The Euro 2004 Thread

This'll presumably be someone who agrees with you?

Anyway, feel free - I'm off to bed.

No. Read what I say. An opponent can also know what they're talking about.

Let's hope your bed wasn't made in England.

i hope mr p_c_u_k has had a thoroughly miserable summer watching and hating every mention in every programme of england's presence in euro2004.

i'd hazard a guess that the majority english people have had a great time watching the tournament - whilst non-english viewers *might* just have turned the telly over, or managed to avoid falling into a deep depression due to a disturbing self induced sense of national inferiority they have developed - inching towards a xenophobic hatred of their southern neighbours.

Oh please.

Don't confuse my irritation with constant references to 'us', 1966, the Rugby World Cup, two World Wars, bulldog spirit, 'we were robbed', etc etc with xenophobia. I've got nothing against the English - I'm never going to generalise an entire nation because their TV pundits are morons. I've worked with several English people over the last few years, and even they are thoroughly embarassed by the TV coverage. I wasn't ever going to support England because they're not my country, and they're our biggest and bigger rivals (like asking a Manchester City fan to support Manchester United), but it doesn't mean I have a hatred of all things English.

I'll accept that a lot of Scotland, on the other hand, does have a xenophobic and unacceptable attitude towards the English, and it's about time it was dealt with.

Anyway, off to bed this time, honest.

Errrr... that's the referee he's talking about.

last nights ref has his own website. feel free to leave him some feedback on last nights game

http://www.ursmeier.ch

Which appears to be crashing as we speak! I've just passed the link to my English colleagues!

What's the point in going to that web-site. We're just a nation of bad losers. That fact is Portugal deserved to win the game as they were technically better. Sol Campbell's goal if you look closely, saw John Terry's left arm hook over the left outstretched arm of the goal-keeper, thus preventing him from saving it. It's a sore way to lose, but this time, the outcome of the game was correct.

Anyhow, did anyone actually realise John Motson last night though? He was just a background for me. Nothing in his commentary stood out, due to the nervous tension I was feeling, apart from the "I don't want to tempt fate" comments every two minutes before the equaliser.

Still, at least we won't have to fill this presentation thread with "What channel are you watching the semi-final on" kind of stuff, because I can see people getting in a right tiswas again over it.

Enjoyed the BBC coverage last night, and even though Ian Wright is not amazing, he did sum up the disapointment of English fans to me at the end, he was quite speechless.

The coverage was far from jingoistic, but jeez, it doesn't make financial sense to have to separate broadcasts for England and "the rest".

Sky News has been putting up the URL to the ref's website and telling people they can leave feedback. Also ASDA are offering the ref a free pair of glasses, and free eye tests to all swiss nationals in the UK.

sorry for the double post

You know what, I just wrote almost exactly the same thing on Metropol 24/7.

I've notices Sky News started off the day sitting on the fence, but as it's gone on they've slowly come out with their own opinions on the game, taking a tabloid newspaper-style stance on it.