Originally Posted by Russ D

Part of me REALLY wants to see England crash and burn, followed by weeks of blaming the players, the pitch, the manager, the FA, Saddam Hussein, the incompletion of the new Wembley Stadium, Mystic Meg, my next door neighbour and Bamber Gascoigne (the guy who used to present University Challenge).

But deep down, out of all the teams taking part, I would rather see an England win.

Originally Posted by TheBlueRaja

So we can have another 50 years of them banging on about 66 and 06, no thanks...

Although i appreciate your choice, i just can stomach it personally.

Originally Posted by dezzo

I'm another for T&T to do well.

Not so much the England team but seeing the English Broadcasting Corporation are already starting to go overboard on the coverage.

Still it might be an idea for another competition, taking bets on how long it is into the commentary that 1966 is mentioned (It was 7 minutes last time), how long before Rooneys injury is blamed for a loss and for the 1st football hooligans to be described as 'British' instead of English.

Originally Posted by dezzo

I'm another for T&T to do well.

Not so much the England team but seeing the English Broadcasting Corporation are already starting to go overboard on the coverage.

Still it might be an idea for another competition, taking bets on how long it is into the commentary that 1966 is mentioned (It was 7 minutes last time), how long before Rooneys injury is blamed for a loss and for the 1st football hooligans to be described as 'British' instead of English.

Originally Posted by Russ D

The lesser of 2 evils mate! And no matter how they do next month, we'll still be getting 1966 rammed down our throats for years to come...

However if you're asking who I'd want to win apart from England, I'll go for Dutch win.

Originally Posted by Chris T

Thread title edited to something a little closer to the truth. :angel: :D

Originally Posted by Russ D

Yes indeed :) ;)

Originally Posted by BBC/ITV

BBC World Cup Guidelines for commentary team.

1 -Within 1 minute of kick off in the opening match (Germany v Costa Rica), the commentator must mention England.

2 - Regardless of what two teams are contesting the final, England have to be mentioned within the first minute.

3 - The commentator shall refer to the Falkland Isles in passing at some point in the match if England play Argentina.

4 - Whenever a hat trick is scored, comparisons with Geoff Hurst will be made within seconds of the third goal hitting the net.

5 - Should England wear their red jerseys, then '1966' should be mentioned approximately 20 times.

6 - 1966 must be mentioned approximately 10 times per match, or on 4 or 5 occasions for matches not involving England.

7 - Prior to the captain of the winning team lifting the trophy, the commentator will mention Bobby Moore - and 1966.

8 - When Germany are playing, they must be referred to as being arrogant by the commentator on at least 14 occasions. This must refer to their style, their passing, their haircuts and their general footballing ability.

9 - Should England play Germany, mentions of Winston Churchill, Dambusters, the Luftwaffe and Adolf Hitler will be compulsory - and 1966.

10 - All Scottish members of our commentary team must continue to refer to England as "we" and "us".

11 - We must ensure that nationlistic stereotypes are adhered to. Of course, the Germans are arrogant. The Spanish are bottlers, The Ivory Coast are fast but bad at defending, The Angolans are disorganised, The Argentineans are cheats and the French are only good because their best players play in England.

12 - For matches not involving England, we must only discuss the players that are playing in England. (eg - Holland v Argentina should be referred to as Van Nistelroy v Crespo).

13 - The phrase " Bulldog spirit" should be used as often as possible.

14 - Each match involving England should begin with the phrase "England Expects."

15 - Should any player be involved in an injury that involves the loss of teeth, then references to Nobby Stiles and 1966 are compulsory.

16 - If in any doubt, mention 1966.

17 - Praise all of the stunning new stadiums in Germany but emphasise that they lack the presence of Wembley, the spiritual home of football since 1966.

18 - Commentators should feel free to imitate the style of Kenneth Wolstenholme, the hero of 1966.

19 - Should any team feature brothers playing together, then Jackie and Bobby Charlton should be mentioned.

20 - When England bow out after the first stage, we must emphasise that it is a massive blow to football and a serious loss to the World Cup.