Well. We were right to be wary of Portugal has it happens, they stuffed us 6-1. We could see the difference in the stature of the teams immediately, as they rolled up in the deluxe coach, these ex world cup winners looked altogether the slick professional sportsmen that they are, and it didn’t quite cut the cloth when England limped into town on a tandem and side car.
Despite the score line, we were not disgraced, indeed after the second period we were only 2-1 down and more than holding our own, but Portugal’s sheer class and superior fitness told in the end.
Nigel was suitably enough impressed to make moves to offer his bar up as Benidorm’s official England beach soccer HQ, he wanted to endorse them and to publicise the matches, after all, his work on local radio could be of good use to them. After several e-mails and a couple of phone calls to the chief organiser and manager Nigel invited them round to the bar for a chat and a cup of tea, the idea was that they’d bring some posters and T shirts and what have you. Despite him and Yvonne going to the trouble to put out the welcome mat, AND a few sarnies, and Nigel delaying a trip to Gibraltar to greet them, (the piddling little job on his car that the garage had managed to stretch from 24 hours to three days may have had a bearing on his decision as well, on that one),but they never showed bless em.
Through work commitments I could only make the final four minutes of their knockout game against the Ukraine the next day, (I still saw three goals), but a packed stadium was mute as we were routed 6-0 in a performance that the official website described as “abysmal”. We just couldn't get the ball off them by all accounts, they were obviously superior, but I can't agree with their goalkeeper sitting in that deck chair for the last ten minutes, rolling a fag and making sand castles with his feet. It's just so unprofessional.
Our standing in beach soccer was underlined the next day as the Ukraine were pummelled 8-3 by Italy. Couldn’t help but thinking that a couple of egg mayonnaise sandwiches and a sausage roll a piece could have made all the difference to their performance, but I guess we’ll never know.
Mind you compared to Spain and Italy and the like we are at a distinct disadvantage as far as practice goes I would imagine. Can just see the lads now, stood all windswept and piss wet through, freezing their nuts off on the sea front at Skegness or wherever it is they practice, having to clear the pitch of seaweed, green slime and the odd stray turd. I can just picture it.
“Come on lads, unbutton yer dufflecoats, and pull down yer balaclavas, we’ll just about get ten minutes before the tide comes in”.
Mind you compared to Spain and Italy and the like we are at a distinct disadvantage as far as practice goes I would imagine. Can just see the lads now, stood all windswept and piss wet through, freezing their nuts off on the sea front at Skegness or wherever it is they practice, having to clear the pitch of seaweed, green slime and the odd stray turd. I can just picture it.
“Come on lads, unbutton yer dufflecoats, and pull down yer balaclavas, we’ll just about get ten minutes before the tide comes in”.
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