EPL Talk » Wales

Poems And Drawings From a 10-Year-Old Soccer Obsessed Boy

The Gaffer — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:30:52 +0000

Going through some old boxes last week, I found a handmade poetry book I created in primary school when I was living in Wales. I thought it’d be interesting to share the poems and my pictures no matter how crude and silly they are to help paint a picture of what a ten-year old soccer obsessed boy was thinking in 1980.

Here are the soccer-related poems and drawings (click the images, when open, to zoom in):

“Soccer” (The Poem)

“Famous Footballers”

Kevin Keegan Drawing

“I Have A Dream”

“Wales 4-1 England”

Old Footballer Drawing.

Some of the things that I found interesting about the collection were the names of different companies featured on the advertising boards such as Talbot (cars), Esso (gasoline/petrol), V.G. and Spar (grocery stores), my adoration for my boyhood hero Kevin Keegan, the amount of belief I had in the Welsh national team at that time (thanks to their 4-1 against England), and – even at that age – the level of detail I drew into the football kits of Wales (Adidas) and England (Admiral).

Pavlyuchenko Gets The Wrong End Of The Stick From Ramos

The Gaffer — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:40:26 +0000

New Spurs striker Roman Pavlyuchenko may face punishment from Tottenham because he’s not learning English quickly enough according to the Russian newspaper, Tvoi Den.

If the newspaper report is true, it’s a bit unfair on Pavlyuchenko. He’s only been with Spurs since September 1st and, in that time, he also played in Moscow for Russia aganst Wales. Plus, the criticism seems very hypocritical given that Juande Ramos is not learning English fast enough either.

The newspaper reports that Pavlyuchenko was substituted at halftime against Wigan because he wasn’t following the orders from Ramos because he didn’t understand a word that his manager had said in the pre-match team talk.

Sure, the sooner Pavlyuchenko learns English the better, but he’s only been with Spurs for just over three weeks. Ramos has been with Tottenham since October 27, 2007.

World Cup Qualifying: Your Running Commentary

The Gaffer — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:56:24 +0000

England’s away match today against Croatia is massive for several reasons. First, a loss against Croatia will be a huge blow to England’s hopes of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. Second, a loss would put immense pressure under Fabio Capello. Third, if England can secure a draw or a win, it’ll be a huge boost of confidence to a team and a nation that haven’t had much to cheer about in so long.

The irony is that most football fans in England and the United States won’t be able to see the big match live unless they’re willing to fork over some sizeable cash to Setanta Sports or In Demand.

Here are some of today’s matches to enjoy:

Russia vs Wales, 11am ET/4pm UK (Fox Soccer Channel)
Turkey vs Belgium, 2pm ET/7pm UK time (Setanta US)
Macedonia vs Holland, 2:30pm ET/7:30pm UK time (Fox Soccer Channel)
Croatia v England, 3pm ET/8pm UK time (Pay-per-view and Setanta pub channel)
Italy vs Georgia, 2:45pm ET/7:45pm UK time (GolTV)
Portugal vs Denmark, 4pm ET/9pm UK time (Setanta US)
Spain vs Armenia, 4:50pm ET/9:50pm UK time (GolTV)
Slovenia vs Slovakia, 5pm ET/10pm UK time (Fox Soccer Channel)
France vs Serbia, 6:45pm ET/11:45pm UK time (Setanta US)
USA v Trinidad & Tobago, 8pm ET/1am UK time (ESPN2)
Uzbekistan v Australia, 8pm ET/1am UK time (Fox Soccer Channel)
Finland v Germany, 8:45pm ET/1:45am UK time (Setanta US)
Mexico v Canada, 9pm ET/2am ET UK time (Telemundo)

If you’ll be watching – or have watched – today’s matches, please share your thoughts, insight, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Meanwhile, if you’re a fan of U.S. soccer, be sure to head on over to Major League Soccer Talk for a special live chat tonight at 8pm ET featuring the United States against Trinidad and Tobago.