tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post8713915755763433786..comments2024-03-28T19:58:17.811+00:00Comments on Wargaming Miscellany: Did I jinx it? It is as valid a reason why England lost as some of the others I have read!Robert (Bob) Corderyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-25108079090998545072021-07-14T07:23:15.883+01:002021-07-14T07:23:15.883+01:00Rross,
Your comment about most New Zealanders dis...Rross,<br /><br />Your comment about most New Zealanders disliking English sports teams was a bit of a surprise to me as I’ve watched international rugby matches in mixed (i.e. Brits and Kiwis together) and never experienced that.<br /><br />An Italian equaliser seemed to be inevitable, and you are right, once that happened, a penalty shootout was always likely to go Italy’s way.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-31406002381899507092021-07-14T06:44:20.867+01:002021-07-14T06:44:20.867+01:00Good comments Bob...being along (30plus years ) ex...Good comments Bob...being along (30plus years ) exiled Scot, my genetic ambivalence to England has worn off and I would not have minded if Your team won...although I don't think the same could be said for most Kwis, who seem to harbour quite an intense dislike if almost any English sports team! As soon as the Italians equalised, I said to a work colleague (it was about eight am Monday here) it will end one all after extra time and the Italians will win on penalties! At least the anticipated after match rioting did not seem to eventuate in any great degree!rrosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07316317334203888350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-15962356453840876292021-07-13T08:34:02.999+01:002021-07-13T08:34:02.999+01:00Arthur1815 (Arthur),
If my memory serves me right...Arthur1815 (Arthur),<br /><br />If my memory serves me right, soccer has actually been the catalyst that started a war in 1969 between El Salvador and Honduras, although the underlying causes were economic and political. The war lasted about 100 hours (so slightly less than the coverage of Sunday's game!) and featured much use of old World War II equipment, including CORSAIR and MUSTANG fighters and M3 STUART tanks. The Salvadoreans invaded Honduras, and almost reached the capital before the war ended.<br /><br />The drunkenness and violence that was shown on TV was condemned by the media ... who had done quite a lot to stoke up the situation beforehand. The example you give of BBC Breakfast presenter's behaviour towards the Chancellor or the Exchequer is exactly the sort of thing that helps to make these so-called 'patriotic' demonstrations of loutishness look right in the minds of the people who take part in them.<br /><br />The wonderful myth of the Christmas truce in 1914 often gives people the impression that this extended along the whole of the frontline ... but as I understand it, such fraternisation was limited and soon ended once those higher up the chain of command got to hear about it.<br /><br />Edward III might well have been right to ban football for both military and practical reasons. Trained archers were a useful adjunct to the armoured armies of the time, and football matches had a reputation for being somewhat more violent than the loutishness exhibited by so-called 'fans' on Sunday.<br /><br />Good old Nosey knew well that a crowd that cheered you when things were going well were just as likely to cheer you as you were being taken to the scaffold! He was a wise general and politician.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-25529542675054878942021-07-12T22:14:45.272+01:002021-07-12T22:14:45.272+01:00I think football - and perhaps some other sports i...I think football - and perhaps some other sports in which there are international competitions - have become a war substitute insofar as they are now the one area in which it is still acceptable to express nationalistic, jingoistic sentiments. By repeatedly showing film of fans behaving like boorish idiots as if this were itself 'newsworthy' without any criticism, television creates the impression that this sort of behaviour is not only acceptable but is actually expected. <br /><br />BBC Breakfast descended to a new low a few days ago when Charlie Stayt thought the first thing he must do when interviewing Chancellor Rishi Sunak was to get him to promise to sing that wretched song about 'football coming home' on his next interview. I'm sure Mr Sunak is (secretly) very grateful England lost!<br /><br />The ridiculous importance attached to football was for me epitomised when I was teaching a history class about the Christmas Truce in 1914 and mentioned the impromptu football match played in No Man's Land. They all wanted to know who won; when I said some sources suggested the Germans won 3-2 there were howls of dismay. I pointed out that it was far more important that the Allies won in November 1918 (and the replay in 1945)...<br /><br />I often think Edward III was right to ban football and order that young men should do archery practice after church on Sunday afternoons. And that there was much good sense in Wellington's 'I never encourage these people to cheer...'<br /><br />Best wishes,<br />Arthur arthur1815https://www.blogger.com/profile/12333670394529977263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-5543188134705495172021-07-12T21:02:41.620+01:002021-07-12T21:02:41.620+01:00Mr. Pavone,
The problem with soccer is the huge a...Mr. Pavone,<br /><br />The problem with soccer is the huge amount of money generated by the TV rights to transmit coverage of live matches between leading teams. When it comes to major international competitions, a good performance by an individual player as a member of a national team can pretty well guarantee they will be snapped up by a major team and earn a huge amount of money.<br /><br />Being part of the match day security team was … interesting. I got hit on the head by a bottle and punched and kicked several times. I once threw the same youngster out of the ground three times during the same match for climbing over the wall to get in without paying. On the fourth occasion he tried to climb in, a police officer was standing next to me and arrested him.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-15777948437723148922021-07-12T20:19:13.767+01:002021-07-12T20:19:13.767+01:00I am fortunate to be completely unaffected by the ...I am fortunate to be completely unaffected by the outcome of the match. The only sporting event I car about is one where my college alma mater hockey team plays against our historical rival. Even then, whether the Cardinals win or lose, the outcome is really only a matter of bragging rights for the season. <br />Being security at an English soccer/football match? THAT was probably a good deal more gnarly than the action on the pitch!Mr. Pavonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13286558267156792637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-91773399862346016582021-07-12T18:26:49.011+01:002021-07-12T18:26:49.011+01:00David in Suffolk,
The better team won on the nigh...David in Suffolk,<br /><br />The better team won on the night, but despite what some parts of social media might imply, the England team acquitted themselves with great credit.<br /><br />I think that part of the game’s importance was that it was ‘good news’ at a time when people in England were feeling the effects on their morale of COVID-19. A win might have really given the population a much-needed boost. As it was, it has … but to a lesser extent than it might have done had the team won.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-78085049987073807662021-07-12T17:53:37.621+01:002021-07-12T17:53:37.621+01:00You didn't jinx it Bob! I presume the best te...You didn't jinx it Bob! I presume the best team on the night won, given the rules and conditions that applied. <br />And after all, it's only a game - it's not like it's a war, or something :) <br />btw I haven't watched football for decades either - if I started, would they win? Sadly we will never know...<br /><br /> <br />david in suffolkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02945969485547328039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-24383719334168132512021-07-12T17:48:06.235+01:002021-07-12T17:48:06.235+01:00Jim Duncan,
It’s well worth watching.
All the be...Jim Duncan,<br /><br />It’s well worth watching.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-78492133374689062042021-07-12T17:47:30.895+01:002021-07-12T17:47:30.895+01:00Jim Duncan,
Over the past months we seem to have ...Jim Duncan,<br /><br />Over the past months we seem to have exhausted our supply of unlatched series on BBC iPlayer and other catch-up services.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-65871605913535453262021-07-12T17:22:43.246+01:002021-07-12T17:22:43.246+01:00Over the last couple of weeks I watched a couple o...Over the last couple of weeks I watched a couple of movies and several Youtube videos.Jim Duncan Wargamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14114076455087495681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-53181691793395869742021-07-12T17:21:23.132+01:002021-07-12T17:21:23.132+01:00Watch this Jennifer.
https://www.youtube.com/watc...Watch this Jennifer.<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSfA7xxBM3w<br />Jim Duncan Wargamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14114076455087495681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-66084508122190554102021-07-12T15:56:44.731+01:002021-07-12T15:56:44.731+01:00Jennifer,
I totally agree about sport needing to ...Jennifer,<br /><br />I totally agree about sport needing to be an enjoyable experience rather than a matter of life and death … although I know that there are some people who would not agree with this!<br /><br />In 1967 the Scots beat the England team in a hard fought game, and showed that even the World Cup holders were not invincible. On that day - just like yesterday - the better team won.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-1761434158549923522021-07-12T15:47:09.081+01:002021-07-12T15:47:09.081+01:00Well said. Sports should be enjoyable, not frustra...Well said. Sports should be enjoyable, not frustrating or something to blame on another. Something to keep in mind in other types of games, too. If you're angry at the result, play or watch something else.<br /><br />I seem to recall that shortly after England won the World Cup in 1966, they were defeated by a Scottish team that hadn't even qualified. If that isn't an example of how random a game can be...Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11669958718617450721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-91838362292662818542021-07-12T15:46:19.412+01:002021-07-12T15:46:19.412+01:00Jim Duncan,
The Italians certainly dominated quit...Jim Duncan,<br /><br />The Italians certainly dominated quite large chunks of the game, and always looked as if they would at least equalise. On the night, they were the better team,<br /><br />As long as the England team can learn from their mistakes and improve, then the future looks bright.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Bob<br /><br />PS. Was it possible in Scotland to watch anything but the football on the main TV channels last night? After a month of soccer and two week of tennis, I was becoming desperate to watch something that wasn’t sport or a soap opera!Robert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-57282951017289792422021-07-12T15:40:07.613+01:002021-07-12T15:40:07.613+01:00Nundanket,
My wife and I went to an Italian resta...Nundanket,<br /><br />My wife and I went to an Italian restaurant for lunch yesterday, which probably didn’t help matters! (The food and service was excellent, by the way.)<br /><br />Brits only qualify for a +1 bonus if in line facing a French column.<br /><br />My experience of dealing with racists is that they do not think of themselves as being racists, but staters of an ‘obvious truth’. You can unpick what they say in detail, and lay out and expose the fallacies behind their thinking … but they almost always remain unconvinced.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-226212902585887422021-07-12T15:32:41.388+01:002021-07-12T15:32:41.388+01:00Steve J.,
There were times during the game when I...Steve J.,<br /><br />There were times during the game when Italy dominated the field, and it was obvious that it was only a matter of time before they equalised. England played well, and were beaten by the better team. In a year’s time, I suspect that if the game we replayed, the result would go the other way.<br /><br />Racism is such a wasteful and pernicious attitude, and whilst I was a teacher, it was one that I tried to counter whenever I came across it. Genetically, the difference between ‘races’ is minute, and if you unpick the genetic makeup of most people who like to call themselves English, there are very few are actually 100% Anglo-Saxon in origin.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-75055372943642374092021-07-12T15:23:24.253+01:002021-07-12T15:23:24.253+01:00Rob Young,
I agree with your analysis, and I am s...Rob Young,<br /><br />I agree with your analysis, and I am sure that the England squad and management will learn from the experience of losing. In some ways, I think that the delay from 2030 to 2021 helped England, and I hope that they will continue to improve by the time of the World Cup.<br /><br />No one will be ‘beating’ Marcus Rashford up more than he will himself. He dummied the keeper and had an almost open goal to shoot into. He came within a matter of inches of scoring, and probably overthought what he was doing. I suspect that it is a mistake that he will not make again.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-69579303605869783162021-07-12T15:16:08.309+01:002021-07-12T15:16:08.309+01:00The Tiberian General (Willz Harley),
Certainly th...The Tiberian General (Willz Harley),<br /><br />Certainly the most experienced team won, and on the day, they played better than England.<br /><br />As long as the international wargame competition used my PW rules (and I made a fortune!), it would get my vote … but I suspect that it will never come to pass! ;^)<br /><br />Stay safe and stay well,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-73905701913743966662021-07-12T14:42:24.011+01:002021-07-12T14:42:24.011+01:00I didn't watch the match apart from the penalt...I didn't watch the match apart from the penalty shootout but I understand from match reports that England played well for about 10-15 minutes and thereafter Italy played the better football. It is a lottery when you get to penalties.<br /><br />The better penalty taking team scored more goals than the other team. It is as simple as that. I would query the choice of some of the penalty takers e.g. why choose a young lad with limited international experience to take the vital 5th penalty when there were more experienced perhaps wiser heads available. But then again some of those wiser heads made an absolute mess of their own kicks.<br /><br />End of story, look forward to the next chance.<br />Jim Duncan Wargamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14114076455087495681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-77056299790392241142021-07-12T13:40:04.200+01:002021-07-12T13:40:04.200+01:00There’s a long line of jinxers Bob. Whether it’s ...There’s a long line of jinxers Bob. Whether it’s people washing their lucky underpants, not drinking out of their lucky mugs, drinking all the luck out of the lucky mug…..personally I blame my friend who turned up before the match with Italian beer 😆.<br /><br />Regarding the D6 idea. Do we get a plus one for being British?<br /><br />By the way, I bet giving racist abuse to our players will be the same ones who were saying there is no racism to protest about.nundankethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12895608927860103442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-78413998730541749122021-07-12T13:32:28.562+01:002021-07-12T13:32:28.562+01:00We thought Italy were the better team overall on t...We thought Italy were the better team overall on the night, so we didn't feel too bad when we lost on penalties, which are a lottery. At least it was eerily quiet afterwards in our area, other than people driving home from friends etc, so we got to sleep on time!<br /><br />As for the racist comments, I'm not shocked but saddened and sadly expected this to happen from the stupid minority of fans. As father of mixed race kids, it worries me even more.Steve J.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12143308117853983963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-67377915470725287762021-07-12T12:52:09.514+01:002021-07-12T12:52:09.514+01:00I think we did at least as well as we could have e...I think we did at least as well as we could have expected. We beat Germany and Croatia, finished higher than France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal. Were mistakes made? Sure. I think it was a mistake to put players on for the penalties who hadn't had a chance to warm up properly with playing time during the game. I consider that to be a major factor in the Rashford attempt - he looked very unsure and lacking in confidence on his attempt. But that happens, and if it had worked, everyone in England happy. As it is, most decisions were spot on over the tournament, so well done manager and team!Rob Younghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02533996736711014752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-34374859978026828562021-07-12T11:53:13.691+01:002021-07-12T11:53:13.691+01:00Well said Bob.
As sadly England lost the game, my ...Well said Bob.<br />As sadly England lost the game, my assumption is that the better team won, is this the moment international wargaming comes to the fore and replaces football, tennis, cricket and golf as the entertainment of choice on the television.<br />Probably not but we can dream. <br /><br />Stay safe and happy gaming,<br />Willz Harley.The Tiberian General.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03131252502026305836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-55485827522831354802021-07-12T11:07:58.567+01:002021-07-12T11:07:58.567+01:00Martin Rapier,
Perhaps they should throw a couple...Martin Rapier,<br /><br />Perhaps they should throw a couple of D6s!<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.com