Poland and Greece draw, Russia win

Euro notes

B O'S's absence from cricket is now explained: he's managing the Polish national team (and he hasn't got us any tickets). Good spot by MM.

Howard Webb refereed Russia v Czech Republic, and cloned himself for the lino.

Gary Lineaker is a jug-eared cretin, Alan Hanson wasn't ever any use as a pundit and goes on being useless long after he should have been put out to grass on the first tee. Clarence Seedorf and Lee Dixon are fantastic.

Patric Viera and Roy Keane are in the same studio, and not scrapping. Shame. I'd have a couple of quid on Paddy.

Poland 1 v 1 Greece

You have to love the Euros. They're up there with the World Cup, in the way the tournament sucks you straight in and keeps you enthralled throughout. Every game matters, there's few dead rubbers, it's scaled-down and sleek in format. The games come thick and fast after the first one kicks off. A fantastic tournament. Throws up surprises, too. Greece have won this against all the odds. Denmark assembled a squad to replace Yugoslavia having failed to qualify in 1992 and went on to win the final. Every four years I marvel at just how much I enjoy this, having had little interest in international football in the interim.

Poland started well, battered a Greece team that looked lacking in attacking ambition. We should have been two or three – nil up at half time, and as often happens, paid the price for not taking advantage of superiority in terms of goals. Greece were unlucky to be down to ten men, a dismissal for two yellow cards, neither of which, arguably, was even a foul, let alone one worthy of a card. They equalised early in the second half when we failed to control their right-mid player, who then won the penalty that saw Szchesney sent off to make it ten-a-side for the last twenty minutes or so. The substitute keeper saved the penalty, and for the neutral the draw sets the group up nicely.

Our ministers have not travelled to Poland and the Ukraine...

1. So what.
2. Like they were going anyway.
3. Thatcher's tories, Tony's new labour, Cameron and Clegg's unholy alliance, have all sold off school playing fields to developers.
4. They have all failed to have a dedicated minister for sport.
5. They have all failed to support grass roots sport while blathering on about community this and community that.
6. Under Tony, MM did Latin dance and salsa in school gym lessons, while never having a formal cricket lesson during school time.
7. Who cares.
8. They no longer bother going to the cup final (Carling or FA).
9. How many of them put their boots or spikes on and turn out for a team, week in week out, come rain, shine, minor ailment and injury, or expenses scandal? None, that's how many, because they lack the backbone and have urine in their veins, not blood.
10. Tony recalled the last sport minister to have a chance of seeing England lift a major trophy, from the rugby world cup, for a tight Commons vote. The weak-willed bum-licking brown-nosing careerist complied. I can't forgive that.

Don't pretend it's some sort of anti-racism protest, if you cared about that you'd've done something long ago. With this as with everything else, politicians are adept at talking a good game. Period.

Told off, again

Blood pressure: bad. No pills for two months because of being too busy at work: bad. Weight: need to lose two stones (to start with). Bad. No cholesterol test for three years because I promised to have one then bunked off: bad. The Dr apologised for all the telling offs. Took pity on me. “Don't worry” I said “I've got told off a lot, for a long time”. Apparently, blood pressure readings are not negotiable, and trousers and a shirt don't constitute pounds of heavy clothing. Battle is resumed in a month, when I will attribute high blood pressure to having to fast for the cholesterol test, failure to lose weight to work and time pressures, and I'll think of something for the (inevitable) high cholesterol.

Russia 4 v 1 Czech Republic

Russia started slowly, the Czech Republic had the better first fifteen minutes and created a couple of chances, before Russia struck on the break and took the lead. Cross, header, back off the post and smashed home by the player following up. Two – nil up at half time, the Czechs pulled one back in the second half, before Russia completed the demolition. Russia look like a team. Players all over the pitch. Ashavin had a great game.

Arsenal at the Euros

Two games, three players. Szchesney looked a bit dodgy here and there, gave away a penalty and got himself sent off (he's a nailed-on starter for us). Rosicky (generally starts games for us, at least from the second half of last season onwards) had a decent game but failed to set the world alight, misplaced too many passes. Ashavin (out on loan) was a contender for man of the match. Next: Bentner for the golden boot. We need to buy Dzagoev.