Rob1981

God, even Andrew's going up. This must be it.

Funeral is planned for nine days after the death iirc, but I think if this falls on a weekend they might move it back to the Monday.

It’s a few years old now but this is worth a read. Not just on bank holidays but all the protocols and the sheer about of detail and minutiae that is already pre-planned https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/mar/16/what-happens-when-queen-elizabeth-dies-london-bridge

You can wish her well, say that your thoughts are with her, say that you hope she's comfortable, or say that you hope her family are supporting her etc. Expecting her to "recover" is ridiculous at this point.

Some of these leader statements are ridiculous. I know you've just got to be seen to be saying something but "hoping for her recovery" ffs. She's 96, she's not going to last forever.

Why is he even doing it Can’t need the money. Is he that desperate to stay relevant when it’s World Cup time?

Esteban Cambiasso's birthday today. Have a bit of his famous goal against Serbia & Montenegro in 2006: Best team goal in the WC ever obvs, you can take that Brazilian one and shove it.

Morocco bidding again for 2030 apparently. At one point there was talk of a Spain-Portugal-Morocco joint bid given that Morocco and Spain are virtually next to each other across the sea. But now there is a Spain-Portugal bid going in and Morocco are going it alone.

Just when you think you already know all the obscure WC trivia going... Never knew that originally the 1950 WC was supposed to be in 1949 and then the 1954 WC was supposed to be in 1951. So straight after WW2 they were going down the route of doing it every two years until somebody at FIFA changed their minds.

Here's all the historic failed bids: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Cup_hosts

Outdoor heaters on this time and everyone throwing their mulled wine in the air

This is where am I with it tbh Don't mind the winter WC in principle... can't keep expecting everything to be done for the convenience of the big European leagues But pretending they could host it in summer, bidding on this basis... then changing their minds only once they'd paid everyone off. Still absolutely crackers that they got away with it.

Depends on the league I think. Premier League is running right up until Sunday 13 November and then the WC starts on Sunday 20 November. No time for any friendlies pre-tournament. Those leagues with 18 teams instead of 20 teams might be breaking a week earlier but I wouldn't bet on it.

If I'd posted it Saturday and if FIFA hadn't moved the first game it would have been 100 days First game was supposed to be 10am on morning of Monday 21st, then the Qatar v Ecuador was going to be the third game on. But this would have meant the opening ceremony only being in the afternoon that day and only after two matches had already finished. So the other day they moved the Qatar game to 4pm on Sunday 20th.

Well actually it's 97 days until the World Cup. a) because I forgot to post this on Saturday; and b) because FIFA have just moved the opening game from a Monday morning and pulled it forward to the Sunday night But here's somewhere for the big build up and to share some World Cup nostalgia. And yeah, yeah, it's in Qatar and that sucks. But comparing World Cups is like comparing your children. Even the worst one is magical. And let's be honest, there's never really been a time when the World Cup hasn't been largely mismanaged and mostly corrupt. Anyway here's Bergkamp banging that goal in at France 98. Come on people, post some more WC goals and stuff.