# Footy dopers: England vs Australia) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 8, 2003, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757 "2003-02-08T20:42:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757/21 "2003-02-13T00:39:29Z")
Don’t get too excited **Ell** England are in truly horrendous form since the World Cup where they were half a game from being semi-finalists. Since then they played a deadly dull draw with Portugal, were outplayed by Slovakia for 3/4 of the match and only managed a draw at home against Macedonia after trailling twice. By the way apparently England’s goalscorer Jeffers attended Westfield Sports High here in Fairfield, just like Harry Kewell. So that makes it 4-0 Australia. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757/22 "2003-02-13T02:51:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by don’t ask \* > \*\*By the way apparently England’s goalscorer Jeffers attended Westfield Sports High here in Fairfield, just like Harry Kewell. So that makes it 4-0 Australia. \*\* Do you have a cite for that **don’t ask**? I know he went to De La Salle High School in Liverpool (the same school as Wayne Rooney), he trained at the English FA Soccer Academy, Lilleshall, for two years from the age of 14 and he was playing for Everton at various levels from 1997 until he left for Arsenal in June 2001. I wasn’t aware he’d even _been to_ Australia let alone went to school there. ---
**Author:** ![leechbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@leechbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leechbabe)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757/23 "2003-02-13T02:59:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ell \* > **Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi** I’ll second that 🙂 Knowing nothing about soccer or sport in general I just like the idea that we beat the Brits 😃 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757/24 "2003-02-13T03:31:32Z")
**Everton** no I don’t have a cite, someone rang ABC radio after the match and said they had been there with him when Jeffers was 16. If it’s true it may have been no more than a holiday football camp. Most of the Aussie sports institutes have overseas visitors for various things - events or training. Westfield Spots High used to have a program largely run by English professionals. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757/25 "2003-02-13T03:44:12Z")
That seems possible. A former Everton captain – Mike Lyons – was coaching in Australia last time I heard so perhaps there’s some connection with him? I think you guys are entitled to _some_ gloating over the result, btw. I was interested to see how our kids would do on debut and they aquitted themselves pretty well, but although the senior players are in some bad form at the moment there’s no excuse not to be “up for it” in any sporting contest against Australia, yet in all departments they seemed sluggish and uninterested. The best team won, no doubt about it. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757/26 "2003-02-13T04:51:53Z")
Yes the second half England was much better than the senior side. It is hard to fathom what has happened to the side. In the World Cup up to the stroke of halftime in the quarter final they had conceded one goal with three consecutive clean sheets. Since then they have been scored against every game and in 4 matches have only led for about half an hour in total. They seem to always be chasing and just don’t look the same. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757/27 "2003-02-13T11:06:41Z")
Would not be at all surprised if the club managers had told their senior players not to do anything that might cause themselves an injury. ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757/28 "2003-02-13T11:15:59Z")
Be careful there **leech**. You didn’t beat the Brits. You beat the English. I can’t see Wales performing as badly as we did last night. pan ---
**Author:** ![cart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ec8ea/32.png) [@cart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cart)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757/29 "2003-02-13T11:38:46Z")
:mad: I couldn’t believe that tranvestite twat whining at the crowds’ booing. “It might possibly have been for the first half performance”. Really David? :rolleyes: No-one expects the reserve team to be any better than Australia. They played well. The seniors though, well, “You’re not fit to wear the shirts” springs to mind. Pathetic. Taking nothing away from Australia of course. Only winning the cricket world cup can make up for this. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757/30 "2003-02-13T11:43:26Z")
Ahhhh … I dunno …. there have been many and varied manifestations of the club vs. country debate for as long as I can remember – the whole thing just never seems to go away. At the moment, though, it does seem to be making a genuine mockery of the notion of ‘friendlies’ and – unlikely as it seems – I do have some sympathy with, what I perceive to be, the limited-ability manager. If Wenger and Ferguson haven’t told him directly, they’ve damn well told their players to not get too involved, and at up to £97,500 a week whose to say they’re not entitled ? First half was just a knock around at Bisham Abbey – no passion, no purpose and everyone wishing they were back at their clubs getting ready for the next Premiership and Euro games. It just didn’t have anything like the feel of a competitive football match, or even that close approximation from a few years ago; the ‘International friendly’ … I think I might be upset had I paid £30-35 for that shambles. Btw, I did here it kicked off a little in the crowd towards the end. Welcome Australia to the world of football violence :eek: ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757/31 "2003-02-13T12:26:14Z")
David Beckham: Whining bassa. ---
**Author:** ![woolly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ebca7d/32.png) [@woolly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woolly)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757/32 "2003-02-13T12:36:25Z")
Much as I detest the crass notion of kicking the man when he’s down … but WOOHOO! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![k61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3d9bf3/32.png) [@k61](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k61)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757/33 "2003-02-13T14:01:30Z")
as a Leeds United fan I couldn’t help smiling when I saw kewell turning rio ferdinand inside out - but the thought that the aussies can even beat us at football is pretty depressing… on the plus side for england, robinson had a good game in goal (much better than james anyway) and on the plus side for LUFC, popovic picked up an injury, so he won’t be able to play against us for Palace in the Cup on Sunday! ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757/34 "2003-02-13T17:29:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by London\_Calling \* > \*\* > > Btw, I did here it kicked off a little in the crowd towards the end. Welcome Australia to the world of football violence :eek: \*\* No Australians involved. Just stoke v Cardiff. I really am desperately unhappy about this. Not the result, it is only a poxy friendly, but the attitude. Judas and ferdinand aren’t fit to wear the shirt (or in Campbell’s case lift it). Too many players think they have a divine right to play for England. Woodgate and Richards could not have done worse. Sven is a mystery to me. I think he may have lost the team. All this for £35, and a horrible tube ride home. PAh! ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757/35 "2003-02-14T08:26:21Z")
I think that all the England players should be made to read your post **Owlstretchingtime** just before every match they play, especially the dissappointment that comes across in your last line. ---
**Author:** ![woolly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ebca7d/32.png) [@woolly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woolly)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757/36 "2003-02-14T10:44:18Z")
You know, there’s a real sting in the tail of this. Patently England can’t seem to win anything at the moment … and we are on your side in Gulf War II. :eek ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757/37 "2003-02-14T11:22:05Z")
Stoke vs. Cardiff … at West Ham … at an England game … actually, the woman I spoke to did say Australians were involved so it might have been a different occasion or she may have been confused. If the latter, she wasn’t alone … what a dreadful carry-on these friendlies have become … ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757/38 "2003-02-14T11:53:01Z")
All I saw was a bunch of Stoke’s finest carrying on a feud that had been going on all day in the East End with the CCSC (its a longstanding feud, totally baffling to non-combatants, I think it’s about drugs). Some of WHUFC’s came to assert themselves on their “manor” but seemed to hemmed in by OB. As to why CCSC feel the need to come to Engerland games? You’d have to ask them. In fact, rather you than me. But given that Aussies are (along with Americans) the most unpleasant winners in the whole wide world, perhaps there were altercations, but I didn’t see them. Most of the Aussies I saw had to hurry back to their bar jobs. ---
**Author:** ![cart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ec8ea/32.png) [@cart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cart)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757/39 "2003-02-15T16:41:56Z")
Just as well that Ferdinand, Beckham and Scholes didn’t exert themselves against Australia, what with that important cup match coming up. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757/40 "2003-02-16T22:44:19Z")
Given the result of that cup match, perhaps they needn’t have bothered saving themselves. Didn’t do Harry Kewell any harm. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footy-dopers-england-vs-australia/153757.md?page=3)