African nations Cup

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As a slight footy obsessive I, of course had to watch some of South Africa vs Burkina Faso yesterday (a 0-0 draw) and then some of the highlights hosted by the utterly rubbish Garth Crookes (that's at presenting not playing sensitive Spurs fans) and I must say this looks like it could be a gem of a tournament! Dodgy pitches, dodgy referees, new players that premiership teams will pay silly money for next month and strangest of all, Cameroon playing in vests instead of normal shirts!!

Is anyone else watching it, or am I the only sad bastard?

― chris, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"hosted by the utterly rubbish Garth Crookes [sic]"

Cabbage, although I haven't seen him on this particular presenting assignment, I doubt very much that GC could ever be less than dazzling. There are prominent ilXorZ who have video archives of his stint on 'Despatch Box'. And need we mention the Greatest Living Englishman's forthcoming tribute group, "Crooksy"?

― , Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I watched about the last ten minutes of Burkina Faso against South Africa, more by accident than design, and I hope to watch a lot more of it, also by accident rather than design. I wasn't really paying much attention, but I think the commentators were calling Burkina Faso 'Burkina', which raises the question, whay not 'Faso', or better still, 'the Faso'. Do Burkina Fasians call their country 'Burkina'? Was it Garth Crooks saying 'Burkina'? If it was him, he must be right.

― Peter Miller, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh he's terrible, his stuttering, clumsy round-up at the end of last night's show had me in stitches last night, utterly shambolic.

in the words of half man half biscuit:

"with the possible exception of being Garth Crooks(sp?), there is surely nothing worse than washing sieves"

― chris, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Mr Millar, if you were watching Eurosport then you were hearing (I think) Dave Farrar (probly wrong spelling again) who commentates on a lot of footy on Eurosport with expert summariser John Duncan (former manager of Chesterfield).

Can't remember who did the highlights for the Beeb, but I doubt it was young Garth.

― chris, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Those Cameroon sleeveless shirts have to be the campest thing yet seen on a football pitch, surely?

― Mark Morris, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Definitely, are they like the Italian (and Welsh) shirts but with the sleeves cut off? they looked damn tight whatever. Mind you Mboma's goal was anything but camp, he fairly belted that one.

England get the chance to run the rule over Nigeria tonight, should be interesting.

― chris, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Can't remember who did the highlights for the Beeb, but I doubt it was young Garth.

Oh, but it was. I think I should leave it to the Pinefox to capture the true essence of Crooksy, suffice to say it's something to do with... pauses and emphasis.

Corking strike by the Cameroon lad.

― Michael Jones, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I missed Cameroon's sleeveless shirts!!!!

― Jonnie, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm sorry Jonesy (and Pinefox) but I find listening to Crooksy very painful indeed, and he really needs to stop nodding so much, nearly as much as Sue Barker needs to stop "mmmm"ing all the while someone else is talking.

― chris, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Garth Crooks is an awful presenter/interviewer. He only ever asks leading questions (e.g "How IMPORTANT is it for the HOST nation to do well in this TOURNament?")and he rivals that woman from the River Cafe in terms of sheer inappropriateness of emphasis. He was a Spurs legend yes but he sucks on TV.

― Jonnie, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

PINEFOX TO THREAD!

Um, aren't all sports presenters awful? Once you have granted that, it becomes a question of treasuring them for their idiosyncracies, no? Of which Mr Crooks has more than most.

― Edna Welthorpe, Mrs, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

all sports presenters awful? not at all. I think Jeff Stelling on Sky is superb, he's interested in the subject and is enthusiastic. When presenting rather than having time filling discussiond, Sue Barker is good, very knowledgeable on her subject. Gary Lineker = verging on the untouchable now, in depth knowledge, largely respected, asks the right questions. Not to mention lovely, cuddly Stubbsy.

― chris, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It was Europsort. I get the impression they have the same commentators for every sport, but then I don't really listen. Or watch. I like the Belgian football best, and the little lad who calls the European Union flag Eurosport in the middle of a flag naming contest.

― Peter Miller, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Sue Barker once had a nude romp with Cliff Richard. I can't wait for her autobiography.

― Peter Miller, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

d'you reckon the colostomy bag got in the way?

I am a eurosport fan too, Eurogoals is essential weekly viewing, and they are the only channel with decent winter sports coverage. And yes, in the English version Dave Farrar commentates on a very wide range of sports.

― chris, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Does Angus Loughran still commentate for British Eurosport?

― Jonnie, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

very occasionally, but I think the BBC use him in their racing coverage now.

― chris, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'd like to hear everyones' tournament predictions - my money's on Senegal.

― Trevor, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Cameroon for me, merely because they've got Mboma who is cool. Does anyone know where I can find a picture of the sleeveless Cameroon shirt? I'm dying to see it.

― Jonnie, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Cameroon for me too, definitely not South Africa though, no ideas whatsoever. I have to say that John Salako was a pretty good summariser, after I slagged off Crooksy.

― chris, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I can't find the photos you require anywhere, sorry.

― chris, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/75f7cff1/bc/Junk/Sleeveless+Cameroon +shirt.jpg?bcfCKn8AP5uwHvCy

― N., Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

they didn't look like a little red x last night Nick?

― chris, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

sorry, it started working now *hangs head and slinks off*

― chris, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Sorry - forgot to change share settings. Should work now.

― N., Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

No, mea culpa.

― N., Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think Nigeria's chances are still very good. If anyone cares. Though Cameroon look more impressive than I thought. And camper.

― Pete, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

If you want to see that sodding photo click here

― N., Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The first thought that came into my head upon seeing that photo was the Pet Shop Boys doing "Go West." WHY?

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What I need to know before answering this question is how often does the thought of the Pet Shop Boys doing "Go West" usually appear in your head?

― N., Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh, all depends, really. The fact that I was playing Very yesterday must have something to do with it, though.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Thanks for all your efforts Nick, pathetic though most of them were.

― Jonnie, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ah.

Crooksy if anything has been *insufficiently* idiosyncratic in what I've seen so far.

EW's formulation can be dialectically developed: presenters are awful --> we cherish their idiosyncrasies --> they are fabulous and not awful at all.

Cabbage, despite his other errors, is on the roubles re. Lineker. (Interesting question: at what moment, to the nearest minute if possible, did Lineker overtake Lynam?)

Garth's main faux pas so far: addressing John Salako as 'Ghana'. Problem with scale there.

Amazed and very touched that EW remembers my planned band. I have been wandering Sainsbury's thinking about it. (This is true.)

― the pinefox, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

walkers crisps ad vs dodgy deoderant ad => lineker UP lynam DOWN

― mark s, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Only five goals in sixteen games?!! And I don't buy that nonsense about "more structured defending" proferred by the consistently off- the-money Garth Crooks. It's the pitches. They're an absolute disgrace, ref.

― Trevor, Tuesday, 22 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's got more bobbles than me nan's favourite pullover.

― Trevor, Tuesday, 22 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I agree, Nigeria looked rubbish at the back yesterday, which pleases me no end, as does the fact that they were very wasteful and over- fancy in front of goal. Lovely celebration though, and fair play to Craig Brown for knowing the correct terminology.

Pinefox, to answer your question on where Lineker took over, I'd say about half way (or even earlier) through Euro 2000 when it was realised that Lynam = on autopilot and young Gary = champing at the bit and a darn sight more knowledgeable. Most importantly, he knows how to talk about football as sport rather than as national spectacle.

― chris, Tuesday, 22 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I wish I wasn't on a course all day so I could talk about this more, and think through my posts a little better!

― chris, Tuesday, 22 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Au contraire: this observation of yours -

"he knows how to talk about football as sport rather than as national spectacle"

- is a provocative peach of a thought.

― the pinefox, Tuesday, 22 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Lineker won it for me when he refused to be optimistic, a la Sky, about the second leg of the Ipswich whichever Scandinavian team they played UEFA cup tie.

― Jonnie, Tuesday, 22 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Talking to the G last night he had two lineker moments:

Raja Casablanca are attacking in the World club Championship, a corner comes over, forward smacks ball against bar, ball rebounds to midfielder who launches it back in, only to hit the bar again, cut to Gary "ah, Casablanca, of all the bars in all the world........" genius.

shit, can't remember the other one unfortunately, and gotta go.

― chris, Wednesday, 23 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two months pass...

'camp'eroon football shirts are coming out mid May they are gonna sell 'em in about 6 outlets JJB's etc...

no doubt this summers 'must have' fashion garm.

― , Thursday, 28 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

But they have been banned from wearing the sleeveless version in Japan/Korea. FIFA = killjoys.

― Jonnie, Thursday, 28 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

two years pass...

And docked six pointsfrom their World Cup qualifying campaign for wearing it this year. FIFA are rotters.

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 17 April 2004 11:55 (twenty-one years ago)

six points!!! that's a bit harsh. i don't think the one-piece kit offered them a great advantage on the pitch, so maybe just one or two points would have sufficed? ok they were silly not to follow the rules, but jesus!

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Saturday, 17 April 2004 12:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Sorry - I had lost track of the Cameroon wardrobe. 'It' doesn't mean the old sleeveless thing, of course.

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 17 April 2004 13:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I tried the sleeveless one on in a shop in lewisham. It did not flatter yer pasty white boy with growing pot belly. If you have tone and tan, I recommend. If not, steer clear.

― Dave B (daveb), Saturday, 17 April 2004 13:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Go the all-in-one way, Dave.

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 17 April 2004 13:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Sepp "The women should wear shorter shorts" Blatter, ladies and gentlemen.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Saturday, 17 April 2004 13:58 (twenty-one years ago)

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