orpheum

You seem to ignore the fact that ITV have digital channels but are still showing Euro 2008 on their main channel.

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Harbottle

As a footy fan I too welcome Euro '08 during the barren summer period, but I do agree with the colossal waste of resources by the BBC. Why they need to send all the regular bores Hansen, Shearer etc out to Austia is bewildering when ITV are managing quite well enough thank you using a London studio. Still as they think Ross is good value for money one can't be surprised I suppose

orpheum

Remember they are all probably staying at rather decent 5 star hotels at license payers expense

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penfold

All of which would have been booked years ago, when England expected to be present and probably other home nations too...

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

samkydd

The technical skills of even some of the "lesser" sides like Switzerland seem far better than any of the England team players. They'll be watching it from their post season holiday paradises totally in awe of the flowing teamwork and high level of ability of the Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese!

I suspect many of them are rather glad that they're not there this time as they would no doubt put up their usual lacklustre performance; lose the ball every twenty seconds, chase the game like a bunch of primary school kids, rely on corners and miracle free kicks to score, not to try and take the ball passed an opposition player in case they are made to look foolish when they lose it.

Everyone raves about the world class status of English players, but it's nonsense. World class in earnings maybe, but it's the foreign talent that makes the Premier League the most watched in the world!

As for England managers why don't they realise that the best players do not necessarily make the best team. A team working as a cohesive unit a la Alf Ramsey's philosophy is still the way forward, and you've only got to look at Jack Charlton's limited choices for the ROI team in the 90s to realise that this actually works quite well!

I've enjoyed the games I've watched so far, and as a realist even if England had made it over there they'd still need an awful lot of luck to get anywhere near the final. Portugal, Holland and Spain, albeit just one game each so far, have put on a masterclass on how to play international football.

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

scholes

I agree Harbottle, but I'm surprised you haven't mentioned that equally dull darling of BBC Sport Gary Lineker.

orpheum

Even England could have beaten Austria who are ranked 101 in world rankings.

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scholes

At smkydd
"Everyone raves about the world class status of English players, but it's nonsense".

The interview with Fabio Capello suggested that England are lot shorter on confidence than ability. It's just finding the right playing system for harnessing their undoubted talent.

samkydd

He would feel obliged to say something positive after signing up for all that money. Otherwise even someone as stupid as the FA would soon realise that something was amiss in the English game!

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

EHV_Emmetts

With the Euro whatisname football tournament currently being played, soon to be followed by Wimbledon, then in August the blanket coverage of the Olympics, do we feel that there is just too much sports coverage on our TV?

The alternative argument is that with many of the major sporting events only being available to view via a subscription to Pork Pie (Sky), the majority of the sports loving TV audience is denied an opportunity to watch their favourite sport.

faginsgirl

Too blummin` much! And that includes on mainstream t.v!

Dont get me wrong, I quite like wimbeldon, snooker tornements etc. But like me with football, for those who arent keen on sport in general I feel sorry for those who have to bare the games, highlights, highlights of the highlights and the what went wong with whom stage too!

At least with snooker they usually show it quite late at night (on BBC2) or during the day so it doesnt clash with night time viewing.

Football is the worse (and not because I dont like it!). I partly dont like it because its shoved down my throat on tv 24-7 and not only that, in the papers, on the news, they are in the courts for for speeding all year round. Not saying people from other sports havent been caught for speeding of course, but come on....

I DONT CARE about them and thier WAGS, or thier show off fashion statements!!!!!

And it makes grown men cry over a team losing???? Obviously these people have never had anything bad happen to them in thier lives if they think that is worth crying over!

No offence to sport lovers in general. But some of it gets my goat!

xx

We`re changin` lodggggggggings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

scholes

I can never get enough Sport on TV.
Football, Rugby Union and Athletics are well and truly filling in the summer of 2008 until the new football season is upon us.
Watch out for Usain Bolt ,the Jamaican sprinter, in the Beijing Olympics.

EHV_Emmetts

Re: the Olympics.

The BBC are sending a vast regiment of personnel to cover this event. It's bigger than the number of competitors in the British team.

Fellwanderer

I've successfully managed to avoid it all to date.

All the best
FELL

A signature is no substitute for a life

Pip

Sport... there's too much balls on TV for sure... far too much, especially on the News and news programmes. Quite happy for there to be dedicated sport channels, let's keep the News for real important stuff, not sport... which is either a leisure activity or, too often, an overblown business that's ripping off it's 'fans'.