Random Thoughts On An International Night
Nov 11th, 2016 by 'holic
Apologies for absence since Monday. I haven’t been resting, and next week you will hopefully enjoy the product of one evening this week. More on that to follow.
So what to write about at last knockings on a Friday night after England have beaten Scotland 3-0, and not even the team knows quite how. I wish Arsenal would win so comfortably when misfiring so.
I was wondering how I would feel as the night progressed. My relationship with both teams (this is a football, not a country thing) has changed since I used to attend the home internationals up to the 1980s. They were very different times and Scotland were considered similarly to the way we look at Tottenham at a club level.
I still remember celebrating England wins rather more than I should have when I was young and thoughtless in front of my mother, born of mining stock and who lived in both the east and west of Scotland as a result. A cousin or two might have clipped my ear!
The matches at Wembley were quite something back then, and any aliens would have been forgiven for thinking they were being played north of the border. Whether there or Hampden Park the Scots dominated the crowd numbers wise. I remember vividly, and more than once, hoping rather than expecting to get out of our national stadium in one piece.
Then in 1984 the home international week became a thing of the past, and not long afterwards so did Mum. Naturally I reflected on my relationship with those north of the wall.
So tonight one of the rare meetings since took place at a time where my interest in international football has waned, but not set. I had considered actually going. Surprisingly tickets were relatively available in a way they weren’t back in the day, but getting back from a late Wembley kick-off by public transport isn’t a given. I settled for television coverage.
I was surprised at my being able to watch an England v Scotland match with no burning bias for either. I know that will lose me readers and followers, but it is none the less true. Scotland were the better team in the opening half, I thought. England came in at half time with the advantage, but goodness knows how. The hosts finished off opponents shorne of confidence in the second-half.
The only time I felt as passionate about the match as an Arsenal game was when Danny Rose was shot by a sniper in the first half and Glenn Hoddle tried to justify the absent award of a penalty. How biased was the ITV coverage. And yes, I accept I probably wouldn’t have posted this if we were playing Macedonia or Latvia.
Maybe I do think more about some international matches than I believed?
74 Responses to “Random Thoughts On An International Night”
Win win all round
I guess it was J. Why doesn’t it feel like it?
Serge Gnabry scores a hat-trick on his full Germany debut.
Why didn’t he make it at Arsenal again? Whenever I saw him he looked a real player.
One long yawn, imo ‘holic, I nodded off several times. The only point of interest being whether Theo would get subbed on … and consequently injured. Maybe the reason he didn’t start (it couldn’t possibly be a preference for Hohum Sterling surely?) was due to an injury picked up in training? No doubt we’ll find out in time.
Whenever I saw Gnabry, bt8, he looked like another Ox. A Gnu, if you like.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqgPyqyh4X4
While remembering Flanders and Swan, how about this to celebrate victory over the Scots … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdY1Y5XNJBY
So if we get him back in January he’ll be LAGS? (like a gnu signing)
Nice account Guvna. Your journey is the mirror image of mine and we may soon meet in the middle.
I thought the boys in pink (? – ah yes, FIFA ruling because of the white sleeves on both first choice shirts) did themselves justice and the gulf in quality was exhibited by the men who took the three chances as opposed to the four Scots and Sterling who spurned theirs. Somewhat better than I expected from both sides.
Meanwhile, RIP Napoleon Solo. Smooth as silk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLOaIVUT7Nk
Gnabry would be a new signing, Cynic, he went to Bremen permanently in the summer.
Cashing a hat trick does impress, but don’t forget it’s San Marino, ffs.
I wonder how many Yanks will be rooting for Mexico vs. US this evening.
Disgusting behavior by the Romanian fans, shame it didn’t work Lewy woke up and gave them two instead!
God I always thought Wenger was going to grab him!
Just goes to show that Fifa are clueless banning Poppies what a bunch of idiots!
Hope Snachez is on the mend though!
Cheers H!
Rerun of the oldest fixture in town got me thinking about the old days, but did n’t spark enough interest to get me to actually watch the game.
Up to Euro88 I followed England home and away. Events in Germany in 88, persuaded me to give that up. But even then my primary allegiance was to The Arsenal. Remember having a conversation with a Scottish lad.
“Who means more to you, Rangers or Scotland?”
“That’s a terrible question to have to answer.”
“Not for me it aint, Arsenal all the fucking way!”
Now, I seriously wonder why I ever bothered with England at all. Really could n’t give a flying fuck about them. Which is strange, cos I still get right into following the Cricket team or the Egg Chasers – looking forward to them doing the Yarpies later today.
I’m just off to Twickers in the pouring rain. Not overly looking forward to a two hour drive each way and hike to the ground interspersed with a forward- dominated game because of the conditions. Still there will be no violence even if some of them are pricks the rest of the time.
I watched disinterestedly yesterday.I used to go to every Wembley game until I looked around me at who followed England.
I thought it was about the level of a Championship match. Scotland used to produce some of the greatest footballers on earth. Now they produce the worst players ever to play for them. England are decidedly average but at least I prefer Southgate to Fat Sam. At least he has played international football .
Lallana was the best player on the field and he wouldn’t get into our team if I was picking it. And we dodged a bullet with Vardy- or he dodged it for us!
Spain will play us off the field on Tuesday and give us a reality check
As for Gnabry after he broke through he was very well set . I thought he played superbly against Spurs in the Cup. Then he suffered a horrendous injury which went on forever and then his infamous loan spell under Pulis. When he returned he still had injury problems but he is a real talent and it’s sad we couldn’t keep him. He looks a better bet than Ox to me.
I hope we have a sell-on clause because he won’t stay at Bremen .
I know he left permanently, Chris, but he’d still be an old gnu signing.
By the way, let’s not carried away with a hat-trick against San Marino.
Bath,
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/leonard-cohen-a-final-interview
Chris@7: Thanks for the Flanders and Swann link. Their satire was so much more biting for being so seemingly gentle. Nothing like them today.
Cheers Holic !
Your lack of conviction certainly won’t lose you this reader. I didn’t even realise ‘we’ were playing until a Spurs supporting patient told me yesterday morning !
I wonder why the Spuds are so interested in England. Could be the same reason they are quite literally so Dier.
The only couple of minutes I bothered to watch were said Dier belting a long through ball into touch, Henderson passing repeatedly into the back four and Diver Danny Rose as already documented by yourself.
Hoddle’s attempted justification of his half-pike with twist was pathetic.
When do we play next ?
No. I don’t care.
And what Esso said about the rugby and to a lesser extent, the cricket.
Brilliant Flanders and Swann clip, Chris 😆
There is a long road back to respectability for Scotland’s international team but I gave up caring about them a long time ago – its no more than the charlatans who run the game in this part of the world, deserve.
In another universe, Wolfgang Smallballs (attracted by the pink uniforms no doubt) was heard to say – “2 poor teams” and that pretty much sums it up.
Best aspect of last night was no injury to an Arsenal player (in this fixture at any rate).
Bring on the real football!!
There you ggo, Cynic –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqgPyqyh4X4&list=RDYqgPyqyh4X4#t=58
Oh, don’t know why but it’s jumped in halfway through 🙁
the mighty smallballs
a ‘holic legend
a titan among tight’uns among titans
all hail him and here
UP THE ARSENAL
Joe @ 17, thank you so much for that link.
Such a moving interview. I am so glad that I heard it. Much appreciated.
In return I offer:
a musician’s perspective of LC:
http://littleatoms.com/film-music/leonard-cohen-moses-fedora
and the concert in London a year or so ago that blew my socks off:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jrjoqd2YDM
Gone but never to be forgotten.
A large 10 year old Dalmore, to toast the ‘immortal memory’.
Slàinte mhath.
No one in the bar apparently goes to see England when they play at Wembley.
I wonder if that is the same for Supporters of other London clubs.
I cannot see any Club supporters from the Midlands or up North,coming all the way down to London to see England play.
So my question is,
Who are the 90 odd thousand people who seem to fill the stadium every time England play,regardless of how dire the football is.??
They come from Retirement villages and Homes for the Bewildered … OAPs who think they’re on a day out to the seaside, Clive. Tickets are free, courtesy of the FA who want to have the stadium appear full, and extra rows of outdoor loos are brought in for the occasion. All spectacles are confiscated at the gates for their better enjoyment of the entertainment which includes Vera Lynn and old recording of Billy Cotton’s Bandstand piped to them via their hearing aids. Tea is served at half-time. Medical staff are on stand-by.
Chris… Well played sir!
Correction: It was The Billy Cotton Band Show (not Bandstand). Aired Sunday lunchtimes between 1949 and 1968 on BBC Light Programme. Sadly I may have listened to it on occasions. 🙁
No one in the bar apparently goes to see England when they play at Wembley.
Very few can even be arsed to switch the telly on.
Wakey, wakey, Chris.
Followed by Round the Horne, my first exposure to satire.
Bath, first, do you have the answers to last week’s questions?
Round The Horne
I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again
I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue …..
The well trodden path to punnery. ?
And before Round the Horne was Beyond Our Ken.
Trev: You clearly had a misspent youth in front of the radio.
Some of it, Ned ?
Last England game I attended was the defeat to Germany on the last day at the old twin towered stadium…it was my experience even back then that most of the England fans were followers of Northern teams from divisions 1 & 2 – probably a chance for some of them to taste ‘success’ that the oldham’s and Rochdale’s never will…
…oh hang on a minute…
Bath.,
Any praise from Frank Turner, is praise indeed. I saw Turner a few years ago in Dingle. He played a tune, which he regarded as one of the very best songs ever written, by Loudon Wainwright the 3rd. Its called “Motel Blues” and it is indeed a superb tune and cover:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oyfn4K-Lkao
I watched the concert footage you posted last night. I was completely smitten, but then again, I always was with Cohen every-single-time.
Dave Fanning is probably the DJ of repute on this island with a direct line to most of the current stars in the music industry. He has done programmes here on TV with almost everyone you could ever think of. Of all the people he has ever met, Cohen is the one he singularly regards as being the most interesting and enthralling. His reaction to his death is worthwhile listening:
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/ryan-tubridy/
Hope all else is good with you.
Tonight, my dedicated journey through all things Scotland takes me to Springbank 15. What a beautiful drop.
Slainte go beo.
Great stuff Joe.
Another tribute to LC. From the Times so behind a paywall but accessible as one of your two articles per week if you give them your e-mail address (worth it):
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/newsreview/so-long-leonard-my-friend-in-despair-ecstasy-love-and-longing-pt8nf85gp
Aye, I’ve fond memories of Springbank. Lovely stuff. Slàinte.
Another fucking great earthquake here last night… 7.5 Richter, reckoned to be the biggest in NZ since the early 1800s ffs, 30 times the energy released in the Christchurch quake a few years back (which still hasn’t been sorted out yet).
Why did I ever come here? Oh, I remember, it was a woman! Hmmmm. I wonder where she is now…
Wolfie really ought to weigh in on the pants pulling between Bosnia’s Edin Dzeko and Greece’s Kyriakos Papadopoulos. Tight Greek undies were exposed.
So Moaninho wants Ozil and Pep wants Alexis??
They both should Get stuffed!
Alexis bandaged and all set to play tomorrow again? when will the boy learn? He may want to play all the time but it is time he looks at the bigger picture. He needs to stay fit to be able to play. I am wondering when will November end for this surely looks a cursed month. Hector out, santi unlikely to feature and if god forbid we lose anyone else, the initial good start will be gone and how.
I still stand by the fact that jack should not have been let and he could have been the one replacing santi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kjgwjh4H7wg
Chris, Imp Fail,
Only just seen the news of the earthquakes there.
Stay safe fellas. Hope you’re both ok.
The news from NZ does not sound good. Good luck fellas to you and yours.
Chris, Imp Failage,
Our thoughts are with you.
Keep safe!
Thank you Trev, bath, and TTG. Thinking of you all in NZ. Please stay strong and safe.
now just
imp fail give us a wave
give us give us
give us a wave
inappropriate terminology
but
fuck off ya cunt
tell us yer still roarin
oooooh
the half ton
the best of the ton family
anyhoo
NAW
don’t give us a wave
iffin ye do i’ll fuckin know where it came from
ya vowel juggling live amonging nut loop
things an shite an stuff
small understanding me
geography wise
north
and
south …..
hang on ……………..
i know 437 songs about that
nothing ?
ok
.
#1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4NRTks2M50
#2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGD-C3k1C74&feature=youtu.be
#3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrtD77dmto0
#4
a good cover version of a shite song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mpg1HoupcDQ
#5
a great cover version of a great song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEOZLQ3d1FI
i forgot to pray for The Arsenal
and
then
The Arsenal forget to play for us
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/23675664
#6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_QVUfZv92U
a great song afore the cover version s
Thanks for your thoughts, guys.
Shit scary when they go off like that, middle of the night, no warning, things crashing down in the house, dog looking at me as if it’s my fault. But no serious damage, mostly my collection of liqueur minatures flying off their shelves. The collection I only discovered at my daughter’s wedding (2007) were mostly topped up with coloured water after various of her teenage parties.
Wellington is now cut off by floods, would you believe, after raining for a fortnight. And still the quakes keep coming. More annoying than anything after the ‘big’ one, but no telling when a bigger, closer one will happen.
Time to buy that houseboat on the Thames I’m always thinking about!
nothing ?
chris you fucker
i look on apollo duck all the time
my idea of heaven
a barge
i hope you get it
i semi live in a cliche old whitewashed cottage
sometimes
tourists stop and take pictures
it’s fuckin lovely
hundreds o years old
but
i always wanted a barge
(with adequate midge screens for the happy life)
anyhoo
away de bed
impy ?
i can’t hear you !
go wan
say hello ya fecker
If it wasn’t for daughter and now new grandson, cba, I’d be there in s nanosecond. I look at Appollo Duck often. I’m sure Max would love being a sea dog too.
Anyway, that’s all for now. The computer can only be used in this room cos that’s where the internet connection is, and I don’t use this room when there’s quakes about on account of the space under it. It’s safer in the front bedroom which is on ground level.
Back later when my nerve returns…
Good to see you in one piece Chris. Now then IF, I agree with cba. Let us know all is well.
Lang may yer lum reek, blackcaps.
Good stuff, Chris – sort of.
Glad you’re ok, that is.
You’ve got the quakes keep coming,
We’ve got our own problem – it’s the flaming quakers keep coming round.
Stay safe – and your daughter and grandchild.
Hope the Kiwi ‘holics are alright and recovering from the shakes. The good news is that some stranded cows have been rescued. Their owner says: “You’re a clever cow to skip and dance while the land beneath you is disappearing down the hill.”
The BBC story has video showing the cows standing on what looks like an elevated green in the middle of a golf course on the moon.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37982395
Lee Dixon is sat in the studio wearing an expression like he just realised he’s shat himself. Eight hours ago. And it has gone cold.
You’re white-washed cottage sounds like my second choice, cba, ideally a fisherman’s cottage on the harbour wall in a Cornish fishing village, say Polperro. But must be within a hundred metre stagger of a decent pub.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Come on Alexis! 🙂