Auckland council has told us that we need to turn this into an event, if we want an alcohol license running until 6am. Table tennis, meatballs, football, pub quiz - what's not to like? Hopefully, they’ll grant the license… (still waiting for approval). Sore heads on Sunday morning though. Bring it on!
I don't suppose anyone on here wants or knows someone who wants 2 tickets to England v Panama?
Aren’t they (actually) making it very difficult to get in on a ticket that you didn’t originally buy at this tournament.
I’ve done several tournaments and the usual such claims have always been known to be bollocks (I was an Arab according to my ticket for Eng v Equ in 2006) but I’ve just got a feeling this one will be different and wouldn’t want to risk that journey if thier is any doubt in getting in.
Hope you shift it but we didn’t even sell out our meagre allocation for this one, such is the absence of any interest.
Well you need a fan ID to get into the stadium (it also doubles as your visa). Whether they'll actually check against the ticket I'm highly doubtful. Also given me and my mate got 4 tickets for the match, 2 each with our names on shows what shit processes they have in place.
I'm probably going to end up selling them back to fifa (obviously after they take another cut for themselves) but the resale process is an absolute joke.
Auckland council has told us that we need to turn this into an event, if we want an alcohol license running until 6am. Table tennis, meatballs, football, pub quiz - what's not to like? Hopefully, they’ll grant the license… (still waiting for approval). Sore heads on Sunday morning though. Bring it on!
Really struggling to muster the enthusiasm to the point of apathy but no doubt I'll get right into when it starts and feel really disappointed when it's all over too quickly just as I had begun to enjoy it.
A lot like married sex in this respect.
"Married" and "sex" in the same sentence? Confused.
I reckon England will draw with Tunisia and beat Panama and Belgium. It is the way we roll! Portgual are a funny side but I can't see them not finishing top two in their group. Group D looks tight. Second place in F could be well contested and H is a hard one to call.
Has the 3rd choice goalkeeper ever needed to be used?
From The Guardian
The need to use several goalkeepers is rare – in 1990 the 24 teams used a total of 27 keepers, while as recently as 1998 the 32 sides in France used a combined 36. In all, only four teams have ever used three goalkeepers in a single World Cup tournament. That's out of 371 teams to have qualified for the finals – surely time for Fifa to change the rules.
First to use a trio of keepers were France in 1978. The No1 was Jean-Paul Bertrand-Demanes who played in Les Bleus' opening game against Italy. In the second group game against Argentina, Bertrand-Demanes smashed either his back or head (it varies between reports) on a post after pulling off a save and had to be replaced by Dominique Baratelli, a 31-year-old who had made sporadic appearances since 1969. He conceded the winning goal against Argentina and was replaced for France's final group game by Dominique Dropsy. The game against Hungary was Dropsy's debut and he would go on to win another 16 caps. Neither Baratelli nor Bertrand-Demanes would ever play for the national side again.
Belgium went into the 1982 tournament with the eccentric (he served a three-month ban in 1980 after elbowing a linesman in a Belgian Cup match) but hugely talented Jean-Marie Pfaff as their first choice. Pfaff had been welcomed, somewhat apprehensively, back to the fold after missing the 1978 European Championships because of his practical joking, but he couldn't keep his inner comedian under wraps. He was dropped following the first group stage after apparently pretending to drown in the swimming pool at the team hotel. His replacement in Belgium's opening game in the second group stage was Theo Custers, whose performance against Poland was so abject it was his last ("Custers's last stand," notes the World Cup historian Cris Freddi). For the Belgian's final game Jacky Munaron took the gloves.
Also in 1982, Czechoslovakia used three keepers. Zdenek Hruska played from start to finish against Kuwait, but Stanislav Seman was preferred for the Czech's game against England. A calamitous performance – it would be his last for the national side – lasted 75 minutes before he broke a finger and was replaced by third-choice Karel Stromsik, who kept the No1 spot for the final group game.
The most recent team to use three goalkeepers in a single tournament were the hapless Greece side of 1994. The Greeks had gone undefeated through qualifying and named the experienced Antonis Minou, who had conceded only twice in five qualifiers, as No1 for the opening game against Argentina. A 4-0 defeat saw 25-year-old AEK keeper Elias Atmatsidis in goal against Bulgaria. Another 4-0 defeat followed and he was replaced by 24-year-old Christos Karkamanis for the final group game. That brought a slight improvement in fortunes – a 2-0 defeat to Nigeria.
Has the 3rd choice goalkeeper ever needed to be used?
From The Guardian
The need to use several goalkeepers is rare – in 1990 the 24 teams used a total of 27 keepers, while as recently as 1998 the 32 sides in France used a combined 36. In all, only four teams have ever used three goalkeepers in a single World Cup tournament. That's out of 371 teams to have qualified for the finals – surely time for Fifa to change the rules.
First to use a trio of keepers were France in 1978. The No1 was Jean-Paul Bertrand-Demanes who played in Les Bleus' opening game against Italy. In the second group game against Argentina, Bertrand-Demanes smashed either his back or head (it varies between reports) on a post after pulling off a save and had to be replaced by Dominique Baratelli, a 31-year-old who had made sporadic appearances since 1969. He conceded the winning goal against Argentina and was replaced for France's final group game by Dominique Dropsy. The game against Hungary was Dropsy's debut and he would go on to win another 16 caps. Neither Baratelli nor Bertrand-Demanes would ever play for the national side again.
Belgium went into the 1982 tournament with the eccentric (he served a three-month ban in 1980 after elbowing a linesman in a Belgian Cup match) but hugely talented Jean-Marie Pfaff as their first choice. Pfaff had been welcomed, somewhat apprehensively, back to the fold after missing the 1978 European Championships because of his practical joking, but he couldn't keep his inner comedian under wraps. He was dropped following the first group stage after apparently pretending to drown in the swimming pool at the team hotel. His replacement in Belgium's opening game in the second group stage was Theo Custers, whose performance against Poland was so abject it was his last ("Custers's last stand," notes the World Cup historian Cris Freddi). For the Belgian's final game Jacky Munaron took the gloves.
Also in 1982, Czechoslovakia used three keepers. Zdenek Hruska played from start to finish against Kuwait, but Stanislav Seman was preferred for the Czech's game against England. A calamitous performance – it would be his last for the national side – lasted 75 minutes before he broke a finger and was replaced by third-choice Karel Stromsik, who kept the No1 spot for the final group game.
The most recent team to use three goalkeepers in a single tournament were the hapless Greece side of 1994. The Greeks had gone undefeated through qualifying and named the experienced Antonis Minou, who had conceded only twice in five qualifiers, as No1 for the opening game against Argentina. A 4-0 defeat saw 25-year-old AEK keeper Elias Atmatsidis in goal against Bulgaria. Another 4-0 defeat followed and he was replaced by 24-year-old Christos Karkamanis for the final group game. That brought a slight improvement in fortunes – a 2-0 defeat to Nigeria.
Dont know if its already been mentioned but without any question the Nigeria kit is going to be the best at this World Cup - Quite surprised that its Nike who made it for them, I'd have expected something plain and green from them!!
Dont know if its already been mentioned but without any question the Nigeria kit is going to be the best at this World Cup - Quite surprised that its Nike who made it for them, I'd have expected something plain and green from them!!
Comments
Table tennis, meatballs, football, pub quiz - what's not to like? Hopefully, they’ll grant the license… (still waiting for approval).
Sore heads on Sunday morning though. Bring it on!
In practice all 3 attacking midfielders would go where they fancy anyway
I'm probably going to end up selling them back to fifa (obviously after they take another cut for themselves) but the resale process is an absolute joke.
B : Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Iran
C : France, Denmark, Peru, Australia
D : Argentina, Croatia, Nigeria, Iceland
E : Brazil, Switzerland, Serbia, Costa Rica
F : Germany, Mexico, South Korea, Sweden
G : Belgium, England, Tunisia, Panama
H : Poland, Colombia, Japan, Senegal
Unless I am being Whoosee in which case I am tired to have an excuse
Croatia away and Belgium away are the best.
Nigeria is voted the best as well but I also like the Germany away, *Denmark, Senegal and Uruguay.
*just realised they wont be playing in that patch work masterpiece, it was just a limited edition. another FA who don't know what they are doing.
My other favourites:
Argentina away:
Costa Rica home:
Panama away:
Croatia's looks like a blanket and Belgium's is a horrible yellow.