I was presented with an interesting offer a few months back, to blog for The Telegraph during the World Cup.
It’s not a paying gig, but it’s great experience and it was humbling to even be approached, so naturally I agreed.
Since then, there was a lot of waiting around to find out what was actually happening and how it was all going to be setup. At one point, I was almost certain it wasn’t going to materialise, but in the last week or so, everything’s finally been put in place.
I’ve actually been assigned to write about the Ivory Coast, giving my thoughts on their progress before and after their matches, as well as taking part in a few live web chats during them.
Of course I say ‘I’, but naturally Ben’s involved too, giving it a real Wolves Blog flavour. I hope some of you will join in too. Here’s the link:
http://my.telegraph.co.uk/football/worldcupivorycoast/
Fear not though, I shall be continuing to update Wolves Blog a couple of times a week at least and more often, if interesting/exciting developments occur.
As always, thanks for the support. Opportunities like this wouldn’t have been possible without our valued contributors making this blog what it is.
Anyway, that’s that. Don’t worry, all Wolves, all the time from now on.
If you get anywhere near Drogba, break his other arm in six places and give him a shovel in the face, he’s an ugly arrogant bastard, and does the Premier League no favours with his attitude and histrionics.
The likes of him should be banned for life.
Next blog I’ll tell you what I really think of him!!
Good luck in the blogging for the Telegraph, but tell them they are cheap bastards for charging me for their crossword on The Electronic Telegraph!!
Or better still, send me the crosswords every day, Ben says you are a nice chap like that!!!
FOWB
Am I right in thinking Drogba led the national team in a plea that brought about the end of a civil war in the Ivory Coast? I think you can forgive him the odd dive after that.
If he wants to play politics, then good luck to him, and play by the rules.
If he wants to play football, then he must still play by the rules.
Whatever he’s done or not done, he’s still an ugly arrogant cheating bastard.
FOWB
Wouldn’t mind him signing for the Wolves though…;)
(And I’d disagree with that last point, I think a lot of his reputation is more media-circus than anything else)
Congrats Thomas, that’s a hell of an offer.I’m sure all of us on here will be reading avidly along the way. I hope you get two more England matches than I expect to blog on !
I’ve never agreed with Clive more.
Many congratulations, Thomas. The opening “Group of Death” blog has set things up nicely (will they put your name on it though? – or else the first-person references seem out of place), and I look forward to reading more.
Cheers for the reminder Kowloon.
I’ve now put my name on it and of course, linked back to Wolves Blog.
Who do we all reckon will be holding theTrophy aloft? After all that has gone before, it is writen in the stars that the damn French will win it, on penalties, 5-4 , and Brazil….will come up short in the Final
Cheers for the support Dazza.
It’s hard to ever see beyond Brazil for any World Cup and I think they’ll be there or there about once again.
Spain are the other obvious choice, given their form in qualifying and their success at the Euros.
Dark horses for the competition are Argentina and England, but unfortunately I think we’ll come up just short.
If I was putting a fiver on anyone it would be Argentina.
I’d pump for Argentina, just because of the players they’ve got.
Shame you got the Ivory Coast, with the group they’re in
Sorry, also meant to say, Thomas, what do you make of the new penalty taking “law”…whereby a player can’t run up to the ball, feign, and then shoot….but can “shimmy” has he approaches the ball and shoot as long as it is in one continous movement. Referees have been told to book any player who does the stop, feign and shoot malarkey…(a la John Aldridge). So imagine…. a player on a yellow card… forgets in teh heat of the moment…breaks this new “law”… does the ref send him off… does someone else get to take the pen… I can see this being a right circus
I’ve always believed players shouldn’t be allowed to stop, shimmy or feint to shoot in their run-up.
A penalty is enough of an advantage as it is.
Banning one thing and not the other is likely to cause farce, as you point out Dazza and I can see some strange booking being dished out.
The simple answer? Just run up and kick it. Any international class footballer should be able to score without party tricks.
On the flip side of that, I think refs need to ensure goalies stay on their line. In most situations the keeper is nearly at the edge of his six yard box when the ball is kicked, which is ridiculous.
I’m old enough to remember the master of penalty takers…Jim McCalliog… run up…stop..pretend to kick it….keeper dives…put it in the other corner…classic!!
I remember talking to Jim McCalliog’s mum, she used to run a petrol station on the Penn Road.
I also had Robert Plant speak to me. He sad fuck off out of my way when I was in a bar once!!
And, to top them all, I once stood next to Jackie Stewart at the pissoire in Austria, and he “looked”.
Hows them for bragging rights!!
Let’s see who can top those.
FOWB
Can’t resist this one Clive!!
Sat next to Robert Plant for almost 10 years tin the John ireland Stand. In that time I faxed him many a copy of the Sports Argus all around the world.In that time, I gave up my seat for (in no specific order)…Nigel Kennedy, Brian Johnson and Joe Elliott. I was also a roadie for a local band, and was introduced to Jon Lord and Ian Paice at the Oakley Country Club. At the Lafayette, I have had a beer with Dave Donovan, Roy Wood, and Jeff Lynn.Our band was once playing at the Civic Hall, and I stuffed sausage rolls in Gary Newbons jacket pockets backstage !!
Was also lucky enough to be good friends and workmates of Steve Bull’s mom and dad…and those two, above all the afore mentioned are my favourite peopel of all 🙂
Oh….and I go backstage passes to the party at the NEC for Page & Plants “No Quarter” tour
Back to you Clive…lol
I haven’t heard of 90% of the people you’ve just mentioned. Sounds pretty impressive though.
The Vine in Wombourne was my local for years, and Roy Wood was a regular.
I remember standing next to, and annoying, Emperor Rosco at the Laff.
I polished the number on the front of Stirling Moss’s car at Goodwood, when I was about 4.
If I’d been near enuff to Gary Newbon, I would have put eggs in his pockets, what a tosser!
Was that Brian Johnson the cricket commentator?
And, last but not least, me and Colin Hay took the piss out of each others accents for about 10 minutes last summer, and we get to do it again next month when he comes back to Houston.
For all you philistines out there, Colin Hay is the lead singer of the band “Men at Work”, and does a brilliant comedy/singing one man show.
FOWB
No Clive, Brian Johnson singer with AC/DC. Joe Elliott (Def Leppard) and Nigel Kennedy ( classical violinist) … in order when we played Newvcastle, Sheff Utd and Aston Villa
Emperor Rosco… now we are talking… although I laways loved John Peel, and ‘whispering’ Bob Davis from the Old Grey Whistle Test
Should also have added….saw Black Sabbath here in Brisbane a couple of years ago… (god bless you Ronnie James Dio) and caught Vinnie Appice’s drumstick at the end of the gig. I had this framed and made into a nice prezzie for a friend of mine who came over for my 50th birthday
I’ll be the oldest rocker in town when I go see Metallica in October 🙂
We got tix for the Eagles in 2 weeks, not heavy metal but still put on a hell of a show.
I remember seeing The Who in Brum, and we paid at the door and went upstairs into a relatively small hall. Can’t remember the name of it, but it was before The Who were really big, anyway.
I got my 60th next year, and I’m looking for suggestions (reasonably clean) of an unusual way to celebrate.
What’s the weather like in October in your neck of the woods, Dazza?
FOWB
That was Birmingham Town Hall you tosser! I was with you and it was all good but you were slim then – you’d never fit in such a small venue now! I seem to remember you missed your turn to fight a path to the bar for jugs of beer. But you did ‘squeeze’ your way to the front and stood right next to the ginormous array of speakers all night. A typically sensible Clive manouvre and you aint been right since!
What about Chairman Of The board? Sh*t or what??
October is beautiful Clive, just starting to warm up nicely…be high 20’s low 30’s. In Winter now, and a very chilly 21c today 🙂
You could do worse than a couple of weeks on the Sunshine Coast, a tandem sky dive, a visit to the Barrier Reef , snorkelling in Cairns and take in one of the Whitsunday’s
Such a terrible life