Latest news with #GrahamTaylor
Times
7 days ago
- General
- Times
Heat tests? The World Cup winners will be coolest on the ball
The best laid plans and all that. Back in 1993, England were playing Norway in Oslo. The World Cup qualification process was in a perilous state but Graham Taylor, the manager, had a trick up his sleeve. He was going to play three at the back, with Gary Pallister picking up Norway's tall striker Jostein Flo. The problem was that he feared this plan would get out. Specifically, he was worried that the employee detailed by the Norwegian federation to act as liaison officer for England's trip would leak it to the hosts. So he came up with another ruse. Secretly, Taylor switched the time and place of the intended pre-match training location, and the team bus left without the Norwegian official. Brilliant. The action now switches to the home of the chief sports correspondent of VG, at the time Norway's biggest-selling newspaper, which looked on to the sports facility of a large military base. Hello, is that the England team bus pulling on to the complex? Indeed it is. And is that the England team running out to begin training? Indeed they are. Can we get a photographer here to capture it all in detail? Indeed we can. That is how the specifics of Taylor's intended strategy came to be plastered all over the first few pages of VG on the morning of the match, complete with images of training taken through barbed-wire fences, making England's mission appear ever more ludicrous. Egil Olsen, the Norway manager, moved Flo wide, effectively turning Pallister into a left back, Norway won 2-0 and England were staring at a premature World Cup exit. I was reminded of this when reading that England are undergoing specialist heat testing and training at a secret location in Girona this week. 'The FA is not sharing the precise location,' The Times reported at 6.45pm on Monday night. 'They are staying at the Camiral Golf and Wellness Resort,' reader Patrick Doherty posted in the comments section within minutes of publication. I can't confirm whether this is true. I really don't care. I haven't made a phone call to check because I would hate the FA to think I was being nosy, or was even interested. I've looked at the Camiral Golf and Wellness Resort online, however, and if they're not staying there, someone has slipped up. It looks exactly the sort of place England usually reside. Fabulously appointed, voted the No1 golf resort in Spain, two courses, amazing facilities; to think the FA imagined Thomas Tuchel was going to hang around St George's Park to do this job. The squad enjoyed what was described as a bonding session at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday and then headed roughly an hour north to the finest golf resort in Spain to acclimatise to warm weather. 'Suffering is one of the headlines for this World Cup,' Tuchel said. Sounds hellish. And that's how easy it is for a cunning plan to go up in smoke. If the team are at the Camiral Golf and Wellness Resort, I'm guessing so is Mr Doherty; he lives there, or he's staying there or he played there, and he saw them. And so would hundreds of others because that's the modern world. Back in 1993, the man from VG had to call his photographer from a landline and hope he picked up. These days, he would be snapping away on his phone in high definition the moment the bus arrived. He could take a video; maybe even live stream it. And, by the way, I'd wager the reporters covering England right now all know where this heat testing is taking place but, out of goodwill, are abiding by the FA's omertà. The point is this: learn to pass, learn to keep the ball, learn to dictate the game, learn to dictate the pace of the play. That's what wins the World Cup. That's why England lose. They don't control the game. And, in heat, in cold, in any climate in which football is played, ultimately, as standards rise deeper into the competition, that's unsustainable. Look, no harm in trying. If Tuchel is armed with reams of data revealing who suffers most in the heat, it cannot do any damage. Yet what if the tests show that Harry Kane struggles most. Will Tuchel not start him, based on that; or is he going to hope that, before fatigue sets in, his captain and talisman does enough to put England in a winning position? Ivan Toney, after all, has been playing in Saudi Arabia all season. If heat training actually gets players used to extreme temperatures, making them comfortable, surely he is streets ahead already? Does it work like that? Barry McGuigan trained in the desert before his featherweight title fight with Steve Cruz in 1986, but it still didn't prepare him for 15 rounds in a Las Vegas car park in mid-afternoon. Cruz was a Texan of Mexican descent — real name Estevan — McGuigan from Belfast, where the highest recorded temperature was 29.7C in 1983. With a canvas sheet over the ring, which trapped heat more than kept the sun off, McGuigan fought Cruz in 43C. Somehow, he was ahead on points going into the final round, but almost delirious with dehydration and heat-related exhaustion. As early as the tenth, he can be heard asking his corner to say a prayer 'that we'll be all right' such is the physical toll. McGuigan was knocked down three times in the final round and lost the fight. Rising from his stool, he remembers being broken and confused, and Cruz did not even land clean punches to take him down. McGuigan was unable to stand for the judges' scorecards and left the scene in an ambulance, accompanied by his priest, Father Brian D'Arcy. He admitted fearing for his life. McGuigan was a great fighter, but Cruz was born into that heat, and no training could prepare for it. And you may think this a cynical view, but we have been here before. 'No team will be better prepared than us,' Ray Lewington, England's assistant coach, said before the squad left for Miami in 2014, prior to the World Cup in Brazil. 'Roy Hodgson is a stickler for detail. It has to be perfect. We've gone up to a new level for this World Cup and I'd be very surprised if anyone was doing something we are not covering.' Then the 77-strong group of staff and players touched down in Florida and had their preparations impacted by something called hurricane season. Training sessions were washed out, and the final warm-up game with Honduras was delayed for 41 minutes by a spectacular electrical thunderstorm, with the referee Ricardo Salazar taking the players off. From this utterly unforeseeable annual event, the best prepared team at the World Cup then headed to Brazil, where they failed to win a game and were eliminated after two matches. Tuchel's England should fare better than that, not least because with 48 teams involved in next year's tournament it will be considerably harder to land in an old-fashioned 'group of death'. And being prepared is never a bad idea. As manager of Argentina, Diego Maradona once dismissed the unique challenge of playing at high altitude in Bolivia, refused the option of arriving early or even training in the stadium, then saw several of his players collapse and require emergency oxygen on the night. Argentina lost 6-1. So, yes, make use of available data. Credit Tuchel and his backroom team, too, with finding a way of at least making Saturday's match against Andorra useful. Better this than a week at St George's Park preparing to shoot fish in a barrel. Yet, when the whistle blows in June next year, whatever the mercury says, the oldest of truths remains. If England can't keep the ball, if England can't control the play, they might as well have stayed on the golf course. Amorim's honesty: great for journalists, less so for United Football writers appreciate Ruben Amorim, because he's honest. A straight question gets a straight answer. Sometimes an innocuous one gets a reply that makes the back page, too. He doesn't hide, he doesn't obfuscate. In February, after Patrick Dorgu was sent off against Ipswich Town, Amorim responded by bringing Noussair Mazraoui on for Alejandro Garnacho. Only 44 minutes had elapsed and Garnacho walked straight down the Old Trafford tunnel. Asked about this after the game, Amorim first made a connection to a previous fallout with Marcus Rashford — confirming there was friction — then said he would be speaking to Garnacho about his reaction. 'I'll talk about that, if you want, in the next press conference,' he added, helpfully. A lot of managers would have played it down. Amorim corroborated a good story, then told everybody to come back later in the week for the follow up. If he carries on like this they'll build a statue to him at Old Trafford. Not outside, necessarily, but in the press box. Amorim has been candid answering questions about players when others may have played down reports of friction HASNOOR HUSSAIN/REUTERS Whether the candid approach is always best for Manchester United, however, is another matter. By making it so clear that Garnacho has no future at the club, Amorim may have wiped many millions from his transfer fee. Chelsea may have thought they would need to play hardball to get him. Now they know United want Garnacho out and may pitch any offer accordingly. United can only hope others are interested and an auction dictates the price. Antonio Conte's relationship with his employers at Chelsea never recovered after speaking so finally about his bothersome striker Diego Costa. The pair had fallen out, but Chelsea hoped he could still fetch a high price. After Conte was open about the rift and told Costa by text that he was not in his plans, that scheme collapsed. It was the beginning of the end for Conte, too. One hopes the hierarchy at United are more understanding of their coach's exasperation. Huge National League crowd justifies mayor's U-turn Having been hard on Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, in these pages last week over the closure of Wembley Park station and the resulting cap set on ticket numbers for the National League play-off final, it is only fair to acknowledge the part he played in getting restrictions lifted, aiding Sunday's record 52,115 attendance. It is to be hoped, however, that in future those in charge of logistics do not presume that football outside the Premier League is irrelevant or unsupported. Oldham Athletic and Southend United pulled in a crowd in excess of the capacity at Hampden Park, Stamford Bridge or the Parc des Princes, home of the new European champions Paris Saint-Germain. It was an exceptional achievement, and should not be forgotten the next time Transport for London checks its diary seeking a free weekend.
Daily Record
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Celtic caller eats humble pie as Rangers fan's crystal ball triggers the Hotline
Rangers fans haven't had much to shout about this season, so they weren't going to pass up the chance to poke fun at their rivals. Celtic supporters like regular caller Gordon Ashley have had to eat some humble pie over the last few days after the Hoops blew the chance of a Treble. George Wilson, West Sussex, wrote: "Gordon has been boasting for weeks of Trebles, world records and the world's most successful club. Now he is telling us he is happy for Aberdeen in beating Celtic? He just quotes the first piece of nonsense that comes into his head as long as it is the usual anti-Rangers. "And as for grasping at straws and taking glory from Aberdeen's win... Celtic are our greatest rivals, so it's normal to enjoy their defeats, especially in a game their arrogance meant all along they saw the game as a walkover. I certainly did." Gleeful Alan Flett emailed: "After spending the build-up to the final telling us that the Treble was in the bag, you're now pleased that Aberdeen won? Eh! Also, us Rangers fans are revelling in Celtic's defeat rather than Aberdeen's win and the sight of the great Callum McGregor greetin' like a bairn was pure quality." Don't worry, Gordon, you aren't the only one in the firing line. Your pal from the other end of the city also triggered the Hotline by predicting a Rangers Treble party next season. Sniggering Arrin Geddes, Irvine, took a break from the sunlounger to write: "I'm in Gran Canaria and had to take my sunglasses off to double-check Graham Taylor's Hotline contribution. "With Celtic 'only' winning a Double being seen as some sort of failure, we have Graham Taylor's crystal ball getting an early outing. No manager, no idea of transfer budget, best players away, one youth signed on a pre-contract but Celtic are finished. Don't you just love these three trophy in 13 years optimists!" Bud Hay, Dumfries, said: "Got to laugh at Graham Taylor. Going to win the Treble? More chance of me going to the moon. But one thought for you. You had better get a manager first, one like Brendan Rodgers." Scott McAdam, Glasgow, laughed: "Rangers can't even fill a phone box for a game never mind a title party and which year was he talking about winning the title?" John Scott, Grassmor, commented: "I smiled at the Celtic fan writing he nearly fell asleep watching the final. Most of the country did too, pal. "Three shots on target for Celtic and two for Aberdeen. If Kasper Schmeichel hadn't diverted the ball into his own net, it would have been one shot on target. "So one of the most inconsistent teams of the season wins a major trophy and grabs a potential £6m from the hands of Scotland's third-best team, Hibernian. Funny to most no doubt, but not as funny as all those journos choking on their humble pie." Kasper Schmeichel has been getting in the neck for the comical OG that gifted the Dons a late lifeline. Neil Renton, Leith, said: "I get it that Schmeichel has had an illustrious career but if Celtic want to move up a level then he needs replaced. Great Dane? So is Scooby Doo and it's no mystery who I'd rather have in goals." The clearout is well underway at Ibrox as the new owners and managers prepare to check in but Philip Borland isn't happy: "What a disgrace the way we have treated Leon Balgoun, not to even let him say goodbye to us, the fans. "I wanted him to stay because he is a much better defender than Robin Propper, who makes far too many mistakes. Balgoun gave us everything, came back when asked to, then he gets kicked in the teeth by those who run Rangers." Finally, Charles Maxwell put football into perspective as he expressed his condolences for Liverpool fans injured during Monday's trophy parade. He said: "After the terrible events in Liverpool, it seems sheer folly to discuss the trivialities of Scottish football. A day that was full of joy and celebrations, and would have provided happy memories for a lifetime has been ruined by the actions of an individual. "I've no doubt the thoughts of all fans of all clubs are with the people of Liverpool right now. But as raw as it may seem at the moment, discussions must be had and lessons need to be learned. "Over the past week, we have seen many celebrations across Europe. In Glasgow, Aberdeen, Tottenham and Napoli people have come out in tens of thousands "Football authorities, local councils police and government must get together now and discuss the safest way for these events to take place next year. "People will want to come out to celebrate and enjoy life. If we stop enjoying life, then what's the point? It would be letting the evil in some individuals win. And we just can't have that!"
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
More than £65,000 raised for charity at football tournament
More than £65,000 was raised for charity at a football tournament at Watford on Saturday held to raise awareness of mental health issues. A total of 32 teams took part in The Mental Health World Cup, Watford FC's Community Sports and Education Trust, and fans channel WD18 organised the event at Vicarage Road Stadium. The money will be given to charities Goal, Mind, OLLIE, Rennie Grove Peace Hospice, and the Trust. Sam Ucko, from WD18, said: "The football club and the trust were unwavering in their support, reinforcing our pride in a club that continues to build on the legacy of our greatest-ever manager, Graham Taylor—someone who would have wholeheartedly embraced a tournament like this." The winning team featured Watford FC Academy coaching staff, just a day after the Watford FC Under 18s won their semi-final in the Premier League Under-18 Professional Development League play-off final. (Image: Watford FC Trust) Mental Health World Cup founder Giancarlo Gaglione said: Last year, over 6,000 people took their own life, 3/4 of them were male. "My own brother was one of those statistics in 2012 when he took his own life with no signs he was struggling with depression, aged just 26. "The Mental Health World Cup exists to let people know that suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50, to help try and raise awareness around this silent epidemic that is massively underfunded by the government. "We are delighted with the amount raised, as that will go towards our mental health charity partners who are out there literally saving lives. "We hope that normalising the conversation around suicide and mental health using football, we'll move the needle and help shift the numbers to make it a more positive society for everyone." Ucko said: "It was a privilege to help organise the first-ever Mental Health World Cup at Vicarage Road this year. "From the moment Giancarlo shared his story and the inspiration behind creating the tournament, we knew we wanted to play a role in bringing the event to Vicarage Road. "As a fan channel, we've seen first hand how mental health affects football fans. "Having the opportunity to raise funds and stand against suicide while watching our closest friends and family play at the stadium was truly special—something we will never take for granted. "The funds raised will provide crucial support to people in Hertfordshire and across the country, ensuring help reaches those who need it most. "Football has an incredible ability to unite and uplift, and this tournament was yet another powerful reminder of that." The organisers (Mental Health World Cup, Watford Football Club's Community Sports and Education Trust and WD18) would like to thank their headline sponsors, Go Cardless and Total Security, and Watford FC kit manufacturer Kelme - who supplied all 32 teams with unique shirts and shorts. (Image: Watford FC Trust) The tournament was won by Chile (Watford Under 18s), who defeated Brazil (2-0 to the Bane FC) 3-1 in the final. The winning team featured Watford FC Academy coaching staff, just a day after the Watford FC Under 18s won their semi-final in the Premier League Under-18 Professional Development League play-off final. Their Mental Health World Cup team included the likes of former Hornets players Lloyd Doyley, Adrian Mariappa, and Dan Gosling. Individual awards were also presented - Sean Walker representing Ghana (I Declare a Game of 5s FC) won the Golden Boot, whilst Jack Mooney of Brazil (2-0 to the Bane FC) won the Overall Player of the Tournament. The organisers thanked headline sponsors Go Cardless and Total Security, and Watford FC kit manufacturer Kelme, which supplied all 32 teams with unique shirts and shorts. They also expressed their gratitude to event sponsors Celtic, The Grove, Overbury, MCS, Sale Group, and Mad Squirrel.
Daily Record
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Astonishing Jurgen Klopp claim buzzes through Glasgow hotspots as Hotline source reveals next Rangers manager
Everyone knows the best place to hear a good rumour in Glasgow is in the back of a taxi. And sure, enough, he's a cracker to kick off the Hotline that would demolish the gloom at Rangers and catch Celtic's attention– in the unlikely event it came true. Graham Taylor, Airdrie, said: 'I have been told the man who is going to lead Rangers to title number 56 next season. 'It is obviously no coincidence that the same name was mentioned to me by two different people, a passenger in my taxi and then by someone on the golf course on Sunday. 'The 49ers have been busy in the background and will deliver Jurgen Klopp to the Rangers faithful. 'Exciting times ahead and at last natural order is about to be restored in season 25/26.' Hey, Klopp's on the books of Red Bull, who look set to sponsor Rangers so… Anyway, big Jurgen will have his work cut out stopping Celtic the race for 56. Willie Mercer, Dumfries, said: 'It is not difficult to see why Ferguson has had no more success with this Rangers squad than Clement had. 'Even the great man himself, Walter Smith, would struggle with the current squad of misfits. 'Any ambitions to be competing with Celtic in the future must be built on the recruitment of players who are not only capable footballers but possess the stature and robustness to deal with the unique rigours of Scottish football.' Donald Dundas, Uddingston, said: 'I agree with Kris Boyd regarding a clear out at Ibrox. 'Jefte, totally destroyed by St Mirren winger and out of his depth, Dessers should be the top scorer in the league every year and as for Yilmaz, Propper, Tavernier, Bajrami, Cortez and Danilo – that's eight who are just not good enough. 'It doesn't leave much to get excited about, even with the supposed investment coming in. 'I'm afraid next season could be a write off already as rebuilds don't happen over a close season.' Not all Gers fans are worried though, or impressed with Arne Engels up for PFA young player of the year. Chris Lowe, Yoker, said: 'Had to laugh that Pengals is up for an award this season. For what exactly? 'Best penalty taker in green and white? Second best Belgium in the league? 'Most overrated player? Sorry, but Khun wins that hands down. 'Even the Celtic fans think he's nowhere near an £11 million player.' On toe Sunday's final Old Firm showdown and David Beattie, via email, said: 'Why is the media not asking the question as to why Rangers will not give the champions Glasgow Celtic a guard of honour on Sunday? They have been asked and it's not happening. Next. Jimmy Murray, Edinburgh, said: 'Do Celtic players never learn? We've got Callum McGregor and Engels now promising revenge at Ibrox on Sunday. 'McGregor should know better. He's the club captain. Wish he'd try showing a bit of class. 'As for revenge. Rather than talking about it, would it not be better to do it on the pitch.' Finally, Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland and owner Ann Budge copped it for their less than impressive reactions when asked about Neil Critchley getting the black hack. Neil Renton, Leith, said: 'The reaction from Shankland and Hearts players and staff when quizzed about Critchley being sacked was a total lack of respect towards the club that employs them. 'If I had the misfortune of being a Jambo I'd be livid at their actions.'
