hilarious, mainly due to the petulant reaction of Tinyears Thierry - represented a couple of blips, rather than an upward trend that can be extrapolated to World Cup glory (see graph). Scotland have since been terrible, pretty much, so. There, if that doesn't guarantee a 6-0 win for the Scots, nothing will.

The Macedonian national anthem: Is quite an amazing piece of music. It sounds like a haunting Norwegian folk anthem, the sort of thing a young girl sings when she finds out her father isn't coming back, there's been a disaster on the whaling boat. Fantastic stuff, a genuinely moving solo turn. There's quite an atmosphere in the stadium. The atmosphere of a hospital chapel, admittedly, but an atmosphere nonetheless.

And we're off! Not much happening so far, though Gary Caldwell has already put in one reducer on Pandev. "Sometime in the 17 minutes between when you were first expected and when you actually started," begins Gavin Speirs, setting the tone, though he really wants to have a pop at First Capital Connect, not me, "bored of Jim Traynor's opinions and not interested in Craig Burley's, I noticed the qualifying table on the left of the page showing Macedonia top and Scotland bottom. Is this to set realistic expectations ahead of our dismal 2-0 defeat? Is it to give us the chance to say Kenny Miller's 53rd minute tap-in saw us beat the top team? Or has the alphabet been updated recently?" You got it right first time, Gavin. The only way is up. That's the way we like it round here.

4 min: Scotland have started steadily enough, Hartley, Brown and Fletcher seeing plenty of the ball. Ah hold on, McManus has just taken Maznov down five yards from the area. Damn. "Thanks for trying with the Official Rules, Scott," writes Billy Clark. "All was going well with that comment until you went and predicted a 6-0 win at the end of it. We're doomed. Doomed, I tell ye!"

5 min: DOOMED! Macedonia 1-0 Scotland. Well Billy Clark called that one damn straight. Sedloski hammers a low shot towards the bottom left corner which Gordon does wonderfully well to fingertip onto the post. The luck's not with him, though, the ball bouncing straight back, allowing Ilco Naumoski to sidefoot home from three or four yards. Whoosh! There goes that World Cup!

8 min: Five minutes, that campaign lasted.

9 min: Right, the comeback is on! Scotland win a free kick 25 yards out, just to the right! Robson tries to replicate Sedloski's daisycutter... but you couldn't slice through melted butter with the weak effort he dispatches into Milosevski's arms. The comeback is not on.

Luckily there is hope in place with a trip to Iceland on Wednesday for the proverbial must win game. Hope springs eternal for the Tartan Army. From 90 degrees to 0 degrees.

Photo Hunt: Support

I have recently started a new phase of my life as a soccer dad. Most Saturday mornings are now spent supporting Ryan and his under nine football (soccer) team. I am continually picked up by the kids on that one. Football is Aussie Rules here in South Australia. I stand corrected each time despite associating football with the round ball game.

As with most things I get involved with, I have ended up on the committee. They still haven't won a game yet or even scored a goal, but they enthusiasm is still high. As a parent you support your kids through thick and thin and this is one way I am doing it. They are just reintroducing football after a few years of lack of parent interest. Hannah has missed out because of the gap. Like so many school activities, it is the parent involvement and support that make a difference.

photohunt

Guuschevchenko Hiddink goes into Hiding

After stuffing his countrymen in Euro 2008, former all Ozzie Guusssss has gone into hiding with a view to seeking asylum in the Oil Baron Football Republic of Russia.

No doubt the English will be chasing him now in their vain bid to win a football tournament after 40 years. This confirms his appeal to Sun Readers.

I never understood why they gave up on the Home International Championship. At least they could usually win a tournament that way. Not enough TV revenue to pay for those astronomical salaries I suppose.

It seems that the Celtic Cousins have seen the merits of that type of tournament.

Dean Windass Hull Local Hero

When Dean Windass scored the winning goal for Hull City to secure promotion to the English Premier League for the first time, there was a certain symnetry.

Born in Hull (Where?), he started off as a builder before starting for Hull City in 1991. He was a bit of a naughty boy when he was at Aberdeen and was shown a red card three times in one game. One for a second bookable offence, one for verbally abusing the referee and one for kicking the corner flag. Graham Poll eat your heart out.


Now back at Hull at the age of 39 he scored the winning goal at the twilight of his career to give them the chance to get thumped by the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool next season. The citizens of Hull are thankful. Much better than grinding it out against Doncaster and the like.

He can swan song for a few seasons and retire in style. He will likely never have to buy a beer again.

Alister Darling Set To Take the Reins at St James Park

Kevin Keegan is set to get the heave ho as the new sponsors of Newcastle are set exert their authority. Ticket prices are set to double to assist in paying off the debts acccumulated in paying of Toon Fans to stay loyal after another season of crap football from the St James's Park Boys. Scotland Yard are investigating the link between the collapse of the bank and the sponsorship deal.

If Mr Abramovich, a successful business man can lose 100 million pounds on Chelsea, just last year, then look for even bigger losses in the North East if the new owners' track record is anything to go by.

Bird Shit Inspires Famous Socialist Republic of Barnsley Football Win

A well aimed bird shit inspired the Barnsley Football team to a famous win at Anfield against fellow strugglers, Liverpool.

As the Dickie Bird said, it was the most famous win of his sixty five years of supporting Barnsley.

I wonder if there is any beer left in the town.

My colleague, who is a die hard Liverpool fan was more than a little subdued this morning. All the more so for sitting next to the General Manager, who is a die hard Manchester United fan. I seem to remember a similar result the year Barnsley were in the Premier League in the late 1990s, when they knocked out the mighty Red Devils. My colleague at that time grew up in Barnsley and was more than a little happy.

The joys of the FA Cup. A fantastic competition.

And as for Rafael Benitez. Shit Happens!

Australia Swoons for Becks (Not!)

Becks and the LA Galaxy are playing Sydney tonight. It is a sure sign of how far football has to come here in Australia that it takes a meaningless game between two unimportant teams comprised of has beens and wannabees on the world stage to make it to prime time on the commercial channels.

All breathless razmatas and pure meaningless infootainment.

I am forced to watch Grumpy Old Men and The Bill. Woe is me. Actually I am going to bed.

Scotland Dies Laughing

Most would have been dead within minutes TRIBUTES are being paid to Scotland this morning after the entire country laughed itself to death.


The alarm was first raised at around 10pm last night as thousands of phone calls and text messages went unanswered.

Small groups of volunteers from Berwick-Upon-Tweed and Carlisle ventured north just after midnight only to find houses full of dead people gathered around still blaring television sets.

By dawn, as RAF helicopters flew over deserted city streets, it was clear that the whole country had suffered a catastrophic abdominal rupture. Wayne Hayes, a special constable from Northumberland, said: "We went into one house in Dunbar and found three men sitting on the sofa with huge smiles on their faces, still holding cans of 70 shilling. They seemed to be at peace."

He added: "In a house near Edinburgh we found a man face down on the living room floor with his trousers and pants round his knees. "It seems he may have been showing his bare buttocks to the television when he keeled over."

Roy Hobbs, a civil engineer from Northampton, said: "I got a call from my friend Ian in Stirling at about 9.50pm. "He was already laughing when I answered the phone, but after about 25 minutes of the most vigorous and uncontrollable hilarity, everything suddenly went very quiet."

Moving tributes are already being placed along the Scotland-England border with many mourners opting to leave a simple bag of chips or a deep fried bunch of flowers.

From The Daily Mash

Must Win for Scotland in Georgia Tonight

More Wordless Wednesday

Socceroos Licking Their Wounds

After a disappointing Asian Cup, the Socceroos are considering a return to the Oceania Football Conference. They might win some games then.

Welcome Wembley Goodbye Multiplex Hello Football

Campba

That would be my name if I played football for Brazil. I would be joined by family members Clutterbico, Ryun de Santos and Campbardo.

Thanks Norm

Hampden Heaven and IsraeHell

The new Scottish Manager Alex McLeish and the boys squeezed out a last gasp win in Glasgow against Georgia in the Euro 2008 qualifier, and in the process retained the Unofficial Football World Championship, closely modelled on boxing championships. Next up the defence in Italy on Wednesday night. The winner takes the title for a while.

Steve McLaren on the other hand, looks like he is on his last gasp as England Manager after a pathetic scoreless draw in Tel Aviv. The Sun must be baying for blood this morning.

The pictures tell the story. Most Scottish people will take as much pleasure in the English result as the Scottish one as described by the ever so eloquent Flying Rodent.