June 2010 Archives

It had been coming. June 27, 2010 was at least four years in the making for the 'Golden Generation'.

England have been due a good hiding at the hands of one of football's progressive superpowers for a while now. That they have been able to dodge a bullet for so long is solely down to the fact that international football so rarely brings them into direct competition with one of the six or seven sides capable of exposing our glaring deficiencies.

OK, there are friendly matches against the big guns from time to time but they are notorious for creating a false impression. It is at tournaments where we really get a sense of our place in the international hierarchy and yesterday's denouement was every bit as depressing as I'd feared.

I committed sacrilege yesterday.

Criticising this great collection of Spanish players, it would seem, is tantamount to treason in a World Cup year.

Well, when I say criticised I should probably put it in context. I was as mesmerised as the next person by Spain's balletic style as they pulverised a very weak Honduras side but I got decidedly irked by the hyperbole being lavished at their feet by ITV commentator Peter Drury.

The football has improved after a soporific start but even so, this World Cup is now destined to be remembered for what happened off the pitch rather than on it.

We've had sporadic instances of player power before (Roy Keane's exit in 2002, for example), but nothing like the tensions that have undermined the French and English World Cup campaigns.

On an explosive Sunday afternoon, the villainous French class of 2010 joined Harald Schumacher, Rivaldo and Frank Rijkaard in the World Cup hall of shame while certain members of England's 'Golden Generation' once again laid their breathtaking arrogance bare for all to see.

BTCC Race Three, Croft.

ANDREW Jordan has claimed his first ever British Touring Car Championship victory in today's final race at Croft Circuit.

The Pirtek Racing driver led from lights to flag in the Vauxhall Vectra to claim an easy win and give former BTCC star dad Mike the ultimate Father's Day gift.

Second place went to Team Aon's Tom Onslow-Cole while Steven Kane extended his record of finishing on the podium at every round by crossing the line third in the Airwaves BMW.

BTCC Croft Race Two

GORDON Shedden made it two in a row as he took his second British Touring Car Championship race win of the day.

Shedden led a Team Honda Racing one-two across the line, as team-mate Matt Neal took the second spot.

Neal's main title rival Jason Plato brought his Silverline Chevrolet home in third place.