Euro 2012

[Sam]

Group A holds little interest for me, Russia are superior and the other three are a bit rubbish.

[MDK]

Poland are my second team, c'mon Poland!

[The Quasi Juice]

We've had surprises so far, so Poland might be able to pull off an upset Czech and Greece to draw today.

[MDK]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-18407626

The England Supporters Band were unable to play at the team's first 2012 European Championship game after having their instruments confiscated at the stadium in Ukraine.

Band leader John Hemmingham said Monday's match against France was the first time the group had not played at an England game in 16 years.

The Sheffield-based band said it was working with the Football Association (FA) to resolve the issue.

The FA said it did not want to comment.

At football stadiums around the world there are often bans on certain items from being brought into the ground, sometimes including musical instruments, but the band thought arrangements had been made for them to be allowed in with their brass instruments and drums.

Mr Hemmingham said: "The FA had done all of the necessary agreements but it was overturned at the last minute.

"We got ready to play half an hour before kick-off and then stewards came up to us and said, 'no, we've made a mistake you have to take the instruments out now, you can't play'.

"We had to put our instruments in storage."

The band, which provides music to add atmosphere to each England match, sat throughout the game at the stadium in Donetsk, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

"It was kind of weird," Mr Hemmingham said. "Fans were asking where our instruments were."

Mr Hemmingham, who founded the band in 1993 when members played during Sheffield Wednesday games, said the band was due to meet with the FA and the stadium management to resolve the issue before England's game on Friday against Sweden.

"We've been all over the world - different countries and tournaments," added Mr Hemmingham.

A spokesman for the FA and it would not comment on the matter until discussions had taken place.

Forget the heat and the injuries, this is the main reason that we lost :@

[stokeriño]

We lost? >_>

[Dan]

Trumpets should never be allowed in a football stadium imo.

[GA!]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-18407626

The England Supporters Band were unable to play at the team's first 2012 European Championship game after having their instruments confiscated at the stadium in Ukraine.

Band leader John Hemmingham said Monday's match against France was the first time the group had not played at an England game in 16 years.

The Sheffield-based band said it was working with the Football Association (FA) to resolve the issue.

The FA said it did not want to comment.

At football stadiums around the world there are often bans on certain items from being brought into the ground, sometimes including musical instruments, but the band thought arrangements had been made for them to be allowed in with their brass instruments and drums.

Mr Hemmingham said: "The FA had done all of the necessary agreements but it was overturned at the last minute.

"We got ready to play half an hour before kick-off and then stewards came up to us and said, 'no, we've made a mistake you have to take the instruments out now, you can't play'.

"We had to put our instruments in storage."

The band, which provides music to add atmosphere to each England match, sat throughout the game at the stadium in Donetsk, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

"It was kind of weird," Mr Hemmingham said. "Fans were asking where our instruments were."

Mr Hemmingham, who founded the band in 1993 when members played during Sheffield Wednesday games, said the band was due to meet with the FA and the stadium management to resolve the issue before England's game on Friday against Sweden.

"We've been all over the world - different countries and tournaments," added Mr Hemmingham.

A spokesman for the FA and it would not comment on the matter until discussions had taken place.

I would play them the world's smallest violin... but that was also confiscated.

[MDK]

A draw to France is a loss in my book.

[Puckster]

Fuck, England-France's second half was awful. It's not like Portugal is doing better, but I almost fell asleep.

[Crybaby Bunting]

The England band being banned from entering the stadium is the best news I've ever heard.

[Guest mr. potato head]

Not feeling confident at all about today's match. Poland needs to hunker down and play defensively because if they can't pull off the upset here it could easily come down to goal differential with Greece.

[GoN_]

Becuse I'm too lazy to do it myself for this match, here are the starting elevens in portuguese.

[Cymbols]

Becuse I'm too lazy to do it myself for this match, here are the starting elevens in portuguese.

But who is the ref and what does he look like?

[Crybaby Bunting]

Also, did anyone else notice that the band always faded out whenever they played "When The Saints Go Marching In" because they were terrible at resuming play after pausing to let the crowd shout "INGLUND!"

And they have their own website and sponsorship deal (Pukka Pies) , they should just fuck off back to whence they came

[GA!]

I'm glad Greece/Czech Republic is first today. I'm knackered so I need a cure for insomina.

THE WAR TO SETTLE THE SNORE.

[Matticus]

Ray Clemence, Englands Goalkeeping coach has had to return home after snapping his achilles tendon.

Even the coaches cant't catch a break it seems. (no pun intended)

[Lineker]

See, that guy is a fucking lazy slacker.

Greece super-sub Dimitris Salpingidis is rewarded for scoring against Poland with a place in the starting line-up. He will support Celtic's Georgios Samaras in a three-man attack. Kostas Katsouranis drops back from midfield into defence to replace the suspended Sokratis Papastathopoulos. Kyriakos Papadopoulos takes the place of Avraam Papadopoulos, who came off injured in the opening match. The Czech Republic shuffle their pack for their important encounter. Michal Kadlec moves to central defence with David Limbersky taking his place at left-back. Tomas Hubschman is in central midfield with Wolfsburg's Petr Jiracek on the right.

Greece: Chalkias, Torosidis, Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Katsouranis, Holebas, Fotakis, Maniatis, Karagounis, Salpingidis, Samaras, Fortounis.

Subs: Tzorvas, Tzavelas, Malezas, Makos, Liberopoulos, Mitroglou, Gekas, Ninis, Fetfatzidis, Sifakis.

Czech Republic: Cech, Gebre Selassie, Sivok, Kadlec, Limbersky, Hubschman, Plasil, Jiracek, Rosicky, Pilar, Baros.

Subs: Lastuvka, Suchy, Hubnik, Necid, Rezek, Petrzela, Rajtoral, Kolar, Pekhart, Lafata, Darida, Drobny.

Referee: Stephane Lannoy (France)

[IAceI]

Damn right he is Lineker.

Some top c&p'ing there BTW.

[Lineker]

I'm a reliable C+Per!

When I'm able to post, anyway.

[DavidMarrio]

I want Czech republic and Russia to win today, fancy turning my winnings into more winnings.

But I want Kyriakos Papadopoulous to have a good game, because supposedly I look like him...