The World Cup

02/06/2010 10:19 am

OK, so housing appears to be a sector of patriots (although assuming many of the Scots, Northern Irish and Welsh among you aren't going to be supporting England...). In which case, Inside Housing is keen to hear from housing's keenest England supporters. Are you mad for the boys in white and red? What will you be doing to support them in the World Cup? Either post your No 1 England Fan credentials here, or email caroline.thorpe@insidehousing.co.uk .

04/06/2010 1:28 pm

To the editor/moderator

You've removed the post of "Harry Lime", which as I recall contained a childish gibe against the French (not in themselves an oppressed, excluded or vulnerable minority). Yet you continue to leave in place the relentless hate-mongering rants against immigrants, Somalis, Muslims, teenage parents etc. perpetrated by ILAG and others.  

I think you need to have a long hard think about how you conduct these forums, and what values you want Inside Housing to stand for.

04/06/2010 3:03 pm

Oh dear, I should know better, but...

Kass: "I haved (sic) seen many posts removed..."; maybe, but I'm not writing about them. I'm writing about this particular one, and the peculiar values involved in removing it.

"The point is why should anyone spend time and energy...". No it isn't. The primary function of these forums is to advance understanding of social housing, not provide gratification for participants. 

"Once published ... a post would not be removed" - I agree (within obvious legal limits), but that's not the point I was making. I was pointing to the curious scale of values that removes a mildly xenophobic gibe yet leaves in place much more vicious hate-mongering racism. Do you not agree that this is distorted, or is it that you actually support ILAG's anti-immigration agenda?

"Inside Housing fora (sic) and commentaries should not promote values....". What? Not even the value of freedom of speech and open discussion? And my expression was "stand for", not "promote". In making editorial decisions, you cannot help but make value judgements, and in doing so, you "stand for" them.

05/06/2010 9:37 am

Thanks to those who have posted, for those not aware, my post referred to Thierry Henry's actions in blatantly handballing in the playoff against Ireland.  I quoted the oft used headline "the hand of (insert amphibian here)" I was very surprised to see it removed and e mailed the editor, but Tom is off on leave, so haven't had a response.  I'm hoping that in Tom's absence, any post that someone "reports" is removed as a default, and on his return it will be re-established.  As mentioned before, the reason I use a Pseudonym is because my views do not reflect those necessarily of my employer and could be professionally embarassing, and secondly it would reflect the amount of time spent online in work hours!

07/06/2010 12:17 pm

The French are not to blame for winning theri place against Ireland the way they did.  Any football team tries to win games, especially important ones, even by cheating, like diving for a penalty, etc.

FIFA is to blame. The should have anulled the game and have it replayed.  It is a shame they did not do so in the face of such a clear evidence.  While I will not be supporting France either, it would be very funny and extremely interesting to see them win the cup - so that maybe some FIFA heads would roll for allowing a blatant cheater to get the biggest prize.

10/06/2010 10:05 pm

The Argentines have got the best the players this time round to win the world cup... But with a loose cannon as Maradonna as coach - saying in the media he will run naked in the centre of Buenos #Aires if Argentina wins the cup - they will be lucky to get to the quarters, which is a rel shame for all the talent they have.  Maybe, like the English FA they the Argentine should have the courage to get a foreign coach... Maybe after  Capello wins the cup with England, they would be adviced to approach him... although moving to Argentina is defintely not a dream ticket for a coach based in Europe - unless the contract nears something like a hundred million, of course.

28/06/2010 3:32 pm

Right the post mortem, now...

Is England exit from the world cup a national shame?

No, it's not.  The time when England could take for granted beating new footballing nations on the world stage is gone.  Now, with circulation of talent - with players of a rival team playing in your own nation and viceversa, there's no such thing anymore.  When Ghana, Brasil, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, etc. can afford to have most national players playing abroad and even Rich league clubs play without even a single national in starting line ups, any country is as good as the form of their current footballers available.  This great leveller will become even more so in future competitions...

so we got to learn that while we in theory could beat anyone, anyone in theory can beat us.

Who is to blame for england early exit, Capello the manager or the quality of the English players?  english players did not come alive in this tournmant.  This is a manager's fault, to find ways of getting his players to play at the top.  However, the players have got to respond.

I think the decisive solution to where the fault lies is putting the question this way:  If the current German manager had been the manager of the English team, would have they beaten Germany if  the German team had been managed by Capello?

No, the English team would still have lost.  No matter who was their manager, the German team would have won.  So, at the end of the day, when all is accounted for, it's the performance of the players on the pitch that gives that ratio of difference for a victory.  and in this particular wc edition, the germans where the better team and no manager (english, german, or SWEDISH, etc) would have changed the outcome.

14/07/2010 3:02 pm

there are many happy Scottish, Irish and Welsh residents in England - who do not support England - why should we England supporter need your support anyway?  Please stay away and support the country of your choice. 

14/07/2010 3:36 pm

All right, everywhere around england people are pressuring you to support our team - you do not seem to have enough brain to realise that if you are in Belgium at the time of a great football event you very easily will get the same football fever. 

However I have not read of anyone on this website pressurizing you in supporting england, far from it please stay well away from the English national team as we have enough problems there already, and any support from you would defintiely end your chances to qualify for the nbext european championship. 

14/07/2010 4:49 pm

I know and I have met many Socts, Irish and Welsh people, both in england and in their own countries in all walks of life, some friendly some not so friendly.  Not a single one of them ever complained about being pressurized in supporting england.  the media of any country bang their own nationalist drums for their national team, involving as many personalities and scandals as they can.

To say that this happens only in england is total rubbish.