A note to those who are out of the World Cup

It's gotten very quiet out there.  We started with 32 and now we're down to 8 but now that USA and England are out it feels like no-one is interested anymore.  I find this sad.


Now for the USA, football (yes I said football as you play with your feet and not your hands) is a relatively new sport to your country.  It is the fastest growing sport and if you could just sort out the MLS you really will be a contender.  You did exceptionally well in this tournament.  You did well in 2006 as well.  I am Scottish - we have a rich heritage of football, it is our national sport, it is all we know, yet we can't qualify.  We used to, we always used to be at the World Cup but even then, we have never made it passed the first round.  Seriously, have a look Scotland National Football Team.  But that doesn't stop me watching it the tournament when we're not there.  The support the USA had is this tournament was great to see, you took the largest support to South Africa and from what I saw, it seemed to actually capture some imaginations and get a fair bit of coverage.   Keep watching and just see how good this sport can be.  Who knows you might enjoy it.  You have been stuck watching sports that you play against yourselves for too long.


As for you England, you have stopped watching since you went out, why?  You know better - you were dire in this tournament and you know it.  I said in a previous post why you were not going to do well and I stand by it but at least watch the teams that are doing it right and learn from them (team unity).


On Friday Holland play Brazil and even better on Saturday Argentina play Germany - How can you not be excited by that?  These are exciting games.  This is when the best of the best come up against each other and show the rest of the world how it is done.


Just because your team is no longer there does not mean it's no longer worth watching.  Trust me.

The level of punditry is patronising and insulting

I can't take credit for this article - I wish I could, but it sums up my sentiment entirely on the level of punditry.  This was written by Tom English and appeared in the The Scotsman on 16th June 2010.

IT'S FAIR to say that it's not just ITV that has taken some stick for some of their coverage at this World Cup, particularly the coverage of the tournament's lesser lights. The BBC have been getting it in the neck as well. To give you an example, what I'm talking about here is things like Alan Shearer's self-proclaimed "expert analysis" that amounts to a conveyor belt of cliches and the kind of insight that even a child of six would describe as laughable.

• Alan Shearer deserves criticism for lack of research and overall enthusiasm as a BBC pundit.


Before the Algeria versus Slovenia game in Group C on Sunday, Shearer seemed to be speaking for the entire BBC panel when he said, "Our knowledge of these two teams is limited." Limited! What the former England striker was saying was that he hadn't done his homework, that he hadn't spoken to any of his vast array of contacts in the game, hadn't tapped into the BBC's huge research machinery, hadn't even bothered, seemingly, to peruse the internet for some background on Algeria and Slovenia or even flick through a newspaper or a magazine. Shearer was content to sit in front of the cameras and tell the viewers that, really, he didn't know much. Hardly a revelation to those of us who have groaned our way through his anodyne commentaries in the past, but embarrassing all the same.

Why do the BBC deem that acceptable? Why is Shearer not taken aside and told, 'Listen, if you can't be bothered doing some research on this game then get lost'. It's a different, and entirely more professional story, on radio where the wonderful 5 Live and, closer to home, the award-winning Radio Scotland present their football coverage in a proper fashion. How does Shearer (but not just Shearer) get away with opting out like that?

And here's another one. The Beeb got carpeted by some viewers for their treatment of that Algeria game. So what happened before the kick-off in yesterday's lunch-time match between New Zealand and Slovakia? In a six-and-a-half minute introduction just one player out of the 22 on show was given a name-check, and here is how it happened.

Lee Dixon: "Slovakia have got some decent players, Hamsik, the pick of them. Young player, plays on the left side."

Gary Lineker: "He's at Napoli."

Lee Dixon: "That's right."

Alan Hansen (chuckling): "Somebody gave you him, by the way."

What Hansen meant, I think, was that his colleagues must have been fed the Hamsik reference by another party, that they couldn't have come up with his name all by themselves. It's not like Dixon or Lineker produced a dossier of facts about Hamsik, a file of information on who he is and where he has been. All they did was mention his name and the fact that he was rather good. That was it. Hansen seemed to think this was worthy of a gently-mocking put-down, as if the other two were some kind of class swots. As such, he was almost revelling in his own ignorance.

There's a lot of this going about, on BBC and ITV. The level of punditry is cringe-making. It's lowest common denominator stuff. Patronising and insulting, much of it. Emmanuel Adebayor's mobile phone started ringing in his pocket live on air the other day. His respect for the viewers didn't even amount to him making sure the thing was switched off. Edgar Davids has been unintelligible, Gareth Southgate hasn't said one interesting thing, Kevin Keegan has been nothing more than a cheerleader for England and Andy Townsend has been his usual bland self, trotting out statements of the obvious with a rapid-fire gusto. "I tell you what, for me, he's gotta hit the target from there!"

And you are paid how much, Andy?

Clarence Seedorf was in the BBC studio the other night for the Italy versus Paraguay match and he was making a point about the positive impact an Italian substitute had made on the game. He was referring to Antonio Di Natale, winner of more than 30 caps for the Azzurri and the leading goalscorer in Serie A in the season just gone, but Seedorf couldn't remember his name. Hadn't a clue. Neither did the blokes alongside him, Hansen among them. "He was the No 10," said a smiling Seedorf, who then reached for a team-sheet on the desk for help before realising that it was the Dutch team-sheet. "That's no use," he laughed. Indeed, Clarence.

Hansen thought this was priceless. "That might be highlight of the World Cup so far," he trumpeted. The programme ended and still nobody had figured out that the No 10 was Di Natale. You would hope that behind the scenes the BBC producers were holding their heads in their hands with embarrassment, but you wouldn't bank on it. Of course, in the squirm factor stakes there are many challengers. Mick McCarthy claimed just before kick-off in the Argentina versus Nigeria game that he'd only just realised that the Juan Sebastian Veron that appeared on his team-sheet was the same Veron who'd played for Manchester United and Chelsea. Quite a statement of ignorance, that.

In fairness to McCarthy, he does have something to offer in his reading of the game. It's just that there is so much that makes you wince in between. What we're getting a lot of from both sides is glib nonsense, crap jokes and crass stereotyping. Adrian Chiles is flavour of the month on ITV, but his popularity is not what it was. It wasn't his fault that ITV HD pressed the wrong button at the wrong time during England's opening game and missed Steven Gerrard's goal, but Chiles has been distinctly unconvincing in the anchor role. He wants to be the funny man when the job demands gravitas. He wants to throw in one-liners when he should be attempting to spearhead a proper discussion about a match.

His introduction to England's game against the Americans was mortifying. Wielding a baseball bat and sending a message to America, he said, "Just stick to your sports, why don't you?" Chiles was also seen patting a burger, adding: "We really love Americans, just wouldn't eat a whole one." He made himself look like a clown.

Keegan's summing-up: "It was a very, very good performance, good enough to win any game." This classic piece of Keegan claptrap should have been jumped upon and ripped apart for the nonsensical garbage that it was, but it sailed through pretty much. Chiles doesn't do confrontation – neither does the BBC – and it's a terrible weakness. There is no edge, no passion. It's all so bloody harmless and dull.

ITV needed somebody with a backbone to turn around to Keegan and say to him, 'Okay Kevin, what you're saying there is a load of junk. Explain how getting a draw against a team of journeymen like America is very good, explain the selection of James Milner out of position, explain why the rank ordinary Shaun Wright-Phillips was brought on instead of the classy Joe Cole, explain the failure of Gerrard and Frank Lampard to function together yet again, explain why this negated Wayne Rooney's impact'. Kev didn't do any of that, though.

There are many days ahead when our intelligence will be insulted by "expert analysts" who speak to us like simpletons who've just staggered home from the pub. We could do a lot worse than hitting the mute button from here on in. Or getting the commentary off the radio. 

World Cup 2010 - Boring?

I am getting increasingly despondent by the reports that this is the most boring World Cup in living memory and how is isn't living up to expectations.  


Firstly we are 5 days into the tournament how can we possibly judge that.  And secondly I am thoroughly enjoying it, I think it has had it's share of excitement so far.  That is, as much excitement as you can expect from the first game of the first round.


Everyone is cagey in their first game.  There is so much talk about 'not losing your first game' that everyone plays a bit safe, a bit defensively.  This happens every single tournament.  It happens in the Champions League it happens in the European Championships, I'm sure it happens in Copa Libertadores.  Things don't entirely heat up until the final game of the group and then the knock out games when we know that there is a finale,  that there can be only one winner.   The blood really gets pumping then.  At the moment, nothing is at stake so we haven't experienced the racing pulse, the fear, the dreaded penalties,  that heartbreaking moment, that unbridled joy.


Once we get to the knockout phase any tournament steps up a gear and I truly believe, no-one will be calling it boring then.


But for those who do still think this tournament is dull so far here are my first 5 day highlights:

1. Winston Reid equalised for New Zealand against Slovakia in the final minute - Reid is Danish and even previously played for Denmark Under 21s.  He was contacted through Facebook by a New Zealand TV station asking him whether he wanted to play in the World Cup for New Zealand because he was half Kiwi.  He didn't even know he was!
2. North Korea who trained in a public gym in South Africa scored a goal in the 80th minute against Brazil making the last 10 minutes of that game very interesting
3. Germany's clinical destruction of Australia which already, everyone has forgotten about
4. And let's not forget goalkeeping errors (sorry Rob Green, but it makes me laugh)

At the end of the 2006 World Cup the BBC wrote this report about how disappointing that tournament was, so lets not forget how the media tend to be disappointed with every tournament, not just the current one.

Now stop complaining and and just enjoy what has to come.

Scotland in South Africa

Scottish football fans start every qualifying campaign the same way, full of hope, desire and thoughts that maybe, just maybe we might just do it.  But  deep down, we know that this probably won't happen (as Scots, we all live with the eternal phrase built in 'the Hope that Kills Us'). We need other things to make us feel good about ourselves.  So in 2006 and bunch of caring, travelling Scotland fans started the Tartan Army Childrens Charity (it's gone through a few names since then but that's what they are known as now)


The TACC's aim is to help disadvantaged children in Scotland and in countries that they visit whilst supporting Scotland's national football team.


Scotland did not qualify for World Cup 2010 but that did not stop the fundraising that TACC embarked on over the last two years to raise money for disadvantaged children in South Africa and ensuring that Scotland was represented. The Tartan Army Children's Charity donated £30,000 each to two deserving causes:

• Umthombo Street Children, Durban
• Let us Grow, Orange Farm, near Johannesburg

Even though Scotland didn't qualify, Scotland fans will leave their mark with a gesture that shows the world what Scotland and in particular the Tartan Army is all about.  Over the course of the last campaign they helped to raise an incredible £60,000 to support disadvantaged children in South Africa.

They did this through a variety of means, one of which being the hugely successful Kiltwalk which even I joined in.  Around 500 people got dressed in their 500 people got dressed up pin the finest Tartan Army attire (yes kilts) and walked from 26 miles from Hampden Park in Glasgow to Loch Lomond.  

For more information on TACC and for details of a visit to the Let us Grow project go to http://www.tartanarmychildrenscharity.org.uk/cms/static.php?page=sa-blog

World Cup 2010 - Never Write off the Germans

Today I can't talk about the BBC TV coverage of Algeria v Slovenia game without choking on my rage so all I will say is this: Gary Lineker, if you do not want to be there go home. Do not belittle any team, any player or any game in this tournament. Every team who qualified got there on merit and to say the words "Not all games in the world cup can be big ones, and this one certainly falls into that the not category" and to go on to say "we have to watch these type of games too" These teams are in England's group! You should be riveted to this game. As I said if you don't want to be there, I'm sure there are many better and more qualified presenters that would like to take your place.

Anyway, last night we saw our first sign of Germany and as the old saying goes, we should never write of the Germans. They looked sharp, clinical and united. No-one has mentioned Germany in the run up to this tournament but Germany are always there or there abouts, but before we all jump on the bandwagon, I will admit they were very impressive last night. Lets remember they were playing a decidedly poor Australian side, who also had their best player sent off.

Germany should get out the group pretty easily, although Ghana will give them a run for their money. The English pundits last night got excited about the winner of this group meeting the runner up from England's group in the next round which could mean and England v Germany game. (Because lets not forget, everything as far as the TV coverage I have to endure, revolves around England)

There has also been talk over the weekend regarding the vuvuzelas being banned. They have described as sounding like a 'swarm of bees' or my personal favourite 'a goat being dragged to slaughter'. Some players are blaming the vuvuzelas for poor performances, saying they are distracting and they can't concentrate on the pitch. Some fans are saying they can't hear the commentary. My personal opinion, is that once the game has started, I barely notice them after a while. I like the colour and the noise. It gives the tournament a unique soundtrack. Every tournament has something that you remember about it.

Italia '90, everyone was humming Nessun Dorma

France '98 it was Carnival De Paris that everyone remembers

Japan/South Korea '02 all you heard was Girls screaming from the crowds

Every tournament has a soundtrack, whether it's a song, a sound, a colour. It's something memorable and unique from that tournament so keep the vuvuzela!

World Cup 2010 - England 1 - 1 USA

England were 100% sure this was going to be an easy game for them, the pundits were sure, the team was sure, the fans were sure. After all, it's only America, they don't know how to play 'soccer' anyway.

England get off to a resounding start with Stevie G scoring in the 6th minute, well at least I think so because all I saw was an advert because I was watching on ITV HD and that's what they cut to. England played OK, but as usual they never look like a unit. I have watched every game in the World Cup so far and one thing I will say is all the teams look united on and off the pitch. When you see them in the tunnel, they may look nervous but they encourage each other. I did not see any two England players talk to each other in the tunnel. They do not look as if they are in it together. You do not see them talk to each other on the pitch you only see them shout and shrug at each other. When Steven Gerrard scored, he went over to the fans to celebrate, his first reaction was not to go to his team mates. When Robert Green made his mistake for the USA goal, not one England player went over and gave him a pat on the back. As I write this I have just watched the Algerian goalkeeper make a howler to let in a goal against Slovenia and two of his team mates went straight over to him.

The English media and fans have done nothing but vilify Rob Green today and blame him for the fact that England did not win last night but I think they need to take a long hard look at themselves. England need to be united if they want to progress in this tournament. They have some of the best players in the World Cup but they by no means have the best team.

Steven Gerrard would never be my choice for captain. Yes he is inspirational and can drive forward, but he is greedy, he does not lead the team. The man for that is, of course, John Terry. The other problem is I believe there is still two sides to the camp that even the great Fabio Capello has not managed to root out.

If England want to progress they need to stop playing like individuals and start playing and acting like a team. And maybe, just maybe that when you you pull on the shirt of your nation you carry your nations hopes and dreams that wearing that shirt is a privilege, not a right.

And I say all of this as a Scot who really would rather England didn't do very well.

World Cup 2010 - Day 1

The World Cup began today. Now to explain, I love the world cup, I get quite obsessed. I have taken a week's annual leave from work to ensure I can watch all the games, I have built up my flexi time so that I can watch all the games after I go back.

However, the downside to watching the world cup is I have to endure the UK TV coverage. In the UK there is a law that states major tournaments such as the European championships and the World Cup are on free to air, terrestrial TV channels.

So today the opening ceremony was on ITV, this started with the fact that there is ITV HD although you have to hunt for it on the SKY. We were greeted by Adrian Chiles, who recently defected from the BBC, who seemed as excited as Droopy needing a nap. He was joined by Andy Townsend and Gareth Southgate who spent most of there time complaining about the vuvuzelas keeping them awake at 1am. They are clearly getting into the atmosphere of the tournament there.

The opening ceremony began and ITV in their wisdom cut to adverts during it, meaning we were missing parts of it. Then every time we cut back to the studio, Adrian Chiles continued to look bored. He then goes on just before the beginning of the first match "sorry Mexico fans, but there is no-one supporting you, we are South Africa fans today". Truly, a massive W**ker.

Then we'll move onto BBC Coverage for the evening match. Uruguay v France

I won't go into to much detail here but: Due to the unique way in which the BBC is funded, they have a rotating studio. Gary Lineker, Alan Hansen, Alan Shearer and Adebayor at least had some excitement showing which contrasted the earlier ITV coverage, however in the build up to the match all the BBC did was tell us about England's preparations, the England squad, the England manager, England's injuries etc. At half time - instead of analysis we got more about England - oh and more moaning about the vuvuzelas.

Here is a tip for both broadcasters: I would like to hear about players from all 32 teams, not just the ones from England who I already know about. I would particularly like to hear the line up and preparations of the teams that are about to play in the game that I am about to watch. At half time analysis about the game that's going on would be awesome (although to be honest, I'm getting the drinks in and using the facilities so it's not that important)

We're only at day 1 so you have time to get your acts together.

By the way - the best world cup calendar: http://www.marca.com/deporte/futbol/mundial/sudafrica-2010/calendario-english.html