VIVA ESPANA

WELL THE WORLD CUP HAS COME AND GONE...FOR MANY A DISAPPOINTMENT GROWING BIGGER AS THE DAYS PAST. SOME OF YOU MAY THINK ME QUITE AUDACIOUS TO BE SOUNDING OFF ON A GAME I'VE NEVER PLAYED, SORRY FOLKS THAT'S ONE OF THE WONDERS OF AGE, YOU HIT A PINT WHEN YOU JUST DON'T GIVE A DAMN WHAT OTHERS THINK FREEING YOU TO SOUND OFF ABOUT ALL IN SUNDRY. A WARNING, I STILL HAVE NOT LEARNED HOW TO USE THE SPELL CHECK!
CAPPELLO MADE HIS FATAL MISTAKE THE DAY HE CHOSE TO DEMOTE JOHN TERRY! FOLLOWING THE DICTATES OF THE "SUITS" WHO RUN EVERYTHING FROM CORPORATES LIKE "BP" TO THE WHOLE OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. WHY DO WE LET THIS KIND OF POWER INFEST OUR DEAREST PLEASURE ACTIVITIES??? THE TEAM WAS HAPPY WITH TERRY, THE FANS WERE HAPPY WITH TERRY, YES WE ALL KNOW HE MADE A VERY STUPID MISTAKE BUT HEY, TIGER WOODS IS STILL PLAYING AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME.

THE POINT IS THAT NONE OF US HAVE THE RIGHT TO JUDGE OTHERS SHORTCOMINGS WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE FAMOUS...WE ARE THERE TO ENJOY WHAT SPORT BRINGS US AND IF YOUR THINKING THAT ALL SPORTSMEN SHOULD BE A SHINING EXAMPLE TO ALL KIDS....MANY OF WHOM ASPIRE TO PARTICIPATE SOME DAY IN A ROCK BAND, AN OSCAR WINNING FILM OR THE BEAUTIFUL GAME, PLEASE! LETS THINK AGAIN.

HOW ABOUT PARENTS THAT CAN ENTER INTO A DIALOGUE WITH THEIR KIDS BEGINNING WITH THE SIMPLE FACT THAT FAME AND MONEY CAN CAUSE THE BEST OF US TO SHOOT OURSELVES IN THE FOOT. CAPPELLO SHOULD HAVE STOOD BY HIS MAN AND HIS TEAM. WHILE STEVIE G IS A GREAT LITTLE PLAYER HE IS NO CAPTAIN AND I WOULD GUESS THAT NO-ONE KNOWS THAT BETTER THAN HE HIMSELF.

FURTHER WHAT HAS TERRY'S DUMB MISTAKE GOT TO DO WITH HIS LOYALTY OR SKILLS AS THE ENGLAND CAPTAIN. SO, ENGLAND DID NOT PLAY THEIR HEARTS OUT AND WE ALL KNEW IT EARLY ON. FOLLOWED BY PORTUGAL WHO HAS PROBABLY THE VERY BEST STRIKER IN THE GAME....BUT THE MANAGER DECIDED TO PLAY NOTHING BUT DEFENSIVE BALL THROUGHOUT! I CAN SEE WISDOM IN THE STRATEGY OF GETTING THE TEAM CAREFULLY TO THE QUARTER FINALS...THEN! FOR HEAVENS SAKE USE RONALDO AS HE WAS BORN TO BE USED!

FINALLY ON THE DAY, OF COURSE THOSE OF US WHO BOAST MANY DUTCH FRIENDS WANTED TO SEE HOLLAND AT THEIR BEST...WIN OR LOSE AT THEIR BEST! IN THE END I FOR ONE HAD TO ADMIT THAT SPAIN DESERVED ITS GLORY AND GAVE US A MATCH THAT WE COULD ALL BE EXCITED ABOUT.

AM I JUST A GRUMPY OLD LADY? OR IS THEIR WISDOM IN BELIEVING THAT MANY OF THE MANAGERS MADE HORRIFIC DECISIONS THAT TAINTED THE GAMES...ALL THAT CAREFUL MANEUVERING GOT US ALL NOWHERE...

FOR ME THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE TOURNAMENT WAS FIRST SEEING THE QUEEN OF SPAIN ATTENDING EACH MATCH! EXCUSE ME ELIZABETH BUT WHERE WERE YOU...THE ENGLISH, SOME OF THEM, WILL ARGUE THAT THEIR QUEEN IS NOT A QUEEN OF THE PEOPLE...AS AN AMERICAN WHO DOES NOT QUITE GET ALL THIS ROYALTY STUFF AND WOULD NOT BE PRONE TO CURTSY TO ANYONE BUT MY OWN MOTHER, I DON'T SEE THE RELEVANCE OF A QUEEN WHO IS NOT "OF THE PEOPLE" SPANISH ROYALTY ENGAGES WITH ITS PEOPLE IN WAYS THAT COUNT! I WILL NOT FORGET WATCHING THE CEREMONY FOR THE DEAD AFTER THE TERRORIST BOMBINGS IN SPAIN...WHEN THE QUEEN, FULLY PRESENT ALLOWED HERSELF TO BE EMBRACED BY SOME OF THE GRIEVING RELATIVES WHO HAD LOST FAMILY ON THE TERRIBLE DAY.
ONCE AGAIN THERE SHE WAS! WHEN SPAIN SCORED THEIR QUEEN JUMPED UP AND ARMS FLYING CHEERED FOR HER COUNTRY....WHAT A LADY! SHE MAKES SENSE OF A TRADITION THAT IS DIFFICULT ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU HAVE NOT GROWN UP TO BELIEVE THAT ANOTHER HUMAN BEING IS CARRYING SOMETHING IN THEIR BLOOD THAT YOU NEED TO BOW TO!

I HOPE TO BE AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO SEE THE RETURN OF GUTSY MANAGERS AND ROYALTY THAT KNOWS HOW TO EMBRACE GRATITUDE TO THE VERY PEOPLE WHO KEEP THEM ON THEIR THRONES!!!

MEANWHIL, VIVA ESPANA, VIVA FOOTBALL