England V Slovenia World Cup Photos And News Round-Up: FAB-io Or CRAP-ello?
ENGLAND V Slovenia in the 2010 World Cup is huge. The nation is talking. Here are the pick of the news and views: featuring a druid; a curse; Steven Gerrard’s fear; FAB-io or CRAP-ello; Beckenbauer backs England; Wimbledon bans England; the WAG bag; and travel agents are traitors…
Sun (front page): “RECOVERY MASTERPLAN REVEALED”
The Sun offers perspective on a Budget
* Taxing time ahead for all
* Country must pull together
* Heskey could be on bench
This is Cornwall: “Curse of African witch doctor lifted from England squad by Cornish druid”
Ed Prynn, the Archdruid of Cornwall, says he has lifted the magical burden that was placed on the team in Cape Town — by an African witch doctor.
Says he:
“They will feel like a big black cloud has passed over and it will be a new beginning. People will probably think I’ve lost my marbles but when the bird landed on the goal during the Algeria game on Friday, it was like a red light telling me the team were in trouble. They were doomed…
“I will know if my spell has worked straight away on Wednesday and England will win – even if it’s a penalty shoot- out.”
Wirral News: “Calls to Merseyside police during England’s first World Cup game drop significantly compared to four years ago”
Too depressed to fight:
Merseyside Police recorded a 37.5% reduction in both emergency and non-emergency calls on Saturday June 12, when placed against the number received during England’s first match at the last World Cup…
No football-related arrests were made on the day of England’s match with the USA.
Telegraph: “England v Slovenia: fear of World Cup failure will spurs us on, says Steven Gerrard”
Says Steven Gerrard:
“The fear of not winning drives you on. The last thing you want is to go home in the group stages. We’ve come here to stay in this tournament to the end. It would be an absolute disaster for this group of players to go home after the group stages.
“We want more. We want a performance. The key is to try and live without fear. There is pressure and fear. You’re playing for England and you have massive support. It doesn’t help to go on to the pitch and play with that fear.
“You have to go on to the pitch and try and relax, be patient. The performance will come.”
Over in Wimbledon:
Wimbledon was refusing to relent on its World Cup ban on Wednesday despite fears fans could snub the event with England’s footballers in action.
Bolton News: “Travel firms hope England don’t make it”
The Co-operative Travel says that England’s last World Cup exit to Portugal on penalties led to a surge in holiday bookings.
Wayne, Fabio et al,
First off, you can count on us.
We will be out in more force and with more passion than any other set of fans will manage throughout the rest of this World Cup, let alone has managed in the tournament so far.
We will be roaring you on and, in the closed and tight atmosphere of the stadium, will be the first set of fans to properly vanquish the vuvuzelas with our voices. The stadium, which will of course be a sea of white and red, will be shaking.
Some of the fans last time booed and, while we didn’t personally join in, we can see why. But to use a rather cheesy line, it really is only because we care. A lot.
In any case though, that is all behind us. When we arrive at the stadium, we will be positive, in good spirit and 100 per cent behind you. And noisy. Very, very noisy.
If we showed our frustration last Friday, it was also because we know how much better than that performance you are. We know you have the talent and the passion to make us proud and we still believe you will. While the game frustrated us, it has not diminished our belief in that ability.
This game is where the world cup starts proper and, as we were described by the team in Euro96, we fully intend to be a twelfth player. You can count on us.
See you out there.
Reason to be cheerful if England lose:
*. “Our boys” can’t possibly look as ridiculous as the French.
Tesco’s Wag Bag, is a bag-for-life designed by Alex Curran and decorated with lipstick kisses and words of encouragement from the wives and girlfriends of the England squad. It’s a limited edition, although by teatime today they could discover they manufactured rather too many of them. The message from Emile Heskey’s fiancee Chantelle Tagoe – “Best of luck fella’s! We’ve got it in the bag (smiley face)” – is typical of those featured on this curiosity of tomorrow. Will future generations wonder why we chose to print something so transient, meaningless and poorly punctuated on a bag that is, after all, meant to last a lifetime? I’m glad I won’t be around to explain it.
Beckenbauer (above), who branded England’s style of play at the World Cup as “kick and rush”, said: “Most of the bigger nations who are struggling will go through to the last 16 and improve as the tournament progresses.
“One of the teams I’ve criticised might go on to be champions. Spain, England and Germany are having difficulties.”
Can’t fail!
The Star says all the omens suggest England will win today: “We’re wearing red, we’re on the BBC, we always beat ’em and we’re not France!”
Ready – it ‘s FAB-io or CRAP-ello:
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Posted: 23rd, June 2010 | In: Key Posts, Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
