HawkMan

Since the fragmentation of the USSR and Yugoslavia there are now I believe 58 countries affiliated to UEFA, continuing with just 16 team finals wasn't really on, it would just be the same countries qualifying every time with the others getting locked out, so I understand the increase to 24. Same with the WC , they're are now so many quality players who represent so many international teams that the increase to 40 teams for the WC is inevitable. I think the continental and global bodies have done well to keep international football as popular as it is in the face of powerful clubs. Credits to them, something RL can hopefully emulate. What RL needs is an international governing authority with total power and not being lickspittle to Australia. Back to the footy, only 1 -0 but a good game with plenty on it. Two minutes left.

Understandable comment if you don't follow football, but Ashley Williams is a big name in Welsh football, had a fair club career too. Qualifying for Wales by maternal grandfather. Below courtesy of wikipedia. Williams qualifies for the Wales national team through his maternal grandfather Bill Rowlands from Gelli, Rhondda.[41] He made his international debut on 26 March 2008, two days before securing his move to Swansea City.[42][43] In the match, he played the full 90 minutes for John Toshack's men in their 2–0 friendly away win in Luxembourg, making an early error through a poor backpass to goalkeeper Lewis Price, but recovered possession in time.[44] On 1 April 2009, Williams scored an own goal in a 2–0 loss to Germany in qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, deflecting Mario Gómez's cross at the Millennium Stadium.[45] He captained the country for the first time on 14 November in a 3–0 friendly win over Scotland at the Cardiff City Stadium.[46] On 11 October 2010, he scored his first international goal in a 5–1 friendly win over Luxembourg in Parc y Scarlets, finishing a header from debutant Steve Morison.[47] In October 2012, Williams was named captain of Wales by manager Chris Coleman, replacing Aaron Ramsey. Coleman, who by that point had not won in his four matches, awarded the armband to Williams on account of his experience over the younger Ramsey. The decision was criticised by Raymond Verheijen, the assistant to Coleman's predecessor, Gary Speed.[48] On 31 May 2016, Williams was named in Coleman's 23-man squad for UEFA Euro 2016, Wales' first major tournament for more than half a century.[49] On 1 July in Lille, Williams headed the equalising goal, against Belgium in the quarter-finals as Wales eventually won 3–1 to progress to the semi-finals for the first time in their international football history.[50] In the semi-final, Wales lost 2–0 to Portugal.[51] Williams earned 86 caps for Wales and scored two goals with his last cap coming in June 2019 in a 1–0 away loss to Hungary.[52]

I avoid Keown whenever I can, he is just so uninspired and un- insightful it's painful. I'm watching on Sky 981 red button channel , 5 live commentary with Chris Waddle , much better. Freeview ch 250 or 601

Germany looked a bit toothless up front, and France looked dangerous assuming they can stop drifting offside, but Portugal could beat both of them. England will probably play the runners up of this group and I'm hoping that's Germany.

Austria and North Macedonia best game so far, very enjoyable, who'd have thought it. England weren't exactly thrilling but came through against dangerous opponents and looked pretty comfortable. No real dud games yet, very promising start to tournament.

It's easy to find out on Google, the wonders of technology. " come on Croatia don't let the football idiots overshadow the greatest game " " hajde Hrvatska ne dopusti da nogometni idioti zasjene najveću utakmicu"

Agreed. Also I'm old enough to remember GB winning in 1972, but just not old enough to remember '66 and all that. To see England actually win to silence the Germans, Italians, French, Spanish, Portuguese et al would be cool. The downside would be the media would still be going on about it this time next year.

Those who are fans of just one or the other will want England to win their chosen sport and not care about the other. Those fans of both like me want double glory. The question is would an England euro win help or hinder the profile of the RL world cup or perhaps neither. Would a taste of glory for Southgate's boys galvanise the country to get behind Wane's lads, or if England crumbled in the Euros would the RL boys shine by comparison as heroes, assuming we get to the final, or again maybe it doesn't matter either way. I notice Sky are showing non stop build up to the Euros even though they won't be showing any of it, wonder if they'll do that in the autumn.

So it starts tonight, looking forward to it,but I do think Sky's coverage is way over the top for a tournament they don't even have the rights to. Not exactly encouraging people to stick to the SL. I'll record the SL game and watch it afterwards, but Sky are enticing viewers to not watch their own material, odd. I wonder if they'll big up the world Cup in the autumn and encourage viewers to the beeb.

There is only Harry Kane in the squad from Spurs this time, so no Tottenham excuse this time. Anyway he was the top scorer in Russia 2018. Tottenham since the 60's ie from 1970 have won the FA cup three times, League Cup four times and UEFA Cup twice, okay no Championships but hardly failures, not like say West Ham.

I think England will be 2nd in the group stages, Croatia will probably beat us first match, but Scotland and Czechia should not be a problem. I think a quarter final is where we'll end up, so a failure then. Meanwhile the fun has started. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57379875

Who is going to win the Euros, who would you like to win it, do you care and how much will you watch ?

Lyndon Dykes, the one that got away, doing good things for Scotland, hey they may even win a game. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/56156654

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We're not playing France for the same reason the England soccer team tonight are playing Austria and not San Marino or Liechtenstein as a Euro warm up. You want to learn something from warm up games and give the players a reasonable competitive game. France don't fit the bill, simples!

I was thinking along the lines of those casual sports fans, no allegiances to any team or even sport, who may see Brentford FC as a cool place to go, assuming of course they can get a ticket. Broncos could have had a bit of that, still not to be , shame.

Norwich getting ready already for relegation next season. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57252066

Since 5pm on Saturday the chances of engaging local sport loving youth of Ealing took a blow. The area now has an EPL team , if only the Broncos could have moved to the new Brentford stadium we could have ridden on the coattails of that journey. However moving to Wimbledon might be a smart move going forward.

If you want a RL angle on this, Brentford being next to Ealing, and now promoted to the Premier League would make it nigh on impossible for the London Broncos to make much of an impression in the local sporting public who now will be planning their Premier League match days out. So maybe moving to Wimbledon is a smart move for LB after all. PS. Glad Brentford went up, a deserving win, am interested to see if Ivan Toney scores in the top league.

Can you name all 42 CL/European Cup finalists. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57013870

Who will win tomorrow's Champions League? Gerrard, Ancelotti, Lampard and Rooney give their views.....probably.

Yes thanks for replying.

Off topic I know but this I'm curious about, and perhaps our Australian posters will know the answer. Below is a clip of an Aussie soccer highlights show with impressionist Darren Farley going through his repertoire of EPL managers. The studio guys are laughing so presumably these managers are known by the public in Australia or is it only niche EPL fans that know. What sort of ratings does a highlight show of English soccer get. I presume NRL and AFL trounce it easily. PS. More Darren Farley's ace impressions on AOB

Yeah, I've put up a fair few Darren Farley vids up, just recently come across his stuff. Funny and spot on.