The World Cup 2018

[ChesterDave]

And while I'm having a pop at the bellend I'm fairly sure in the buildup he said that this is the best atmosphere he'd seen today. Great Danny, great.

[Chris]

Russia’s Brazilian fella looked decent. Probably a better option than Danilo!

[Bender]

Harry Kane after his 2 goals v Tunisia......
Kane said he received a surprise message from Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino before the the Tunisia game.

"Poch texted me, and after as well. He sent a lot of love hearts and said 'Come on England'," said Kane.

[Bender]

Think Mo Salah needs to come home and have a good holiday and be ready for the new season.

[Assassin]

Tangent as usual. I'm not a fan of England is great, **** the rest. But there's a fair few people who take some enjoyment in the country they were born in, winning a game of football, cricket, rugby whatever without being tarred with the same brush. If there are people that are absolutely passionate about being English then maybe the rest of us who are non fussed should take a step back and let them go about their business. It's snobbery a lot of it. The majority of flag bearers and chest thumpers are of either working or non working class. Why sneer at those less educated? Not all of them are before someone jumps onit. That's hardly inclusive. That's not very liberal either. It's quite conservative to look down ones nose.

More English people travel than ever before. Horizons have hardly ever been broader. Go to Benidorm and magaluf you see the worst of the English. There are plenty of places to go where people are happy to see you and being English isn't a negative.

Hmmmm, this is opening a can of worms

[Yozza]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-44492611

Brilliant..

World Cup: Japan fans impress by cleaning up stadium

After a heated World Cup match, the stands are usually left with food waste, cups and wrappers scattered in the heat of the moment.

Japanese fans certainly had reason to go wild on Tuesday night. Their side won their opening game, beating Colombia 2-1, and securing the team's first victory against a South American side.

But after the team swept Colombia off the pitch, Japanese fans also did their share of sweeping: meticulously cleaning up their rows and seats in the stadium.

Equipped with large rubbish bags they brought along, the fans marched through the rows picking up rubbish, to leave the place just as neat as they had found it.

And not for the first time - supporters of the "Samurai Blue" have never failed to stick to their good manners.

"It's not just part of the football culture but part of Japanese culture," Japan-based football journalist Scott McIntyre told the BBC. He is in Russia following the team and was not at all surprised by the somewhat different nature of Samurai Blue fans.

"You often hear people say that football is a reflection of culture. An important aspect of Japanese society is making sure that everything is absolutely clean and that's the case in all sporting events and certainly also in football."

Senegal fans have in fact been seen doing the same at this year's World Cup - but it's the Japanese who pioneered it and are now famous for it.

It is something that comes as a surprise to many foreigners attending matches in Japan.

"They might leave a bottle or some kind of food package on the ground and then it's often the case that people get tapped on the shoulder by Japanese people indicating they should clean up or take it home but can't leave it there," Mr McIntyre says.

It's a habit drilled into Japanese people from early childhood.

"Cleaning up after football matches is an extension of basic behaviours that are taught in school, where the children clean their school classrooms and hallways," explains Scott North, professor of sociology at Osaka University.

"With constant reminders throughout childhood, these behaviours become habits for much of the population."

What do fans make of the fact their post-match cleaning spree becomes a regular hit on social media? If anything, they're proud.

"In addition to their heightened consciousness of the need to be clean and to recycle, cleaning up at events like the World Cup is a way Japanese fans demonstrate pride in their way of life and share it with the rest of us," explains Prof North.

"What better place to make a statement about the need to care responsibly for the planet than the World Cup?" he adds.

It doesn't mean that there is any more or less passion, insists Mr McIntyre. It's simply that passion doesn't slip into neglect of basic rules of behaviour let alone violence.

"I know it may sound bland and boring, but this is the reality of a country that's built on respect and politeness," he laughs. "And this simply extends to doing respectful things in football."

"I think it's a wonderful thing that the World Cup brings so many nations and people together and get to learn and exchange these kinds of things. That's the beauty of football."

[badpiggy]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-44492611

Brilliant..

World Cup: Japan fans impress by cleaning up stadium

After a heated World Cup match, the stands are usually left with food waste, cups and wrappers scattered in the heat of the moment.

Japanese fans certainly had reason to go wild on Tuesday night. Their side won their opening game, beating Colombia 2-1, and securing the team's first victory against a South American side.

But after the team swept Colombia off the pitch, Japanese fans also did their share of sweeping: meticulously cleaning up their rows and seats in the stadium.

Equipped with large rubbish bags they brought along, the fans marched through the rows picking up rubbish, to leave the place just as neat as they had found it.

And not for the first time - supporters of the "Samurai Blue" have never failed to stick to their good manners.

"It's not just part of the football culture but part of Japanese culture," Japan-based football journalist Scott McIntyre told the BBC. He is in Russia following the team and was not at all surprised by the somewhat different nature of Samurai Blue fans.

"You often hear people say that football is a reflection of culture. An important aspect of Japanese society is making sure that everything is absolutely clean and that's the case in all sporting events and certainly also in football."

Senegal fans have in fact been seen doing the same at this year's World Cup - but it's the Japanese who pioneered it and are now famous for it.

It is something that comes as a surprise to many foreigners attending matches in Japan.

"They might leave a bottle or some kind of food package on the ground and then it's often the case that people get tapped on the shoulder by Japanese people indicating they should clean up or take it home but can't leave it there," Mr McIntyre says.

It's a habit drilled into Japanese people from early childhood.

"Cleaning up after football matches is an extension of basic behaviours that are taught in school, where the children clean their school classrooms and hallways," explains Scott North, professor of sociology at Osaka University.

"With constant reminders throughout childhood, these behaviours become habits for much of the population."

What do fans make of the fact their post-match cleaning spree becomes a regular hit on social media? If anything, they're proud.

"In addition to their heightened consciousness of the need to be clean and to recycle, cleaning up at events like the World Cup is a way Japanese fans demonstrate pride in their way of life and share it with the rest of us," explains Prof North.

"What better place to make a statement about the need to care responsibly for the planet than the World Cup?" he adds.

It doesn't mean that there is any more or less passion, insists Mr McIntyre. It's simply that passion doesn't slip into neglect of basic rules of behaviour let alone violence.

"I know it may sound bland and boring, but this is the reality of a country that's built on respect and politeness," he laughs. "And this simply extends to doing respectful things in football."

"I think it's a wonderful thing that the World Cup brings so many nations and people together and get to learn and exchange these kinds of things. That's the beauty of football."

That's amazing. Japanese culture is fascinating. A buddy of mine lived there fur two years and I forever pestering him about the minutiae of his interactions with Japanese people.
The level of order is extraordinary and that point about passion not being lost just because they have rules is interesting. They seem to play all sports with amazing intensity (when they beat South Africa in the Rugby WC is one of my favourite sporting occasions). Some of the most mental music and film is Japanese. They make amazing whiskey and innovations in technology and transport. And yet for all that, there's an element of repression and strict gender roles and weird attitudes to sex and relationships and the concept of rebellion (in the young) that gives the lie to the benefits of all this order.

Anyway, schoolkids being made to clean up after themselves is a fantastic idea. ****in layabout little lord Fauntleroys.

[Gingawaria]

35/1 on Skybet for over 3.5 goals in each match today. Only one I'm dubious about is Portual/Morocco but fairly confident about the other 2.

Bunged a fiver on it anyway.

[RedReet]

Senegal fans did the same after their match.

[RedReet]

Crazy article on Marquez...

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/06/18/sports/world-cup/rafa-marquez-treasury-sanctions.html#click=https://t.co/1zLsfmu989

[Assassin]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-44492611

Brilliant..

World Cup: Japan fans impress by cleaning up stadium

After a heated World Cup match, the stands are usually left with food waste, cups and wrappers scattered in the heat of the moment.

Japanese fans certainly had reason to go wild on Tuesday night. Their side won their opening game, beating Colombia 2-1, and securing the team's first victory against a South American side.

But after the team swept Colombia off the pitch, Japanese fans also did their share of sweeping: meticulously cleaning up their rows and seats in the stadium.

Equipped with large rubbish bags they brought along, the fans marched through the rows picking up rubbish, to leave the place just as neat as they had found it.

And not for the first time - supporters of the "Samurai Blue" have never failed to stick to their good manners.

"It's not just part of the football culture but part of Japanese culture," Japan-based football journalist Scott McIntyre told the BBC. He is in Russia following the team and was not at all surprised by the somewhat different nature of Samurai Blue fans.

"You often hear people say that football is a reflection of culture. An important aspect of Japanese society is making sure that everything is absolutely clean and that's the case in all sporting events and certainly also in football."

Senegal fans have in fact been seen doing the same at this year's World Cup - but it's the Japanese who pioneered it and are now famous for it.

It is something that comes as a surprise to many foreigners attending matches in Japan.

"They might leave a bottle or some kind of food package on the ground and then it's often the case that people get tapped on the shoulder by Japanese people indicating they should clean up or take it home but can't leave it there," Mr McIntyre says.

It's a habit drilled into Japanese people from early childhood.

"Cleaning up after football matches is an extension of basic behaviours that are taught in school, where the children clean their school classrooms and hallways," explains Scott North, professor of sociology at Osaka University.

"With constant reminders throughout childhood, these behaviours become habits for much of the population."

What do fans make of the fact their post-match cleaning spree becomes a regular hit on social media? If anything, they're proud.

"In addition to their heightened consciousness of the need to be clean and to recycle, cleaning up at events like the World Cup is a way Japanese fans demonstrate pride in their way of life and share it with the rest of us," explains Prof North.

"What better place to make a statement about the need to care responsibly for the planet than the World Cup?" he adds.

It doesn't mean that there is any more or less passion, insists Mr McIntyre. It's simply that passion doesn't slip into neglect of basic rules of behaviour let alone violence.

"I know it may sound bland and boring, but this is the reality of a country that's built on respect and politeness," he laughs. "And this simply extends to doing respectful things in football."

"I think it's a wonderful thing that the World Cup brings so many nations and people together and get to learn and exchange these kinds of things. That's the beauty of football."

The Senegal fans done the same. Respect to both sets of fans from 2 totally different cultures

[Fosterbloke]

Ronaldo's going to get the Bellend'or isn't he?

[Roboklopp]

.

[Kenneth]

Alan Sugar is a dick

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jun/20/lord-sugar-under-fire-over-racist-senegal-world-cup-team-tweet

[Gingawaria]

Alan Sugar is a dick



https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...cup-team-tweet

****ing hell......

How can he possibly have thought that was an acceptable thing to post?!