Euro 2012

[Vinny1967]

Fair play Frank.

I apologise if I was insulting towards you.

[safcftm]

I didnt realize the level of animosity between the Irish and English.

seriously, you didn't realise that there was a lot of animosity? We did sort of take part of their island, stick troops on it and refuse to give it back, killing innocent Irish people along the way, and they did kind of respond by forming terrorist organisations that have killed innocent British people along the way. Its not too surprising that at times there can be a certain level of animosity. That being said the animosity is a lot less than it used to be and the political powers seem to be roughly trying to work out some sort of a compromise. The vast majority of English and Irish dont hate each other- as I've always said about it, its easy to discuss politics but the fact is that most Irish people and most English people don't overly care, all they want is to live in peace without anyone threatening them and their families, your average Irish bloke has no reason to hate your average English bloke and vice versa, your average Irish bloke isnt in the IRA and your average English bloke has no say in the policies of the government. That being said the fact that there has been years of animosity between the countries means that there is always likely to be a bit of an "edge" to some drunken debates between the two lots

[Henry Norris 1913]

The Irish are loved by the yanks for the same reason wigan athletic are loved by man utd.

[augie]

Polotics and sport should never mix (fact ) - it is for that reason that I was surprised that the english squad visited those places that will forever be associated with the attrocities from past world wars I know at times footballers need to be brought back into the real world (from their bullshit money laden empires ) but at the same time I am not sure about doing it as a team and then having to face the media and answer questions about the trip

[RoscommonGooner]

I didnt realize the level of animosity between the Irish and English.

seriously, you didn't realise that there was a lot of animosity? We did sort of take part of their island, stick troops on it and refuse to give it back, killing innocent Irish people along the way, and they did kind of respond by forming terrorist organisations that have killed innocent British people along the way. Its not too surprising that at times there can be a certain level of animosity. That being said the animosity is a lot less than it used to be and the political powers seem to be roughly trying to work out some sort of a compromise. The vast majority of English and Irish dont hate each other- as I've always said about it, its easy to discuss politics but the fact is that most Irish people and most English people don't overly care, all they want is to live in peace without anyone threatening them and their families, your average Irish bloke has no reason to hate your average English bloke and vice versa, your average Irish bloke isnt in the IRA and your average English bloke has no say in the policies of the government. That being said the fact that there has been years of animosity between the countries means that there is always likely to be a bit of an "edge" to some drunken debates between the two lots

Spot on man. I'd be worried too if I knew anybody in the Ukraine. They seem a nasty bunch.

frank: You're spot on about how the media portray the Irish. Makes me want to puke if I'm honest, i can only imagine how your average English, Scotish, Welsh etc. must feel. There are as many, if not more, assholes out there supporting Ireland as any other country.

Oh, I do want France to win tonight too. Not for any nationalist reason though, purely greed. I have France, Russia and Spain in a treble all to win their respective groups

[skizz_b]

England has given many things to the World. What has Ireland given to the World? Serious question.

* The White House (designed by a paddy)
* Sudocrem
* The drill that saved the chilean miners
* Fig rolls
* Barack Obama
* JEdward
* Roy Keane
* Robbie Keane

yeahhhh i hate myself a bit for most of those haha

[skizz_b]

in football news, i reckon the french might bottle it tonight, dont know why just got a feeling...

[augie]

in football news, i reckon the french might bottle it tonight, dont know why just got a feeling...

I have france backed as an outside bet to win euro 2012 Blanc seems to have a united group there and if they tighten up defensively then a place in the semi's at least is theirs for the taking although that same thing applies to england cos whoever wins this group will face the runners up in Irelands group so they should be favourites to win that game (although italy are my other dark horse team)

[RoscommonGooner]

England has given many things to the World. What has Ireland given to the World? Serious question.

* The White House (designed by a paddy)
* Sudocrem
* The drill that saved the chilean miners
* Fig rolls
* Barack Obama
* JEdward
* Roy Keane
* Robbie Keane

yeahhhh i hate myself a bit for most of those haha

10th century
Samhain - Ancient Gaelic festival, today celebrated as Halloween

14th century
Caid (precursor to modern Gaelic football)
Whiskey

17th century
1661: Modern Chemistry founded by Robert Boyle with the publication of The Sceptical Chymist
1662: Boyle's law discovered by Robert Boyle
Irish road bowling

18th century
1730: Modern Economics and the concept of an entrepreneur - Richard Cantillon
1752: National Hunt horse racing

19th century
1806: Beaufort scale created by Francis Beaufort
1813: Clanny safety lamp created by William Reid Clanny[1]
1831: Column still design enhanced and patented by Aeneas Coffey
1836: Induction coil created by Nicholas Callan
1843: Quaternion (a mathematical entity) first described by Sir William Rowan Hamilton
1844: Hollow needle in syringe created by Francis Rynd
1848: Kelvin scale created by William Thomson
1851: Seismology founded by Robert Mallet (1810 - 1881), Dublin man Robert Mallet used dynamite explosions to measure the speed of elastic waves in surface rocks - pioneering and coining the word 'seismology'.
1851: Binaural stethoscope created by Arthur Leared
1874: Electron introduced as a concept by George Johnstone Stoney
1874: Brennan torpedo created by Louis Brennan
1879: The rules of Hurling first standardized with the foundation of the Irish Hurling Union
1880: Boycott triggered by Charles Boycott over a dispute with the Irish Land League
1888: Gregg Shorthand created by John Robert Gregg
1894: Joly colour screen created by John Joly
1897: first military-commissioned submarine created by John Philip Holland

20th century
1900 Reflector sight, invented by Howard Grubb
1910s: Radiotherapy founded by John Joly
1930: Nickel-zinc battery created by Dr. James Drumm
1930s: The first disintegration of an atomic nucleus by artificially accelerated protons (splitting the atom) discovered by Ernest Walton et al.[2]
1965: Portable defribrillator created by Frank Pantridge
1967: Pulsar discovered by Jocelyn Bell Burnell

Off the top of my head

[TheCook]

Watcihng Podolski the other night reminded me of that tournament where we had bought Stefan Schwarz just beforehand, so we all paid very close attention to his performances, but I do recall being distinctly underwhelmed ; Very apt as that's how I remember his brief career in the red &white.

I guess that must have been USA '94 world cup?

[REB]

I don't understand why the Irish fans' reputation threatens Frank so much. The fact he doesn't seem embarrassed about his drum beating tantrum speaks volumes. Can't say I agree with the mod's choice to reply in kind with attacks on English history either. These sorts of conversations quickly deteriorate into stereotype. People are individuals Frank and you seem an arsehole.

im sorry

[n6gooner]

the "ox" to start tonight...........good or bad for him/us?

[augie]

I liked schwarz as a player during the brief time he spent with us

[Babatunde]

I liked schwarz as a player during the brief time he spent with us

Schwarz was quality! Shits on pregnant forehead, Song and Diabolical...

[northbank123]

the "ox" to start tonight...........good or bad for him/us?

I think he's got enough maturity to deal with any footballing setbacks, but people's expectations of him will be unrealistically high. If England don't play brilliantly unless he has a real stormer then people will say he was a poor choice, a decent performance won't be enough to silence any doubters. I think any big-game experience like this has to be viewed as a huge opportunity for him, although I still think that his best position may end up being through the middle.