November 25 2007

England

England squelched out of the Euro-finals at Wembley midweek, but the weekend brought good tidings for Eagles fans, writes Jamesey.

If, like me, you are an England supporter, you will no doubt be as cheesed off as I am at our display against Croatia.

Events at Wembley on Nov 21 have been analysed, reanalysed, agonised upon and examined over and over again and, as the editor will probably remind me, my role here is to comment on CPFC not international football.

All I will say is that I deeply miss watching our club during the summer break and two of the consolations are watching England in the Euro- or World Cup finals every other year.

Admittedly, with a few notable exceptions, England teams perform far below expectations. But at least we are usually there.

I look back to 1994, the last time we failed to qualify in one of the big two tournaments, with deep bitterness.

Not being there was bad enough, but watching games in London pubs full of tricolour-waving Republic of Ireland fans cheering their team on in the USA, made it even worse.

Not that I have anything against the Republic. Small once-subjugated nations always hate those who they regard as their past oppressors, and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland score pretty highly on the Hateometer when it comes to the England football team.

That is the way it is.

Did you ever come across a Pole or a Czech who didn't go delirious with joy at the prospect of a USSR defeat.

But there'll be a fabulous party in Austria and Switzerland next summer and, sadly, we won't be there.

However, at least Palace took three points at Colchester (Nov 24), winning the match 1-2 and giving Neil Warnock his first CPFC victory.

Clinton Morrison scored both goals and I was once more reminded how time flashes by when I realised it was nearly a decade since I watched a colt-like (these days, more bull-like) local teenager break into the first team and play in the Premiership alongside the legendary Atilio Lombardo.

Let's hope that the Colchester victory represents a genuine turnaround.

A home win against Preston on Tuesday (Nov 27) will give a strong indication that it is.

Email Jamesey with your comments to Jevans3704@aol.com

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