Doug, you just undid the good blog you previously posted! After writing such a good piece on your love of european football, only to ruin it by mentioning the dreaded ‘tic in your next post! Go on mention 1967!! ;->
I am rather annoyed that you have failed to mention the Scottish cup won by Hearts at the weekend. Half the population of Edinburgh shared the passion and excitement of the weekend and celebrated big style. I loved the article in the Metro showing a girl who was a Gretna supporter piping the Hearts team off their bus. You wouldn’t get this happening in Glasgae.
A gentleman in Sweden told me Larsson is highly regarded over there. Not just for his footballing skills but for the fact he is returning to play for his hometown club (Helsingborg) next season on the same salary as his team mates.
Yup, money can’t buy happiness! Sometimes it takes us a lifetime to find out. I’m going up to the Highlands for a few days and am going to have lunch tomorrow on top of the world http://www.cairngormmountain.com/ . Priceless!
Andy C said…
“A gentleman in Sweden told me Larsson is highly regarded over there. Not just for his footballing skills but for the fact he is returning to play for his hometown club (Helsingborg) next season on the same salary as his team mates.”
He was extremely highly regarded around these parts too. My Geordie mate was berating him the other night for staying so long at a poor club in a poor league. He didn’t seem impressed when I repeated the general tone of Larrson’s replies to those questions – ‘I like it here. My family like it here.’
What I liked most about Larrson is that he was invariably the hardest working player on the pitch as well as the most skillful. To cap it all, whenever a wayward forward pass sailed over his head, he’d turn and applaud his team mate’s efforts, rather than throwing a hissy fit. Modesty and outlandish skill are an irresistable combination for me. When he was coming on to the pitch the other night I turned to my mates and said ‘watch this – he’ll make the difference’. Your average Barcelona player is no mug and there’s a reason Henrik was so popular there.
A giant among men and cool with it.
It was probably a good move to lose the dreadlocks and the alice-band, though 😉
Thinking of Henrik reminds me of the first time I saw him in the flesh. I was at a pre-season friendly (against Parma, I think) and he was paraded before the supporters prior to the kick-off. We’d just had a few seasons of the interesting but prima-donna-like behaviour of Di Canio, Van Hooydonk and Cadete. With his dreadlocks tumbling over a brilliant white tracksuit I remember thinking ‘You’d better be bl**dy good, pal!’
Re: Larsson – I might have some of the detail wrong, but the story is that despite an appeal from the Swedish Prime Minister, many thousands of signatures on a petition, Larsson wasn’t going to play in the last World Cup. He was only persuaded to do so when his 10 year old son started giving him grief. How cute!
Doug, you just undid the good blog you previously posted! After writing such a good piece on your love of european football, only to ruin it by mentioning the dreaded ‘tic in your next post! Go on mention 1967!! ;->
I am rather annoyed that you have failed to mention the Scottish cup won by Hearts at the weekend. Half the population of Edinburgh shared the passion and excitement of the weekend and celebrated big style. I loved the article in the Metro showing a girl who was a Gretna supporter piping the Hearts team off their bus. You wouldn’t get this happening in Glasgae.
Mark Love said…
“Doug, you just undid the good blog you previously posted! After writing such a good piece on your love of european football …”
Not something you should have to worry about for more than a couple of weeks next year, eh?
😉
Thomas – you neither 😉
A gentleman in Sweden told me Larsson is highly regarded over there. Not just for his footballing skills but for the fact he is returning to play for his hometown club (Helsingborg) next season on the same salary as his team mates.
Yup, money can’t buy happiness! Sometimes it takes us a lifetime to find out. I’m going up to the Highlands for a few days and am going to have lunch tomorrow on top of the world http://www.cairngormmountain.com/ . Priceless!
Andy C said…
“A gentleman in Sweden told me Larsson is highly regarded over there. Not just for his footballing skills but for the fact he is returning to play for his hometown club (Helsingborg) next season on the same salary as his team mates.”
He was extremely highly regarded around these parts too. My Geordie mate was berating him the other night for staying so long at a poor club in a poor league. He didn’t seem impressed when I repeated the general tone of Larrson’s replies to those questions – ‘I like it here. My family like it here.’
What I liked most about Larrson is that he was invariably the hardest working player on the pitch as well as the most skillful. To cap it all, whenever a wayward forward pass sailed over his head, he’d turn and applaud his team mate’s efforts, rather than throwing a hissy fit. Modesty and outlandish skill are an irresistable combination for me. When he was coming on to the pitch the other night I turned to my mates and said ‘watch this – he’ll make the difference’. Your average Barcelona player is no mug and there’s a reason Henrik was so popular there.
A giant among men and cool with it.
It was probably a good move to lose the dreadlocks and the alice-band, though 😉
Thinking of Henrik reminds me of the first time I saw him in the flesh. I was at a pre-season friendly (against Parma, I think) and he was paraded before the supporters prior to the kick-off. We’d just had a few seasons of the interesting but prima-donna-like behaviour of Di Canio, Van Hooydonk and Cadete. With his dreadlocks tumbling over a brilliant white tracksuit I remember thinking ‘You’d better be bl**dy good, pal!’
I think you could say he delivered.
touche! ;->
Re: Larsson – I might have some of the detail wrong, but the story is that despite an appeal from the Swedish Prime Minister, many thousands of signatures on a petition, Larsson wasn’t going to play in the last World Cup. He was only persuaded to do so when his 10 year old son started giving him grief. How cute!
That’s how I remember it