Chapper's Coverage - Radio 1's Mark Chapman Tournament Coverage

Quickplay

About Chappers

Chappers and the team bring you the latest round ups and reviews on the Euros

Go To...

Blog

The Chappers' Blog - June 11th

At long last we have had some decent games at Euro 2008. So thank you to Holland, Italy, Spain and Russia for keeping us awake. Particularly well done to Russia for being the only side in the whole tournament to have scored a goal as a losing team.

There is no doubt that this is a competition of two halves. We are going to have to sit through two days of mindnumbing football from Groups A and B before we get to the entertainers of C and D. And because UEFA have changed the rules for this tournament the two halves of the draw will never meet until the final. Based on the current entertainment level that should mean we get a crowd of about 17 for the semi final in the A/B half and a capacity one for the C/D half.

Now you will have probably been aware of how the tournament is set up and didn't need me to have told you that in the last paragraph. What has amused me more is the number of people who have claimed to have known the offside rule as interpreted by the officials in the Holland/Italy game. Without sounding like Graham Poll it goes as follows. When a player is off the pitch voluntarily he can still be classed as active. So Christian Panucci rolling around on the floor nearer to the crowd than the pitch was playing Ruud Van Nistelrooy onside when he scored the Dutch opener. Now I have never heard of that and most people I know have never heard of that part of the law. However the sanctimonious gits, for want of a better word, on message boards up and down cyberspace are claiming they knew that. Do me a favour. The linesman is probably claiming he knew it as well when really we all know that he cocked up and some obscure bylaw has saved him. I am surprised that linesman could see anything because he must have been dazzled by the referee's fake tan as they were getting changed. Is there a more orange referee than Peter Frojdfeldt from Sweden?

Strangely enough the 'How orange will the referee in the Holland/Italy match be?' is one of the few things I haven't been asked to predict in the this tournament. Given how many predictions I have thrown out there whether it be on the podcast or here online the law of averages dictates that I have to get something right. So allow me to blow my own trumpet please, and we have all tried at one time or another, and say that i am feeling very smug in tipping David Villa to be the top scorer at Euro 2008. His hat trick puts him comfortably ahead of the rest at the moment. The less said about me tipping Russia to hold Spain, Romania to beat France and Italy to win the whole thing the better. I am sure the people who knew every aspect of the offside law have so far got every score, goalscorer, and times of goals correct in their predicitions.

Reply to post

Blog Comments

Ruuds goatie - June 11th 2008 - 09:59 PM

Really good podcast, very interesting. All very sycophantic about Ginola though - is he really that loveable, do looks matter that much? Can ugly footballers not be loveable too, look at Wayne Rooney, he's a charmer.

Will L from Derby - June 13th 2008 - 02:41 PM

The Croatia v Germany game certainly didn't follow suit to your "competition of two halves". Certainly glad that fixture wasn't on the Premier 10 list - don't think many would have seen that result coming. Croatia once again proved why they deserve to be there more than England! Really enjoying listening to and reading your thoughts during the tournament. Loving Graham Poll's contribute (even more so than the last major tournament!)

Most Recent Blogs

The Chappers Blog - 25th June

June 25th 2008 Chappers tips Russia and Germany and wants your teams of the tournament

The Chappers Blog - June 20th

June 20th 2008 Big Phil Scolari has got all the press excited but Chappers argues Joachim Low has been the real coaching star of the tournament

The Chappers Blog - June 16th

June 16th 2008 It's very rare you get to praise a Chelsea player but Chappers is impressed by Petr Cech's conduct and bowled over by the tournament as a whole.

The Chappers' Blog - June 11th

June 11th 2008 At last, the tournament produces what we've all been waiting for - goals, action, controversy and a referee with a fake tan

The Chappers' Blog - June 9th

June 9th 2008 It's off to a flier but there's still room for improvement via astrology and Lee fron Steps in today's blog

The Chappers' Blog - June 6th

June 6th 2008 People dressed as toblerone's, wind-up merchant Cristiano Ronaldo and good-looking Turks are all in Chappers' sights today

Welcome to the Chappers Blog

June 4th 2008 Chappers will be blogging throughout the tournament and he wants to hear from you.

Most Recent Podcasts

Chappers' Premier League Podcast - Week 14

November 20th 2008 This week Chappers is joined by studio regulars Graham Poll and Kevin Day . They discuss how to turn Arsenal's fortunes around with former Gunners star and Blackburn defensive coach Nigel Winterburn

Chappers' Premier League Podcast - Week 11

November 4th 2008 This week Chappers is joined by studio regulars Graham Poll and Kevin Day . They are joined on the phone by our pundit Alan Hansen as he talks about Liverpool's title challenge and how he and former team-mate John Barnes put together their weekly predictions.