Campaign, I am looking forward to perhaps seeing England in tonight`s semi-final with Denmark, to see if they can reach the second final of my lifetime.
Although not at the Wembley semi-final in 1966. I was lucky enough to get tickets for the QF and Final, but the semi-final was considered the biggest game because it was against Portugal, considered the best side left in the competition, with the best player Eusabio. As I remember the game, Portugal had the better of it, but England managed to go into a 2-0 lead, Portugal halved the deficit, but England held on to set up their famous final with West Germany.
A similar outcome this evening would be very welcome to set up a final against Italy, which would be a very tough game.
As in 1966 I am not nervous in the slightest, never do for England games, not sure why, maybe because I am more of a club man over International footie. I shall tune in at 19.55, miss all the pre match bollox that goes with the territory of games like this, and sit back and hope for a decent game, and see how it pans out.
On paper England, with home advantage should be winning, but never understimate the underdogs. Denmark have some useful players, and have nothing to lose and will be under no real pressure, unlike England.
I am going for 1-1 over 90 minutes, and England to win in extra time or on penalties.
COYS COE
As a veteran of the 1966 World Cup
posted on 7/7/21
comment by Neo (U9135)
posted 6 minutes ago
It's been a while since we've had an opportunity big as this, let's hope the players don't let it pass by.
Denmark are a good side as they proved in those nations league matches against us but I'm less worried by what happened in those games with the mitigating circumstances, particularly at Wembley where we played with 10 men for 60 mins and they only won through a very dodgy penalty.
I think we win 2-0 tonight.
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Didn't realise that loss last year was the one where Maguire got sent off after half an hour. That's made me feel a bit better.
I think my cautiousness isn't anything to do with Denmark and how good they might be. It's entirely down to my history with England. I remember '86 a little bit but for me the real tears started flowing from '90 onwards and never really stopped. I'm preparing myself for the inevitable. If you've never seen England victorious, like Sandy, you just can't imagine what that looks like so it's too painful to hold too much hope. Hope kills you in these tournaments.
I honestly think that, we're we to win the Euros, there would be immediate ecstasy, followed by a strange unexplained emptiness. It's the hurt that drives the hope and the longing. If there are no more years of hurt will we all have that hunger in a year and half for the World Cup if we've just won a major tournament? Don't get me wrong, I really want us to win but I think it's the longing for victory that drives us all, not the victory itself. Once that's achieved, then what? It's like marrying the girl you've always wanted and finding her more ordinary than the dreams you'd harboured all those years.
posted on 7/7/21
sandy still pretending to be old i see?
posted on 7/7/21
comment by plain old dunc (U11713)
posted 11 minutes ago
sandy still pretending to be old i see?
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I'm not denying it's a possibility but what does he stand to gain from lying about his age? If that is what he's doing then it's a little bit tragic.
I just think he is around that age and occasionally shaves off a few years which is why there have been inconsistencies in his age declaration. Who hasn't done that from time to time? I've just turned 42 but I'd rather be mid thirties. It happens.
posted on 7/7/21
comment by fridgeboy (U1053)
posted 39 minutes ago
comment by Neo (U9135)
posted 6 minutes ago
It's been a while since we've had an opportunity big as this, let's hope the players don't let it pass by.
Denmark are a good side as they proved in those nations league matches against us but I'm less worried by what happened in those games with the mitigating circumstances, particularly at Wembley where we played with 10 men for 60 mins and they only won through a very dodgy penalty.
I think we win 2-0 tonight.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Didn't realise that loss last year was the one where Maguire got sent off after half an hour. That's made me feel a bit better.
I think my cautiousness isn't anything to do with Denmark and how good they might be. It's entirely down to my history with England. I remember '86 a little bit but for me the real tears started flowing from '90 onwards and never really stopped. I'm preparing myself for the inevitable. If you've never seen England victorious, like Sandy, you just can't imagine what that looks like so it's too painful to hold too much hope. Hope kills you in these tournaments.
I honestly think that, we're we to win the Euros, there would be immediate ecstasy, followed by a strange unexplained emptiness. It's the hurt that drives the hope and the longing. If there are no more years of hurt will we all have that hunger in a year and half for the World Cup if we've just won a major tournament? Don't get me wrong, I really want us to win but I think it's the longing for victory that drives us all, not the victory itself. Once that's achieved, then what? It's like marrying the girl you've always wanted and finding her more ordinary than the dreams you'd harboured all those years.
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To be fair, I have only seen one victory, the rest have been mostly tears. Forgetting about the most recent history say 1990 semi final, 1996 semi-final and the 2018 semi-final, I have been let down many times by England.
I well remember England being 2-0 up in the QF of the World Cup against Germany in 1970, only to lose 3-2, the no qualifications for the 1974 and 1978 world cup, meaning England went 12 years between 1970 and 1982 before participating in a world cup, and over 20 years between 1962 and 1982 when they actually qualified by right through a qualifying group. 1966 qualified as host nation, 1970 qualified as holders, 1974 did not qualify, 1978 did not qualify.
It certainly was not all rosy back in the day, even though England did actually win it in 1966. We all had some massive disappointments.
posted on 7/7/21
comment by fridgeboy (U1053)
posted 11 minutes ago
comment by plain old dunc (U11713)
posted 11 minutes ago
sandy still pretending to be old i see?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm not denying it's a possibility but what does he stand to gain from lying about his age? If that is what he's doing then it's a little bit tragic.
I just think he is around that age and occasionally shaves off a few years which is why there have been inconsistencies in his age declaration. Who hasn't done that from time to time? I've just turned 42 but I'd rather be mid thirties. It happens.
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Take no notice Fridgeboy, if posters are to dumb to accept some of us actually tell the truth on these forums, then that is their problem.
posted on 7/7/21
comment by sandy, golden boot winner fa cup 1901 (U20567)
posted 0 seconds ago
comment by fridgeboy (U1053)
posted 11 minutes ago
comment by plain old dunc (U11713)
posted 11 minutes ago
sandy still pretending to be old i see?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm not denying it's a possibility but what does he stand to gain from lying about his age? If that is what he's doing then it's a little bit tragic.
I just think he is around that age and occasionally shaves off a few years which is why there have been inconsistencies in his age declaration. Who hasn't done that from time to time? I've just turned 42 but I'd rather be mid thirties. It happens.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Take no notice Fridgeboy, if posters are to dumb to accept some of us actually tell the truth on these forums, then that is their problem.
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I haven`t shaved off anything mate, 72 years old, and 73 years old in a few months.
Never get why posters keep asking the same question about how old I am.
posted on 7/7/21
comment by plain old dunc (U11713)
posted 31 minutes ago
sandy still pretending to be old i see?
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And you are still trying to pretend you are older than 12. Shouldn`t you be at school?
posted on 7/7/21
My advice to anybody today is avoid the news.
If you want to know whats going on in the world then I'm afraid you'll probably have to wait until Friday.
I made the mistake of turning on Sky/BBC earlier and in just 10 mins I got Trippiers old school complete with singing children, the bloke who plays the tunes at Wembley and an interview with a divided family (English dad and Danish mother).
I will be turning the coverage on at 7.55 as its all too cringeworthy for me.
posted on 7/7/21
comment by PawlBawron (U1055)
posted 4 minutes ago
My advice to anybody today is avoid the news.
If you want to know whats going on in the world then I'm afraid you'll probably have to wait until Friday.
I made the mistake of turning on Sky/BBC earlier and in just 10 mins I got Trippiers old school complete with singing children, the bloke who plays the tunes at Wembley and an interview with a divided family (English dad and Danish mother).
I will be turning the coverage on at 7.55 as its all too cringeworthy for me.
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What's happened to the news? Why do we have to suffer these annoying interviews with nameless people in the street? It's not just the current England thing, it's been like that through Covid too. They'll have pointless interviews with children saying stuff like "I haven't seen granny for months because of lockdown". That's not news. I want an expert telling me the numbers, considered opinions and advice. Despite what that insipid little sod, Gove, thinks, we haven't had enough of experts.
Some diccccck somewhere has decided the news needs more human stories. I blame social media. It's turned us all into unsatisfied narcissists that need our own 15 minutes of fame. I couldn't care less. Let's get the experts back.
posted on 7/7/21
comment by PawlBawron (U1055)
posted 18 minutes ago
My advice to anybody today is avoid the news.
If you want to know whats going on in the world then I'm afraid you'll probably have to wait until Friday.
I made the mistake of turning on Sky/BBC earlier and in just 10 mins I got Trippiers old school complete with singing children, the bloke who plays the tunes at Wembley and an interview with a divided family (English dad and Danish mother).
I will be turning the coverage on at 7.55 as its all too cringeworthy for me.
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Same here mate. I cannot stand the hours and hours of hyped build up nonsense pre match.