All New Johnnyboy's posts, page 9

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All New Johnnyboy

The World Cup 2006

tvarksouthwest posted:
Who'd have wanted to be Theo Walcott, with such a weight on his shoulders?

Self-pity? Exactly. It's only a game.


As you know, it's rare I agree with you, Simon, but you have it spot on.

Poor Theo. His hopes all raised and then Sven had no confidence in him.

I know it's only a game and not life or death, but that's part of the fun.

I was happy with the behaviour of our fans over there. Dare I say it but I think the Scottish taught us how to behave abroad?
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All New Johnnyboy

The World Cup 2006

broadband cowboy posted:
All New Johnnyboy posted:
Perhaps that sort of friendly and good-natured rivalry requires a maturity and people who support whoever England are playing haven't matured yet. Who knows?


The name Rooney springs to mind for some reason......


Although I would agree with you about Rooney in general, surely you can see that supporting whoever England is playing because you are not English is ever so slightly different from wanting the team you are playing against in a World Cup quarter-final clash to lose?

Chalk, cheese, anybody?
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All New Johnnyboy

The World Cup 2006

doctorvee posted:
...none of which has anything to do with football!

Do you think that the rivalry between, for instance, Spurs and Arsenal fans, means that London should be split up? Or the Old Firm rivalry makes Glasgow a failed experiment? Rivalry is all part of football. Your blindness to this fact rather surprises me, you arrogant t****r.


Very elegant. Very elegant. You should be proud. Your ability to express yourself with class and incisiveness is growing with each post. Do you get detention when you talk like that to your teachers?

In my experience of football, local rivalries are only at their most intense ever when the two clubs play each other.

I should know - I am a Geordie.

In common with most Geordies, I want Newcastle United to do much better than either Sunderland or Middlesbrough. However, ask virtually every Geordie and they will tell you that they don't like the fact that Sunderland went down.

Why? Rivalries is too strong a word for it - as tvmercia said, it's just a desire to want to be the best in the region. Having your local rivals in the same league is brilliant and I hope Sunderland get back up straight away.

Perhaps that sort of friendly and good-natured rivalry requires a maturity and people who support whoever England are playing haven't matured yet. Who knows?
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All New Johnnyboy

The World Cup 2006

Gavin Scott posted:
All New Johnnyboy posted:
Why should someone born in Wales or Scotland have free health care when someone in England does not, despite the fact we all pay the same level of taxes?


The question should surely be why don't the English get this treatment too?

You'll be very welcome up here when you're auld, jb.


Exactly - the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly did exactly the right thing for their people. So should we.

My point was that we still pay for a portion of these extra services when we derive zero benefit from it. Scottish and Welsh MPs have passed laws that apply to England that the English MPs voted against.

The English don't expect any gratitude generally about it - the UK is a team of four different nations working for the common good of all. It would be nice if that could be extended to things like supporting us in sport, like we do in return.

Of course, I am completely aware that there is a significant majority in both Wales and Scotland who want to maintain the Union.
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All New Johnnyboy

The World Cup 2006

broadband cowboy posted:
All New Johnnyboy posted:

Plus the fact that the elderly get free stays in nursing homes.....
Again, you missed all this.


You seem to have missed the fact that hordes of English retirees throng the costa geriatrica in N. Wales and elsewhere adding immensely to the health service burden in Wales. Perhaps we should tell them to go back to England for their healthcare , is that the type of argument you're seeking to develop ? Confused


Perhaps if they got their free health care in England (for which they have paid all their lives), you may have a point.

Why should someone born in Wales or Scotland have free health care when someone in England does not, despite the fact we all pay the same level of taxes?

Perhaps you should try developing a cogent point before entering into an argument.
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All New Johnnyboy

The World Cup 2006

doctorvee posted:
The United Kingdom doesn't play football. England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland do. It's nothing to do with the UK.


Of course, the United Kingdom doesn't have a football team. However, the United Kingdom exists and comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The fact that the English support the likes of Andy Murray and the women's curling team is because England and Scotland are part of a united entity and have been so since the early 1700s.

Your blindness to this fact is a little surprising.

doctorvee posted:
Incidentally, the EU is also a political union, but that apparently doesn't stop England from "having difficulties" with Germany.


True, but the links between England and Scotland and the other nations of the UK are stronger and deeper than those of the EU.

Your blindness to this fact is a little surprising again.

doctorvee posted:
Also, the reason Scotland and Wales get more funding is because it is actually more expensive to run public services there due to the fact that it is far less densely populated. For instance, many more people who fall ill will have to travel by helicopter to a hospital many many miles away.


Plus the fact that the elderly get free stays in nursing homes, the £2,145 endowment for Scottish students at Scottish universities, free eye tests, free dental checks, free bus passes for the elderly (introduced much earlier in Scotland) - the list goes on.

Your argument, although to some extent true, tells far from the whole story.

Added to the fact that Scottish Labour MPs taking the party whip can enforce legislation on England by voting on issues that only affect us and have no effect on Scotland.

Again, you missed all this.
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All New Johnnyboy

The World Cup 2006

GavBelfast posted:
You do have to laugh at some English supporters who seem very precious about why people in the other home nations won't support them. I thought they had more self-respect - if I was English, I wouldn't give a monkeys what fans of other countries thought.

Me - I approached it as I always do: hope they do well for as long as they stay in, as it makes it more interesting, then laugh at the inevitable sorry exit.


The English probably get a bit huffy about this (I include myself in that) because Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland taxpayers get far more benefit from government pay-outs than the English.

It's not that the English want gratitude for this (not this Englishman anyway), but this is the United Kingdom. We are all stronger and better because we are together.

It would just be nice, as the nation's sole representatives in this tournament, to have our friends in the other nations of the UK to support us. After all, we support the other nations in many more ways.

GavBelfast posted:
As to Ian Wright, what a joke as a pundit. Though his sulking reaction yesterday was as amusing as it was in Belfast, when his peurility just added to the local enjoyment. (Though Beckham and his reaction in Belfast was a credit to him and England.)


Agreed - I don't know why he's on either. He is a bit of a turkey.

doctorvee posted:
I wonder if any England fans will ever lose that "chip on the shoulder" they have about Argentina, Germany, France, Turkey........


England fans don't have a "chip on our shoulder" about the countries you mentioned. They are just other nations we've had difficulties against in football - they are competitors.

The United Kingdom, comprising England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, are not in competition with each other. We are a political union where what affects one country can affect the rest of us.
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All New Johnnyboy

The World Cup 2006

GarryMc posted:
Did anyone hear the announcer on STV last night? He seemed really upbeat. He was telling us that the World Cup hightlights are now on, then he told us to enjoy the show in a really happy voice.


It must be horrible for that announcer and anyone who shares his views to define their happiness by someone else's misery.

Very sad.
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All New Johnnyboy

BBC Two: new idents from Sunday 18 February

Without wishing to sound like I'm stuck in the past, I hope the new BBC2 idents have variance in the colours of the number 2 and the background.

This white/silver 2 and yellow background is dull and doesn't exactly leave much scope for creativity.

I think the only "new 2" I have thought was touched by a certain genius is the Morris Dancing one.

If they could get rid of the boxes and replace it with the old centralised type logos, that would also be appreciated.
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All New Johnnyboy

The World Cup 2006

tvarksouthwest posted:
broadband cowboy posted:
By the way , any truth in the news report that the referee came out of the ground to find his car up on bricks with the wheels missing ? Laughing Razz

I don't envy being a Portuguese national in this country. Any abuse they might encounter could well be more than an earbashing.


Simon, I'm not being funny, but this illustrates how your view of the world can be different from that of reality if you never leave your bedroom.

There'll be no trouble at all towards the Portugese. I can not remember a single time when a foreign national has been attacked when England have lost a game abroad. There may be the odd one or two, but my inability to remember any previous examples indicates that it is hardly a trend.

For all its faults, England is not a bad place to live. Yes, it's overtaxed, overpriced, etc (rant rant rant), but it's one of the most tolerant and advanced places to live in the world.

I was wondering if one of our Jerseymen can answer this, though.

Jersey is a place I've always wanted to visit - what's all this stuff with violence after 2004 and 2006? Seems so out of character for the place.

After all, and I accept I might be flamed over this comment, Jersey is not part of the UK or England. (Although your support for England is very welcome by this Englishman).
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All New Johnnyboy

Doctor Who

Gavin Scott posted:
Eccleston was rubbish. He played the Doctor as a simpleton.


I liked Eccelstone when Doctor Who came back last year.

However, compared to Tennant, I can't stand his grinning. I'm not too keen on Russell T Davies' over-sentimentality in either series, but Tennant does it better.
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All New Johnnyboy

Big Brother 7

FriendsFanatic posted:
Can someone tell me why Pete keeps hitting his chest and saying W***** in the style of a cough all the time? When he was talking to that bloke with the hat last night thats all he kept doing it was so annoying.


It is a symptom of his Tourette's Syndrome.