Tournament Football – Dave Thomas's Blog

GOM World Cup Diary #24 – Whatever Happened To Winning Hearts?

GOM World Cup Diary #24 – Whatever Happened To Winning Hearts? I settled down with my morning coffee expecting Argentina to do what Argentina usually do. Win. Cape Verde, after…

DaveThomas July 4, 2026

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GOM World Cup Diary #16 – Whatever Happened To Winning?

The World Cup group stage has reached the point where teams can lose and still celebrate qualification. The Grumpy Old Man wonders when football stopped being about simply winning—and why modern life seems just as complicated.

DaveThomas June 26, 2026

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GOM World Cup Diary #15 – Whatever Happened To Knowing Where You Stand?

GOM World Cup Diary #15 - Whatever Happened To Knowing Where You Stand? The World Cup is entering that stage of the tournament where nobody seems entirely sure what's going…

DaveThomas June 26, 2026

Football Grumpy Old Man Humour

GOM World Cup Diary #14 – Whatever Happened To Just Having A Go?

GOM World Cup Diary #14 – Whatever Happened To Just Having A Go? I spent a large part of yesterday evening watching England pass the ball sideways. Then backwards. Then…

DaveThomas June 25, 2026

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GOM World Cup Diary #12: Whatever Happened To Knowing Your Place?

GOM World Cup Diary #12: Whatever Happened To Knowing Your Place? Last week, Cape Verde drew 0-0 with Spain. The experts were surprised. Then Cape Verde drew 2-2 with Uruguay.…

DaveThomas June 22, 2026

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GOM World Cup Diary #11: Why Is Everybody Always In Such A Hurry?

Why Is Everybody Always In Such A Hurry? Last week Tunisia lost 5-1. Their response was immediate. The manager was shown the door. A new man was appointed. Fresh ideas…

DaveThomas June 21, 2026

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GOM World Cup Diary #9: Whatever Happened To One Match At A Time?

Whatever Happened To One Match At A Time? Yesterday Mexico became the first team to qualify for the knockout stages of the World Cup. A fine achievement. They've played well,…

DaveThomas June 19, 2026

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GOM World Cup Diary #8: Why Can’t We Ever Just Enjoy It?

GOM World Cup Diary #8: Why Can't We Ever Just Enjoy It? England won 4-2 last night. Just let that sink in for a moment. Four goals scored. Three points…

DaveThomas June 18, 2026

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GOM World Cup Diary #7: Why Does It Take Seven People To Get It Wrong?

Why Does It Take Seven People To Get It Wrong? Last night I watched another controversial VAR decision. Or perhaps I should say I watched seven people spend several minutes…

DaveThomas June 17, 2026

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GOM World Cup Diary #5: Do We Really Need 48 Teams?

GOM World Cup Diary #5: Do We Really Need 48 Teams? Germany beat Curaçao 7-1 yesterday. Which was unfortunate for Curaçao. And, if we're being completely honest, not especially surprising…

DaveThomas June 15, 2026