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ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Turkey join North Macedonia on the plane home.

I can just imagine the fights that may occur if they are on the same plane![X(]

Ready for a new European War? [8D]

Magnificent performance from the Welsh. Down to 10 men for so long in the second half you feared for them but the came through with style. Gareth Bale even missed a sitter.

Best wishes,
Steve

ORIGINAL: shunwick

Magnificent performance from the Welsh. Down to 10 men for so long in the second half you feared for them but the came through with style. Gareth Bale even missed a sitter.

Best wishes,
Steve

Italy changed 8 players in the starting team against Wales. While I understood Mancini's need to rest the top players, I feared that the cohesive, well oiled team we saw in the first two games was on the bench - and I think I was right.

Italy had both the need to start thinking about the next game and the moral need to play the best they could - so to guarantee a honest third place to the deserving team. IMHO, this team of reserves fired usual Italian cylinders at 75%, and were seldom dangerous. Wales played the best game they could and almost scored with, IIRC, Bale (about whom, however, I was not impressed).

I disagreed with the red card, BTW. It was a bad foul, but caused more by maladroit than a real intention to cause harm, and by a player that I didn't see as "aggressive" and with a general bad behaviour up to that point.

At the end, I think that both teams did their best. One goal for Italy was a just result. Wales worked hard to keep their "promotion" standing. It was not a great game, but kudos to both teams.

ORIGINAL: warspite1

...

The scores on the doors so far:

I still maintain that Scotland are quite capable of both getting 4 pts and still not progressing (I equally maintain we can easily lose to a pretty competent Croatia side)

ORIGINAL: loki100

ORIGINAL: warspite1

...

The scores on the doors so far:

I still maintain that Scotland are quite capable of both getting 4 pts and still not progressing (I equally maintain we can easily lose to a pretty competent Croatia side)

warspite1

And as a Spurs and England fan, I fully understand and sympathise with the mindset of a Spurs and Scotland fan.

Believe me, after watching England vs Scotland I too can well imagine a loss to the Czechs and England being in the same boat....

ORIGINAL: warspite1
...
And as a Spurs and England fan, I fully understand and sympathise with the mindset of a Spurs and Scotland fan.

Believe me, after watching England vs Scotland I too can well imagine a loss to the Czechs and England being in the same boat....

seems its all irrelevant. Gilmour is out with a positive covid test, heard that Robertson has to self-isolate .. doubt it will just be those 2 who can't play on Tuesday

edit - from a friend 'its ok, he'll be well rested for the final' so panic over

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Turkey join North Macedonia on the plane home.

I can just imagine the fights that may occur if they are on the same plane![X(]

Turkey and Balkan states relations formed long before any concept of western colonial definition. Similar culture for neighbours. Turks, Macedonians, Albanians, Circassian , Serbs and Greeks were Pasha in Ottoman times. So no fight. [;)] Cheers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Mac ... _relations

So Austria join Holland, Belgium, Italy and Wales in the last 16.

We also have the first known pairing:

Italy vs Austria

Ukraine are not definitely out.... but let's face it... they are!! And potentially good news for England and Scotland - that is at least one group that didn't produce a 4-point third place finisher.

ORIGINAL: gamer78

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Turkey join North Macedonia on the plane home.

I can just imagine the fights that may occur if they are on the same plane![X(]

Turkey and Balkan states relations formed long before any concept of western colonial definition. Similar culture for neighbours. Turks, Macedonians, Albanians, Circassian , Serbs and Greeks were Pasha in Ottoman times. So no fight. [;)] Cheers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Mac ... _relations

There is a theory about how Italy actually started WWI. After Turkey lost the Italo-Turkish war of 1911-12 (my paternal grandfather was a Bersagliere in that war, BTW), dominoes started to fall. The Balkan States started the Balkan War of 1912 due to their renewed perception of Turkey's weakness. They formed a "Balkan League of Christian Nations", composed of the Kingdoms of Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece and Montenegro, and won back the vast majority of the land nominally belonging to the Ottoman Empire.

Then they started squabbling between themselves about who got what, causing the Second Balkan War of 1913. So much for Christianity. Anyway, irredentism grew across the region and, in 1914, someone pulled a bad stunt and...

However, had we Italian stayed quiet, or just LOST the war against Turkey as we used to do in wars, instead of invading and winning for the only time in our military history (considered from the Reunification), nothing else would have happened. Or so some historians think.

Half Time:

Belgium 0-0 Finland
Denmark 1-0 Russia

Well there's still a long way to go but if it stays like this, England have qualified, as have Finland! and Scotland or Croatia will definitely qualify with a win.

Russia will go from second to bottom. They were happy to waste time earlier.... then Denmark scored. Yet another good game from these championships.

Another special night of rollercoaster football.

Belgium 2-0 Finland
Denmark 4-1 Russia

Denmark - with just 3 points - qualify. Russia, started the night in second spot, finish bottom and Finland - who kept Belgium out for so long finish third, but with a -2 GD, they actually push Ukraine up one place and both are unlikely to progress!!..... but I'm done predicting anything anymore [:)] - maybe Croatia and Scotland will draw and put both out, maybe France will batter Portugal and put them out? Who knows!!

So its:

Austria vs Italy
Denmark vs Wales

Joining these four we have Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, England, France and Sweden. So we know 11 of the 16, but not the positions - 1st to 3rd - of those in bold.

ORIGINAL: RFalvo69

However, had we Italian stayed quiet, or just LOST the war against Turkey as we used to do in wars, instead of invading and winning for the only time in our military history (considered from the Reunification), nothing else would have happened. Or so some historians think.

What about WW1 (after switching alliances, an old habit of the Savoy house [:D]), Ethiopia (1935-36) and Albania (1939)?

ORIGINAL: RFalvo69

ORIGINAL: gamer78

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe




I can just imagine the fights that may occur if they are on the same plane![X(]

Turkey and Balkan states relations formed long before any concept of western colonial definition. Similar culture for neighbours. Turks, Macedonians, Albanians, Circassian , Serbs and Greeks were Pasha in Ottoman times. So no fight. [;)] Cheers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Mac ... _relations

There is a theory about how Italy actually started WWI. After Turkey lost the Italo-Turkish war of 1911-12 (my paternal grandfather was a Bersagliere in that war, BTW), dominoes started to fall. The Balkan States started the Balkan War of 1912 due to their renewed perception of Turkey's weakness. They formed a "Balkan League of Christian Nations", composed of the Kingdoms of Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece and Montenegro, and won back the vast majority of the land nominally belonging to the Ottoman Empire.

Then they started squabbling between themselves about who got what, causing the Second Balkan War of 1913. So much for Christianity. Anyway, irredentism grew across the region and, in 1914, someone pulled a bad stunt and...

However, had we Italian stayed quiet, or just LOST the war against Turkey as we used to do in wars, instead of invading and winning for the only time in our military history (considered from the Reunification), nothing else would have happened. Or so some historians think.

Maybe. Better organized Austria Hungary also couldn't resist Balkan nationalism. Yes it is more about identity&language and ambitions. For Balkan Wars grandparents tell the population exchange -it was problematic- and that generation has the anger. They stole everything they have. It is typical for a war. Not extra ordinary. Later Turkey has good relations. for example in 70's and 80's there was a comedy film about most footballers in Turkey Yugoslav origin. Yugoslavia was very popular. But attitude is not same for Austria, always rival nation yesterday and today. Culturally nothing is similiar, it shouldn't be necessary course. But Üsküp, Macedonia, Alexander the Great is different, very much liked.

Meanwhile to take this thread back to the football...

The two Group D games today are:-

Czech Republic v England
Croatia v Scotland

Mount and Chillwell are both out of contention due to them both self-isolating after Scotland's Plague-Carrier-in-Chief, Billy Gilmour, breathed all over them. Thankfully, none of the Scottish lads have a problem because "they were told not go near the Plague-Carrier with a ten-foot bargepole."

This from the BBC:-

"Much of Monday was taken up with chat about how Gilmour could have got coronavirus, why none of his team-mates had to isolate as close contacts, why an Instagram video of Gilmour, Robertson and John McGinn playing table tennis on Sunday night was mysteriously deleted as the Scottish FA attempted to reassure everybody that none of the other Scotland players would be ruled out as none had strayed that deeply into Gilmour's personal space."

Best wishes,
Steve

ORIGINAL: shunwick

Meanwhile to take this thread back to the football...

...

This from the BBC:-

"Much of Monday was taken up with chat about how Gilmour could have got coronavirus, why none of his team-mates had to isolate as close contacts, why an Instagram video of Gilmour, Robertson and John McGinn playing table tennis on Sunday night was mysteriously deleted as the Scottish FA attempted to reassure everybody that none of the other Scotland players would be ruled out as none had strayed that deeply into Gilmour's personal space."

Best wishes,
Steve

aye I think quite a few people are bemused at the apparent inability of covid to spread when individuals are in close physical contact with each other ...

Is there any chance England won’t stink the place out tonight? Let’s hope but I’m not putting money on it. Good luck to Scotland too, 1-0 will do.

ORIGINAL: loki100

ORIGINAL: shunwick

Meanwhile to take this thread back to the football...

...

This from the BBC:-

"Much of Monday was taken up with chat about how Gilmour could have got coronavirus, why none of his team-mates had to isolate as close contacts, why an Instagram video of Gilmour, Robertson and John McGinn playing table tennis on Sunday night was mysteriously deleted as the Scottish FA attempted to reassure everybody that none of the other Scotland players would be ruled out as none had strayed that deeply into Gilmour's personal space."

Best wishes,
Steve

aye I think quite a few people are bemused at the apparent inability of covid to spread when individuals are in close physical contact with each other ...

Two friends of mine got COVID during last Winter's lockdown. Both of them haven't a clue as how they got it. And both have three people in their families (wife and two teenage daughters the first; wife, one boy and one daughter under 10 the other). To add to the mystery, not a single family member got COVID, even if they were living in close contact due to the forced lockdown. Then they self-quarantined away from their families and got rid of the virus in a matter of days (one experienced some days of high fever and that was it).

This virus will be studied for years. The number of different ways it can manifest itself is off the scale.

Football is much better with 2 teams of equal supporters, isn't it? So Turkey not qualified Haydi Hrvatska! [:)]

ORIGINAL: RFalvo69

ORIGINAL: loki100

ORIGINAL: shunwick

Meanwhile to take this thread back to the football...

...

This from the BBC:-

"Much of Monday was taken up with chat about how Gilmour could have got coronavirus, why none of his team-mates had to isolate as close contacts, why an Instagram video of Gilmour, Robertson and John McGinn playing table tennis on Sunday night was mysteriously deleted as the Scottish FA attempted to reassure everybody that none of the other Scotland players would be ruled out as none had strayed that deeply into Gilmour's personal space."

Best wishes,
Steve

aye I think quite a few people are bemused at the apparent inability of covid to spread when individuals are in close physical contact with each other ...

Two friends of mine got COVID during last Winter's lockdown. Both of them haven't a clue as how they got it. And both have three people in their families (wife and two teenage daughters the first; wife, one boy and one daughter under 10 the other). To add to the mystery, not a single family member got COVID, even if they were living in close contact due to the forced lockdown. Then they self-quarantined away from their families and got rid of the virus in a matter of days (one experienced some days of high fever and that was it).

This virus will be studied for years. The number of different ways it can manifest itself is off the scale.

There are some people with an already existing immunity to Covid-19 from prior to the emergence of Covid-19. Do you remember all of those colds that you got?

Some people may have preexisting immunity to the coronavirus

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news ... oronavirus

It Turns Out, We All May Have Some Immunity to COVID, New Study Shows
December 17, 2020

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news ... oronavirus

Recent research proves that our cells can help protect us from coronavirus and other pathogens.
July 23, 2020

https://bestlifeonline.com/coronavirus-immunity/

I was being facetious .. please don't turn this into a Covid thread - that leads to a quick lock by the moderators on past experience