Off Topic WORLD CUP 2018

I think the next one (2016) to be chosen... will not be Europe or the Middle East/Asia......maybe N or S America.....Africa or even Australasia

 

I fancy France for this one. They look as strong as anybody else.

 

My tip, but don't right off mr Putins Russia he may threaten to poison the refs also

 

England's World Cup football kit is being made in a factory in Bangladesh where workers are paid as little as 21p an hour, an investigation by the Daily Telegraph can disclose.
The official shirt and shorts, part of the most expensive England kit ever, are made at a factory inside a government controlled restricted zone where employees are paid as little as £1.68 a day and live "hand to mouth".
The clothing identical to the strip worn by the players during matches, is available to fans to buy in the run up to this years tournament in Russia for as much as £160.
The "sweat shop" disclosure will raise concerns about whether the Football Association has carried out adequate checks on where the garments are being made and could be embarrassing for the England team.

Part of a longer article in The Daily Telegraph 01/06/2018.

My thoughts.....Sepp Blatter would have approved of such blatant capitalism.....literally slave labour workers.... and football fans being sucked dry of every penny possible.
Football fans that will be paying vast amounts for accommodation....with the possibility of being attacked by Russian Ultra gangs who practised last month on Liverpool fans in Kiev......the sooner England get knocked out the better.

 

PANINI WORLD CUP STICKER ALBUM

A maths professor has said on average you would have to buy 967 packs (5 to a pack) or 4832 stickers to complete the set, a cost of £773.

They cost 80p a pack more than double the cost of Euro 2016 packs.

If you never had a repeat it would still cost £109.60 and you would have bought 137 packs.

There are 32 squads plus managers,stadiums and World Cup legends equalling 682 stickers to a complete set.


My thoughts.....Didn't this start years back as a bit of fun at a small cost...now it's big business and costs a fortune....how do you say no to your very keen young son who want to collect them and swap his dozens of repeats with his mates ?

 

Well done the Telegtraph, which I've abandoned because of its pro Brexit propaganda, for exposing this.

 

Anyone who physically goes to this World Cup gets absolutely no sympathy from me for anything that may happen. It is well publicised what things will be like and the rip off that is football. If people know all of that and still go then they deserve to be ripped off and if they get a bit of a kicking then why be surprised given the publicity. Have to say I am still finding it hard to get excited about it all yet.

 

2026 World Cup bids will be considered on 13th June.

Two bidders.....1...USA, Canada and Mexico.....combined bid.

........................2...Morocco.

Morocco's bid submitted....14 Stadiums.....9 not built.....5 need significant work.
Also poor accommodation and transport links......plus security dangers.

Looks straight forward doesn't it.......BUT I wouldn't bet your house on bidder one getting the vote, after the way the last two venues where chosen.

If bid one wins...does that mean all three countries get straight into the finals ?

 

Only just noticed that the mighty England are playing Nigeria today at Wembley at 1715....and it's on proper telly....that's if you can call ITV proper football telly.

 

England looked good in the first half....or was it Nigeria looking bad ?.....2-0 H/T.

Nigeria scored straight after half-time.....and looked the better side for quite awhile....2-1 F/T.

Hopefully no serious injuries....but did only just enough to win.

Final friendly on Thursday against Costa Rica......also on ITV.

 

Apart from about 20 minutes the game was pants for me. How teams can have the ball just outside the opposition penalty area and end up with it in their own is beyond me. Not once but loads of times. Boring boring boring boring boring fecking boring. It's keep ball for keep ball sake and loads of teams play like that now. Have a bleddy shot for christ sake and you never know what might happen. It's what I expect in the World Cup comp and is probably why I'm not that excited.

 

You'll be there once the competitive games start.....

The modern World Cup lacks the excitement it used to have. In years gone by, half the fun was seeing great players from around the world you'd never heard of before. Now they're in the Champions League (or even Premier League) every week.

Sent from my mobile phone - E&OE

 

Plus of course that African guy who, when defending a free kick, cracked, broke out of the wall and hacked the ball into the far distance.

Top World Cup moment ever.

Sent from my mobile phone - E&OE

 

England...2-0...Costa Rica....Rashford & Welbeck.....lots of possession not enough goals.

 

Resisted the urge to watch it. I know they need a bit of practice but there is something about friendlies which doesn't catch the interest. Yeh I know notdistant I will be there when it starts. I still haven't managed to get excited yet though.

 

Well, I'll go out on a limb and say that the first half against Nigeria and the whole game against Costa Rica apart from 15 minutes early in the second half showed some promise.

Yes, the amount of possession in the opposition half warranted more goals but the goalkeepers hardly had a save to make due to to well organised defence. No, these two opponents aren't among the world's best but England dominated territorially and creatively. It's a young side but we aren't burdened with ageing, semi-fit and partially committed "stars" who have to be shoehorned into the team come what may. Players have been chosen to fit a system, not the other way around. By all accounts, it's a relaxed and united squad, unlike the unhappy and divided ones we've heard about recently from players from the preceding few tournaments.

I'm NOT saying we'll win it but I don't think this lot are going to disgrace themselves.

 

It was said that Costa Rica had spent much of the previous 24 hrs flying to the UK....at least three changes required to get here....if that's the case they did quite well to survive 90 minutes.

 

Think positive Plymborn!!

 

we will make the last 8

 

The last 8 Joe? Is that anywhere from 24th to 32nd?