the crucifixion of Wayne Rooney

On Friday, I saw the massive Rooney crucifixion poster on the westbound M4 in Brentford near the GSK offices. I think the Nike creative is an interesting use of religious imagery. Deliberately provocative but much better than the unimaginative, banal media advertising we normally see in the UK although my wife was heard to mutter ‘Ugly man, ugly face, ugly poster’.

June 26, 2006

I don't believe it

England qualifying for the last 16 in the World Cup after those two very mediocre displays.

June 16, 2006

probably the best pub team in the world

Full length version (3 mins) of the Carlsberg advert featuring some older England players with some nice touches.

June 14, 2006

Michael Essien

For the most part, unsung and largely unnoticed at Chelsea. Simply outstanding for Ghana against high quality opposition (Italy) yesterday. Continually in the action, absolutely everywhere, superb fitness levels, great tackler, decent passer, suspect temperament. Essien is the tailor-made replacement for Roy Keane. United fans can only hope Ballack’s arrival puts Essien on the bench or in the reserves and that he won’t just sit there and take the money (cf....

June 14, 2006

different perspective

A superb photograph of England’s (own) goal in the World Cup opener versus Paraguay.

June 14, 2006

so farewell then, Roy Keane

I don’t think I could have a higher opinion of any footballer than I already had of the Irishman, but he rose even further in my estimation at the Stadio Delle Alpi. The minute he was booked and out of the final he seemed to redouble his efforts to get the team there. It was the most emphatic display of selflessness I have seen on a football field. Pounding over every blade of grass, competing if he would rather die of exhaustion than lose he inspired all around him....

June 14, 2006

blankety blank - World Cup Special

Another in this occasional but very popular series: ‘I am doing this in the best interests of Rooney, the England team and 40 million England fans’ - Sven Goran Eriksson …and Alex Ferguson and Manchester United fans can just cross their fingers and hope. Still, I am looking forward to this TV program tonight.

June 8, 2006

I should know better

Watching ‘World Cup Goals Galore’ on BBC3 which also has a fantastic music soundtrack. Some great goals and memories. Although I get thoroughly sick of the media hype and the endless analysis, you can’t help but get excited about the World Cup now. It looks like Rooney may yet be named in the squad. It doesn’t look like Carrick will play the ‘holding role’ but Carragher might. Let’s just hope he can produce a forward pass and that he doesn’t keel over with cramp in extra time....

June 2, 2006

probably the best World Cup chart

Full fixture list, localised TV Schedules, print out and keep wallchart, pictures of the stadiums, group tables, X-rays of Wayne Rooney’s metatarsal and all of this in an Excel spreadsheet. For a man who can’t even spell Pivot Table, this is a truly staggering achievement. Or maybe there isn’t much to do of an evening in New Zealand. Graham Paramore, the worldwide football community salutes you.

June 1, 2006

mascot mismatch

Why did all the England players have tiny, little mascots apart from Michael Owen who had a strapping teenager who was actually taller than him ? What with that and Crouch’s ludicrous robotic dancing, I thought I was watching a night of alternative comedy, not an international friendly.

May 31, 2006