germany v england 22:44 - Mar 20 with 10009 views | bob566 | No threads yet. Does everyone hate international ball these days? | | | | |
germany v england on 13:50 - Mar 21 with 2415 views | Northernr |
germany v england on 12:09 - Mar 21 by kingsburyR | Rugby has a lot going for itself over football. We can still relate to the players as they are not stuck up their own ars.es. Regardess of what colour top they wear its an HONOUR to be picked for your country. (Step forward Ryan Giggs). Over the last 15-20 years how many different teams have won the Rugby European Cup? (The Champions league is a bore fest) Internationals stoke up pasion and interest to not only rugby fans but most sports fans in general.....as I said earlier I'd take Countryfile over and England International. |
And I'd take watching my own house burn down over half a rugby union game. | | | |
germany v england on 13:54 - Mar 21 with 2399 views | Northernr |
germany v england on 13:43 - Mar 21 by Antti_Heinola | WHERE'S THE PASSION, LADS?! PASSION! I actually think international football is a great thing - money is important, but not anywhere as important as in club football. No transfers (except Costa to Spain), makes the playing field more even. Arguably Iceland, who had 10% of their entire population inside the stadium last year, is more incredible than what Leicester did - but also more possible, because if you do have a good crop come through at once, no one else can buy them off you. A truer test of coaching, if you like. But friendlies bore the tits off me. It's no point PP harking back to the great days of Butcher etc, because in the 80s, outside of tournaments, it was no better. Just 24,000 for England v NI in one of the 'famed' home internationals in 1984. 38,000 v the Soviets the same year. They didn't even sell out Eng v Scot in 86 in the classic Rous Cup - 68,000 for that. 35,000 for a qualifier v NI in 86. England v chile in 1989 - 15000 AT WEMBLEY! 15,000! What we remember are the great tournament campaigns, that's what we're nostalgic for. But enthusiasm for the national side peaked around 96-2004 - that was the exception, I'm afraid, not the norm. there are tons of reasons for all this. but mainly it's that England aren't that good at the moment (plus the disconnect pp hints at between fans and players doesn't help - although there's so much anger there that every player gets tarred with the same brush these days). What they need is a good tournament and interest will pick up. Look at us. 11,000 the other week v Barnsley. If Ollie gets us into the top 6, next season that'll be 15-16,000. And if we're top 2 the Aunt Nellies who are nowhere to be seen at the moment will soon be back in force, crowing about how long they've supported the Rs, but obviously were totally unable to turn up, coincidentally, when things weren't going quite so well. |
Given how little time the managers get to spend with their squads, wouldn't it make more sense to train more and play friendlies less? I always wonder this. They'll have met up on Monday and trained, travelled today maybe? Match tomorrow. Fly back either late night or first thing Thursday, recovery day Thursday, training Friday and a bit of Saturday? Play Sunday and then home. So that's what, two or three full sessions together at absolute most? How about take out the totally needless travelling and match played at half pace against Germany and have a week on the training field together? Answer - you don't sell many God awful Nike shirts like that. | | | |
germany v england on 13:58 - Mar 21 with 2388 views | makaveli1882 |
germany v england on 13:43 - Mar 21 by Antti_Heinola | WHERE'S THE PASSION, LADS?! PASSION! I actually think international football is a great thing - money is important, but not anywhere as important as in club football. No transfers (except Costa to Spain), makes the playing field more even. Arguably Iceland, who had 10% of their entire population inside the stadium last year, is more incredible than what Leicester did - but also more possible, because if you do have a good crop come through at once, no one else can buy them off you. A truer test of coaching, if you like. But friendlies bore the tits off me. It's no point PP harking back to the great days of Butcher etc, because in the 80s, outside of tournaments, it was no better. Just 24,000 for England v NI in one of the 'famed' home internationals in 1984. 38,000 v the Soviets the same year. They didn't even sell out Eng v Scot in 86 in the classic Rous Cup - 68,000 for that. 35,000 for a qualifier v NI in 86. England v chile in 1989 - 15000 AT WEMBLEY! 15,000! What we remember are the great tournament campaigns, that's what we're nostalgic for. But enthusiasm for the national side peaked around 96-2004 - that was the exception, I'm afraid, not the norm. there are tons of reasons for all this. but mainly it's that England aren't that good at the moment (plus the disconnect pp hints at between fans and players doesn't help - although there's so much anger there that every player gets tarred with the same brush these days). What they need is a good tournament and interest will pick up. Look at us. 11,000 the other week v Barnsley. If Ollie gets us into the top 6, next season that'll be 15-16,000. And if we're top 2 the Aunt Nellies who are nowhere to be seen at the moment will soon be back in force, crowing about how long they've supported the Rs, but obviously were totally unable to turn up, coincidentally, when things weren't going quite so well. |
Having a half decent tournament is what has let us down over the last few years, the places we have been too and then people we have gone with have has not been a let down, losing to Iceland was the worst.... decent little stat below (non tournament) England have lost only one of their last 16 away internationals, against Spain in November 2015 (W9 D6). | | | |
germany v england on 14:04 - Mar 21 with 2373 views | Antti_Heinola |
germany v england on 13:54 - Mar 21 by Northernr | Given how little time the managers get to spend with their squads, wouldn't it make more sense to train more and play friendlies less? I always wonder this. They'll have met up on Monday and trained, travelled today maybe? Match tomorrow. Fly back either late night or first thing Thursday, recovery day Thursday, training Friday and a bit of Saturday? Play Sunday and then home. So that's what, two or three full sessions together at absolute most? How about take out the totally needless travelling and match played at half pace against Germany and have a week on the training field together? Answer - you don't sell many God awful Nike shirts like that. |
well exactly - Sven often said this, actually. | |
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germany v england on 14:18 - Mar 21 with 2349 views | Clive_Anderson | "Rugby has a lot going for itself over football. We can still relate to the players as they are not stuck up their own ars.es. " You've obviously never seen rugby players pissed up on a night out then. | | | |
germany v england on 14:28 - Mar 21 with 2322 views | karl | I'm off to watch Scotland v Slovenia at the weekend but can't bring myself to watch Canada friendly on Wednesday (it would mean i was away for a week if didnt come home in between games). Walter Smith did what North said above when he took over after Berti Vogts and stopped playing friendlies we got gubbed in, instead he held training get togethers during the international breaks and bizaarely since we stopped getting beaten we rose up the rankings! We did play in the Kirin Cup in Japan, playing 3 semi competitive games, and won the cup. We seemed to hit our best form during this period so there is a lot to be said for it as an approach for a manager, certainly nobody seemed to call off for the camps like they would for a nothing friendly. | | | | Login to get fewer ads
germany v england on 14:52 - Mar 21 with 2262 views | smegma |
germany v england on 12:39 - Mar 21 by Lblock | Frequents this very board I'd say someone that goes to every home game; who has been to Moscow, Israel, most of Eastern Europe and even such wild backwards places as Scotland to watch England is "staunch". But what I was trying to get across is the current malaise towards the England team Anyway........... |
Been watching England away since 86, home since 75. Seen us play in about 40 countries. I don't class myself as staunch. I'm just an England fan. | | | |
germany v england on 17:10 - Mar 21 with 2187 views | MoonshineSteve | Have a good time Smegma, and anyone else out there. Should be a great trip. | |
| I am still Steve but no longer in Dagenham. |
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germany v england on 18:04 - Mar 21 with 2150 views | BrianMcCarthy |
germany v england on 11:59 - Mar 21 by Northernr | Football could learn from rugby union on this. It's all in the branding. So on Saturday night we had an absolute dead rubber between Ireland and England. The Six Nations was decided weeks ago with England somehow amassing 18 points from four matches (how does that happen? You get a point for turning up or something?) and the chasers only had ten. So it was over. Meaningless match. But no. Because apparently "the grand slam" is a thing. This consists of winning as many games in February and March as QPR have and it's a really, really big deal = ground full, pubs full of people RAAAAAAHING at the screen. Towards the end of this year England will play several matches at Twickenham against South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, those sorts of teams. They're one offs, they count for nothing, meaningless showpiece matches. Now in football we call these 'international friendlies' and loads of people withdrawn injured and we make loads of substitutions and give caps to people like Francis Jeffers and what not - so nobody cares about them. But in rugby they call them THE AUTUMN INTERNATIONALS, which makes them a thing, so once again ground full, pubs full, everybody treating it like a big deal. Maybe we could call this utterly meaningless Germany game THE SPRING INTERNATIONAL and go around talking about how monumentally exciting it is despite there being no points of trophy at stake and the game having no lasting consequences beyond the final whistle whatsoever. It's about branding lads. |
Agree completely. Rugby teams can do now wrong. Ireland's crowd, as I predicted were somehow going to end up 'Heroes' and 'Legends' by their sycphantic media crew and the johnny-come-lately-never-kicked-or-caught-a-ball element of their following, no matter how badly they did. They were going to win the Grand Slam again. They failed. They were going to win the Championship. They failed. They were going to stop the Tans winning the Grand Slam. They did. They were legends and heroes. I saw one advert the following day proclaiming 'SLAMBUSTERS - SIMPLY THE BEST!'. Have they no shame? The best? i told my mate, who works for the IRFU. His reaction? "The best? Then why were England on the pitch after the game getting medals?" Still, they fooled their followers again. | |
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germany v england on 18:04 - Mar 21 with 2148 views | BrianMcCarthy |
germany v england on 17:10 - Mar 21 by MoonshineSteve | Have a good time Smegma, and anyone else out there. Should be a great trip. |
Ditto, Smeg. Hope ye hammer them. | |
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germany v england on 18:15 - Mar 21 with 2120 views | distortR |
germany v england on 14:52 - Mar 21 by smegma | Been watching England away since 86, home since 75. Seen us play in about 40 countries. I don't class myself as staunch. I'm just an England fan. |
Well, Karl said the other day, "You know Smegma, Gus, what's he really like?" "Staunch mate, he's really really staunch" | | | |
germany v england on 18:27 - Mar 21 with 2097 views | Rangersw12 | Had some amazing trips following England over the years , Munich , Athens , Moscow and Belfast were probably my best away days ever and we lost 2 of them Trips now few and far between with 3 kids under 12 at home but would recommend it to anyone | | | |
germany v england on 18:53 - Mar 21 with 3475 views | kropotkin41 | Could not give a flying feck. | |
| ‘morbid curiosity about where this is all going’ |
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germany v england on 19:03 - Mar 21 with 3466 views | johncharles | Is this the most low key match ever ? | |
| Strong and stable my arse. |
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germany v england on 00:03 - Mar 22 with 3372 views | Rs_Holy |
germany v england on 07:42 - Mar 21 by smegma | A staunch England fan didn't know the game was on ???? He's not a staunch fan then, is he ??? Has he got England tattoos?? Game was announced back in October as a testimonial for Lukas Podolski. Ive always wanted to visit Dortmunds ground but the capacity is reduced for Germany games. Got two games to go to, the German Football Museum is in Dortmund, Borussia have a museum and Germany has the best beers in the world. What's not to like ???? |
Belgium ... has the best beer in the world. http://s3.amazonaws.com/beertourprod/beers/pictures/000/000/063/original/Rochefo [Post edited 22 Mar 2017 7:19]
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germany v england on 09:31 - Mar 22 with 3292 views | MoonshineSteve | England has the best beer in the world. | |
| I am still Steve but no longer in Dagenham. |
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germany v england on 09:35 - Mar 22 with 3288 views | MoonshineSteve | Germany or the Czech Republic have the best lagers. Belgium has the best flavoured beers and the best strong beers. But we have the best variety of styles, many of which are utterly superb. If you like beer - by which I do not mean you drink 20 pints of Fosters when you get the chance - you should be able to find something for your palette if you want to. It is not, however, a competition. Everyone is entitled to like whatever they enjoy. | |
| I am still Steve but no longer in Dagenham. |
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germany v england on 11:24 - Mar 22 with 3240 views | distortR |
germany v england on 09:35 - Mar 22 by MoonshineSteve | Germany or the Czech Republic have the best lagers. Belgium has the best flavoured beers and the best strong beers. But we have the best variety of styles, many of which are utterly superb. If you like beer - by which I do not mean you drink 20 pints of Fosters when you get the chance - you should be able to find something for your palette if you want to. It is not, however, a competition. Everyone is entitled to like whatever they enjoy. |
Saw a map showing the brewery's of Europe. We have by far the most. Hurrah! | | | |
germany v england on 13:35 - Mar 22 with 3130 views | Toast_R | Tried a few of these "Craft" Lagers/Beers recently. Just taste unnecessarily overly bitter to me and the jargon on the bottle or can always has this spill about being "Hoppy". - Nah it's just bitter, over rated and poncy. | | | |
germany v england on 13:50 - Mar 22 with 3098 views | Mick_S |
germany v england on 13:35 - Mar 22 by Toast_R | Tried a few of these "Craft" Lagers/Beers recently. Just taste unnecessarily overly bitter to me and the jargon on the bottle or can always has this spill about being "Hoppy". - Nah it's just bitter, over rated and poncy. |
Tried this? | |
| Did I ever mention that I was in Minder? |
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germany v england on 13:51 - Mar 22 with 3091 views | distortR |
germany v england on 13:35 - Mar 22 by Toast_R | Tried a few of these "Craft" Lagers/Beers recently. Just taste unnecessarily overly bitter to me and the jargon on the bottle or can always has this spill about being "Hoppy". - Nah it's just bitter, over rated and poncy. |
"hoppiness, hoppiness, gus's search for hoppiness" I don't like sweet beers or overly strong ones. The great thing about all the breweries at the moment is that there's something for everyone. So rejoice in the one's you like and put the rest down to experience. | | | |
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