The most famous and celebrated sporting event on the planet will start this Friday June 11. The Limerick Post asked some of our sport obsessed musos for their World Cup memories and predictions and previewed the best of the television coverage over the coming month.
The World Cup, kicks off this Friday in front of a worldwide TV audience of, well nobody knows for sure, verifiable audience figures for the last World cup in Germany 2006 were 260 million, but the worldwide viewership could be up to 400 million. But by a long way it is the most watched sports event on the globe with 32 teams competing, 64 games either broadcast live of available online, over 5,700 minutes of football over 31 days. A television production undertaking like no other using 1,900km of cabling, producing 22,750 hours of action from all angles and even broadcasting 25 matches in 3D for those lucky to have access to 3D television.
From Diego Maradonna’s “Hand of God” goal to RTE pundit Eamonn Dunphy being taken off air after five minutes during the 2002 World Cup for turning up drunk, there is never any shortage of drama both on and off the pitch. RTE’s regular “grumpy old men” of punditry, Giles, Dunphy and Brady will be joined this year by Argentinean World Cup 1978 winner Ossie Ardiles and former German international Didi Hamann, their “no holds barred”, “tell it like it is” attitude when compared with the UK pundits make full-time game analysis essential viewing. The Apré Match crew will provide the extra laughs at the panellists expense again, but they are in for some serious competition this time around from BBC3’s Special 1 TV, the brainchild of Today FM’s Mario Rosenstock which became a cult hit on Setanta Sports and is now being revived for BBC’s world cup coverage. Written and voiced by Rosenstock of Gift Grub fame the show features puppets of Jose Mourinho, hosting a panel of spoof versions of Sven Goran Eriksson known as It, Wayne Rooney, and Fabio Capello called Cabbage Man. Rosenstock claims that, after over 20 meetings the show was rejected by RTE, but then commissioned by BBC after only one morning of meetings. Special 1 TV will debut on BBC3 at 10.30pm on June 11, it will also have its own blog, Facebook page, twitter account and most importantly for those who cannot access BBC’s iPlayer in Ireland, a YouTube channel. Audio from the show will air on Ian Depmsey’s Breakfast show daily on Today FM.
While Ireland will not be represented this time after losing to France in the qualifiers due in no small part to Thierry Henry’s deliberate handball, Omagh based clothing company Squareball.com have produced a range of “Anyone But France” t-shirts in the colours of Brazil, Spain, Portugal and Argentina among others for you to wear with pride in your local. One reason why gigs will start a little late this next month is because Limerick’s football obsessed musos will be glued to the drama in South Africa, we asked them for their predictions and favourite football memories.
Niall Quinn of The Hitchers, remembers, “Italy in 1994, big screens and surround sound were still rare enough back then and The Hitchers loaned Quins pub, on Ellen St. a cobbled together PA so they could turn up the telly without blowing it’s wee speakers out. Hell of an atmosphere. Didn’t want the game to end. Desperately wanted the second goal. Desperately wanted all of Italy to know they weren’t just defeated but soundly beaten. I can still hear the note of the ping on the crossbar when Sheridan drilled the ball against it when it’d have been easier to bury it and Italy with it.”. Niall expects Spain to win but will be supporting France and explains, “I’ll have a wry chuckle at Messi if he’s on the first plane home and I’ll positively buckle myself laughing at Wayne Rooney if he balloons a penalty and then wubs like a little girl. I don’t buy into this “anyone but the French” nonsense though. I’d like to see them do well. Maybe France bringing home some medals that’ll be as tainted as Michelle Smiths, might lead to a few changes in football as well.”
Quotes:
Maradona beating 15 English players before scoring for Argentina in ‘86. Awesome Following: Argentina for two reasons, Messi and Maradonna, as mad as a bag of cats. To win: Ivory Coast, the most athletic and technically gifted of the African nations. Great going forward but a little dodgy at the back, an African team has got to win a World Cup some time soon and being on their home continent, this year is their best chance. : Thom O’Keeffe (Supermodel Twins)
Watching Ireland beat Italy in USA 94, when Ray Houghton Lobbed Gianluca Pagliuca. Unforgettable!” Supporting: Argentina, 2 reasons. Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona To Win: Spain, Fantastic players right through from Iker Casillas to Fernando Torres. :Jay J (Angel Lane & 2fm)
Zaire forgetting the rules for a free kick against Brazil in 1974 Following: Argentina because I have a €50 bet on them at 13/1 – Go on Maradona ya mad loonatic! :Paul (Walter Mitty & The Realists)
Bergkamp’s incredible goal against Argentina in France 98. Perfect control, perfect execution. That and Maradonna’s ill advised celebration after he scored against Greece in ‘94. Following: Holland, If they can avoid the in-fighting that has plagued them for years, I think they could do quite well. To win: Spain, I think it’s Spain’s time. They’ve broken their woeful tournament hoodoo and I just think they’re the most complete side in the competition. Defensively they’re not as strong as others but with an amazing midfield and Villa and Torres up front :John Steel (Jaywalkers)
Ray Houghtons goal against Italy in 1994. controls the ball on his chest, turns and shoots from a ridiculous distance out from goal, lobs the keeper and then runs over and does a catstumble celebration. Following: Argentina. I’d love to see them do well after all the bad press surrounding manager Dieago Maradona, as he is one of my footballing heroes To Win: Spain, I cant see them losing any games, and they have plenty on form goal scorers :Johnny Hammond (Trinity Rooms)
Josimar’s goal for Brazil versus Northern Ireland, 1986. The strike from 40 metres, Pat Jenning’s hair and the grace with which he took the ball out of the net. Them Northern lads earned an honourable defeat that day. Following: Brazil cos they make the hottest women, the rednecks named an album after them, and I bought my trumpet there. Low lie the fields of San Paolo, bom joao. To Win: Brazil, based on the free kick I saw them score against Zimbabwe.
The ball would have looked more at home in Roland Garros 150 kmph like
:Mark P. O’ Connor (Legend, CV too long to mention)
