WooHoo

Histon 1 - Leeds 0

It's always very nice to see Leeds lose.

We Is Watching The Football

Lampard has just scored off a penalty and yes it was a penalty Simunic did tug on Defoe's shirt. I'll give that Defoe fell down artistically, a bit like a maiden aunt at her first Robert Mapplethorpe exhibition but it was still a penalty.

My team, Scotland, failed to qualify over the weekend, Norn Iron and Wales are out too. We, Scotland can take heart in that we are a team from a small country who performed well above expectations in a tough group, but *sob* we still dinnae qualify.

If England go out then..... The last thing the Russians did well was poison the sushi and that's not a recognised move in any sport.

21:22 Peter Couch has just become our second favourite lanky Englishman.

Ohhhh it's all exciting.

Update - but ultimately England were crap.

Grandfather Was A Spurs Fan

Jo's post today reminded me of a story my late Grandma told me.

My paternal Grandfather was a Spurs fan, he was a season ticket holder back in the 1950s, in one of the areas where you stood of course. My Grandmother though thought that perhaps as her sons got older that she and my Grandfather should spend some more time together of a weekend. Apparently my grandfather thought about this, so the next home match he got two tickets in the seated area for himself and my Grandma on the basis that if she enjoyed it she could go to the matches with him.

They watched a game against Chelsea, Jimmy Greaves was still playing for the blues. Grandma was fairly unmoved by the experience. She didn't get her own season ticket.

Portugal - Netherlands

It's still only 77 mins gone but we've got sendings off, handbags and bad reffing - fabulous match for the fans of spectacle like what I am.

Bet Alan Green is going puce with outrage if he's commentating on this match.

Micheal Owen and other World Cup Related Stuff.

I feel extremely sorry for Michael Owen, Owen ruptures anterior cruciate knee ligament, a nasty painful injury and it takes time to recover from. His World Cup is over and he's possibly out for months. I don't feel sorry for Newcastle though, that's a club I've never been able to warm to, that's partially due to an ex boyfriend supported them he was an extremely nasty manipulative person which unfortunately I did not see properly until after I dumped him. It's all a long time ago however there is still a thought process that happens whenever I see or hear of NUFC: Newcastle = Geordie Andy = twat. I do have to add that I have since met Newcastle fans who are delightful but it's ingrained now.

I thought England were fairly dismal yesterday against Sweden, although they played relatively well in the first half their performance in the second half was not so nice. It wouldn't surprise me if the Ecuadorian team are quietly fancying their chances given a bit of luck and a following wind.

I am glad though that England have avoided Germany. I'm glad because I don't think I could have borne the jingoistic fervour that the tabloids would have whipped themselves into. Wars would have most definitely being mentioned and all sorts of rash declarations being made about how invincible England are (my arse) and 20 reasons why England is better than Germany, I can think of 1 we don't have pigs knuckles as a regional dish but I run out after that.

It is the English tabloid press and their ugly over the top reactions that make it virtually impossible for me to wish England well. I hate their cocksure overconfidence, I hate the over statement, I am seriously disturbed that anyone could have thought that this was a suitable image for football, he looks more like he is being tortured through crucifixion than celebrating his joy and pride in being English.

I am a Scotland fan I know that I support a shite team, I'm used to that - it's good for the character, honest, any success is eagerly accepted and appreciated and defeat is taken stoically. But then again I don't live in Scotland and I don't read the Scottish press so I can say that. For all I know the Daily Record could be putting the Sun to shame when it comes to borderline xenophobic sports coverage but the important part here is - I don't get to see it and so I don't have to confront it. I do get to see the English versions of the different media and it makes me uncomfortable. It's a sport not a war and yes it is damn important but it is actually fun, well it's supposed to be fun, you wouldn't think that reading the red tops.

The perfect world cup would a) have Scotland qualifying and getting out of their group and b) no contentious opponents for any of the home nations before being knocked out. Definition of non contentious is - we must not have gone to war with them, married into their royal family, be in a semi political union with them, once been their colonial masters, they were once our colonial overlords have had a spat with them in the last 2000 years which leaves just about nobody.

Road To Wemberley Wembley Cardiff

The FA Cup final is on today Liverpool versus West Ham, Liverpool are favourites, I don't really care, I'm neutral the Owls were knocked out very early on.

Kick Off is at 3pm the Beeb are going through that annual ritual - "The Road To Wembley" cept it the Millennium Stadium Cardiff as Wembley is still not finished.

We've had "How They Got There", "Great Teams Of The Past", "Early Arrival Of The Fans" now they are doing "Celebrity Fans" West Ham are winning this one in the credibility stakes with professional Bloke Billy Bragg and Phil Jupitus. Professional Scouser and unfunny git Bloody Jimmy Tarbuck has been rolled out as the Liverpool fan.

Once upon a time we would have had both ITV and the BBC doing this, this was in the days of having only 3 then 4 channels so there was a real battle to attract viewers to your channel before the match started.

They've just introduced the panel, oh no - Alan Shearer, possibly the most boring man in football this does not bode well to world cup coverage now I am looking forward to that.

Anyways I've got to go check on the patient so let me leave you in the hands of Betty who is putting forward an eloquent argument for why you should be supporting West Ham.