European Cup, France 2016.....

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**reds8n**

best comment about that free kick was that is was so far to the right it's joined Britain First.

**reds8n**

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/fundraising-appeal-help-pay-former-11541087#ICID=sharebar_twitter

A JustGiving page has been set up to help pay for former Wrexham AFC manager Dean Saunders’ parking fine, which is said to be rising by £100 a day.

Saunders is currently in France covering Euro 2016 for the BBC alongside Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Rio Ferdinand.

Before flying out two weeks ago, the former Liverpool, Aston Villa and Swansea City striker opted to put his vehicle at Birmingham Airport’s short-stay car park – assuming Chris Coleman’s men wouldn’t make it out of the group stages.

But Saunders, 52, who was capped 75 times by Wales, didn’t foresee Wales’ remarkable success, which has seen them top the group before making it through to the quarter finals.

Their achievements will see the team’s stay in France go on until at least Friday, when they play Belgium in Lille , by which time Saunders’ parking fine will have kept growing.

On Monday, Saunders predicted the fee to be around £1,000, but with the fine increasing by £100 per day, it will probably be a lot higher than that.

The crowdfunding campaign, which has a target of £1,200, was set up by Richard Jackson, who is Coleman’s brother-in-law.

Richard said it was set up “for a bit of fun”, but he hopes it will highlight his view the BBC has been “very biased” in its English coverage of the tournament.

He said: “All of the coverage has been about them going out of the tournament, but what they should be encouraging is for people to get behind the last remaining home nation, Wales.”

Richard said he hopes the BBC cover Saunders’ fee, and, if they do, any money raised will go to the FAW’s grassroots football.

He said: “It would only be a small profit, but anything commercial that bring money into grassroots football in this country is a positive thing.

It needs some decent funding. Maybe this is a good way to raise awareness of that.”

Businessman Richard said he hoped the BBC would be coughing up for the fee, and as his sister is Coleman’s wife Charlotte Jackson, a TV presenter and journalist, he said he would be asking her to put in a good word when she travels out for the next match.

Saunders seems to be having something of a nightmare out in France – after it was also revealed he has run out of clothes.

He told BBC Radio Five Live on Monday: “I tell you how confident I was with Wales. I parked in the short-stay car park at Birmingham Airport two weeks ago.”

“I took a little suitcase that fitted onto the plane so I’ve run out of clothes and now I’m going to have a £1,000 bill when I get back to Birmingham because they charge you a fortune.

“But I’m just happy to be here.

“Going into this game on Friday it’s unbelievable to think of Wales being in the quarter-finals. Three wins more and we’ve won Euro 2016.”

Richard said: “They have played out of their skin. It’s not as if in every position, like with England, there’s a Premier League footballer. Imagine if we did have that!

“So to see them as a home nation but get so little coverage in relation to England is terrible. Great Britain should get behind them. We’ve got everything crossed for a win against Belgium on Friday, and there’s no reason why we can’t see that.”

That's quite a sweet little story

... POland tonight then yes ?

**Darkjim**

"Three wins more and we’ve won Euro 2016"

Pfft, that'd be like Leicester winning the Premiership. Hang on ...

**Knockagh**

Northern Ireland fans are to get an award from the city of Paris for their contribution to the tournament!

Republican fans are getting one too, just after us I think, ha.

England fans take note, this is how we should all be.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-36670461

Up the green and white army!

**Ensis Ferrae**

Saw a funny pic the other day.... The coach, or one of the players from the 66 WC England team was interviewed and asked:

-"How do you think the 66 team would have done against Iceland?"

-"We'd have won 1-0"

-"Only 1-0?"

-"Well yeah, most of us are over 70 years old!"

**reds8n**

... well .. overall I guess Portugal were, narrowly, the better side.

Penalties can be cruel.

Behind Wales tonight though

**MarsNZ**

I thought Poland would be the side that sends Portugal back home where they belong. To see them survive the group without a win (and with an unjustifiably elitist attitude) then scrape into the semis via a penalty shootout is tbh a little disgusting.

**CoreCommander**

MarsNZ wrote:
I thought Poland would be the side that sends Portugal back home where they belong. To see them survive the group without a win (and with an unjustifiably elitist attitude) then scrape into the semis via a penalty shootout is tbh a little disgusting.

Seriously, me and my pals made a wager that Portugal would luck its way to the finals while Italy, Germany, France etc. are beating the hell out of each other

**Frozocrone**

MarsNZ wrote:
I thought Poland would be the side that sends Portugal back home where they belong. To see them survive the group without a win (and with an unjustifiably elitist attitude) then scrape into the semis via a penalty shootout is tbh a little disgusting.

I blame the format more than anything. 3rd place should not be offered a spot in the knockout stages.

**creeping-deth87**

Agreed. I fething despise the new format. 16 teams was all this competition ever needed, and ensured high quality matches. Now we have a snooze fest for the group stage and utterly ridiculous situations like Portugal getting to the last 4. I really hope they go back to the old system.

**Knockagh**

fynd i mewn yno cymru!

**A Town Called Malus**

Knockagh wrote:
fynd i mewn yno cymru!

I think you left yourself logged in and your cat appears to have walked over your keyboard there

**Da Boss**

Nice job Wales! Delighted to see ye go through to the semis! What a tournament for small nations.

**Knockagh**

A Town Called Malus wrote:
Knockagh wrote:
fynd i mewn yno cymru!

I think you left yourself logged in and your cat appears to have walked over your keyboard there

Yea it's a Welsh cat and it kicks ass!

**welshhoppo**

I said it before and I'll say it again.

Cymru am Byth!

**creeping-deth87**

Wales absolutely, 100% deserved this. I'm really glad they beat Belgium. I have no idea how that team got up to the #2 spot in the FIFA rankings, but I saw nothing in this tournament to warrant such a position among the world's best teams. Excellent job, Wales!

**Henry**

Magnificent Wales! Given Portugal's tepid performances so far, Wales should give them a right kicking (although missing Ramsey is a big blow).

And Robson-Kanu for goal of the tournament. Every part of it was perfect. The pass up the field and the control of the pass. The cross into the box and control of that pass. Composition and control on the ball to send three defenders the wrong way with a bit of skillful trickery and then a solid finish. If Messi or Ronaldo had scored that we would be watching it on re-runs for years.

**Iron_Captain**

Aw. No free fries for me

Damn you Wales!

**Future War Cultist**

I dare to dream that Wales could make the final, or even win the whole damn thing. Please let it be so.

**welshhoppo**

Well we have to beat Portugal, who haven't won a single game all tournament (penalties aside.)

Please God please. Wales vs Iceland final!

**Yaraton**

The best part of tournament for Russia were the Russian fans. There is even joke about it now:
"The Russian fans should be ashamed of themselves... for not coming to France with the rest of their comrades who actually made it despite the economic situation."

"Russian national football team comes home."

**creeping-deth87**

Those were seriously some of the worst penalty kicks I've ever seen. Really glad Germany made it through as I felt they deserved it. It really didn't need to come to that though, really not sure what Boateng was thinking jumping up into the air with both arms up like a fething ballerina. I bet he breathed a huge sigh of relief at the end of that.

**Mario**

creeping-deth87 wrote:
really not sure what Boateng was thinking jumping up into the air with both arms up like a fething ballerina. I bet he breathed a huge sigh of relief at the end of that.

Italy was falling a bit too easy all the time. I think he was trying to show that he isn't touching the italian player (they were in the Germany penalty area) but he got shot at. It wouldn't have been a penalty if he had kept his arms next to his body but by increasing his blocking area that went flying out of the window. Otherwise he had a good game.

And for these two teams the penalties were quite suspenseful but for all the wrong reasons. :/

**Frozocrone**

Feel sorry for Italy, they at least deserved a semi-final for their performances this tournament.

Seriously, Portugal get a semi-final placing for failing to win in normal time and Italy have won 3/5 in normal time yet go out in quarter finals? Farce of a format.

Hoping Wales progress to the final.

**Da Boss**

I watched the penalties in the pub, it was pretty entertaining.

Poor old Germans though. Their celebration for winning the match and getting through to the semis was about as energetic as Irish fans are when they lose a game! At least if Italy had won, the Italians would have gotten properly excited

**theCrowe**

Da Boss wrote:
I watched the penalties in the pub, it was pretty entertaining.

Poor old Germans though. Their celebration for winning the match and getting through to the semis was about as energetic as Irish fans are when they lose a game! At least if Italy had won, the Italians would have gotten properly excited

I thought you slagging us off there for a second.

Still cheering for Iceland tonight. Hoping they can pull at least one goal out of the iceland bag if not an equaliser too.
The French look like they've finally got their game on though.

**Future War Cultist**

It looks like Iceland will be going home.

**Frozocrone**

I dread to think how England would have fared against France...

Awful to see Iceland going out, but against France and Germany, not many would have put money on Iceland to win.

**theCrowe**

theCrowe wrote:
Da Boss wrote:
I watched the penalties in the pub, it was pretty entertaining.

Poor old Germans though. Their celebration for winning the match and getting through to the semis was about as energetic as Irish fans are when they lose a game! At least if Italy had won, the Italians would have gotten properly excited

I thought you slagging us off there for a second.

Still cheering for Iceland tonight. Hoping they can pull at least one goal out of the iceland bag if not an equaliser too.
The French look like they've finally got their game on though.

Well it was 2:0 when I made that comment and to be fair Iceland did put two goals of their own in the old Iceland bag after that. Unfortunately by that stage France had 5!

Well played everyone. It was a great show from all involved.

**Mr. Burning**

Thank you Iceland. One of the stellar positives for increasing the amount of teams at the Euros.