What with QVC, Selfridges and Universal Studios store in Orlando urging us to part with money a full five months before the festive period, Christmas in July really has come early this year! However the great 1940 film "Christmas in July" written and directed by Preston Sturges shows a darker side to Christmas when a home town American boy enters contests in the hope of someday winning a fortune. And to cap it all he is secretly contemplating marrying the girl he loves.
Our hero, Jimmy MacDonald, played by Dick Powell, attempts to win the Maxford House Coffee Slogan Contest. As a joke, some of his co-workers put together a fake telegram which says that he won the $25,000 grand prize. As a result, he gets a promotion, buys presents for all of his family and friends, and proposes to his girl. When the truth comes out, he's not prepared for the consequences!
Some consider this to be one of Preston Sturges's most profound comedies. In "Christmas in July" Sturges was possibly trying to teach the great director Frank Capra how to handle sentiment without falling into sentimentality. The scene where Dick Powell is handing out presents to his neighbours, and he gives a doll to a crippled girl in a wheelchair is a remarkably tender moment in the midst of a hectic scene. The director captures just the right touch with a classic line where bug-eyed Raymond Walburn sarcastically tells contest-winner Powell, "I can't wait to give you my money!" Sturges also shows that you can have plot complications without resorting to villains. There is no Capraesque class warfare in this film. Here rich and poor are equally lovable, even gruff William Demarest as Mr Bildocker.
None of this is to say that spending money on gifts in July is a bad thing. Any number of Internet retailers are offering Christmas in July incentives with items such as footstools and ottomans among the best sellers. Selfridges in London say many of their foreign customers head specifically for the Christmas Gift Shop when they arrive from abroad. QVC, the television shopping channel are reported to turnover £1 million on their "Christmas in July Shopping Weekend" which finished yesterday. Many visitors attend Universal Studios Islands of Adventure theme park in Florida with the sole intention of stocking up with gifts from the Christmas Store. I can vouch for it having recently spent over $12 on a Christmas decoration - in July!
The author has over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about footstools and contemporary furniture. He particularly enjoys shopping for Christmas gifts in July.
Monday, 26 July 2010
Sunday, 25 July 2010
Upholstered Footstool Ottomans
An upholstered footstool with storage capacity, sometimes known as an ottoman may be a great way to add softness, texture, or colour to your design plan yet for the originators of the Ottoman these were but some of the features required.
When early nomadic tradesmen formed their caravans to cross vast swathes of desert they had to account for every single item. As their camels were required to carry not only their wares but also their homes, portability and storage were important features to consider.
After long hot days under the desert sun the evenings for these traders were for a time of relation and sustenance. This was when the ottomans were unpacked – some had been used to store silks, cloths and linens for bedding, some others contained spices, dates and figs. They now had use as a leisure item and were decorated in bright intense coloured fabric piled with cushions. The simple decoration of the nomads tents were enhanced by some home” decor” and the ottomans performed great purpose by being bright, covered as they were in colourful textiles and acting as useful storage vessels.
Firstly it was the nomadic traders and latterly the Ottomans who more than anyone needed a lightweight device that was portable enough to carry from place to place. As the Ottoman Empire stretched across most of Central Asia and Persia and over the deserts of North Africa they popularised the Ottoman, with what we would today understand as an upholstered footstool with a central storage area. The design, developed over time was a deeply upholstered seat of any shape, with or without a back, where, it was to become the central piece of domestic seating. An early version was designed to go entirely around three walls of a room, and from this evolved a smaller version, designed to fit into corners.
The first of these “ottomans” was introduced into Europe in the late 18th century from Turkey. Then with Napoleon Bonaparte's adventures in Egypt and British efforts to halt his advances at the Battle of the Nile in 1798, Western Europe saw the what the locals were using to store their wares and footstool ottomans soon became a popular adornment to grand Georgian and latterly Victorian homes.
As incomes grew throughout the Twentieth Century, ottomans became an essential fashion statement in UK households. The ottoman became the place to store bedding or to dispose of dirty linen. Today the ottoman is a central feature of many British homes and can be found not only in the bedroom but in living rooms and offices for storing many of the cherished and important household items.
The author has over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about history, footstools and contemporary furniture.
When early nomadic tradesmen formed their caravans to cross vast swathes of desert they had to account for every single item. As their camels were required to carry not only their wares but also their homes, portability and storage were important features to consider.
After long hot days under the desert sun the evenings for these traders were for a time of relation and sustenance. This was when the ottomans were unpacked – some had been used to store silks, cloths and linens for bedding, some others contained spices, dates and figs. They now had use as a leisure item and were decorated in bright intense coloured fabric piled with cushions. The simple decoration of the nomads tents were enhanced by some home” decor” and the ottomans performed great purpose by being bright, covered as they were in colourful textiles and acting as useful storage vessels.
Firstly it was the nomadic traders and latterly the Ottomans who more than anyone needed a lightweight device that was portable enough to carry from place to place. As the Ottoman Empire stretched across most of Central Asia and Persia and over the deserts of North Africa they popularised the Ottoman, with what we would today understand as an upholstered footstool with a central storage area. The design, developed over time was a deeply upholstered seat of any shape, with or without a back, where, it was to become the central piece of domestic seating. An early version was designed to go entirely around three walls of a room, and from this evolved a smaller version, designed to fit into corners.
The first of these “ottomans” was introduced into Europe in the late 18th century from Turkey. Then with Napoleon Bonaparte's adventures in Egypt and British efforts to halt his advances at the Battle of the Nile in 1798, Western Europe saw the what the locals were using to store their wares and footstool ottomans soon became a popular adornment to grand Georgian and latterly Victorian homes.
As incomes grew throughout the Twentieth Century, ottomans became an essential fashion statement in UK households. The ottoman became the place to store bedding or to dispose of dirty linen. Today the ottoman is a central feature of many British homes and can be found not only in the bedroom but in living rooms and offices for storing many of the cherished and important household items.
The author has over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about history, footstools and contemporary furniture.
Thursday, 22 July 2010
Which Footstool?
A footstool has a dual purpose as a piece of furniture. It has a primary function of being a support to the feet and can also be used for seating. The styles of footstool available on the Internet vary widely and only the most reputable retailers with solid trading performance should be considered. They should also be able to exhibit testimonial evidence from customers who have bought footstools and would recommend them to others.
A footstool as a "foot rest" should be used to compliment existing furniture. For example a potential customer should select a footstool to match his or her sofa or a favourite chair. Thus shade, texture, size and performance are key considerations when making that all important purchase. A typical piece should be slightly lower in height than the seat of the chair or sofa. In this way the legs rest below the seating position, outstretched for beneficial circulation and muscle relaxation. This type of stool is usually a short, wide, four-legged piece with a rigid foam upholstered top pad either buttoned or plain. Most footstools are either supplied in fabric or leather with a wood frame surrounding base and four legs.
As a vehicle for seating, footstools need to be well constructed to withstand the various pressures of human weight loads and gravity. Seating footstools are not chairs or sofas as such and are designed without a backrest so they can be approached from virtually any direction. A cube, ideally about eighteen inches tall from the ground, provides an acceptable height for seating whilst fitting into the
smallest household space. Similarly a drum stool affords about seventeen inches of height and is popular as a seating solution in bars, pubs and restaurants. Both cubes and drum stools are fitted with small glide feet to enable smooth transfer whilst protecting the edges from "scuffing" through direct contact with hard stone or wood floor surfaces.
Choosing a footstool on the Internet either for seating or as a foot rest is made easier via a well developed website. With so much to choose from customers need quick answers to their questions so a contact through email or a land line telephone is most important. Secure in the knowledge that the stool would be appropriate for either seating or resting feet the customer can go ahead with confidence and make his or her purchase decision.
The author has over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about footstools and contemporary furniture.
A footstool as a "foot rest" should be used to compliment existing furniture. For example a potential customer should select a footstool to match his or her sofa or a favourite chair. Thus shade, texture, size and performance are key considerations when making that all important purchase. A typical piece should be slightly lower in height than the seat of the chair or sofa. In this way the legs rest below the seating position, outstretched for beneficial circulation and muscle relaxation. This type of stool is usually a short, wide, four-legged piece with a rigid foam upholstered top pad either buttoned or plain. Most footstools are either supplied in fabric or leather with a wood frame surrounding base and four legs.
As a vehicle for seating, footstools need to be well constructed to withstand the various pressures of human weight loads and gravity. Seating footstools are not chairs or sofas as such and are designed without a backrest so they can be approached from virtually any direction. A cube, ideally about eighteen inches tall from the ground, provides an acceptable height for seating whilst fitting into the
smallest household space. Similarly a drum stool affords about seventeen inches of height and is popular as a seating solution in bars, pubs and restaurants. Both cubes and drum stools are fitted with small glide feet to enable smooth transfer whilst protecting the edges from "scuffing" through direct contact with hard stone or wood floor surfaces.
Choosing a footstool on the Internet either for seating or as a foot rest is made easier via a well developed website. With so much to choose from customers need quick answers to their questions so a contact through email or a land line telephone is most important. Secure in the knowledge that the stool would be appropriate for either seating or resting feet the customer can go ahead with confidence and make his or her purchase decision.
The author has over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about footstools and contemporary furniture.
Sunday, 18 July 2010
Faux Suede Footstools
The “must have” fabric of the moment is “faux suede”. It has made a huge impact to the upholstery industry over recent years and its popularity seems to be growing by the day. Its usefulness as a hard wearing versatile fabric is well documented and for use on footstools its flexibility in unsurpassed.
Created by Japanese textile technologists in the 1980s, faux suede was developed as a micro fibre to readily accept colouration. The fabric has useful performance applications in both clothing and the field of furnishings. The base of faux suede is polyester, a man made fibre extracted as a derivative from petroleum. Polyester can be blended with any other textile fibre however to maintain performance and
satisfactory texture a faux suede fabric should ideally be woven from 100% core polyester.
In its application for footstools potential customers are urged to resist cheaper alternatives particularly as footstool abrasion requirements are necessarily onerous and footstools are designed and built to last for many years.
As a fabric for footstools faux suede ticks all the boxes. With a brushed “napp” faux suedes exhibit a velvet appearance similar to the effect found on snooker or pool tables. The lustrous feel reflects light in the direction of the false pile, created during the fabric’s finishing process. The wide colouration of faux suedes is made easier by the receptive nature of the fabric to complex dyestuffs.
Polyester is most receptive to deep and rich colouration allowing the dyer to employ deep reds, bright pinks, oranges and various pastel shades that are more problematic to natural fibres. Contemporary shades for faux suedes tend to be centred around “earth tone” pallets whereby natural colours predominate. Reputable footstools manufacturers are well represented within these tonal areas having many colours to offer on their footstools range. The most popular shades include, coffee, ivory, chocolate, black and hazelnut. Among several new shades offered for the first time are red, muscat and white with another set of favourites from which stone, natural camel and beige are prominent.
The real versatility of a faux suede fabric when upholstered to a footstool is this very breadth of shade. Interior designers can go over board with the colour variations on offer and the footstool purchaser can really compliment his or her own surroundings by making an appropriate and relevant colour selection.
The author has over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about footstools and contemporary furniture.
Created by Japanese textile technologists in the 1980s, faux suede was developed as a micro fibre to readily accept colouration. The fabric has useful performance applications in both clothing and the field of furnishings. The base of faux suede is polyester, a man made fibre extracted as a derivative from petroleum. Polyester can be blended with any other textile fibre however to maintain performance and
satisfactory texture a faux suede fabric should ideally be woven from 100% core polyester.
In its application for footstools potential customers are urged to resist cheaper alternatives particularly as footstool abrasion requirements are necessarily onerous and footstools are designed and built to last for many years.
As a fabric for footstools faux suede ticks all the boxes. With a brushed “napp” faux suedes exhibit a velvet appearance similar to the effect found on snooker or pool tables. The lustrous feel reflects light in the direction of the false pile, created during the fabric’s finishing process. The wide colouration of faux suedes is made easier by the receptive nature of the fabric to complex dyestuffs.
Polyester is most receptive to deep and rich colouration allowing the dyer to employ deep reds, bright pinks, oranges and various pastel shades that are more problematic to natural fibres. Contemporary shades for faux suedes tend to be centred around “earth tone” pallets whereby natural colours predominate. Reputable footstools manufacturers are well represented within these tonal areas having many colours to offer on their footstools range. The most popular shades include, coffee, ivory, chocolate, black and hazelnut. Among several new shades offered for the first time are red, muscat and white with another set of favourites from which stone, natural camel and beige are prominent.
The real versatility of a faux suede fabric when upholstered to a footstool is this very breadth of shade. Interior designers can go over board with the colour variations on offer and the footstool purchaser can really compliment his or her own surroundings by making an appropriate and relevant colour selection.
The author has over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about footstools and contemporary furniture.
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
England's Failure at the World Cup - Chapter One
I know nothing can make up for a team that just isn't playing well but there are a couple of things that did really get on my nerves about the "non - performance" of the England 2010 squad. Simple, time-proven elements should have been avoided and would have been if Fabio Capello wasn't so stubborn and inflexible. He stuck to his tried and tested rules by announcing team selection as the players boarded the bus to the game, two hours before kick off! How that must have motivated / demotivated those pampered, costeted, overpaid stars!
Why was Emile Heskey even there? Why was he even considered for the squad in the first place? He's just a big bruising English centre forward in the Nat Lofthouse mould (without Nat's goalscoring record!) with the stature and guile of a fully laden supertanker. Capello's masterstroke during the Germany game was to bring on Heskey when England were already losing 1 - 4! How is a striker with only seven international goals in over sixty appearances going to suddenly change the course of England's World Cup? His non existant goal scoring record for England meant little to Capello who saw him as the perfect partner to Wayne Rooney. Unfortunately Rooney lost the form that so lit up his season with Manchester United. Emile and Wayne simply didn't click. But neither did anyone else!
Peter Crouch was brought along to unsettle defences with his ungainly playing style and height. Unfortunately his cameo performance against Algeria confirmed his lack of international class - he should not have been on the field, especially playing international football for England. He unbalances the team. The most unlikely, six foot nine plus English footballer with little ball control has only ever scored in the past because Beckham could pick out his head. Without Becks and far superior opposition than he meets in the Premiership, Crouch remained a poor attacking option for England in South Africa.
Why didn't he do the obvious? Take Michael Owen instead of Heskey! Admittedly Owen has a sketchy injury record but he has scored amazing goals throughout his career and could have been brough along as an impact substitute! His appearance near the end of a game may have created something spectacular. Then, instead of Crouch, Agbonlahor should have been there, maybe even as first choice striker with a proven goal scorering record in the Premiership.
Another factor is we all know that Lampard and Gerard cannot play on the same squad as they are the same player! They should have been subs for each other. Plus, playing Gerard down the left wing was not his best postion. We all know that his role should have been in the hole just behind Rooney! It's a position that England have never been able to properly fill, ever since John Barnes. Then finally in 2006, Joe Cole (the most under utilised English player at this World Cup) came along, an attacking midfielder with buckets of skill and speed for the wing fitted the slot perfectly. Yet, Gerard was placed on the wing and Joe Cole just sloppily bought on 70mins into a game that was already lost. He went into Rooney's position and was expected to pull off a miracle.
So as I ponder all the options with my feet propped up on my favourite footstool I look forward to the 2018 World Cup in England! By then members of the victorious England Under 17 side who have just been crowned European champions will be established regulars in the senior England team. Just like the Germans who have promoted many of their best young players during this World Cup, England will become a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately we will have to wait another eight years for the emergence of the next "Golden Generation".
The author has over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about footstools, contemporary British furniture and football.
Why was Emile Heskey even there? Why was he even considered for the squad in the first place? He's just a big bruising English centre forward in the Nat Lofthouse mould (without Nat's goalscoring record!) with the stature and guile of a fully laden supertanker. Capello's masterstroke during the Germany game was to bring on Heskey when England were already losing 1 - 4! How is a striker with only seven international goals in over sixty appearances going to suddenly change the course of England's World Cup? His non existant goal scoring record for England meant little to Capello who saw him as the perfect partner to Wayne Rooney. Unfortunately Rooney lost the form that so lit up his season with Manchester United. Emile and Wayne simply didn't click. But neither did anyone else!
Peter Crouch was brought along to unsettle defences with his ungainly playing style and height. Unfortunately his cameo performance against Algeria confirmed his lack of international class - he should not have been on the field, especially playing international football for England. He unbalances the team. The most unlikely, six foot nine plus English footballer with little ball control has only ever scored in the past because Beckham could pick out his head. Without Becks and far superior opposition than he meets in the Premiership, Crouch remained a poor attacking option for England in South Africa.
Why didn't he do the obvious? Take Michael Owen instead of Heskey! Admittedly Owen has a sketchy injury record but he has scored amazing goals throughout his career and could have been brough along as an impact substitute! His appearance near the end of a game may have created something spectacular. Then, instead of Crouch, Agbonlahor should have been there, maybe even as first choice striker with a proven goal scorering record in the Premiership.
Another factor is we all know that Lampard and Gerard cannot play on the same squad as they are the same player! They should have been subs for each other. Plus, playing Gerard down the left wing was not his best postion. We all know that his role should have been in the hole just behind Rooney! It's a position that England have never been able to properly fill, ever since John Barnes. Then finally in 2006, Joe Cole (the most under utilised English player at this World Cup) came along, an attacking midfielder with buckets of skill and speed for the wing fitted the slot perfectly. Yet, Gerard was placed on the wing and Joe Cole just sloppily bought on 70mins into a game that was already lost. He went into Rooney's position and was expected to pull off a miracle.
So as I ponder all the options with my feet propped up on my favourite footstool I look forward to the 2018 World Cup in England! By then members of the victorious England Under 17 side who have just been crowned European champions will be established regulars in the senior England team. Just like the Germans who have promoted many of their best young players during this World Cup, England will become a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately we will have to wait another eight years for the emergence of the next "Golden Generation".
The author has over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about footstools, contemporary British furniture and football.
Friday, 18 June 2010
Ottomans and the World CUp
As I prepare myself for tonight's encounter between England and Algeria my eyes are drawn towards an upholstered footstool, usually called an ottoman which sits to one side of my living room which acts as essential storage for many of the day to day nick naks our family treasure. An ottoman is a great way to contribute design presence giving quality, texture, and colour to any room plan. Yet for the originators of the Ottoman these were but some of the features required.
When early nomadic tradesmen formed their caravans to cross vast swathes of desert they had to account for every single item. As their camels were required to carry not only their wares but also their homes, portability and storage were important features to consider. After long hot days under the desert sun the evenings for these traders were for a time of relation and sustenance. This was when the ottomans were unpacked – some had been used to store silks, cloths and linens for bedding, some others contained spices, dates and figs.
They now had use as a leisure item and were decorated in bright intense coloured fabric piled with cushions. The simple decoration of the nomads tents were enhanced by some home” decor” and the ottomans performed great purpose by being bright, covered as they were in colourful textiles and acting as useful storage vessels.
Firstly it was the nomadic traders and latterly the Ottomans who more than anyone needed a lightweight device that was portable enough to carry from place to place. As the Ottoman Empire stretched across most of Central Asia and Persia and over the deserts of North Africa they popularised the Ottoman, and what we would today understand as a footstool. The design, developed over time was a deeply upholstered seat of any shape, with or without a back, where, it was to become the central piece of domestic seating. An early version was designed to go entirely around three walls of a room, and from this evolved a smaller version, designed to fit into corners.
The first of these “ottomans” was introduced into Europe in the late Eighteenth century from Turkey and soon became a popular adornment to grand Georgian and latterly Victorian homes. As incomes grew throughout the Twentieth Century, Ottomans became an essential fashion statement in UK households. By the year 2000 over 90% of all British homes owned an Ottoman or similar storage device. It has become an essential piece of the storage furniture repertoire and we look forward to future ottoman developments in the years to come.
This author has spent over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about footstools , contemporary British furniture and football. He also happens to be a follower of Manchester City.
When early nomadic tradesmen formed their caravans to cross vast swathes of desert they had to account for every single item. As their camels were required to carry not only their wares but also their homes, portability and storage were important features to consider. After long hot days under the desert sun the evenings for these traders were for a time of relation and sustenance. This was when the ottomans were unpacked – some had been used to store silks, cloths and linens for bedding, some others contained spices, dates and figs.
They now had use as a leisure item and were decorated in bright intense coloured fabric piled with cushions. The simple decoration of the nomads tents were enhanced by some home” decor” and the ottomans performed great purpose by being bright, covered as they were in colourful textiles and acting as useful storage vessels.
Firstly it was the nomadic traders and latterly the Ottomans who more than anyone needed a lightweight device that was portable enough to carry from place to place. As the Ottoman Empire stretched across most of Central Asia and Persia and over the deserts of North Africa they popularised the Ottoman, and what we would today understand as a footstool. The design, developed over time was a deeply upholstered seat of any shape, with or without a back, where, it was to become the central piece of domestic seating. An early version was designed to go entirely around three walls of a room, and from this evolved a smaller version, designed to fit into corners.
The first of these “ottomans” was introduced into Europe in the late Eighteenth century from Turkey and soon became a popular adornment to grand Georgian and latterly Victorian homes. As incomes grew throughout the Twentieth Century, Ottomans became an essential fashion statement in UK households. By the year 2000 over 90% of all British homes owned an Ottoman or similar storage device. It has become an essential piece of the storage furniture repertoire and we look forward to future ottoman developments in the years to come.
This author has spent over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about footstools , contemporary British furniture and football. He also happens to be a follower of Manchester City.
Sunday, 13 June 2010
Early Goalkeeping Gaffes at the World Cup
So we now have a pair of entertaining goalkeeping fumbles to set alive the 2010 World Cup! And we also have an interesting local story courtesy of the Look North Newsroom - whilst England may not win on the pitch an English company have already won with the pitch. According to reports the turf for each stadium being used in South Africa was developed, grown and transported to the venues by a company in Bingley, West Yorkshire. This involved a massive logistical operation for the company in terms of planning and installation. Yet three days into the Tournament pitches are not the only talking point - the goalkeepers of England and Algeria most certainly are!
As I took to my favourite armchair (with beer in hand and legs outstretched upon my footstool) I expected to see England overcome a competent yet uninspiring USA side. And with six minutes on the clock things were going swimmingly well when England captain Steven Gerrard calmly opened the scoring with a well worked goal. England failed to press home their advantage and the Americans began to see more of the ball and started playing some pleasant football. Shortly before the half time interval, Fulham's Clint Dempsey took a speculative punt in the direction of the England goal only for Robert Green, the England goalkeeper, to fumble and let the ball slide through his grasp and into the net. The Americans could not believe their luck and for Green there was no where to hide. Fifteen million English television viewers were left stunned and Green's humiliation was complete.
Earlier today a similar thing happened to the Algerian goalkeeper when his team were beaten by a single Slovenian goal. Perhaps pressure is getting to the goalkeepers when there is so much at stake during the early stages of this World Cup. What is for certain is few goalkeepers like the quality of the balls that have been introduced for the tournament. Some have complained that they swerve unduly whilst in the air, others that the balls seem to bounce far more than the standard match ball. This was evident during the opening fixture when many players failed to correctly estimate the trajectory and flight of the ball in flight. On contact with the pitch surface, the bounced deceived more than one seasoned international footballer. One commentator wryly observed that the ball was cube like in its bounce:- no one was sure which direction it might take!
So with plenty of excuses being thrown in the direction of the pitch, the ball the South African vuvuzela horns et al this world Cup competition is already shaping up to be one of the most memorable. Roll on the next three and a half weeks!
The author has spent over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about footstools , contemporary British furniture and football. He also happens to be a follower of Manchester City.
As I took to my favourite armchair (with beer in hand and legs outstretched upon my footstool) I expected to see England overcome a competent yet uninspiring USA side. And with six minutes on the clock things were going swimmingly well when England captain Steven Gerrard calmly opened the scoring with a well worked goal. England failed to press home their advantage and the Americans began to see more of the ball and started playing some pleasant football. Shortly before the half time interval, Fulham's Clint Dempsey took a speculative punt in the direction of the England goal only for Robert Green, the England goalkeeper, to fumble and let the ball slide through his grasp and into the net. The Americans could not believe their luck and for Green there was no where to hide. Fifteen million English television viewers were left stunned and Green's humiliation was complete.
Earlier today a similar thing happened to the Algerian goalkeeper when his team were beaten by a single Slovenian goal. Perhaps pressure is getting to the goalkeepers when there is so much at stake during the early stages of this World Cup. What is for certain is few goalkeepers like the quality of the balls that have been introduced for the tournament. Some have complained that they swerve unduly whilst in the air, others that the balls seem to bounce far more than the standard match ball. This was evident during the opening fixture when many players failed to correctly estimate the trajectory and flight of the ball in flight. On contact with the pitch surface, the bounced deceived more than one seasoned international footballer. One commentator wryly observed that the ball was cube like in its bounce:- no one was sure which direction it might take!
So with plenty of excuses being thrown in the direction of the pitch, the ball the South African vuvuzela horns et al this world Cup competition is already shaping up to be one of the most memorable. Roll on the next three and a half weeks!
The author has spent over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about footstools , contemporary British furniture and football. He also happens to be a follower of Manchester City.
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