МИР В ДВИЖЕНИИ ДЛЯ ФЕСТИВАЛЯ ФУТБОЛА РОССИИ РОССИИ 2018
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So, toast then. -
Talk of toast reminds me of that toaster in Red Dwarf that drove the crew mad.
".. I toast therefore I am.."
Classic -
*raises glass*
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Whilst we wait for updates, let's have a debate.
What's your World Cup? The one that kickstarted your love affair.
For myself, I do have recollections of watching and getting into USA '94 but I was 7 and could really understand the magnitude of it. Just saw it as exciting football on the telly.
Fast forward 4 years.
I'm 11. Rangers had since surged to 9IAR and I worshipped at the altar of Laudrup and McCoist. Us, we, plucky little Scotland were up against Brazil, fucking BRAZIL in the first match. I'd spent the year previous studying R. Carlos' fk against France, watching the airport advert in complete amazement at Ronaldo and his Mecurials, and thought we hadn't a hope in hell. But we were Scotland. I'd seen Braveheart. We could do this.
The schools got let out early. It was the warmest day. We went to Jonny Roebuck's house across the road and settled in. 4 minutes was all it took..
Then over the weeks that followed I watched in amazement as Becks did exactly what everyone expected him to, then what they didn't want him to. I used to have a big back garden, and the clothes lines height could be adjusted in the middle to form a kind of wall. All I wanted was a pair of predators. I was convinced they'd make me a better player..
So Owen dazzled and Becks capitulated. I admired them but I still lolled, rampant lion still running through me.
Then came the real stars. The players from teams in leagues that seemed a world away. I remember painting my bedroom with my dad as Argentina tried to deal with a long ball from De Boer, and him being in utter disbelief when they showed us the replay of Bergkamp's magic. It was other worldly. How did he do it? How did it look so magical? Is he human? Why are men crying?
The final. Oh boy. I couldn't understand what was happening with Ronaldo, and I feel it'll forever be a great shame he wasn't 100% in that game, but I don't know if it'd make that much of a difference. There was someone else on the park who just wasn't going to lose that day.
I'd never seen a player like him, so much taller and more imposing physically than his positional peers, but with a poise and grace on the ball it's almost balletic. He just seemed to be on another planet that day. I remember saying why isn't he smiling like Ronaldo and my dad just gave me something to the effect of "he doesn't need to". I saw how they idolised him alone afterwards, and how he wasn't either a samba star or a long-haired South American with earrings or anything flashy. Just a guy with a focus and an unbelievable talent. Zizou. The true GOAT. -
I have vague memories of ‘82 and ‘86, but it was really Italia ‘90 that grabbed me.
360 - optimark prime PSN - optimark_prime twitter - @optimark_prime -
Spain '82.
I was 16.
N.Ireland beat Spain 1-0 to progress out of the group stage.
Gerry Armstrong (Spurs, Watford) scored.
NI were down to 10 men and somehow kept Spain from scoring. Pat Jennings in goal.
Holding the wrong end of the stick since 2009. -
I was 16 for the 1990 World Cup, Liverpool had won the league, I’d just left school. I had a group of mates who were as mad about footie as I was. It helped that England did so well (and Ireland too).
Everything just fitted for me.
Nessun Dorma still takes me back.360 - optimark prime PSN - optimark_prime twitter - @optimark_prime -
Italia 90 for me. The England games were crazy roller coasters, soap opera levels of drama. I was 8 at the time so it didn't dawn on me that this was something special for an England team at a world cup. Not knowing anything about the hand of god, the Falklands or bog-standard football jingoism, I really liked Argentina too and cried when they lost to Germany in the final. I still really like Argentina sides and it probably dates back to that. I also supported Roberto Baggio.
94 didn't happen for me. No England, other stuff going on, barely saw it.
98 was special. Coming out of Euro 96, the whole country seemed up for it, balmy summer, fitting in games around revision and exams, getting out to pubs to watch the games, owen's goal, hmm isn't it though? Marvellous.
2002 was, I think, the last time I cared about an England team. Euro 2000 had been a dispiriting experience. Zidane was tearing it up for the French. England were pissing about under Kevin Keegan, pumping balls up field. Anyway, they were much improved by the world cup under Erikkson, seemed full of belief and might stand a good chance, eventually weakly capitulating against Brazil. That day was horrible. Up at 6am to watch England go out, then trudging round all day in misery. At least with evening games you get to go to bed afterwards and it's not so bad the next day.
Then just groundhog day for every tournament since, quarter finals and out, then not even that. Low expectations, disappointing performances, no guts, no glory, Stevie G and Lampard not communicating in midfield, a load of egos and no management to keep them in check or get them working. Just stick the star players in at all costs, half-crocked, unfit, fuck it, they're superstars, surely they'll deliver, oh fuck we're out. All of that crew have gone now and maybe there's a chance to build something different. I don't hold out much hope but form and belief can come to any team. England aren't going to win, but we're at last heading in the right direction and a few decent games might give us a bit of a boost. Not in it for that though, I just like the world football festival elements, seeing players you've never heard of do crazy stuff. -
I completed the Mexico 86 sticker book, so probably that one.
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Brilliant Monkey. Love it.
Newsflash:
Germany have named their final squad. Leroy Sane is nowhere near it. Yikes. -
Italia 90 for me. I remember mexico 86 but mainly for collecting the stickers and the mascot piquet...don't remember much of the footy from that time (though obviously some parts have been seen since!).
Italia 90 was peak though. I was 11 then, watched all the games, had the strip, it was awesome. Pavarotti singing, Roger Milla dancing, Caniggia being assaulted, Germans diving, Dutchmen spitting, watching my boy Waddle with and without a mullet - obviously i can't quite remember how the semi-final ended, but i'm assuming he stuck the pen top corner and we went on to win right?
But that England team too, when you look back at the players it was just awesome. We played quite shite in the early matches like, but the performance against W Germany was phenomenal. I watched the whole game again when BBC sport did a re-run of the world cup a few years back, and the system they played and the fluidity and tactics were miles ahead of their time (for England especially). It's galling to think what might have been if England had won that game, and/or Bobby stuck around a couple more years and kept using that system."Like i said, context is missing."
http://ssgg.uk -
Me too. Still have it somewhere, I think.FranticPea wrote:I completed the Mexico 86 sticker book, so probably that one.
Was definitely the first time I'd watched an international tournament or was even really aware of it. Would have been 10 at the time. I'm not even sure how much of it I watched - the games were on at funny times, so it was probably mostly highights. But I watched that game, the one which taught me early on how brutally unfair footy could be. Yeah, so Maradona was amazing and basically pulled Argentina all the way to victory. But I kept a picture cut out from the newspaper stuck on the inside of my school desk for a few weeks after - Maradona leaping above Shilton hand raised about to punch the ball in. Look how blatant it was! How could he get away with that?
Overall though I've never been as gutted about getting knocked out as I was in Euro 96. It was the one time I really believed England were going to win. Watching in the pub with mates by then. After the last penalty went in there was just stunned silence for a good 20 minutes or so. -
It's a non WC for me too, Euro '96 was the big one (Gazza's gole probably my fave ever), followed by 1990. Other than '98 the rest have all been a bit meh for me, but that's 'cos I only tend to watch the England games.
Remember the pub erupting for this beauty though:
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Italia 90 for me as an 8 year old. I remember the whole family sat glued to the TV whenever England were on, and it was the first time I got caught up in all hype. The sticker books, italia 90 footballs in playground. -
Come with g if you want to live... -
Most of Australia's memories are of qualifying and near misses.
vs Iran, winning 0-1 away, losing 2-1 at home after Peter Hoar (not a player) invaded the pitch and tore down the net. Missed out on France 98.
Vs Uruguay under Frank Farina and missing out on Jp/SK 2002.
PK vs Uruguay, shootout in 2005 and fucking finally, Mark Schwarzer's divine left did the hard work, and Aloisi finished them off.
But that was just a prelude to 2006 vs Japan.
Tim Cahill, Aloisi, scored three goals in the final 5 minutes and Australia got past the group stage for the first time ever.
Bonus:
skip to 2014. Cahill vs Netherlands.
"Sometimes it's better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness." ― Terry Pratchett -
England had damn good teams in '86 and '90. They could have won either.
'86 was all about the Argentina/Maradona match. Linneker won the golden boot that year. N.Ireland got beat 3-0 by Brazil in the group stages.
I worked behind the bar in a pub in England during Italia '90 (The Unicorn, Great Malvern). It all kicked off when England were dumped out - the hanging baskets outside were kicked up and down the street. There was a stabbing too if I remember right. I kept my mouth shut lest my accent attracted any ire.
'94 was all about Jack's Heroes (RoI) in the US. Beating Italy in the group was fun.Holding the wrong end of the stick since 2009. -
Enjoyed the first match we covered in Brazil last time out. *winky smiley*
SUPER MARIO BOTHERS...
Come with g if you want to live... -
I love how he has no idea where the ball is from the moment it leaves Pirlo's foot to the moment it's in his hands.
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Italia 90.
David Platt... Legend.
Also worst Brazilian team I can remember watching."I didn't get it. BUUUUUUUUUUUT, you fucking do your thing." - Roujin
Ninty Code: SW-7904-0771-0996 -
What about the Brazilian team in the semi-final last time?"Sometimes it's better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness." ― Terry Pratchett
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Half of that mess was caused by David Luiz forgetting he was a defender.
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Though it's nobody's favourite, the first World Cup that really gave me the bug was 2002. I remember, '98 but being only nine at the time I more recall the excitement of the adults around me rather than being particularly interested in the games. By 2002 I was in high school, had a bedroom to myself for the first time, and with the summer holidays starting I had nothing but free time to enjoy the football. I mind that I had painstakingly filled out one of those prediction charts and stuck it up on my wall, so convinced that I'd cemented my place as Glasgow's footballing Nostradamus. Such innocence.
There are so many things that I loved about it; the really weird kick-off times that led to the genuine pleasure of catching great football games as part of a morning lie-in with breakfast. The abundance of surprise results throughout the tournament from underdog teams that were, in an age before the internet and global money had conspired to make football feel incredibly small, legitimate unknown quantities. As the tournament kicked off close to the end of term I remember our languages teacher, who was French, wheeling out the TV and letting us watch the opening match between France and Senegal instead of having to do any work, and how blown away we all were by these unknown Senegalese guys playing the world champions off the park- El Hadji Diouf being the absolute star in his natty white boots, which made him a hero around the school for a few days. Even years later, after his various antics had shown him up to be a bit of a dick, when he signed for Rangers I had a twinge of that nostalgic excitement from the memories of us all watching him tear it up in Japan and Korea. There's nothing like a World Cup for the excitement of witnessing new stars emerge.
One of the most interesting and exciting things about any tournament is the success of its underdogs, and I don't think there's been one since that threw up so many surprises. Turkey and Korea making it all the way to the semi-finals of a world cup is still something that feels like it came from the realm of Pro Evo rather than real life. And by the end we got to enjoy the sight of the Real Ronaldo horsing Germany and lifting the trophy, a deserved honour for such a quality player. -
'02 was a good 'un.
RoI had a decent run if I remember well - had a tight one against Spain in the last 16 but went out on penalties.Holding the wrong end of the stick since 2009. -
My first remembered World Cup was 1994. Lay in a bed at Pendlebury Hospital for two months, old CRT tele brought in by my parents on a trolley beside my bed. Smacked off my nut on morphine for most of it, coming out of the haze to watch the mighty Bulgarians don the world. Family of the kid in the bed next to me kept turning the TV round to use it when I was properly under on the drugs the cunts. Was also the time I nicked Super Mario Kart from the hospital ward and replaced it with Kevin Keegan's Player Manager. Good times. I fell in love with Bebeto and Hagi. -
No recollection of any WC until '86, aged 8 and a big Lineker fan. The cast on his arm was a cool look, remember flashes of the game against the Argies, more of the hand of God than Mara's goal of all time.
Italia '90 was the big one though, aged 12 and fully aware of the magic of the World Cup. More Lineker and now the jinking genius of Gazza followed by heartbreak in the semis.
USA '94 was still memorable despite no England and a terrible final. But Ireland against the Italians, Ray Houghton's goal and shit tumble celebration, Jackie Charlton losing it in the heat and Baggio's penalty all stick in the memory.
'98 was tough to recover from off the back of Euro '96, especially given the way we were playing, Owen unstoppable, Beckham bossing it.
'02 was notable for the pubs opening early so we could watch England getting beat by Brazil whilst we sank breakfast Guinness.
Has been a bit of a fallow period for memories since then. The last one was top though, it occurred whilst in Krakow on my brother in laws stag do so our utter failure there took a back seat very quickly after the final whistle.
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02 was the first one that got me aside from that legit dog 94 mascot when I was a child. I used to draw it all the time.
I followed 02 religiously but then my high school friends said we were going camping and vodka drinking in the Wyoming mountains on the weekend of the final so I never saw that match.
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