England's Tour Of North America

[Harbinger of Hope]

Is anyone actually going to bother watching this? Is the only reason we are doing this, to try to get the votes of one of the most corrupt continental federation leaders in the world.

With the Olympics already on the horizon, do we need another major sports event in this country? I have always hated all the backscratching that is involved in winning a bid, not to mention the two-facedness of the FIFA delegates.

I still remember Blatter saying that English stadiums were not up to standard, in the final days of our failed bid for what turned out to be Germany '06.

This statement was clearly untrue, especially as the same man has been pushing for South Africa for years, when they have far inferior infrastructure. It was clearly just a smokescreen to tell the delegates not to vote for England.

Not that much has changed with regards stadia in this country and yet we are looking to try again. (The plans for new Wembley were the centrepiece for our original bid, and i cannot believe they would use the Emirates, as it would mean two Stadia in London)

[David Agnew]

England's Tour Of North America

Er...

[Harbinger of Hope]

England's Tour Of North America

Er??

[David Agnew]

England's Tour Of North America

England aren't touring North America. The USA are playing at Wembley.

[Harbinger of Hope]

England's Tour Of North America

I wasn't talking about the USA match. I was on about the Trinidad & Tobago one. After the last time we played T&T in the world cup, in one of the worst games in memory. I was wondering if anyone was going to bother watching it, and their opinion, after some have said we are only going all the way out there, to try to get Warner's votes.

[David Agnew]

England's Tour Of North America

Ah right, didn't know about that game. I guess you're right, given how corrupt Warner is.

[Harbinger of Hope]

England's Tour Of North America

There was also talk of T&T demanding Beckham had to be in the squad to raise the profile of the game, and in turn the profile of T&T and CONCACAF.

[Nishlord]

England's Tour Of North America

Why stop there? The FA should have dug Lady Di and Winston Churchill up, dressed their skeletons in England kit, and propped them up on the wing.

Come on Wingco, you've surely written up at least half of your match reports. Let's have 'em now.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

England's Tour Of North America

I, for one, am delighted that the FA has chosen to withdraw from "Europe", and instead decided to forge a new relationship with our friends frmo across the Atlantic. It can only be a matter of time before we are accepted as full members of CONCACAF, only fitting, after all, as the country to whom most of the former colonies used to belong.

[EIM]

England's Tour Of North America

Does one game constitute a tour? Or does the fact England are playing Trinidad AND Tobago make it one?

I remember when England used to do proper tours. Like that really shit one to Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia. Christ, some of the players who went on that tour...

[Mitch]

England's Tour Of North America

Heh, Gary Charles & John Salako come to mind...

[Nico Rijnders]

England's Tour Of North America

Rogin the Armchair Fan wrote:

I, for one, am delighted that the FA has chosen to withdraw from "Europe", and instead decided to forge a new relationship with our friends frmo across the Atlantic. It can only be a matter of time before we are accepted as full members of CONCACAF, only fitting, after all, as the country to whom most of the former colonies used to belong.

Carmody to thread...

[Kusal Flyer]

England's Tour Of North America

Ultonia had a reasonably successul tour to the wily Carib part-timers in summer 2004. Sanchez's stalwarts sneaked a draw with Barbados before beating St Kitts Nevis and- most impressively- Trinidad, 3-0.

Sometime Erzgebirge Aue star and Ipswich journeyman Danny Sonner was so ratarsed at Port of Spain airport, that he wasn't able to help carry the journalists onto the plane back to Europe.

[Harbinger of Hope]

England's Tour Of North America

With half of the team that played the USA being left behind. Why don't they call it an England B international?

[Sam]

England's Tour Of North America

EIM wrote:

Does one game constitute a tour? Or does the fact England are playing Trinidad AND Tobago make it one?

I think it was probably a response to the 'South Ireland tour of southern England' thread which was started prior to the Republic's match against Colombia...

And yes I'll be watching, it's on BBC isn't it? Or at least the highlights are. The politics of it are certainly suspect, albeit rather amusing given Warner's recent comments about us. And I'd rather like to see the World Cup come here actually, if it's all the same with you. There's more than half a chance I'll be living in Argentina by 2018, but still...

[Guest]

England's Tour Of North America

I was reading somewhere that this year marks the Centenary of the T&T Football Association, so to play England in a friendly isn't such a bad way to mark it.

[Harbinger of Hope]

England's Tour Of North America

I think it was probably a response to the 'South Ireland tour of southern England' thread which was started prior to the Republic's match against Colombia...

This thread started 8 hours before the Ireland one, so i think its vice-versa on the originality front. I believe the centenary is the main reason we are going. That, and it's half way home for Beckham.

By the way, can anyone think of an acronym that is longer than CONCACAF*?
As acronyms go, its a belter.

* Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football

[Sam]

England's Tour Of North America

Ah, sorry. I only saw it just now.

CONCACAF is good. I like CONMEBOL too, although it's amazingly clumsy (CONfederación aMEricana del fútBOL). Certainly unorthodox.

The sporting security services in Buenos Aires Province are called the Comisión Provincial de Seguridad Deportiva. In any other country that would be CPSD. Not in Argentina. In Argentina, they're called CoProSeDe. Capital letters and all.

[Cavalry Trouser Tips]

England's Tour Of North America

harbinger of hope wrote:

There was also talk of T&T demanding Beckham had to be in the squad to raise the profile of the game, and in turn the profile of T&T and CONCACAF.

Not only that, they've made him captain again.

David Beckham said:

I have a few more wrinkles now but I still feel I can do what I did 10 years ago

What's that - kick an Argentinian and get yourself sent off?

[Kusal Flyer]

England's Tour Of North America

Come on Trini. Even if Jack W sounds like a nasty piece of work.

[De Geas Clean Linen]

England's Tour Of North America

Warner has tripled the ticket price for this game which has put a lot of people off (i.e. the working class and lower middle class). It'll still be a sell out though.

Warner wanted England to bring a full strength squad initially.

Warner isn't very popular in Trinidad. He's an MP for the opposition political party and regularly screws over local fans and clubs. For instance, a while back in a local club cup competition, he promised the winner one million dollars (TT dollars, which is just over one hundred thousand pounds) and then reneged on his promise and gave them two hundred thousand dollars.

Then theres the infamous scandal where he screwed thousands of fans who had tickets for the T&T v USA World Cup qualifier in 1990. Over 30,000 tickets were offered for the game, despite the fact that the Hasely Crawford stadium has a capacity of just over 20,000. Fans with (legitimate) tickets arrived to find the stadium full and were promptly told to fuck off out of it by way of a police baton.

He also owns a travel agency called Simpaul Travel which was involved in yet another ticketing scandal during the 2006 world cup, tripling air fare prices for bum package deals.

[Harbinger of Hope]

England's Tour Of North America

10:30 kick-off, which is nice....

[Ray de Galles]

England's Tour Of North America

Did anyof the USA 94 games kick off that late? Or is it just the US Cup friendly tournament in 93 it reminds me of?

I think the fact that this game is on at that time is the prime reason I will be watching it.

[Sam]

England's Tour Of North America

As someone accustomed to stay up til 2, 3 or sometimes 4am to watch (and then write a match report of) Copa Libertadores games, before getting up for work the next morning, all I can say is that I'm rather looking forward to seeing a football match being played at such a reasonable hour, for a change.

I very much doubt it'll be as good as the Huracán vs. Estudiantes match I'm watching right now, but still.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

England's Tour Of North America

I very much doubt it'll be as good as the Trinidad v England game at the last World Cup.

Hopefully Peter Crouch will save England's blushes again.