I agree, and as I mentioned I never liked him. Still, it is not good when referees are retiring out of fear. It is too bad Collina also will retire after this year, but this time due to the UEFA age limit for referees. He is the referee all others should aspire to be. Everyone on the pitch respects him tremendously. I have never seen him make a seriously bad call, and he doesn’t draw attention to himself, but keeps the game going and keeps it fair. He always seems to be in control. This is exactly what a referee should be.
Anders frisk had “Danish Hair”. 'Nuff said.
In fact, Carlos Alberto was captain and scored a corking goal in the final vs Italy.
Nice article in the Grauniad the other week suggesting that refs should adopt the lost role of traditional UK “wrestling baddies” - give 'em a nickname (Graham “The Bandit” Poll), a face-mask and cape, and have them stalk round the grounds getting booed by the crowd, while they periodically threaten to whisk youngsters away from their seats 
Thank God Collina has none. Or is that considered Italian hair? 
I have a Norwegian colleague who has hair just like Anders Frisk, so I think it should more properly be called Scandinavian hair.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Alan Shearer just announced he’s coming back for another year for the Magpies!! I’m so happy, I’m jumping off the walls!! Thanks Big Al, can’t wait for you to break Milburn’s record!
Beckham signs for Bayern? Although I’m not entirely sure why I care.
Check the date!
Well obviously, but if they think Hargreaves is worth having then why not have the England team’s second worst member too? Besides, aren’t the Germans pretty famous for not getting the point of April Fool’s day?
Lee Bowyer - Class act! Rather spolied Mary Poppins’ big day.
The league is getting quite interesting (apart from at the top where it’s rather dull):
Team P W D L F A W D L F A GD PTS
1 Chelsea 30 12 3 0 30 4 12 2 1 28 6 48 77
2 Arsenal 31 10 5 1 43 18 10 2 3 29 15 39 67
3 Man Utd 31 11 5 0 27 7 8 5 2 21 10 31 67
4 Everton 30 9 1 5 16 14 6 5 4 19 18 3 51
5 Liverpool 31 11 2 3 26 11 4 3 8 18 20 13 50
6 Bolton 31 7 4 4 18 12 6 3 7 20 23 3 46
7 Middlesbrough 31 7 5 3 23 17 5 4 7 22 25 3 45
8 Charlton 31 8 3 5 26 21 4 5 6 11 23 -7 44
9 Tottenham 31 7 3 5 29 20 5 4 7 9 15 3 43
10 Aston Villa 31 8 3 4 23 13 3 5 8 14 26 -2 41
11 Newcastle 30 7 4 5 24 24 2 7 5 17 24 -7 38
12 Man City 31 5 5 5 17 13 4 5 7 20 23 1 37
So for example we are one win away from a possible 6th and Liverpool are going to overtake Everton (How shortsighted does the dales of Gravesen look now?).
Also the UEFA places could go down to 8th, with 7th a distinct possibility (and there is that “Fair Play” thing which I for one don’t understand).
That’s the “sale of Gravesen” - although the Dales of Gravesen has a ring to it - maybe they’re like the Islands of Langerhans?
There’s a ref here in Ireland who had similar hair until recently.
Bowyer v Dyer footage here (enjoy it while it lasts):
http://hem.bredband.net/jenslindmark/bowyer_vs_dyer.mpg
And this from William Hill’s site:
Bowyer Odds On To Win Dyer Rematch
BOWYER FAVOURITE TO KAYO DYER IN BIG FIGHT…With goalkeeper Mark Bosnich
coming out on top in his recent celebrity fight against DJ Spoony,
bookmakers William Hill have issued odds for a possible match-up between Lee
Bowyer and Kieron Dyer of Newcastle - and make Bowyer 4/9 favourite, with
Dyer 13/8 outsider.
‘After their remarkable exhibition on the pitch I’m sure thousands of fans
would be interested in the outcome of a proper tear-up between the pair’
said Hill’s spokesman Graham Sharpe,‘And perhaps the winner could challenge
Bosnich - or, perhaps, Graeme Souness.’
Now “Irish Hair” is a whole chapter all to itself!
And let’s not forget German hair. Yesterday there was a German on our bus to Celtic Park who was meeting a couple friends of his in Glasgow. When they walked into the pub I spotted them and immediately told the guy “your friends are here”. It was quite obvious from their hair.
Were they mullets?
Owl - obsessed, it’s true.
No. One of them had sort of an Oliver Kahn 'do. For the other guy, it was the more the facial hair that gave it away.
Results over the w/e at Parkhead and Fir Park have set things up nicely. At least it will be a two-horse finish this year.
Owl, I’m one point up on you, mate, after the first match of the Owl-Roger Challenge.
The scrap to avoid relegation is hotting up. One Bryan Robson’s Baggies repaid my faith (lunacy?) in staying up till 1am with their demolition of the Toffees. Few teams can afford to keep talent of the likes of Earnie and Wanko on the bench!
Pompey are in free fall (5 points out of 36), and they look most likely to join Naarch (and Palace) especially since their home form, like 'Arry, has deserted them.
Since this is the Straight Dope, here are the stats:
Fulham 30 6 3 6 19 22 3 3 9 17 26 -12 33
Blackburn 31 3 7 5 16 19 4 5 7 9 18 -12 33
Portsmouth 31 6 3 6 20 20 2 4 10 13 29 -16 31
Southampton 31 4 9 3 23 22 1 3 11 11 26 -14 27
West Brom 31 4 7 5 14 21 1 5 9 16 30 -21 27
Crystal Palace 31 5 3 8 15 14 1 5 9 18 36 -17 26
Norwich 31 3 5 7 23 31 0 6 10 7 32 -33 20
Spurs appear to be safe. Anyone been relegated in the 20-club top flight with 43 points before?
I think you both got the latest Tottenham result incorrect, though.
A bit off topic, but the latest WC qualifiers had me thinking a particularly morbid thought:
If Israel and the USA both qualify, and somehow draw each other, would anyone be brave enough to attend the game. Ok, yes, it would be sold out like every other match likely will be, but it would be like painting a big “bomb me” sign on the stadium.
West Ham was relegated in 2003 with 42 points, but would have still been relegated with 43.
Here’s a thing: If the Fair Play route into the UEFA stays the same as it is now our representative will be…Norwich.