For the draw on Friday with Portugal and France missing out, according to the BBC website here are the best and worst outcomes:

"A worst case scenario on Friday would arguably see Fabio Capello's side take on France, Ivory Coast and the USA, while a far easier proposition on paper would have England facing Slovenia, Algeria and New Zealand."

i'd still fancy us in a group of france, ivory coast and usa

I agree. Had we not been seeded the only teams I'd have wanted to avoid would have been Brazil and Spain. Even then, with a full team out, I'd fancy England's chances.

I'm looking forward to the draw.

been having a chat at work about the two alternatives I give on the draw from BBC. Would you rather play the potential harder teams as England always do well and then our performances will be more in line with the teams we should meet later, or have an easy group and hopefully give them a good beating increasing the confidence of the squad.

I would only play France if they played with their feet and not their hands.

a tough group will see the greedy FA and the greedy England players knocked out soonest, hopefully

why dont you want us to win the world cup like

definitely fu0cking not!!! And those pompous premiershit players will never get my support, and it's certainly not a case of "us" as far as I'm concerned!!!

Each to his own, don't understand that logic though, if you go by that logic you want NZ to win because they're the lowest paid players? And you don't support Pools, you support the lowest paid team in the FL.

Must admit it seems a strange mentality. I've met plenty of people who are indifferent to international football, even I sometimes wonder if its something that's worth continuing with, but that's not quite the same as actively wanting a team to lose.

Hypothetical question I know, but what would you do if Pools ever earned promotion to the Premiership? Stop supporting them?

I want us to win the World Cup. If only to stop the media harping on about 1966 every 4 years.

Under Capello i believe this big time charlie mentality has gone.

Well, seeing as most of them do charlie big time and hope to avoid the drug test, I fear that you might be disappointed.

We will get to the quarter finals and then lose on penalties because that's the way it's scripted.

Forgive my cynicism, but look at the history.

The betting syndicates will do OK as will Sepp Blatter and Marcel Platini.

We'll get fook all again.....which is what we deserve.

well i can't wait for the world cup so fuck you!!

I'll be out on my bike again by then, It will be summer

i agree with spender,they'll flounce into town the big i'am,get into the next round get beat and scuttle back out underacheiving again with their tails between their legs as usual

come on england

Once again the towns pubs will be packed full of people whove never set foot in a football ground all trying to prove how patriotic they are & when England get knocked out theyll all mourn as though theyve just lost a relative.
I hope England are knocked out in the group stages,although I would have been happier if they failed to qualify at all.

thats your opinion but its good news for the pub trade if we stay in for as long as we can

A taxi driver told me when England lose he gets around 2 hours steady work after the match as people drink up then go home disappointed.
When they win everybody stays out all day/night on the piss & he ends up with his taxi covered in blood & puke & spends most of the night arguing with drunken feckers over the fare.

like i said good news for pubs he doesnt ave to pick up drunks in my experience the feckers dont either

Couldn't have put it better myself.
I won't be watching any of Englands games.
I hope they get knocked out first stage.

I'd like to see an answer from Parmo on this one to be honest.

I hope (and think) that England win the world cup. Don't see the problem with this at all.

I have to admit that I don't watch friendlies though. Complete waste of time.

Popular things (the world cup has a massive global audience) will bring people into pubs and stuff. Whoopie shit!!!

I'll be watching it in Casillero del Jish so I could not give a rats ass!

I used to watch England games in the pub, but dont bother no more - too much chew when we lose.



When it was the 98 World Cup I went to watch the England v Argentina game in the pub with Yossarian off this board, Rob to his mate...anyhoo, place was chocka so we were crammed in stood behind the lads who got a seat.
Rob was positioned behind a typical meathead, big ugly rock hard looking fooker...not one to fook about with.

Anyways it went like this....Rob had a swig of his beer,lowered his pint glass and clipped this fella on the head with his glass. This notright gargoyle turned round and growled who did that??
Rob sheepishly explained and apologised....no problem....

About this time Argentina score and its 2-2, and the place is simmering with tension...Rob gulps his beer.......lowers glass/clips meathead! Meathead turns round and GLARES the scariest glare I've ever seen at Rob.....again many apologies are uttered.

Its getting hot in the pub both in actual temperature and the build up of footy frustration, Rob drinks thirstily from his glass,Sol Cambell rises like a salmon heads the ball towards the top corner aaaaaaaaaand..............Rob clips the fella on his head with his glass......


For a second time stood still.


The meathead exploded in a fury of Rage and beer and i genuinely feared for Rob's life......all I could do was get my clumsy friend out of there and run for our lives!

We made it home to my house which was 2 minutes away from the pub, relieved to not be killed and ecstatic we were 3-2 up!!!!!!!

oh.


never.again.

Wasn't that Campbell goal disallowed? As a result it went on to penalties, which of course we lost!

Well I want England to win. In-gur-lund, In-gur-lund, In-gur-land!

hypothetically speaking we would only ever get in the top flight after financial meltdown of football, and we did it in the style of Northampton, Carlisle, Swansea, Watford etc
For the record, I would not set foot in Old Trafford or Anfield or St James's Park if Pools got to play at those venues in the FA Cup. The reason for this is I wouldn't be able to bottle it in if I was surrounded by plastic Mags/Mancs/Scousers etc in the Pools end/travelling there and back would boil my piss to "getting banned" proportions
Sorry but my principles would stop me, and also my certainty of being locked up for fighting such c-un-ts!!!
Anyway, there's more chance of winning the lottery than Pools getting in the top league. We are more concerned about staying out of the bottom division!!!
I know there are going to be holes picked in this ad infinitum , and I could reciprocate each time etc - but I'm not going to because I do not have to justify my thoughts to anybody.

That's an interesting viewpoint. Whilst it surely would be a good thing that more people were turning up to watch the club play I can see why it would it leave a sour taste in many people's mouths. I had similar feelings when we got to the League 1 playoff final v Sheffield Wednesday. It filled me with a lot of pride to see the club enjoying a fantastic day in the spotlight but at the same time the knowledge that the majority of the 20,000 or so Pools supporters were people who hadn't been to a single league game that season with no intention of turning up to games the following season grated a little.

Chill Winston, chill!!!

You're views are noted and respected. FWIW I more or less agree with you re plastic prem supporters being in the Pools end. Not to the extent of getting myself arrested like I have a couple of mates who armchair follow some premiership teams and support Pools. I know for a fact that should Pools ever play them in a cup game they would be 100% behind Pools.

Parmopooly, I take it you are a "you can only support one team" man?

Certainly darling, my place or yours?? Jockey or horse.

95% of the reasons people have quoted have nothing at all do with england, the team itself, and not supporting them.

If you dont like taxi's don't go in them.

If you don't like pubs watch it at home like jish said.

and salty, your mate should have just stopped clipping his head, if some doyle kept doing that to me i'd be annoyed.

you'd have thought that wouldn't you?!

the bloody idiot that he is, should've just stepped back half a foot, but no, stays in the same place/keeps on making the same error, nearly gets me battered.........


the div!