Watching all the news reports and press conferences, reminded me of other somber announcements in the past.
The death of King George V Edward VIII abdication speech Neville Chamberlin's War declaration speech Churchill's war time speeches The death of King George VI The death of Princes Diana
Somber,somber, but wait a minute ! this isn't a national disaster. It's about 11 grown men losing a game, yes a GAME ! ! ! don't walk around head bowed, life will still go on.
I suppose the fault is not just losing this game but the inability to choose individuals to do a job.
In future:
1. they should only select a player if he can kick with both feet.
2. only choose a manager on a 1 year rolling contract
3. study film footages of successful continental teams instead of looking at past English glories
4. confine physical fitness to the bin and concentrate on ball control. If successful less ground needs to be covered and passing improved.
5. ignore the press and get on with it.
There is an irritating tendency in the press generally today to blow things out of proportion heinously. I agree, it is rather a daft thing to be upset about (I can just never understand the idea of pinning your national pride on a football team. It just annoys me - football is often taken far too seriously as it is.)
I was really shocked when I heard the first item on the news this morning - Mclaren sacked! After all the trouble the team has had this year how could the FIA do this. Then I found it was some football bloke and not one of our top class Formula One teams. Phew!
Yes Bazile, F1 and rallying are just about the only sports I am interested in. At least in these sports the competitors can accurately be described as heroes. The praise and accolades heaped on some of the monosyllabic, overpaid louts who have done nothing more than kick a ball around a field is out of all proportion to their talent. Having got that of my chest, Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari would be interesting!
Football IS England and England IS football. Thats what someone at work told me. Shame we're not much cop at it. We have better things to do with our time like paying extortinate mortgages and supporting people less fortunate than ourselves.
How quickly we forget Dame Helen Mirren winning Best Actress In A Leading Role at the 2007 Academy Awards, for her magnificent portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II.
Of course it's a national disaster....soccer fans will have no other topic on which they can hold an intelligent conversation !
Now when England lost the Rugby World Cup to South Africa, it was soon forgotten, as I guess their supporters weren't so disappointed about not having any more games at which to riot, smack goalkeepers and generally act like uneducated yobs.