As most football fans know, West Ham have two nicknames- the Hammers or the Irons. "C'mon you Irons" is one of my favourite chants, which I tend to yell with over-aggressive gusto. But some fellow Irons from Milton Keynes have hit a spot of trouble in Germany, as their flag was commandeered by FIFA officials for displaying a "fascist" symbol. German TV had complained about the crossed hammers on their flag as it resembled a swastika. However, credit to FIFA, they found the flag in a rubbish bin (!), returned it and apologised and gave the fans a free ticket to next Tuesday's England v Sweden game. So all's well that ends well.
Which gives me the opportunity to say a little about the Trinidad game. Oh dear. I think that covers it, Brian.
T & T gave England fans a good game to watch. Sadley, Scotland will be in national mourning. I wonder what excuses their Parliament will come up with for that nation supporting England's next opponents? At least some are honest. McConnell certainly isn't.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad we won today, but I'm ambivalent about progressing much further.
ReplyDeleteWhen England were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Germany in Mexico 1970 (after being 2-0 up) it cost Harold Wilson the General Election that followed immediately after.
I'm ashamed to say, I was a Labour Party activist at the time and I remember travelling to work the day after the match and noticing the air of depression in the carriage. I just knew then that Labour would lose, even to a pratt like Heath.
So, could this World Cup be the final nail in Blair's coffin, or could it be his Falklands?
England only ever win world cups under a Labour government - football, rugby you name it ...
ReplyDeletepirates of men's pants - you are obviously NOT thinking what we are thinking!
ReplyDeleteBtw, the Rooney substitution was a superb poke in the eye for that other bemoaning Scotsman, and his run into the box pulled two T&T defenders away from the 11 foot Crouch who only neede to jump 1 cm to nod it in.
Nice to see someone else reads KUMB - the chap who did the piece on hammers in club emblems has done some very impressive, erm, spade work.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I hope Shaka gets cheered to the rafters at the Boleyn.
Is it just my imagination that no matter how many 'world class' players we have in the side and no matter who the opposition is we always play the 'Hackney Marsh' - plod, plod, square ball, hoof...
ReplyDeleteAnd, no matter how many full time pimps and spivs there are in the opposing team and/or how lowly their FIFA ranking they always play 'Mac The Knife' - zip, zip, split the defence...
Just an observation (and before you Jocks come over all smug you really are the masters of the 'ugly game')...
Spiegel blog had Germans saying they had thought the German team was awful until they say England having an own-goal for the first win and a long struggle against T & T for the second
ReplyDeleteSo German tv are as dim as their UK equivalents sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI'll bet the workers of the German mining industry will be chuffed. For centuries the international badge of miners is a crossed hammer and gadd (mining pick) which closely resembles the West Ham crossed hammers. With typical Teutonic thoroughness German miners display this badge with much more pride and gusto than most nationalities.
I'll bet they'd love to hear that their tv journos link that their ancient craft badge with the swastika. I know I'm absolutely joyful. Not.
RM
ps Having read the other comments I am pleasantly surprised to note so many other people recognise a miners' badge.
ReplyDeleteJust goes to reinforce the dimness of German journos.
RM