We few we merry few (henry V)

Today gives us the final group to start, Group D, but before we preview that, a look at last night’s games. The Father and the son played out a very good draw, I wrote that you should look out for Llorente and I have a feeling that we shall see him before we see Torres again. In the second game the choir boys caught the Holy Ghost with their pants down 3 times to record a comfortable victory. England Verses France opens the proceedings today, but as I don’t have much to write about the second game, we shall get it out of the way first. There is an urban legend that Sweden has the highest suicide rate in the world, because it is either always dark or sunny, while that may be true, the bit about suicide isn’t, they actually rank 35 in the world when it comes to suicide. If they were to be any higher, it would probably be because they are so boring. To paraphrase Monty Python and the life of Brian “What have the Swedes ever done for us?” At a stretch, the answer would be Abba, Bjorn Borg, Volvo, the Carl Gustav machine pistol and probably the funniest thing would be the Muppets Swedish Chef. The football is not much better. As for the Ukraine, they are only playing because they are one of the host nations, and UEFA is probably regretting that as the tournament progresses. A draw is on the cards here. So, England against France. To someone not born in either of the two countries it might be difficult to understand what all the fuss is about. Where should I start? For nearly a thousand years now since William the Conqueror invaded the British Isles in 1066, the two nations have been at war if not actually literally then at least in a cultural sense. Nobody likes the French, but the small distance between the two countries and the many battles fought between them means that this game is a loaded fixture. The French are actually at the moment on a 21 match unbeaten run since their infamous exit from the last World cup with their snail slime trailing between their frogs legs. England on the other hand, have had to appoint a new manager, five weeks before the tournament, who has not had much time to shape the team they way he would want it. One of the most famous battles between the two countries was at Agincourt in 1415 where England led by Henry V defeated a far superior French force in a charnel house of a battle. The spirit of Henry V immortalized by Shakespeare and brought to life by Olivier and Branagh is what England must hope to come though today. Unfortunately, most of the current England squad probably thinks that Henry V is a pub and they thing they could draw from that would be a pint. So it is up to us to rouse the troops with this quote from the end of the speech Henry V gave on the eve of the battle “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, this day shall gentle his condition. And gentlemen in England now abed shall think themselves accursed they were not here, And hold their manhood’s cheap whiles any speaks That fought with us upon” My heart so England, my head says France, May England win