Scott7

From a recent Spectator Article by Roger Alton. More relaxed and probably more interesting times “Thank the lord we can look back on a more innocent era. Like the first World Cup in 1930 in Uruguay, where (and thanks to the boisterous Upshot website for this) the refs wore suits and ties, the Bolivians played in berets and the Romanian team were selected by the King. The European sides sailed together across the Atlantic in a Scottish steamship, which stopped off in Rio to pick up the Brazilians. Egypt, the only African team, were supposed to join them, but set off late and missed the boat. Hosts Uruguay took on their detested neighbours Argentina in the final, and thousands of Argentine fans set off for Montevideo on a steamboat. It got lost in heavy fog and they arrived a day late to find their country had lost.”

From the other side of the fence. An Article by Toby Young in a recent Spectator. “Most football fans have had their attention riveted on Qatar for the past couple of weeks, but for those of us who support Queens Park Rangers there’s been an unwelcome distraction at home. Our manager Michael Beale, who’s only been in charge for 21 league games, announced on Monday that he’s leaving us for Rangers, the Glaswegian football club. Having spent a huge amount of time and effort recruiting a manager in the summer – and seemingly picking a winner – QPR’s top brass will have to start again. Beale was one of the few people in authority (me included) who hadn’t disappointed my children Such behaviour isn’t particularly unusual in the modern game. Nathan Jones, who steered Luton to a top six finish in the Championship last season, left the Hatters in November to become the manager of Southampton. Another second-tier manager, Neil Critchley, was tempted away from Blackpool in June to become a mere assistant at Aston Villa, which must have been a kick in the teeth for the fans. At least our manager has been lured away by a proper job. True, Beale was only at QPR for five and a half months, when you’d expect a manager to stay for at least a season before making eyes at a more glamorous club. But that isn’t what makes his departure so annoying. No, the really irritating thing about this is that in October another club came for Beale – Wolverhampton Wanderers – and he turned them down, explaining that he was too honourable to leave QPR so soon after being appointed. ‘Integrity and loyalty are big things for me, and if they are the values you live by you have to be strong,’ he told the press. ‘I have been all-in here and I have asked other people to be all-in so I can’t be the first person to run away from the ship.’ In case he hadn’t portrayed himself as saintly enough, he added: ‘The only reasons for leaving QPR right now would be selfish ones around ego, status or finance. And that’s not really me.’ This was music to the ears of QPR fans – finally, a football manager with a moral compass! – and we let Beale into our hearts. At every home game since, including the two we’ve lost, I’ve stood on the terraces chanting ‘Micky Beale’s blue army’ at the top of my lungs. I even travelled to Birmingham to watch the team lose 2-0 and looked on admiringly as a visiting fan hung up a banner that read: ‘Loyalty will always be rewarded.’ My four children, who are all avid QPR supporters, were also impressed by Beale. He was one of the few people in authority in their short lives (including their dad) who hadn’t disappointed them. Now what are we to think? Beale ditching us this week, having announced he was far too noble to do anything so mercenary, is worse than if he’d gone in October. He hasn’t merely disappointed us; he’s broken our hearts. We’re left with the suspicion that the reason he didn’t take the Wolves job was nothing to do with loyalty and integrity, but because he suspected the Rangers job was about to become available and knew he was in with a shout. (Beale worked as an assistant coach at Ibrox for three years.) To quote Sam Jolliffe, a fellow QPR fan: ‘The Mick Beale situation in non-football terms: you’re in a relationship that you think is going really well and then you see their screen time stats and the most used app on their phone is Tinder.’ How catastrophic is this for the Hoops? Pretty bad. Not because Beale is an incredible, irreplaceable talent – QPR has lost four of the last five matches under his stewardship – but because he brought in seven decent players since his arrival and most of them came to the club to work with him. Beale has a good reputation for player development and has coached many of these footballers before, some of them when they were kids. In the case of one – a very promising Dutch left-back called Kenneth Paal – Beale persuaded him to leave behind his pregnant girlfriend in Holland to join our squad. How’s Paal going to feel now that his paterfamilias has hotfooted it to Glasgow? Hard to see him sticking around. Indeed, I wouldn’t be surprised if Beale tries to poach him for Rangers in the January transfer window, along with some of the other players he brought in. That would be the icing on the snake. Modern football is such a moral cesspit, it takes a great deal to shock me. But I confess to being completely poleaxed by Beale’s duplicity. I really thought we’d found a good’un. Turns out, he’s just like all the rest.”

I’m more the other way round. No excitement for it and only watched bits of the opening games. I don’t mind the same teams winning so long as they play up to their standards. Only Argentina and maybe France will be in the final and neither has been up to usual levels. I enjoyed Japan, Morocco and South Korea for adding enthusiasm to very good skill levels. Croatia did well. Bill is right about two things. The cricket was very much better in both performance and contest. And as he said earlier Qatar have produced the competition very well indeed. Not their fault the football’s not been great.

Or Joe Baker? See above.

Gerry Hitchens? Ian Steven? Sorry. Failed to see the game was over.

I don’t think the penalty award was correct. Having said that that the section and third goals were vintage Argentina. Alvarez got the break of the ball twice in his run on goal for his first but you could say he made his own luck. Messi is well on the downward slope of his career but he’s still well ahead of many. Perisic is a player. ‘Spurs got him on a free.

Croatia are consistent performers. Argentina have the capability of mesmerising brilliance two or three times in most games. They have a downside of nastiness and there’s that Malvinas nonsense. Modric deserves a Cup Final. Prso. Jelavic. MoanaCroats. 🎶Borna won a medal in Qatar🎶 - sounds good.

Have we not already had a big five weeks and made a horlicks of it?

But for the wrong reasons. Souness, on the other hand …….

Might have been different if Ralph Brand’s early shot had gone in.

Sixty years ago on this day ‘Spurs beat Rangers 2-3 in the second leg of the second round of the Cup Winners Cup to make the aggregate score 4-8. The result was a disappointment but it was a good match. The Rangers team was a permutation of the great early sixties elevens. This one had Henderson for Scott and Davis for Greig. ‘Spurs had Blanchflower and McKay and Greaves and White and a couple of Welsh Wing Wizards but I don’t think they were necessarily better players than Rangers players. They were a better team by which I mean they were better coached by Bill Nicholson than Rangers were by Scot Symon. I think Symon’s method was to assemble the talent and let them get on with it. Not entirely unsuccessful. ’Spurs went on to win the cup.

England out and for once they were desperately unlucky.

And another but Kane’s missed it. 2-1 France in a match dominated by England. I’d have Saka in my team before either M’Bappe or Dembele or both come to that. Still time to get it back but not much.

France getting away with a lot. England should have had a penalty first half. They’ve got one now. 1-1. Saka’s a player.

I’m sure you’re right, Bill. The genius, Southgate, will give his team a crash course in the language, probably at halftime tonight.

Portugal expected it and waited for it. Morocco went for it and deserved it. Mistake not to play Ronaldo from the start. Arrogant nutter but he’s good at the football.

Nope. Not having that. It looks like Welsh Guards uniform and Garter sash. Should be Scots Guards and Order of the Thistle. The Thistle sash is green but it’s a respectable dark green, no emerald nonsense. If there’s no picture of HM in a Scots Guards coat, Admiral of the Fleet would be even better. I hope this in addition to and not in place of Her Late Majesty.

Mrs7’s sister is going for her first ever visit to Ibrox. I apologise in advance on her behalf for any screaming, cursing and general unruly behaviour inappropriate to the Stadium. I hope the UBs won’t be running out with their hands over their ears.

The Argies pay the penalty for buggering about. They should have kept playing. Would most likely have won it in the 110. Now they’ve got to start all over again. Surrendered momentum is hard to regain. Argentina are masters of the sleekit foul. Only Uruguay do it better.

England wouldn’t have to worry too much about either Argentina or Netherlands in the Final though Argentina can sometimes produce a little bit extra that makes them dangerous.

Thanks. Forgot about that. Where’s my worry beads?

Tell’t ye. Actually I’m a bit sorry Brazil are out. They are capable of stunning bits of play, just not the nonstop samba of old. Not sorry Croatia are through. I like their consistency.

Team: England though they have had no notable opposition but at least they disposed of them. Brazil, Argentina and Spain all lost matches to inferior teams. Player: Mbappe for his thunderbolt shooting.

Depends. If we’re hanging on to a single goal lead which is nut unusual, the answer is no. If we’re pushing for an equaliser, yes. The sensible answer, however, is that it must be done to overcome the ridiculous amount of time-wasting that goes n.

I don’t think England will ever have a better chance. Beat the frogs and it’s theirs. I believe they’ll do it and good luck to the team and all English football supporters. NB Supporters, not fans. There’s a difference. As for the journos. Perhaps the Lord will strike them dumb.