The Nation’s Favourite

Originally uploaded by diamond geezer

After Through the Wall, and a dodgy (by which I mean rubbish) text adventure called Planet of Death (of which no record exists), one of the first games I played on my ZX Spectrum was Football Manager. It was slow, written in BASIC, and the amount of control you had over the success or otherwise of your team was minimal. You could pick the best team you had, but there were no formations or tactics or anything complex like that.

Uploaded with plasq’s Skitch!

Despite all that, Football Manager was a great game — the highlights left you in a nervous clinch with the speccy. If you looked away, would your goalie boot the ball to safety (no graphic characters left for diving or any animation like that)?

To celebrate the coming of the new football season, I present famous footballing scenes — as depicted through the eyes of Football Manger on the 48k Spectrum. God bless Kevin Toms.

Maradonna's Second Goal V England, World Cup 1986

That’s this goal, the greatest off all time? Hmm…
You can see a little pixel Peter Reid trailing in his wake.

Gordon Banks's Save from Pele, Mexico 1970

That’s this save. The greatest of all time, I think.

And to finish, the second most famous goal of all time:

Geoff Hurst's Third against West Germany in '66

Want to play Football Manager now? You can via the gift of java emulation.

Google Street Map Car - Moseley, Bimingham UK Originally uploaded by bounder

While I’m sitting working, what should I see out of the corner of my eye than the Google Street View Car. Breathlessly excited, I rushed to get my camera — luckily I’m in a cul-de-sac so I knew it was coming back.

I stood on the doorstep and without time to focus or zoom snapped a few shots as it went back past.

It flashed when it was about level with me, so I guess I’ve been mapped.

I wrote a quiz for WordCampUK, the picture round is 20 “famous people” to identifiy — I thought it was worthwhile to pop it up on the net. So here it is (PDF link) - answers are on page two, and link to somewhere on the net that should explain who they are if you’re not sure.

• 22:18 blogging on train FAIL. Went through a tunnel whilst publishing and now the post is tuck in published-but-not-there limbo. #
• 12:11 thinking about writing up yesterdays’ Tim Berners Lee talk — do i write up the talk, or the ideas? they’re very different. #
• 12:44 #brumbloggers how does Thur 24th Aug grab you for a meet-up? #
• 15:07 rambling blog post on Tim Berners-Lee talk yesterday is.gd/P80 I now _think_ i understand the Semantic Web, but we’ll see #
• 16:36 seems one of my iPhone orders got through. i’ve just had a confirmation email <dances round the room/> #
• 17:24 Have found a way to keep the BiNS blogroll updated from Google Reader, need to sift my actual reading list for rubblish now is.gd/Pgi #
• 17:59 a photo of the internet flickr.com/photos/bounder/2652540665/ #

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• 21:57 watch out tinyurl.com/6osp69 #
• 23:05 I have declared isbrumhappy www.upyourend.co.uk/isbrumhappy an experiment in "social media phrenology". A new science I’ve invented ;) #
• 23:22 Bed. That London tomorrow, may take in the Tate before the Tim Berners Lee talk, or just pop to Elvisly Yours on Baker St- elvisly-yours.com #
• 12:48 in covent garden. As is half the population of France it seems. #
• 15:56 just walked past the NESTA building where TBL is talking later. Looks too official for me, glass doors, pull-up banners… #

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• 09:08 has anyone got through the O2 iPhone update process? #
• 09:30 O2 FAIL skitch.com/bounder/xegi/o2-mobile-phone-upgrade #
• 11:43 f-ing o2 f-ing royal mail f-ing everybody #
• 14:39 all 3G iPhones for upgrade out of stock upgrades.o2.co.uk/maintenance.html wankers, been trying since 9am #
• 14:52 gave up and ordered moo business cards, I still have a plan for some that use invisible ink or explode or are made of sandpaper or something #
• 17:01 god i’m tired, might give up trying to work. #
• 21:57 watch out tinyurl.com/6osp69 #
• 23:05 I have declared isbrumhappy www.upyourend.co.uk/isbrumhappy an experiment in "social media phrenology". A new science I’ve invented ;) #
• 23:22 Bed. That London tomorrow, may take in the Tate before the Tim Berners Lee talk, or just pop to Elvisly Yours on Baker St- elvisly-yours.com #

Squidged out by LoudTwitter

• 09:08 has anyone got through the O2 iPhone update process? #
• 09:30 O2 FAIL skitch.com/bounder/xegi/o2-mobile-phone-upgrade #
• 11:43 f-ing o2 f-ing royal mail f-ing everybody #
• 14:39 all 3G iPhones for upgrade out of stock upgrades.o2.co.uk/maintenance.html wankers, been trying since 9am #
• 14:52 gave up and ordered moo business cards, I still have a plan for some that use invisible ink or explode or are made of sandpaper or something #
• 17:01 god i’m tired, might give up trying to work. #

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• 17:51 Great Euro2008 clip is.gd/LXz spanish team conga through a German interview after the game (singing y viva espanya) #
• 11:16 I has a concept: social Internet phrenology. I’m gonna feel the bumps, somehow #
• 15:38 think i’ve come up with the model for an "audio youtube" that would stop music copyright people having a heartattack. anyone got £10M funds? #
• 15:44 Hugely amusing (and unsettling) headline in the Evening Mail is.gd/Mm3 #
• 17:11 off to Warwick castle in a pair of borrowed cowboy boots. Only waterproof footwear in the house. #

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• 23:43 do non of the production staff watch This Week? Andrew Neil’s jacket looks like it’s covered in glitter. #
• 10:18 ‘Privacy International’ are trying to stop Google Street View in the UK, is.gd/LKI arseholes #

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