Two cracking semi-finals await. And there have been four belting quarters too - loads of drama.
I’ve seen England go out of tournaments all my life. Sometimes it’s embarrassing and frustrating. Sometimes you shrug it off and say ‘ah well’. We’re a second tier nation, albeit at the high end, and with a fair wind a tournament isn’t inconceivable, but not especially likely. I just want to see them play well, with skill and heart. I don’t have too many complaints here.
Our bipolar attitude to England football makes its predictable appearance every 2 years. England can be only terrible or world beating,
The truth is England is a good team, probably not the best, the top 8 of the world is roughly par and a decent result, and if you compare our recent record with other good teams like Belgium, Netherlands, Argentina, Uruguay, Portugal and various others it’s not out of line with form.
There is far too prevailing an attitude that anything short of winning the tournament is a failure.
Only saw the final five minutes or thereabouts, but though both England and France played well.
Not that I know squat about tactics, plays, performance but my impression was each side playing hard but tired, at a high but hardly perfect level. Except maybe the French goal tender.
And really warmed to Harry Maguire. Despite NOT knowing he existed before just now.
Don’t worry; focusing on the TV for five whole minutes without an ad break was good going.
In my adult lifetime I've seen England win the cricket and rugby world cups, The Ashes after 18 years.
I've seen Liverpool win Champions Leagues, the Premier League, FA Cup, Rumbelows Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the Clube World Cup.
I've seen Damon Hill and Sir Lewis Hamilton win F1 titles.
As a sporting experience I've been lucky, England not winning the soccer world cup in my lifetime isn't the end of the world for me.
The magnificent GB performance in Rio is probably the greatest in my lifetime. That and Stockport County getting promoted back into the league last season.
In my adult lifetime I've seen England win the cricket and rugby world cups, The Ashes after 18 years.
I've seen Liverpool win Champions Leagues, the Premier League, FA Cup, Rumbelows Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the Clube World Cup.
I've seen Damon Hill and Sir Lewis Hamilton win F1 titles.
As a sporting experience I've been lucky, England not winning the soccer world cup in my lifetime isn't the end of the world for me.
The magnificent GB performance in Rio is probably the greatest in my lifetime. That and Stockport County getting promoted back into the league last season.
my top five sporting experiences only feature two English and one hosted by them- Usain Bolt 100m world record Tiger Woods holing on the 16th at Augusta (the famous 90 degree turn into the hole) Ronnie O sullivan quickest 147 England winning the world cup cricket (50 over) Anything at Cheltenham
First three , out of this world brilliance imo , fourth - so tense , fifth - well who can really beat Cheltenham as a live sporting experience
I’ve cashed out my stake on France, leaving a simple risk free bet. I think 2.2 looks about right, so I should probably fully cash out at fair value, but something is stopping me.
In my adult lifetime I've seen England win the cricket and rugby world cups, The Ashes after 18 years.
I've seen Liverpool win Champions Leagues, the Premier League, FA Cup, Rumbelows Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the Clube World Cup.
I've seen Damon Hill and Sir Lewis Hamilton win F1 titles.
As a sporting experience I've been lucky, England not winning the soccer world cup in my lifetime isn't the end of the world for me.
The magnificent GB performance in Rio is probably the greatest in my lifetime. That and Stockport County getting promoted back into the league last season.
my top five sporting experiences only feature two English and one hosted by them- Usain Bolt 100m world record Tiger Woods holing on the 16th at Augusta (the famous 90 degree turn into the hole) Ronnie O sullivan quickest 147 England winning the world cup cricket (50 over) Anything at Cheltenham
First three , out of this world brilliance imo , fourth - so tense , fifth - well who can really beat Cheltenham as a live sporting experience
Rugby World Cup win 2003 (despite atrocious reffing of the scrum). The ashes 2005 The ashes 2010-11 Cricket 50 over World Cup win Swindon winning League 2 with a 5-0 hammering of Port Vale in 2012
I’ve cashed out my stake on France, leaving a simple risk free bet. I think 2.2 looks about right, so I should probably fully cash out at fair value, but something is stopping me.
Anyone have any opinion on the 2.2?
A back or a lay or fair value?
I'm sticking with my France 7.2 bet. However, if pushed I'd be laying them at 2.2 rather than buying them at 2.18.
I rarely "cash out".
I think the odds underestimate both Croatia and Morocco, especially the former.
Only saw the final five minutes or thereabouts, but though both England and France played well.
Not that I know squat about tactics, plays, performance but my impression was each side playing hard but tired, at a high but hardly perfect level. Except maybe the French goal tender.
And really warmed to Harry Maguire. Despite NOT knowing he existed before just now.
Don’t worry; focusing on the TV for five whole minutes without an ad break was good going.
Viewed it via free, over-the-air broadcast by local Fox affiliate, through the grace and favor of Rupert Murdoch.
I’ve cashed out my stake on France, leaving a simple risk free bet. I think 2.2 looks about right, so I should probably fully cash out at fair value, but something is stopping me.
Anyone have any opinion on the 2.2?
A back or a lay or fair value?
I'm sticking with my France 7.2 bet. However, if pushed I'd be laying them at 2.2 rather than buying them at 2.18.
I rarely "cash out".
I think the odds underestimate both Croatia and Morocco, especially the former.
In my adult lifetime I've seen England win the cricket and rugby world cups, The Ashes after 18 years.
I've seen Liverpool win Champions Leagues, the Premier League, FA Cup, Rumbelows Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the Clube World Cup.
I've seen Damon Hill and Sir Lewis Hamilton win F1 titles.
As a sporting experience I've been lucky, England not winning the soccer world cup in my lifetime isn't the end of the world for me.
The magnificent GB performance in Rio is probably the greatest in my lifetime. That and Stockport County getting promoted back into the league last season.
my top five sporting experiences only feature two English and one hosted by them- Usain Bolt 100m world record Tiger Woods holing on the 16th at Augusta (the famous 90 degree turn into the hole) Ronnie O sullivan quickest 147 England winning the world cup cricket (50 over) Anything at Cheltenham
First three , out of this world brilliance imo , fourth - so tense , fifth - well who can really beat Cheltenham as a live sporting experience
Rugby World Cup win 2003 (despite atrocious reffing of the scrum). The ashes 2005 The ashes 2010-11 Cricket 50 over World Cup win Swindon winning League 2 with a 5-0 hammering of Port Vale in 2012
For me
1) Liverpool 4 - 0 Barcelona
2) The miracle of Istanbul
3) 2019 cricket world cup final
4) 2003 Rugby world cup final
Joint 5) Sir Lewis Hamilton's first F1 title/2005 Ashes
I’ve cashed out my stake on France, leaving a simple risk free bet. I think 2.2 looks about right, so I should probably fully cash out at fair value, but something is stopping me.
Anyone have any opinion on the 2.2? (~46% chance)
A back or a lay or fair value?
its not a criticism and you can do what you like with your own money obviously but if you bet why cash out (and hence not have a bet ) going into the semi finals - isnt the whole point of betting to make it more exciting ? (not bail out before the end)
What went wrong for Harry with that second penalty (other than the fact he missed it?) Overconfidence? The nagging feeling that you're due a miss?
On the assumption that Lloris would dive the right way he had to make sure it was out of reach. The top corner is the perfect place for a penalty, but skying it is the risk, which is my so many penalties are hit low.
If I were a coach I'd get the penalty takers to just keep practicing top corner, top corner, top corner until they have a 95% success rate. Otherwise you don't take a spot kick.
What went wrong for Harry with that second penalty (other than the fact he missed it?) Overconfidence? The nagging feeling that you're due a miss?
Pundits view was that as he chose the same place as the first, he tried to hit it harder in case Loris went that way, leant back and missed. He’s a superb penalty taker, and I think it would be hard to stop him taking the second one after he’d scored the first, but there is a case for having someone else take it. We wouldn’t be saying this if he’d scored, of course.
I’ve cashed out my stake on France, leaving a simple risk free bet. I think 2.2 looks about right, so I should probably fully cash out at fair value, but something is stopping me.
Anyone have any opinion on the 2.2? (~46% chance)
A back or a lay or fair value?
its not a criticism and you can do what you like with your own money obviously but if you bet why cash out (and hence not have a bet ) going into the semi finals - isnt the whole point of betting to make it more exciting ? (not bail out before the end)
Putting excitement aside, one should be betting on books which are close to 100%.
Say you place a bet on a 99% book and your bet is looking good. "Cashing Out" is really just a separate contrary bet and if the book is under 100% you are, in effect, paying twice.
What went wrong for Harry with that second penalty (other than the fact he missed it?) Overconfidence? The nagging feeling that you're due a miss?
Pundits view was that as he chose the same place as the first, he tried to hit it harder in case Loris went that way, leant back and missed. He’s a superb penalty taker, and I think it would be hard to stop him taking the second one after he’d scored the first, but there is a case for having someone else take it. We wouldn’t be saying this if he’d scored, of course.
I knew he’d miss it and said so in front of all my friends and family. I also said he shouldn’t try to beat Lloris that way and blast it straight down the middle. If only he could have heard me.
I’m gutted. We had our chance tonight and didn’t take it.
I’ve cashed out my stake on France, leaving a simple risk free bet. I think 2.2 looks about right, so I should probably fully cash out at fair value, but something is stopping me.
Anyone have any opinion on the 2.2? (~46% chance)
A back or a lay or fair value?
its not a criticism and you can do what you like with your own money obviously but if you bet why cash out (and hence not have a bet ) going into the semi finals - isnt the whole point of betting to make it more exciting ? (not bail out before the end)
No. I mean people bet for all sorts of reasons, and that’s fine by me. But I bet to make money.
98% of punters lose money, long term.
2% win, long term. And they do that by understanding/developing edges, aiming for +ev on each bet.
When the odds on something I’ve bet on recalibrate and I no longer think the outcome is more likely than the new odds, I’ll cashout. (Warning - when I say cashout, it’s shorthand for laying a back bet on betfair, or vice versa. I almost never use bookies “cashouts” as they cream off an overround).
In my adult lifetime I've seen England win the cricket and rugby world cups, The Ashes after 18 years.
I've seen Liverpool win Champions Leagues, the Premier League, FA Cup, Rumbelows Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the Clube World Cup.
I've seen Damon Hill and Sir Lewis Hamilton win F1 titles.
As a sporting experience I've been lucky, England not winning the soccer world cup in my lifetime isn't the end of the world for me.
But have you ever met a nice South African?
Brilliant song.
Is it?
There's 54 countries in Africa. Substitute any other one, and think how it sounds. Then stop yourself saying Yebbut it's not racist, because it's only about *white* South Africans. Then do a bit of research on Winnie "necklace" Mandela, and how curiously reluctant dear old Mandible or whatever he was called was to get rid of her, after the evidence of her political methods became indisputable.
What went wrong for Harry with that second penalty (other than the fact he missed it?) Overconfidence? The nagging feeling that you're due a miss?
Pundits view was that as he chose the same place as the first, he tried to hit it harder in case Loris went that way, leant back and missed. He’s a superb penalty taker, and I think it would be hard to stop him taking the second one after he’d scored the first, but there is a case for having someone else take it. We wouldn’t be saying this if he’d scored, of course.
I knew he’d miss it and said so in front of all my friends and family. I also said he shouldn’t try to beat Lloris that way and blast it straight down the middle. If only he could have heard me.
I’m gutted. We had our chance tonight and didn’t take it.
The only crumb of comfort I’m taking from tonight is that at least we didn’t go out on penalties.
Except we kinda did…
But generally if we have to go out, I much prefer to lose in normal play.
Two cracking semi-finals await. And there have been four belting quarters too - loads of drama.
I’ve seen England go out of tournaments all my life. Sometimes it’s embarrassing and frustrating. Sometimes you shrug it off and say ‘ah well’. We’re a second tier nation, albeit at the high end, and with a fair wind a tournament isn’t inconceivable, but not especially likely. I just want to see them play well, with skill and heart. I don’t have too many complaints here.
This is a good team under a good manager. I'd have been pretty confident of winning the tournament if we'd have got through that. Almost rather France had outclassed us. Being on the wrong side of a 50/50 feels more of a downer oddly. Feels as agonisingly close as 2018.
I’ve cashed out my stake on France, leaving a simple risk free bet. I think 2.2 looks about right, so I should probably fully cash out at fair value, but something is stopping me.
Anyone have any opinion on the 2.2? (~46% chance)
A back or a lay or fair value?
its not a criticism and you can do what you like with your own money obviously but if you bet why cash out (and hence not have a bet ) going into the semi finals - isnt the whole point of betting to make it more exciting ? (not bail out before the end)
No. I mean people bet for all sorts of reasons, and that’s fine by me. But I bet to make money.
98% of punters lose money, long term.
2% win, long term. And they do that by understanding/developing edges, aiming for +ev on each bet.
When the odds on something I’ve bet on recalibrate and I no longer think the outcome is more likely than the new odds, I’ll cashout. (Warning - when I say cash out, it’s shorthand for laying a back bet on betfair, or vice versa. I almost never use bookies cashouts, as they cream off an overround).
fair enough but so many people "cash out" before the end which to me negates the point of betting in the first place for most people - ie some skin in the game - to the end
Two cracking semi-finals await. And there have been four belting quarters too - loads of drama.
I’ve seen England go out of tournaments all my life. Sometimes it’s embarrassing and frustrating. Sometimes you shrug it off and say ‘ah well’. We’re a second tier nation, albeit at the high end, and with a fair wind a tournament isn’t inconceivable, but not especially likely. I just want to see them play well, with skill and heart. I don’t have too many complaints here.
This is a good team under a good manager. I'd have been pretty confident of winning the tournament if we'd have got through that. Almost rather France had outclassed us. Being on the wrong side of a 50/50 feels more of a downer oddly. Feels as agonisingly close as 2018.
2018 we had the chance in the first half to put the game to bed, and we didn’t. After that we faded, Croatia grew into it, and sadly deserved their win. Tonight we struggled a bit to get going first half, gave up a goal. Then second half we grew into it, got the equaliser and were looking more likely until the second French goal. Then we blew the big chance. I don’t know how it would have gone if we’d got to 2-2, but at least we were going for it.
I’ve cashed out my stake on France, leaving a simple risk free bet. I think 2.2 looks about right, so I should probably fully cash out at fair value, but something is stopping me.
Anyone have any opinion on the 2.2? (~46% chance)
A back or a lay or fair value?
its not a criticism and you can do what you like with your own money obviously but if you bet why cash out (and hence not have a bet ) going into the semi finals - isnt the whole point of betting to make it more exciting ? (not bail out before the end)
No. I mean people bet for all sorts of reasons, and that’s fine by me. But I bet to make money.
98% of punters lose money, long term.
2% win, long term. And they do that by understanding/developing edges, aiming for +ev on each bet.
When the odds on something I’ve bet on recalibrate and I no longer think the outcome is more likely than the new odds, I’ll cashout. (Warning - when I say cash out, it’s shorthand for laying a back bet on betfair, or vice versa. I almost never use bookies “cashouts” as they cream off an overround).
isam, a seriously sharp punter sadly no longer with us, disclosed his long term records and made 2% over time. You can get 4% in a deposit account... If I kept records I would probably stop betting altogether. I just lose affordably by limiting myself to £10 stakes. I am £22 up on this WC, with a huge free bet assist (there have been games where I have backed all 3 results).
Bad day today, on Portugal and the draw, and France and the draw.
France v Argentina in the final. A tough one. Probably support France.
Against all common sense and rational thought, I have a soft spot for Argentina.
I do too. Legacy of my adoration of Maradona, who really was the GOAT.
He was a fucking cheat and druggie.
He is not the GOAT.
Flawed human being, but the greatest footballer of all time!
i think Messi and Ronaldo were better imo
Not even close. Just two considerations:
1) They played in great teams. Maradona didn’t. He took a mediocre Argentina side to victory in 1986, and drove Napoli, a team who’d never won anything, and were heading for relegation when he joined, to twice winning what was then the top league in the world.
2) He had none of the protection from referees that is now afforded to top players.
What went wrong for Harry with that second penalty (other than the fact he missed it?) Overconfidence? The nagging feeling that you're due a miss?
In a split second, out of the corner of his eye, Kane saw Lloris going the right way. So he instantly decided he needed to hit it harder and higher. He succeeded, but.....
France v Argentina in the final. A tough one. Probably support France.
Against all common sense and rational thought, I have a soft spot for Argentina.
I do too. Legacy of my adoration of Maradona, who really was the GOAT.
He was a fucking cheat and druggie.
He is not the GOAT.
Flawed human being, but the greatest footballer of all time!
i think Messi and Ronaldo were better imo
Not even close. Just two considerations:
1) They played in great teams. Maradona didn’t. He took a mediocre Argentina side to victory in 1986, and drove Napoli, a team who’d never won anything, and were heading for relegation when he joined, to twice winning what was then the top league in the world.
2) He had none of the protection from referees that is now afforded to top players.
What went wrong for Harry with that second penalty (other than the fact he missed it?) Overconfidence? The nagging feeling that you're due a miss?
Pundits view was that as he chose the same place as the first, he tried to hit it harder in case Loris went that way, leant back and missed. He’s a superb penalty taker, and I think it would be hard to stop him taking the second one after he’d scored the first, but there is a case for having someone else take it. We wouldn’t be saying this if he’d scored, of course.
I knew he’d miss it and said so in front of all my friends and family. I also said he shouldn’t try to beat Lloris that way and blast it straight down the middle. If only he could have heard me.
I’m gutted. We had our chance tonight and didn’t take it.
The only crumb of comfort I’m taking from tonight is that at least we didn’t go out on penalties.
Except we kinda did…
But generally if we have to go out, I much prefer to lose in normal play.
I won plenty of money and would have won much more if we’d lost on pens!
In my adult lifetime I've seen England win the cricket and rugby world cups, The Ashes after 18 years.
I've seen Liverpool win Champions Leagues, the Premier League, FA Cup, Rumbelows Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the Clube World Cup.
I've seen Damon Hill and Sir Lewis Hamilton win F1 titles.
As a sporting experience I've been lucky, England not winning the soccer world cup in my lifetime isn't the end of the world for me.
The magnificent GB performance in Rio is probably the greatest in my lifetime. That and Stockport County getting promoted back into the league last season.
my top five sporting experiences only feature two English and one hosted by them- Usain Bolt 100m world record Tiger Woods holing on the 16th at Augusta (the famous 90 degree turn into the hole) Ronnie O sullivan quickest 147 England winning the world cup cricket (50 over) Anything at Cheltenham
First three , out of this world brilliance imo , fourth - so tense , fifth - well who can really beat Cheltenham as a live sporting experience
Rugby World Cup win 2003 (despite atrocious reffing of the scrum). The ashes 2005 The ashes 2010-11 Cricket 50 over World Cup win Swindon winning League 2 with a 5-0 hammering of Port Vale in 2012
For me
1) Liverpool 4 - 0 Barcelona
2) The miracle of Istanbul
3) 2019 cricket world cup final
4) 2003 Rugby world cup final
Joint 5) Sir Lewis Hamilton's first F1 title/2005 Ashes
2003 Rugby World Cup final drop kick remains the best national sporting moment of my lifetime.
What went wrong for Harry with that second penalty (other than the fact he missed it?) Overconfidence? The nagging feeling that you're due a miss?
In a split second, out of the corner of his eye, Kane saw Lloris going the right way. So he instantly decided he needed to hit it harder and higher. He succeeded, but.....
yes that makes the difference between good penalty takers and GOAT penalty takers (who can adjust in a split split second to still score - ie messi or Le Tissier )
What went wrong for Harry with that second penalty (other than the fact he missed it?) Overconfidence? The nagging feeling that you're due a miss?
Pundits view was that as he chose the same place as the first, he tried to hit it harder in case Loris went that way, leant back and missed. He’s a superb penalty taker, and I think it would be hard to stop him taking the second one after he’d scored the first, but there is a case for having someone else take it. We wouldn’t be saying this if he’d scored, of course.
He didn't do what Messi did yesterday. 1st pen top right corner. 2nd pen he intuits the goalie thinks the same is coming, Messi shapes as if he's doing it, but instead strokes it along the deck the other way. Ball in net. Goalie in a heap in the other corner.
Our bipolar attitude to England football makes its predictable appearance every 2 years. England can be only terrible or world beating,
The truth is England is a good team, probably not the best, the top 8 of the world is roughly par and a decent result, and if you compare our recent record with other good teams like Belgium, Netherlands, Argentina, Uruguay, Portugal and various others it’s not out of line with form.
There is far too prevailing an attitude that anything short of winning the tournament is a failure.
It's ok to narrowly go out to a good French team in the quarter finals. But it continues England's unfortunate record of never getting past a top team in the knockout stages of a major tournament on foreign soil.
In my adult lifetime I've seen England win the cricket and rugby world cups, The Ashes after 18 years.
I've seen Liverpool win Champions Leagues, the Premier League, FA Cup, Rumbelows Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the Clube World Cup.
I've seen Damon Hill and Sir Lewis Hamilton win F1 titles.
As a sporting experience I've been lucky, England not winning the soccer world cup in my lifetime isn't the end of the world for me.
The magnificent GB performance in Rio is probably the greatest in my lifetime. That and Stockport County getting promoted back into the league last season.
my top five sporting experiences only feature two English and one hosted by them- Usain Bolt 100m world record Tiger Woods holing on the 16th at Augusta (the famous 90 degree turn into the hole) Ronnie O sullivan quickest 147 England winning the world cup cricket (50 over) Anything at Cheltenham
First three , out of this world brilliance imo , fourth - so tense , fifth - well who can really beat Cheltenham as a live sporting experience
Rugby World Cup win 2003 (despite atrocious reffing of the scrum). The ashes 2005 The ashes 2010-11 Cricket 50 over World Cup win Swindon winning League 2 with a 5-0 hammering of Port Vale in 2012
For me
1) Liverpool 4 - 0 Barcelona
2) The miracle of Istanbul
3) 2019 cricket world cup final
4) 2003 Rugby world cup final
Joint 5) Sir Lewis Hamilton's first F1 title/2005 Ashes
2003 Rugby World Cup final drop kick remains the best national sporting moment of my lifetime.
And should never have happened. The English scrum was (legally) destroying the Aussies yet somehow the ref pinged them about five times, and so the game went to extra time. The rest is history. Tbf it was probably worth it for that moment. I bought my mum an alarm clock radio that played the commentary to wake you up. Classic.
I’ve cashed out my stake on France, leaving a simple risk free bet. I think 2.2 looks about right, so I should probably fully cash out at fair value, but something is stopping me.
Anyone have any opinion on the 2.2? (~46% chance)
A back or a lay or fair value?
its not a criticism and you can do what you like with your own money obviously but if you bet why cash out (and hence not have a bet ) going into the semi finals - isnt the whole point of betting to make it more exciting ? (not bail out before the end)
No. I mean people bet for all sorts of reasons, and that’s fine by me. But I bet to make money.
98% of punters lose money, long term.
2% win, long term. And they do that by understanding/developing edges, aiming for +ev on each bet.
When the odds on something I’ve bet on recalibrate and I no longer think the outcome is more likely than the new odds, I’ll cashout. (Warning - when I say cash out, it’s shorthand for laying a back bet on betfair, or vice versa. I almost never use bookies “cashouts” as they cream off an overround).
isam, a seriously sharp punter sadly no longer with us, disclosed his long term records and made 2% over time. You can get 4% in a deposit account... If I kept records I would probably stop betting altogether. I just lose affordably by limiting myself to £10 stakes. I am £22 up on this WC, with a huge free bet assist (there have been games where I have backed all 3 results).
Bad day today, on Portugal and the draw, and France and the draw.
If that’s average 2% edge on each bet, assuming he can get decent sized stakes on - and find that kind of edge regularly - eg, on one or more matches every weekend, he’ll make a hell of a lot more than the 4% annual interest in a savings account.
Enough to make a living.
His problem is the same problem all of us successful punters have… finding bookies prepared to take a decent sized bet and/or avoiding betfair’s premium charge on long term winning punters.
Bad luck on your bets today. On reflection, the draw probably was a value bet in both games, even if you lost both.
What went wrong for Harry with that second penalty (other than the fact he missed it?) Overconfidence? The nagging feeling that you're due a miss?
In a split second, out of the corner of his eye, Kane saw Lloris going the right way. So he instantly decided he needed to hit it harder and higher. He succeeded, but.....
yes that makes the difference between good penalty takers and GOAT penalty takers (who can adjust in a split split second to still score - ie messi or Le Tissier )
The best penalty takers send the keeper the wrong way. Power's not that important. Eg Mario Balotelli.
Our bipolar attitude to England football makes its predictable appearance every 2 years. England can be only terrible or world beating,
The truth is England is a good team, probably not the best, the top 8 of the world is roughly par and a decent result, and if you compare our recent record with other good teams like Belgium, Netherlands, Argentina, Uruguay, Portugal and various others it’s not out of line with form.
There is far too prevailing an attitude that anything short of winning the tournament is a failure.
It's ok to narrowly go out to a good French team in the quarter finals. But it continues England's unfortunate record of never getting past a top team in the knockout stages of a major tournament on foreign soil.
We beat Germany in the last World Cup in the knockout stages
Our bipolar attitude to England football makes its predictable appearance every 2 years. England can be only terrible or world beating,
The truth is England is a good team, probably not the best, the top 8 of the world is roughly par and a decent result, and if you compare our recent record with other good teams like Belgium, Netherlands, Argentina, Uruguay, Portugal and various others it’s not out of line with form.
There is far too prevailing an attitude that anything short of winning the tournament is a failure.
It's ok to narrowly go out to a good French team in the quarter finals. But it continues England's unfortunate record of never getting past a top team in the knockout stages of a major tournament on foreign soil.
We beat Germany in the last World Cup in the knockout stages
I still don’t understand this attitude. It seems oddly parochial in the 21st century.
What you need to understand is that Dickson is an outright Anglophobe - a true racist.
People think the SNP's campaign is electorally-focused only, aimed at winning the crucial extra few percent of Scottish voteshare that they need. But I suspect that's only Prong 1 of their public relations, targeted at one particular market segment.
Prong 2 isn't targeted at the electorate at all, or even at business. It's targeted at the commanding heights of the British state (including Scots there - why not?), and the idea is to stimulate them into having the feeling that it would be better to be rid of the sight of Scotland altogether, forever.
It's always possible to annoy a person past their limit, until they just tell you to f*** off.
Matthew Hancock did us a favour with his Michelle Mone revelations. He may also have done us a favour by revealing that Nicola Sturgeon couldn't be trusted to keep her trap shut about what she'd heard in Cobra meetings. For the time being there are some topics that she has to be invited to meetings about. But if Scotland became independent, British cabinet ministers and senior civil servants would hardly ever have to meet her again - or any similar scumbag figure from north of the border who prefers to put Party interests, and regional admini$trative interests, ahead of British national security.
Our bipolar attitude to England football makes its predictable appearance every 2 years. England can be only terrible or world beating,
The truth is England is a good team, probably not the best, the top 8 of the world is roughly par and a decent result, and if you compare our recent record with other good teams like Belgium, Netherlands, Argentina, Uruguay, Portugal and various others it’s not out of line with form.
There is far too prevailing an attitude that anything short of winning the tournament is a failure.
It's ok to narrowly go out to a good French team in the quarter finals. But it continues England's unfortunate record of never getting past a top team in the knockout stages of a major tournament on foreign soil.
Only because that is defined ridiculously tightly so it doesn't mean anything.
For a start, for it to be true you have to exclude Belgium in 1990, who were ranked above England.
In my adult lifetime I've seen England win the cricket and rugby world cups, The Ashes after 18 years.
I've seen Liverpool win Champions Leagues, the Premier League, FA Cup, Rumbelows Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the Clube World Cup.
I've seen Damon Hill and Sir Lewis Hamilton win F1 titles.
As a sporting experience I've been lucky, England not winning the soccer world cup in my lifetime isn't the end of the world for me.
The magnificent GB performance in Rio is probably the greatest in my lifetime. That and Stockport County getting promoted back into the league last season.
my top five sporting experiences only feature two English and one hosted by them- Usain Bolt 100m world record Tiger Woods holing on the 16th at Augusta (the famous 90 degree turn into the hole) Ronnie O sullivan quickest 147 England winning the world cup cricket (50 over) Anything at Cheltenham
First three , out of this world brilliance imo , fourth - so tense , fifth - well who can really beat Cheltenham as a live sporting experience
Rugby World Cup win 2003 (despite atrocious reffing of the scrum). The ashes 2005 The ashes 2010-11 Cricket 50 over World Cup win Swindon winning League 2 with a 5-0 hammering of Port Vale in 2012
For me
1) Liverpool 4 - 0 Barcelona
2) The miracle of Istanbul
3) 2019 cricket world cup final
4) 2003 Rugby world cup final
Joint 5) Sir Lewis Hamilton's first F1 title/2005 Ashes
2003 Rugby World Cup final drop kick remains the best national sporting moment of my lifetime.
What went wrong for Harry with that second penalty (other than the fact he missed it?) Overconfidence? The nagging feeling that you're due a miss?
In a split second, out of the corner of his eye, Kane saw Lloris going the right way. So he instantly decided he needed to hit it harder and higher. He succeeded, but.....
yes that makes the difference between good penalty takers and GOAT penalty takers (who can adjust in a split split second to still score - ie messi or Le Tissier )
The best penalty takers send the keeper the wrong way. Power's not that important. Eg Mario Balotelli.
The best penalty takers can consistently put it in the top corner and don't care what the keeper does.
I still don’t understand this attitude. It seems oddly parochial in the 21st century.
What you need to understand is that Dickson is an outright Anglophobe - a true racist.
People think the SNP's campaign is electorally-focused only, aimed at winning the crucial extra few percent of Scottish voteshare that they need. But I suspect that's only Prong 1 of their public relations, targeted at one particular market segment.
Prong 2 isn't targeted at the electorate at all, or even at business. It's targeted at the commanding heights of the British state (including Scots there - why not?), and the idea is to stimulate them into having the feeling that it would be better to be rid of the sight of Scotland altogether, forever.
It's always possible to annoy a person past their limit, until they just tell you to f*** off.
Matthew Hancock did us a favour with his Michelle Mone revelations. He may also have done us a favour by revealing that Nicola Sturgeon couldn't be trusted to keep her trap shut about what she'd heard in Cobra meetings. For the time being there are some topics that she has to be invited to meetings about. But if Scotland became independent, British cabinet ministers and senior civil servants would hardly ever have to meet her again - or any similar scumbag figure from north of the border who prefers to put Party interests, and regional admini$trative interests, ahead of British national security.
Sticola Nurgeon doing the 110 metre hurdles to announce things first whilst Boris was still rehearsing his speech and checking his tie for ketchup is hardly some sort of great revelation, we could all watch it happening.
In my adult lifetime I've seen England win the cricket and rugby world cups, The Ashes after 18 years.
I've seen Liverpool win Champions Leagues, the Premier League, FA Cup, Rumbelows Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the Clube World Cup.
I've seen Damon Hill and Sir Lewis Hamilton win F1 titles.
As a sporting experience I've been lucky, England not winning the soccer world cup in my lifetime isn't the end of the world for me.
The magnificent GB performance in Rio is probably the greatest in my lifetime. That and Stockport County getting promoted back into the league last season.
my top five sporting experiences only feature two English and one hosted by them- Usain Bolt 100m world record Tiger Woods holing on the 16th at Augusta (the famous 90 degree turn into the hole) Ronnie O sullivan quickest 147 England winning the world cup cricket (50 over) Anything at Cheltenham
First three , out of this world brilliance imo , fourth - so tense , fifth - well who can really beat Cheltenham as a live sporting experience
Rugby World Cup win 2003 (despite atrocious reffing of the scrum). The ashes 2005 The ashes 2010-11 Cricket 50 over World Cup win Swindon winning League 2 with a 5-0 hammering of Port Vale in 2012
For me
1) Liverpool 4 - 0 Barcelona
2) The miracle of Istanbul
3) 2019 cricket world cup final
4) 2003 Rugby world cup final
Joint 5) Sir Lewis Hamilton's first F1 title/2005 Ashes
Our bipolar attitude to England football makes its predictable appearance every 2 years. England can be only terrible or world beating,
The truth is England is a good team, probably not the best, the top 8 of the world is roughly par and a decent result, and if you compare our recent record with other good teams like Belgium, Netherlands, Argentina, Uruguay, Portugal and various others it’s not out of line with form.
There is far too prevailing an attitude that anything short of winning the tournament is a failure.
It's ok to narrowly go out to a good French team in the quarter finals. But it continues England's unfortunate record of never getting past a top team in the knockout stages of a major tournament on foreign soil.
We beat Germany in the last World Cup in the knockout stages
France v Argentina in the final. A tough one. Probably support France.
Against all common sense and rational thought, I have a soft spot for Argentina.
I do too. Legacy of my adoration of Maradona, who really was the GOAT.
He was a fucking cheat and druggie.
He is not the GOAT.
Flawed human being, but the greatest footballer of all time!
i think Messi and Ronaldo were better imo
Not even close. Just two considerations:
1) They played in great teams. Maradona didn’t. He took a mediocre Argentina side to victory in 1986, and drove Napoli, a team who’d never won anything, and were heading for relegation when he joined, to twice winning what was then the top league in the world.
2) He had none of the protection from referees that is now afforded to top players.
Show me a goal scored by either of the other two to compare with the (less famous) other goal against England and the similar one against Belgium. Dribble, balance, strength, finish. All with one foot.
In my adult lifetime I've seen England win the cricket and rugby world cups, The Ashes after 18 years.
I've seen Liverpool win Champions Leagues, the Premier League, FA Cup, Rumbelows Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the Clube World Cup.
I've seen Damon Hill and Sir Lewis Hamilton win F1 titles.
As a sporting experience I've been lucky, England not winning the soccer world cup in my lifetime isn't the end of the world for me.
The magnificent GB performance in Rio is probably the greatest in my lifetime. That and Stockport County getting promoted back into the league last season.
my top five sporting experiences only feature two English and one hosted by them- Usain Bolt 100m world record Tiger Woods holing on the 16th at Augusta (the famous 90 degree turn into the hole) Ronnie O sullivan quickest 147 England winning the world cup cricket (50 over) Anything at Cheltenham
First three , out of this world brilliance imo , fourth - so tense , fifth - well who can really beat Cheltenham as a live sporting experience
Rugby World Cup win 2003 (despite atrocious reffing of the scrum). The ashes 2005 The ashes 2010-11 Cricket 50 over World Cup win Swindon winning League 2 with a 5-0 hammering of Port Vale in 2012
For me
1) Liverpool 4 - 0 Barcelona
2) The miracle of Istanbul
3) 2019 cricket world cup final
4) 2003 Rugby world cup final
Joint 5) Sir Lewis Hamilton's first F1 title/2005 Ashes
2003 Rugby World Cup final drop kick remains the best national sporting moment of my lifetime.
2005 Ashes series.
Botham's match. 1981.
I was at Headingley 1981, and it remains my favourite sporting moment, even beating Leeds Utd's many great days. Yes, it was Botham's match, but also Willis's - Australia needed a mere 130 to win after Botham's heroics; all out 111: Willis 8 for 43.
Rishi misses out on the World Cup spoils, but the Conservative Prime Minister for the 2024 Euros could get a nice little Brucie bonus for the subsequent General Election.
I still don’t understand this attitude. It seems oddly parochial in the 21st century.
What you need to understand is that Dickson is an outright Anglophobe - a true racist.
People think the SNP's campaign is electorally-focused only, aimed at winning the crucial extra few percent of Scottish voteshare that they need. But I suspect that's only Prong 1 of their public relations, targeted at one particular market segment.
Prong 2 isn't targeted at the electorate at all, or even at business. It's targeted at the commanding heights of the British state (including Scots there - why not?), and the idea is to stimulate them into having the feeling that it would be better to be rid of the sight of Scotland altogether, forever.
It's always possible to annoy a person past their limit, until they just tell you to f*** off.
Matthew Hancock did us a favour with his Michelle Mone revelations. He may also have done us a favour by revealing that Nicola Sturgeon couldn't be trusted to keep her trap shut about what she'd heard in Cobra meetings. For the time being there are some topics that she has to be invited to meetings about. But if Scotland became independent, British cabinet ministers and senior civil servants would hardly ever have to meet her again - or any similar scumbag figure from north of the border who prefers to put Party interests, and regional admini$trative interests, ahead of British national security.
Sticola Nurgeon doing the 110 metre hurdles to announce things first whilst Boris was still rehearsing his speech and checking his tie for ketchup is hardly some sort of great revelation, we could all watch it happening.
It wasn't only the leaking, although that's bad enough. It was also what she did at the meetings. "She just wants to look and sound tough, then blame us when her policies don't work." (Hancock.) Mask-wearing in schools.
I believe Hancock on this. She was undermining the work of the committee in a way that if she was a minister of the British government would have led to her exit from office the same day. Next time it could be on something even more serious than Covid.
France v Argentina in the final. A tough one. Probably support France.
Against all common sense and rational thought, I have a soft spot for Argentina.
I do too. Legacy of my adoration of Maradona, who really was the GOAT.
He was a fucking cheat and druggie.
He is not the GOAT.
Flawed human being, but the greatest footballer of all time!
i think Messi and Ronaldo were better imo
Not even close. Just two considerations:
1) They played in great teams. Maradona didn’t. He took a mediocre Argentina side to victory in 1986, and drove Napoli, a team who’d never won anything, and were heading for relegation when he joined, to twice winning what was then the top league in the world.
2) He had none of the protection from referees that is now afforded to top players.
Yes that Napoli time stands as a big plus for him in any goat debate.
Messi for me but I wouldn't argue too hard against Maradona.
Rishi misses out on the World Cup spoils, but the Conservative Prime Minister for the 2024 Euros could get a nice little Brucie bonus for the subsequent General Election.
Oh for goodness sake everything isn't about politics.
Our bipolar attitude to England football makes its predictable appearance every 2 years. England can be only terrible or world beating,
The truth is England is a good team, probably not the best, the top 8 of the world is roughly par and a decent result, and if you compare our recent record with other good teams like Belgium, Netherlands, Argentina, Uruguay, Portugal and various others it’s not out of line with form.
There is far too prevailing an attitude that anything short of winning the tournament is a failure.
It's ok to narrowly go out to a good French team in the quarter finals. But it continues England's unfortunate record of never getting past a top team in the knockout stages of a major tournament on foreign soil.
We beat Germany in the last World Cup in the knockout stages
Our bipolar attitude to England football makes its predictable appearance every 2 years. England can be only terrible or world beating,
The truth is England is a good team, probably not the best, the top 8 of the world is roughly par and a decent result, and if you compare our recent record with other good teams like Belgium, Netherlands, Argentina, Uruguay, Portugal and various others it’s not out of line with form.
There is far too prevailing an attitude that anything short of winning the tournament is a failure.
It's ok to narrowly go out to a good French team in the quarter finals. But it continues England's unfortunate record of never getting past a top team in the knockout stages of a major tournament on foreign soil.
We beat Germany in the last World Cup in the knockout stages
Euros, at home…
Yes, true. Apologies
Neve4 apologise, never explain.
I’ll do both. My mind is addled by beer and wine and the horrific sledgehammer of defeat. I’m completely gutted
In my adult lifetime I've seen England win the cricket and rugby world cups, The Ashes after 18 years.
I've seen Liverpool win Champions Leagues, the Premier League, FA Cup, Rumbelows Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the Clube World Cup.
I've seen Damon Hill and Sir Lewis Hamilton win F1 titles.
As a sporting experience I've been lucky, England not winning the soccer world cup in my lifetime isn't the end of the world for me.
The magnificent GB performance in Rio is probably the greatest in my lifetime. That and Stockport County getting promoted back into the league last season.
my top five sporting experiences only feature two English and one hosted by them- Usain Bolt 100m world record Tiger Woods holing on the 16th at Augusta (the famous 90 degree turn into the hole) Ronnie O sullivan quickest 147 England winning the world cup cricket (50 over) Anything at Cheltenham
First three , out of this world brilliance imo , fourth - so tense , fifth - well who can really beat Cheltenham as a live sporting experience
Rugby World Cup win 2003 (despite atrocious reffing of the scrum). The ashes 2005 The ashes 2010-11 Cricket 50 over World Cup win Swindon winning League 2 with a 5-0 hammering of Port Vale in 2012
For me
1) Liverpool 4 - 0 Barcelona
2) The miracle of Istanbul
3) 2019 cricket world cup final
4) 2003 Rugby world cup final
Joint 5) Sir Lewis Hamilton's first F1 title/2005 Ashes
2003 Rugby World Cup final drop kick remains the best national sporting moment of my lifetime.
2005 Ashes series.
Botham's match. 1981.
I was at Headingley 1981, and it remains my favourite sporting moment, even beating Leeds Utd's many great days. Yes, it was Botham's match, but also Willis's - Australia needed a mere 130 to win after Botham's heroics; all out 111: Willis 8 for 43.
You lucky bugger! You and the other 300,000 who were there…
((Joke by the way, I am really jealous of people who saw that in the flesh).
In my adult lifetime I've seen England win the cricket and rugby world cups, The Ashes after 18 years.
I've seen Liverpool win Champions Leagues, the Premier League, FA Cup, Rumbelows Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the Clube World Cup.
I've seen Damon Hill and Sir Lewis Hamilton win F1 titles.
As a sporting experience I've been lucky, England not winning the soccer world cup in my lifetime isn't the end of the world for me.
The magnificent GB performance in Rio is probably the greatest in my lifetime. That and Stockport County getting promoted back into the league last season.
my top five sporting experiences only feature two English and one hosted by them- Usain Bolt 100m world record Tiger Woods holing on the 16th at Augusta (the famous 90 degree turn into the hole) Ronnie O sullivan quickest 147 England winning the world cup cricket (50 over) Anything at Cheltenham
First three , out of this world brilliance imo , fourth - so tense , fifth - well who can really beat Cheltenham as a live sporting experience
Rugby World Cup win 2003 (despite atrocious reffing of the scrum). The ashes 2005 The ashes 2010-11 Cricket 50 over World Cup win Swindon winning League 2 with a 5-0 hammering of Port Vale in 2012
For me
1) Liverpool 4 - 0 Barcelona
2) The miracle of Istanbul
3) 2019 cricket world cup final
4) 2003 Rugby world cup final
Joint 5) Sir Lewis Hamilton's first F1 title/2005 Ashes
2003 Rugby World Cup final drop kick remains the best national sporting moment of my lifetime.
2005 Ashes series.
Botham's match. 1981.
I was at Headingley 1981, and it remains my favourite sporting moment, even beating Leeds Utd's many great days. Yes, it was Botham's match, but also Willis's - Australia needed a mere 130 to win after Botham's heroics; all out 111: Willis 8 for 43.
The six o clock news headlined that day with Englands win....
I was at Old Trafford two weeks later for Botham's imperious century...
In my adult lifetime I've seen England win the cricket and rugby world cups, The Ashes after 18 years.
I've seen Liverpool win Champions Leagues, the Premier League, FA Cup, Rumbelows Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the Clube World Cup.
I've seen Damon Hill and Sir Lewis Hamilton win F1 titles.
As a sporting experience I've been lucky, England not winning the soccer world cup in my lifetime isn't the end of the world for me.
The magnificent GB performance in Rio is probably the greatest in my lifetime. That and Stockport County getting promoted back into the league last season.
my top five sporting experiences only feature two English and one hosted by them- Usain Bolt 100m world record Tiger Woods holing on the 16th at Augusta (the famous 90 degree turn into the hole) Ronnie O sullivan quickest 147 England winning the world cup cricket (50 over) Anything at Cheltenham
First three , out of this world brilliance imo , fourth - so tense , fifth - well who can really beat Cheltenham as a live sporting experience
Rugby World Cup win 2003 (despite atrocious reffing of the scrum). The ashes 2005 The ashes 2010-11 Cricket 50 over World Cup win Swindon winning League 2 with a 5-0 hammering of Port Vale in 2012
For me
1) Liverpool 4 - 0 Barcelona
2) The miracle of Istanbul
3) 2019 cricket world cup final
4) 2003 Rugby world cup final
Joint 5) Sir Lewis Hamilton's first F1 title/2005 Ashes
2003 Rugby World Cup final drop kick remains the best national sporting moment of my lifetime.
2005 Ashes series.
Botham's match. 1981.
I was at Headingley 1981, and it remains my favourite sporting moment, even beating Leeds Utd's many great days. Yes, it was Botham's match, but also Willis's - Australia needed a mere 130 to win after Botham's heroics; all out 111: Willis 8 for 43.
You lucky bugger! You and the other 300,000 who were there…
((Joke by the way, I am really jealous of people who saw that in the flesh).
Our bipolar attitude to England football makes its predictable appearance every 2 years. England can be only terrible or world beating,
The truth is England is a good team, probably not the best, the top 8 of the world is roughly par and a decent result, and if you compare our recent record with other good teams like Belgium, Netherlands, Argentina, Uruguay, Portugal and various others it’s not out of line with form.
There is far too prevailing an attitude that anything short of winning the tournament is a failure.
It's ok to narrowly go out to a good French team in the quarter finals. But it continues England's unfortunate record of never getting past a top team in the knockout stages of a major tournament on foreign soil.
We beat Germany in the last World Cup in the knockout stages
Euros, at home…
Yes, true. Apologies
Neve4 apologise, never explain.
I’ll do both. My mind is addled by beer and wine and the horrific sledgehammer of defeat. I’m completely gutted
I’m finding it ok because (a) never expected to get past the French and (b) we played pretty damn well tonight, second half at least. Plus £50 quid up on the night…
In my adult lifetime I've seen England win the cricket and rugby world cups, The Ashes after 18 years.
I've seen Liverpool win Champions Leagues, the Premier League, FA Cup, Rumbelows Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the Clube World Cup.
I've seen Damon Hill and Sir Lewis Hamilton win F1 titles.
As a sporting experience I've been lucky, England not winning the soccer world cup in my lifetime isn't the end of the world for me.
The magnificent GB performance in Rio is probably the greatest in my lifetime. That and Stockport County getting promoted back into the league last season.
my top five sporting experiences only feature two English and one hosted by them- Usain Bolt 100m world record Tiger Woods holing on the 16th at Augusta (the famous 90 degree turn into the hole) Ronnie O sullivan quickest 147 England winning the world cup cricket (50 over) Anything at Cheltenham
First three , out of this world brilliance imo , fourth - so tense , fifth - well who can really beat Cheltenham as a live sporting experience
Rugby World Cup win 2003 (despite atrocious reffing of the scrum). The ashes 2005 The ashes 2010-11 Cricket 50 over World Cup win Swindon winning League 2 with a 5-0 hammering of Port Vale in 2012
For me
1) Liverpool 4 - 0 Barcelona
2) The miracle of Istanbul
3) 2019 cricket world cup final
4) 2003 Rugby world cup final
Joint 5) Sir Lewis Hamilton's first F1 title/2005 Ashes
2003 Rugby World Cup final drop kick remains the best national sporting moment of my lifetime.
2005 Ashes series.
Botham's match. 1981.
I was at Headingley 1981, and it remains my favourite sporting moment, even beating Leeds Utd's many great days. Yes, it was Botham's match, but also Willis's - Australia needed a mere 130 to win after Botham's heroics; all out 111: Willis 8 for 43.
Great. But I saw Boycott make his 100th 100 at Headingley v Aus in 1977.
That beats yours for pure peak glorious Yorkshireness, I think.
Rishi misses out on the World Cup spoils, but the Conservative Prime Minister for the 2024 Euros could get a nice little Brucie bonus for the subsequent General Election.
Oh for goodness sake everything isn't about politics.
On the other hand. The recent, otherwise inexplicable Tory recovery could have been anticipation that we were going to win it all...
Meanwhile, in other news…. Kwasi Kwarteng has admitted he and Liz Truss “got carried away” when they wrote the disastrous mini-budget that led to both of them leaving their jobs just weeks after they entered Downing Street.
“People got carried away, myself included,” Kwarteng told the Financial Times. “There was no tactical subtlety whatsoever. There was a brief moment and the people in charge, myself included, blew it.”
In my adult lifetime I've seen England win the cricket and rugby world cups, The Ashes after 18 years.
I've seen Liverpool win Champions Leagues, the Premier League, FA Cup, Rumbelows Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the Clube World Cup.
I've seen Damon Hill and Sir Lewis Hamilton win F1 titles.
As a sporting experience I've been lucky, England not winning the soccer world cup in my lifetime isn't the end of the world for me.
The magnificent GB performance in Rio is probably the greatest in my lifetime. That and Stockport County getting promoted back into the league last season.
my top five sporting experiences only feature two English and one hosted by them- Usain Bolt 100m world record Tiger Woods holing on the 16th at Augusta (the famous 90 degree turn into the hole) Ronnie O sullivan quickest 147 England winning the world cup cricket (50 over) Anything at Cheltenham
First three , out of this world brilliance imo , fourth - so tense , fifth - well who can really beat Cheltenham as a live sporting experience
Rugby World Cup win 2003 (despite atrocious reffing of the scrum). The ashes 2005 The ashes 2010-11 Cricket 50 over World Cup win Swindon winning League 2 with a 5-0 hammering of Port Vale in 2012
For me
1) Liverpool 4 - 0 Barcelona
2) The miracle of Istanbul
3) 2019 cricket world cup final
4) 2003 Rugby world cup final
Joint 5) Sir Lewis Hamilton's first F1 title/2005 Ashes
2003 Rugby World Cup final drop kick remains the best national sporting moment of my lifetime.
2005 Ashes series.
Botham's match. 1981.
I was at Headingley 1981, and it remains my favourite sporting moment, even beating Leeds Utd's many great days. Yes, it was Botham's match, but also Willis's - Australia needed a mere 130 to win after Botham's heroics; all out 111: Willis 8 for 43.
You lucky bugger! You and the other 300,000 who were there…
((Joke by the way, I am really jealous of people who saw that in the flesh).
In my adult lifetime I've seen England win the cricket and rugby world cups, The Ashes after 18 years.
I've seen Liverpool win Champions Leagues, the Premier League, FA Cup, Rumbelows Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the Clube World Cup.
I've seen Damon Hill and Sir Lewis Hamilton win F1 titles.
As a sporting experience I've been lucky, England not winning the soccer world cup in my lifetime isn't the end of the world for me.
The magnificent GB performance in Rio is probably the greatest in my lifetime. That and Stockport County getting promoted back into the league last season.
my top five sporting experiences only feature two English and one hosted by them- Usain Bolt 100m world record Tiger Woods holing on the 16th at Augusta (the famous 90 degree turn into the hole) Ronnie O sullivan quickest 147 England winning the world cup cricket (50 over) Anything at Cheltenham
First three , out of this world brilliance imo , fourth - so tense , fifth - well who can really beat Cheltenham as a live sporting experience
Rugby World Cup win 2003 (despite atrocious reffing of the scrum). The ashes 2005 The ashes 2010-11 Cricket 50 over World Cup win Swindon winning League 2 with a 5-0 hammering of Port Vale in 2012
For me
1) Liverpool 4 - 0 Barcelona
2) The miracle of Istanbul
3) 2019 cricket world cup final
4) 2003 Rugby world cup final
Joint 5) Sir Lewis Hamilton's first F1 title/2005 Ashes
2003 Rugby World Cup final drop kick remains the best national sporting moment of my lifetime.
2005 Ashes series.
Botham's match. 1981.
I was at Headingley 1981, and it remains my favourite sporting moment, even beating Leeds Utd's many great days. Yes, it was Botham's match, but also Willis's - Australia needed a mere 130 to win after Botham's heroics; all out 111: Willis 8 for 43.
Great. But I saw Boycott make his 100th 100 at Headingley v Aus in 1977.
That beats yours for pure peak glorious Yorkshireness, I think.
Sorry mate, but for the sake of one-upmanship I was at that one as well. An on drive off Greg Chappell, I recall. While I give little away, suffice to say I was raised in Headingley and spent most of the first 20 years of my life there or thereabouts. I've even got Gary Sobers's signature to show for it. Boycott was too much of a miserable **** to offer his.
Comments
I’ve seen England go out of tournaments all my life. Sometimes it’s embarrassing and frustrating. Sometimes you shrug it off and say ‘ah well’. We’re a second tier nation, albeit at the high end, and with a fair wind a tournament isn’t inconceivable, but not especially likely. I just want to see them play well, with skill and heart. I don’t have too many complaints here.
I've seen Liverpool win Champions Leagues, the Premier League, FA Cup, Rumbelows Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the Club World Cup.
I've seen Damon Hill and Sir Lewis Hamilton win F1 titles.
As a sporting experience I've been lucky, England not winning the soccer world cup in my lifetime isn't the end of the world for me.
If they beat Morocco, they’ll be narrow favs vs Argentina, or heavily odds on vs Croatia.
Odds look about right to me.
https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1601605011251032064
The best England have ever played in World Cup football in my lifetime....it was ITV that dunnit....
Usain Bolt 100m world record
Tiger Woods holing on the 16th at Augusta (the famous 90 degree turn into the hole)
Ronnie O sullivan quickest 147
England winning the world cup cricket (50 over)
Anything at Cheltenham
First three , out of this world brilliance imo , fourth - so tense , fifth - well who can really beat Cheltenham as a live sporting experience
Tiger woods shot !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJEysanOT7w
Anyone have any opinion on the 2.2? (~46% chance)
A back or a lay or fair value?
I don’t know which is worse.
England going out (grim, we had our chance) or reading this shit on PB:
England IS a good team; SOCCER World Cup.
Only on PB.
🤮
The ashes 2005
The ashes 2010-11
Cricket 50 over World Cup win
Swindon winning League 2 with a 5-0 hammering of Port Vale in 2012
I rarely "cash out".
I think the odds underestimate both Croatia and Morocco, especially the former.
Brilliant song. I don’t. But Messi, ah he is a different story.
We lost tonight because we didn’t impress our advantage when we had it.
1) Liverpool 4 - 0 Barcelona
2) The miracle of Istanbul
3) 2019 cricket world cup final
4) 2003 Rugby world cup final
Joint 5) Sir Lewis Hamilton's first F1 title/2005 Ashes
If I were a coach I'd get the penalty takers to just keep practicing top corner, top corner, top corner until they have a 95% success rate. Otherwise you don't take a spot kick.
He’s a superb penalty taker, and I think it would be hard to stop him taking the second one after he’d scored the first, but there is a case for having someone else take it. We wouldn’t be saying this if he’d scored, of course.
*I am told there is such a thing, although personally I find it boring.
He is not the GOAT.
Say you place a bet on a 99% book and your bet is looking good. "Cashing Out" is really just a separate contrary bet and if the book is under 100% you are, in effect, paying twice.
I’m gutted. We had our chance tonight and didn’t take it.
98% of punters lose money, long term.
2% win, long term. And they do that by understanding/developing edges, aiming for +ev on each bet.
When the odds on something I’ve bet on recalibrate and I no longer think the outcome is more likely than the new odds, I’ll cashout. (Warning - when I say cashout, it’s shorthand for laying a back bet on betfair, or vice versa. I almost never use bookies “cashouts” as they cream off an overround).
There's 54 countries in Africa. Substitute any other one, and think how it sounds. Then stop yourself saying Yebbut it's not racist, because it's only about *white* South Africans. Then do a bit of research on Winnie "necklace" Mandela, and how curiously reluctant dear old Mandible or whatever he was called was to get rid of her, after the evidence of her political methods became indisputable.
Except we kinda did…
But generally if we have to go out, I much prefer to lose in normal play.
Tonight we struggled a bit to get going first half, gave up a goal. Then second half we grew into it, got the equaliser and were looking more likely until the second French goal. Then we blew the big chance.
I don’t know how it would have gone if we’d got to 2-2, but at least we were going for it.
Bad day today, on Portugal and the draw, and France and the draw.
1) They played in great teams. Maradona didn’t. He took a mediocre Argentina side to victory in 1986, and drove Napoli, a team who’d never won anything, and were heading for relegation when he joined, to twice winning what was then the top league in the world.
2) He had none of the protection from referees that is now afforded to top players.
But that was Messi.
Enough to make a living.
His problem is the same problem all of us successful punters have… finding bookies prepared to take a decent sized bet and/or avoiding betfair’s premium charge on long term winning punters.
Bad luck on your bets today. On reflection, the draw probably was a value bet in both games, even if you lost both.
Prong 2 isn't targeted at the electorate at all, or even at business. It's targeted at the commanding heights of the British state (including Scots there - why not?), and the idea is to stimulate them into having the feeling that it would be better to be rid of the sight of Scotland altogether, forever.
It's always possible to annoy a person past their limit, until they just tell you to f*** off.
Matthew Hancock did us a favour with his Michelle Mone revelations. He may also have done us a favour by revealing that Nicola Sturgeon couldn't be trusted to keep her trap shut about what she'd heard in Cobra meetings. For the time being there are some topics that she has to be invited to meetings about. But if Scotland became independent, British cabinet ministers and senior civil servants would hardly ever have to meet her again - or any similar scumbag figure from north of the border who prefers to put Party interests, and regional admini$trative interests, ahead of British national security.
For a start, for it to be true you have to exclude Belgium in 1990, who were ranked above England.
Botham's match. 1981.
Best of luck to France in the next round.
https://twitter.com/RishiSunak/status/1601700741324103682
F1 and the Ashes.
Dribble, balance, strength, finish.
All with one foot.
Yes, it was Botham's match, but also Willis's - Australia needed a mere 130 to win after Botham's heroics; all out 111: Willis 8 for 43.
I believe Hancock on this. She was undermining the work of the committee in a way that if she was a minister of the British government would have led to her exit from office the same day. Next time it could be on something even more serious than Covid.
Messi for me but I wouldn't argue too hard against Maradona.
((Joke by the way, I am really jealous of people who saw that in the flesh).
I was at Old Trafford two weeks later for Botham's imperious century...
Plus £50 quid up on the night…
That beats yours for pure peak glorious Yorkshireness, I think.
Can I go back to jeering Kane now?
“People got carried away, myself included,” Kwarteng told the Financial Times. “There was no tactical subtlety whatsoever. There was a brief moment and the people in charge, myself included, blew it.”