Archives for July 2006
As busy as paisley wallpaper
What with house moves, wedding plans, and numerous tasks both onerous and pleasant, I have had no time whatsoever to devote to blogging. To anyone who checks regularly for updates – I apologise. Once the dust settles I’ll get the… continue reading »
The Final Day: So long, farewell…
And so it is over…finishing on a low, high, or sour note depending on your point of view. Having watched the last final in a B & B on Inis Mór (no seriously) I decided – this time – to… continue reading »
Day 28: Where do we go from here?
Sixty-Two matches down, then, and a mere two remaining. It’s at about this stage of every World Cup that one begins to feel a mix of emotions. On the one hand you look forward to the dénouement, keen to see… continue reading »
Day 26: Paying the Penalty
Ahead of another semi-final that could well end up being decided on penalties, I thought I might have a quick root around in the archives to see exactly what the records of the two relevant nations are. As we all… continue reading »
Day 24 & 25: Perfidy thy name is…Ronaldo?
If the fall-out from “Bollockgate” /”Stampgate”/ “Carvalho’s-testicles-gate” (or whatever you want to call it) is proving one thing, it’s that certain sections of the English press (and some fans) take alarming comfort in blaming a “greasy dago/wop” 1 for their… continue reading »
Day 23: Hail to the King
I suggested, a few days ago, that I couldn’t wait to see the outcome of Zidane vs. Brazil, Round 2 (8 years after Zizou headed France to World Cup glory), but I never imagined that at 34 years of age… continue reading »
Day 22: Down With This Sort of Thing
If there’s one thing about the World Cup that really irritates me it’s the nauseating sanctimony one has to endure from FIFA (and other guardians of footballing piety) whenever a scuffle/altercation/melee breaks out on the pitch. The words “disgrace”, “shame”,… continue reading »
Day 22: Status Quo
It struck me yesterday evening, as I watched the end of an absorbing and mega-tense Germany/Argentina match, that the only team who has previously won the World Cup not present in the last eight is Uruguay. Their failure to reach… continue reading »
