Friday 11 June 2010

Fields Of Gold

I'm quite looking forward to this World Cup. The last two haven't offered much apart from referees doing all but score themselves to keep South Korea going in 2002, and the most poorly-executed headbutt in history from Zidane last time. But there's a small tingle about this one which is drawing me in.

Plus, Mrs P rang last week primarily to say she had drawn Argentina in her work sweepstake, but also to ask if they are any good - can you tell she doesn't know too much about football?

For a punter like me, there are betting opportunities aplenty for the next month and, as it's a four yearly comp, I can get away with placing them without the usual tutting. Even the righteous have trouble imposing their morals on us during World Cups, although this could be a test case for their increased powers so one never knows. After all, they've already fired an opening salvo.

So enticing is this, that I'd be tempted to watch a couple of games in the pub if I hadn't been made to feel unwelcome in every single one of them. It's the first World Cup since the Health Act, so the half time exoduses would be amusing to see.

All in all, I'm rather in the mood for a bit of rousing football-related music. No, not that Corden rap rubbish - something inspiring whilst also evocative of a time when life was, well, more relaxed.

Shall we? I think it's in order, don't you?




14 comments:

Joe said...

Can't believe that's 20 years ago and it's still a class tune love it
first world cup I really remember was 12 years old and I cried when we went out f'in' gutted, now I'm used to it. Semis, penalties, plane home, Simples ;)

On the downside, I'll be at work tomorrow, but as I work for Sky the T.V.'ll be on so I'll watch it while I work YAY ~\o/

And with regards the grapes does wine count, I'll happily have a bottle of plonk instead of beer if it keeps the five a day monkeys off my back :p

JuliaM said...

Your wife has no need for blushes. I drew Cameroon in my office sweepstakes and didn't even know they played football...

Anonymous said...

I'm surprised that office sweepstakes are still allowed...

Jay

Dick Puddlecote said...

Joe: Excellent track, isn't it? Though at the time the FA hated it apparently.

Julia: Two words ... Roger Milla ;-)

Right, just had my first bet of the tourney. Both teams to score in France/Uruguay - Evens at Billy Hills. Let the goals flow. :-)

The Great Simpleton said...

I noticed today that a pub in a village near me is advertising that they have an outdoor screen. Its amazing the ingenuity people show when provoked. I may even pop round for a quick beer to reward them.

PS I wouldn't have too many bets if the word verification is anything to go by - ingnil

Gordon the Fence Post Tortoise said...

Each match = 22 millionaires ruining a lawn © Charlie Brooker MMX

Decidedly gone off Charlie after his spittle flecked off-target anti Tory rants during the election...

But hey, if you enjoy footy - fill yer boots.

Sport for me in South Africa involves sitting on the hotel bar balcony with a few colleagues watching a succession of armed muggings at a cash machine across the road.

Unknown said...

Didn't Cameroon send Scotland packing a couple of world cups back? Bastards!

Captain Haddock said...

FFS .. no sooner will this pointless feed of fucking chutney be over than we'll have to suffer sodding Wombledon ...

Dick Puddlecote said...

TGS: Love hearing about the pub. I'd feel compelled to go there for such customer care. You've answered Mrs P's question of a few days ago when she asked what would happen this year seeing as it was th first WC since the ban.

I remember in 2002 that a pub in New Malden had a massive outdoor screen, but that was because the place is jam-packed with Koreans and they couldn't fit them all inside.

As for the bets ... if I bet on an England game, it's always to oppose England. Anything else isn't value. ;-)

Gordon: As long as you have a beer there too, that sounds like 'Police, Camera, Action' in 3D.

TBY: Don't think Cameroon did you. But you had a bit of trouble in 1974 with Zaire. And who can forget Peru in 1978, and ... oh, sorry, mustn't rub salt. ;-)

Haddock: Think optimistically. July. Tennis. Russian. Women.

All Seeing Eye said...

I'm with Mrs P on this one. The office sweepstake produced South Africa for me, which may or may not be good.

Even I know that our accountsbunny won't get far with her 'Honduras', so that was her fiver wasted.

@Jay 12:25
The office sweepstake is indeed illegal in the UK

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/06/04/world_cup_sweepstake/

Dick Puddlecote said...

Eye: Crikey! So not only did Labour ban Happy Hour, they also criminalised the work sweepstake?

Socialists really are hideous bastards, aren't they?

Captain Haddock said...

Disappointment for Brazil after football team draws ‘office idiot’ in sweepstake

The national football team of Brazil will head off to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with heavy hearts this week, after drawing ‘useless clot’ Brian Davies from Accounts in the annual Zenith Industrial Holdings Ltd. sweepstake.

‘Davies hasn’t got a hope in hell of keeping his job, let alone getting a pay rise, ‘not since he screwed up the employee’s P60 PAYE tax statements last April,’ complained Brazilian manager Dunga. ‘The man’s a menace and everyone knows it. In many ways it’s my fault for letting Robinho put his hand in the hat – he should have searched around a bit, rather than pulling out the first name he found. It’s a waste of a pound in my opinion.’

With thanks to "Newsbiscuit" ... ;)

Gordon the Fence Post Tortoise said...

Dick
Yeah, a few scoops on the verandah, it'll be very intersting to see how the media play the crime thing. It was only after the boys had stopped the third bunch of tourists that we saw the gun.

As noted in quite a few places - Al Habibi-see have spent a pretty wedge of TV tax insulating themselves from the population and installing stair lifts for hasbeens ....

Notable that they decided to base themselves in Cape Town too...

In terms of betting - I'd like to bet that if a BBC employee is mugged we'll only hear about it months later - if at all.

JuliaM said...

"Julia: Two words ... Roger Milla ;-)"

Oh, yes! I loved 'King of the Road'... ;)