The Three Lions

So it's been nearly four long years since the last set of Euros! The hardcore fans are searching through their wardrobes for their retro England shirts (Italia 90 no 19 on the back) Hopefully England will play more than 3 games at this tournament! We won't even mention 2014's World Cup run.. Or lack of so to speak! 

Normally the press have already written the headlines by now.. The hype would be reaching fever pitch and every man and his dog would be convinced it was going to be England's year this year... For some reason though no one is really beating the England drum. It's almost as if people are praying that if they don't mention England in the same breath as tournament favorites Germany or Spain the boys may do the impossible!! 

The last truly great Euro campaign we had was back in 96! Who can forget Pearce's pen against the Spanish, or The great interlinking play between Teddy & Shearer against the Dutch? Unfortunately though we only made it to the Semi's.. A Mr G Southgate would be forever remembered as the man that missed that crucial pen! 

So what are we realistically hoping for this summer... 

It's hard to tell what formation or players Roy's gonna start with... But if we can play to our strengths with the likes of Kane & Vardy then there is a possibility that we can restore some pride to our national team following years of underachieving. 

If that doesn't happen then can we at least produce a modern day three lions icon. like we had of Gazza! Someone who the county can get behind... 

Although we all know Gazza was a one off so in that case i'd happily settle for another Chris Waddle! 

 

Close but no cigar.......

Today in the office we've been talking about the nearly men of football, those that didn't quite reach their initial promise, maybe hyped up too much by the media? Or took their eye off the (foot) ball during their early career? Maybe a career wrecked by injury, anyway here's a few noteworthy suggestions...

Chris Kirkland

Touted in his early career as the next great hope for English goalkeeping his potential @ Coventry was spotted by Liverpool and he made the trip to Anfield to follow in the glove prints of other keeping greats such as Ray Clemence, Bruce Grobbelaar and David James.
At the time his fee of £6 million was a record for a 'keeper, but this was a position that the Reds needed to strengthen, as consistant performances from the men between the sticks had become something of a rarity @ Anfield and it was due to some dodgy keeping from Jerzy Dudek that saw Kirkland get his chance.
But with his stick like frame and almost constant injuries the fans on The Kop could of been forgiven for thinking Kirkland was made of matchsticks, a run in the side saw him once again in the England reckoning but still that elusive cap eluded him.
It wasn't until he moved on to Wigan and almost as the forgotten man made his one and only appearance for the Three Lions coming on as a sub against Greece, winning his Dad ten grand in the process after he'd put a bet on his son as an eleven year old that he would play for England.........some cynics would suggest that the then national team boss Sven Goran Eriksson got a cut of the dosh..


Lee Sharpe

Though not coming through the youth ranks he was still considered one of 'Fergie's fledgings', the golden generation which included Beckham, Giggs, Scholes and Butt. A wide man who appeared in the side before Beckham and might have had his fame and success if he had managed himself better. Sir Alex's no nonsense approach to his starlets plus ironically the emergence of fellow fledgling Ryan Giggs soon saw Sharpe in and out of the side, this wasn't helped by growing injury concerns and was eventually shipped out to Leeds.
Still remembered fondly with the Man U faithful for performances in the Cup Winners Cup and League Cup, maybe if he had concentrated solely on the football he may have stayed around and prolonged his career.
Any player with skill and flair catch the eye upon their arrival on the scene but for Sharpe it all ended at Bradford City and after football catching the eye of Abi Tittmus on Celebrity Love Island.....

Joe Cole

Every few seasons a player comes along that is seen as the next big thing, Joe Cole had his time as that very player. With Gazza a dewy eyed distant memory much was hoped for from the pint sized midfielder from Paddington. His prodigious talent saw him raved about while still a schoolboy - scoring seven goals in an England Youth game does that sort of thing and a reported £10 million bid from Man Utd when only 16 also doesn't help with all the hype. He stayed at West Ham though and was captaining the side @ the age of 21 before childhood club Chelsea came knocking.

The Blues provided his most successful spell, but with Chelsea's revolving door policy of both managers and foreign players he didn't stand much chance in the end, although when he made his free transfer move to Liverpool he was still highly regarded, maybe a different team may have seen a different outcome but from his first appearance (that ended with a sending off) the writing was on the wall, at West Ham there had been less competition for places time out with injuries didn't help and after a loan spell @ French club Lille Cole is now looking at a new start back @ Liverpool at the age of 30.

Paul Gascoigne

Maybe not an obvious choice, but Gazza really did have the world @ his feet. Arguably the greatest talent to come out of the British Isles since George Best, Gascoigne had the advantage of playing for England. Meaning a place on the world stage eventually beckoned and it was @ Italia '90 that he came of age, with him England's dreaming almost became a reality, close but no cigar. But it was in his failure and resulting tears for souvenirs that Gazzamania was truly launched, scenes reminiscent of a boy band concert at White Hart Lane the following season were witnessed and he was everywhere from chat shows to Top of The Pops.
From the streets of Newcastle - and eventually starring for his boyhood team, he played the game with the same schoolboy enthusiasm throughout his career moving on the Tottenham after being scouted by the legendary Bill Nicholson.
From then on, we all know how it ended. Though his career briefly peaked with a trip North of the Border with Rangers and proving to be the Scots undoing with that goal @ Euro '96 he really wasn't the same player after his - some would say self inflicted injury during the '91 FA Cup Final. With his demons off the pitch that we couldn't possibly try to go into or solve on this blog, we see him now as a shadow of his former self with a tinge of regret of what might have been



Footballing & money

Can the real footballer stand up please?

There's no doubt it football has grown into a sponsorship nightmare. Some people are more interested in what the players are wearing than how the team performs on the pitch. Today for example the F.A show cased the latest nike ball to be used for next season, who really cares? a balls a ball! it's what the players do with it that counts, like sticking it in the back of the net, or produce a world class save thats what people should be talking about! 

The media along with advertising campaigns have created a bubble which allows players to believe they walk on water, average players that 30 years ago wouldn't of even been picked to play sunday league find themselves on drinks bottles, or sandwich packs! Take Bendtner or Gomes for example. Some even find the need in tweeting pictures of themselves while on holiday in a 5 star resort, the kind of place no working man can afford to go to, "Cheers mate while i'm earning £10 per hour struggling for ends meat your out drinking champaign" yeah thanks for sharing that! they need to come back to the real world and be part of the living! 

I remember growing up, and players would live down the same road, eat at the same places and shop at local supermarkets! I mean even Gazza who was a superstar at the time, would think nothing more than popping to the local shops for a loaf of bread. Could you imaging Terry or Rooney doing that? 

As soon as the season ends, its who's leaving and who's handed in a transfer request, Sky almost invent rumours on a daily basis, after all they were to blame for 'Arry losing his job at Spurs, by banging on about the England job and how or why he is the next boss... we all know what happened there don't we! So what has happened to the one club player? with only a handful about it's a dying breed. Hat's off to Giggs, Scholes, King and co *RVP and Modric take note! 

So with all this money, hype and hysteria flying about now in the footballing world, how long will it be until we have time-outs or even extra time multi-ball? We may laugh about it, but the way things are going its closer than you think. Just ask Cardiff fans. They are now the famous blue birds that play in red! 

The greatest free kick @ Wembley

During a cheeky tea break earlier today.... The Midweeker went in for a sliding tackle on the tea boy (Edison) and ended up covering the little lad all in hot tea! He then decided to bring up the subject of free kicks (as you do!) and so the question was asked "What's the greatest free kick ever to be scored @ Wembley?" 

So as Edison picked himself up of the floor..... The Midweeker started to flick through the archives. A short while later we all gathered around the 'it's a football thing table' & this is what we decided! 

The stand out free kick for us, well there was only ever gonna be one winner!

Gazza 1991 F.A Cup semi final Spurs v Arsenal 

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