We all know that Bingo is a fun game to play, but these jokes prove that Bingo is not only a game to laugh with others, it’s also a game where you can laugh at others…

Full Card

2 old men are playing Bingo in the church, John and Tom. John keeps looking over Tom’s shoulder saying: “you’ve got that number, mark it off, you’ve got that number mark it off.” After doing this for quite some time Tom gets annoyed and says: “why don’t you do your own card?” Whereupon John answers: “I can’t it’s full!”

Blondes and Bingo

It was a Ladies Only Night in the All Blonde Bingo Hall. The night had been pretty boring, not one single person had a BINGO all night. The last game was up for grabs, with a huge bingo prize of $3500.00 in the pot.

The game drags on and on, and nearly every blonde in the house had to be on for the big blackout. Finally, G-47 was called, but still no shouts of “Bingo!” were Delhi Bazaar Satta King heard. The frustrated caller finally gets up and throws the Bingo Machine off the stage. All the girls were shocked and the caller says: “I’ve just called every darn one of these 75 balls out of this machine and nobody has a Bingo? Just what number are you ladies waiting for?” All together, 412 blonde ladies shouted: “FREE SPACE!”

The 10 commandments of Bingo

Thou shall not sit in thy neighbors lucky seat.

Thou shall not stare at thy neighbors card.

Thou shall not take the Callers name in vain.

Thou shall not call false “Bingo”.

Thou shall not wish bad luck on thy neighbor.

Thou shall not threaten to kill the “Caller”.

Thou shall not steal thy husband’s money for Bingo.

Thou shall not brag about how much thou hast won.

Thou shall not whine about how much thou hast lost.

Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s winnings.

Bingo for Ladies and Gentleman: Internet Bingo Etiquette

Internet online bingo halls strive to create an atmosphere of comfort and good will. The most fun and relaxing bingo games take place when the playing arena is one in which every player feels respected and appreciated. In order to fulfill this goal, internet online bingo halls ask players to abide by the following set of bingo etiquette guidelines:

1. Speak to the chatmaster (CM) politely at all times, and respect her authority. The CM is there to make bingo games go smoothly and pleasantly for all involved; there’s no need to make her job hard.

2. Treat all players with respect. This means that absolutely no racial, ethnic, sexual or other slurs will be tolerated. Online bingo sites have strict anti- harassment policies that apply to both the CMs and other players. Remember that all players are there to have a good time!

3. Please refrain from using capital letters in the chat room, unless a CM asks you to do so specifically. CMs only are permitted to use capital letters, since this helps players see her instructions.

4. Please do not endorse any bingo hall sites, other than the one at which you are playing for Togel Hari Ini, either in private or group chat. An online bingo hall is not an appropriate forum for advertisers.

5. Please keep complaints out of chats. If you have an issue with an online bingo hall, address the problem to the hall’s customer service team.

6. Do not impersonate other players. This is rude, confusing, and a violation of other players’ rights.

7. Respect other players and the CMs by refraining from using language that might be construed as rude or offensive.

8. Have other bingo players in mind when you choose a screen name. Do not choose a name that others might reasonably think is in bad taste or not appropriate for an online bingo hall.

Fan-Tan is an easy-to-learn card game for ages eight to adult, three to six players. It uses a deck of regular poker cards, minus Jokers. Since it is so simple, the basic game can be learned in just a few minutes, or even as a game progresses. Once a player becomes more comfortable with the basics, however, he will begin to realize Fan-Tan’s potential as an exercise in the formation of strategies and the advantage of thinking and planning ahead, as well as the importance of tracking the activities of other players during the game.

The object of Fan-Tan is to play all the cards in one’s hand, one at a time, against cards laid onto the table by other players. The first player with no remaining cards wins.

Begin by choosing the dealer for hand one, and by dividing chips or pennies evenly among all players. The dealer should deal out the entire deck in the normal clockwise fashion, beginning with the player to his left. Players should form hands of their cards, and keep them concealed from other players.

In a 4-player game, each player must contribute two chips to the “pot” before play begins on the hand. If there are 3, 5, or 6 players, not all of them will have the same number of cards at the end of the deal, and so will make different play bazaar opening contributions to the pot. In this case, all players should count their cards at the end of the deal. Those players who have fewer cards should contribute two chips, while those who have more cards will contribute one chip. This helps to minimizing the risk of players with more cards to play who are thus at a disadvantage in the hand.

Play begins with the player to the dealer’s left. The first card to be played must be a Seven. Suit does not matter. If player #1 holds one or multiple Sevens, he should choose one and place it face up in the center of the table. If player #1 holds no Sevens, he should contribute one chip to the pot. The penalty in Fan-Tan for having no card to play during one’s turn is always one chip.

Player #2, to player #1’s left, must now play either a Seven or a card that relates to the card of player #1. If player #1 played a Seven of Spades, player #2 must play either a Six or Eight of Spades, or a Seven of a different suit. If he is playing the Six of Spades, he should place it directly above the Seven of its own suit, the Eight below the Seven of its own suit, or any Seven of a different suits beside the other Seven to form a central row.

Each Ingatbola88 player takes a turn playing a card from his hand against the cards previously played, and as the game progresses, the cards will form a matrix like this:

Six Six Six Six

Spades Hearts Clubs Diamonds

Seven Seven Seven Seven

Spades Hearts Clubs Diamonds

Eight Eight Eight Eight

Spades Hearts Clubs Diamonds

The matrix will not necessarily be complete; for example, if the Six of Clubs has been played but the Eight of Diamonds has not, there will be no card under the Seven of Diamonds. In that case, the next player may play the Five of Spades by placing it on top of the Six of Spades, or he may play a Seven of a different suit, if all Sevens have not already been played. No Diamonds higher in value than the Eight may be played until the Eight of Diamonds has been played.

The cards on the top and bottom row of this matrix will change as play progresses. The center row contains only Sevens. Again, as the game progresses, the matrix may look like this:

Four Ace

Six

Six

Spades Hearts Clubs Diamonds

Seven Seven Seven Seven

Spades Hearts Clubs Diamonds

Nine

Jack

King

Spades

Clubs Diamonds

You can see by this example that play in any particular spot on the table cannot progress until the beginning card of that spot is played. The empty spot in the Hearts column is caused by one player holding the Eight of Hearts. Other players may hold higher Hearts cards, but they cannot play them until the Eight of Hearts appears. This is where strategies are important in Fan-Tan; an experienced player can judge the order of play of his own cards, which enables him to keep other players from emptying their hands.

The stacks above the row of Sevens are played in descending order and the stacks below the row of Sevens are played in ascending order. In the above example, if a player wanted to play the Five of Clubs, he would place it on top of the Six of Clubs. The Ten of Spades would be placed on top of the Nine of Spades. The Queen of Clubs would be placed on top of the Jack of Clubs, and the Five of Diamonds would be placed on top of the Six of Diamonds. Aces are always placed on top of Twos of the same suit since the numeric value of Aces in Fan-Tan is always one. Each of these cards would be placed one at a time by the player holding it, and only during his turn.

A player may not forfeit his turn. If a player has no card that will play against the current condition of the table, he must contribute one chip to the pot. If that player has any one card that will play against the current condition of the table, he must play it, but if he has several cards that will play, he may choose between them. If a player is found to have held cards that would have played against the table in a previous turn, and he contributed a chip instead of playing the card, he will be penalized three chips.

Players take turns around the table until one player has no cards left. That player wins the hand, and receives all the chips contributed during that hand. For the next hand, the deal moves to the player to the former dealer’s left. Of course, as hands progress, a clear winner of the game will emerge as a majority of the available chips accumulate to a single player.

Fan-Tan may be played on several levels, from simple to advanced, and is a fun game for nearly any age. As experience with the game is gained, so does the complexity of the strategies within it. In the beginning, it is simple to learn, yet will provide hours of entertainment as the competition grows. Gather your friends and family together around the table to learn Fan-Tan, and in just a hand or two you’ll be winning the chips, playing a fantastic new game like an old pro!

Chief Deputy John Dailey

Three men burglarized the home of Jack Whittaker, winner of the biggest lottery jackpot in U.S. history, as an acquaintance of Whittaker lay dead inside, police said Tuesday.

Jack Whittaker was not home at the time, and Chief Deputy John Dailey said the death of Jesse Joe Tribble, 18, was not related to the burglary and was not a homicide. It may have been drug-related, Dailey said.

“We’re pretty sure they knew he was dead. That’s why they went inside and took the stuff,” Dailey said to Ingatbola88.

Dailey said one of the three suspects had permission to be in Whittaker’s home. “We don’t know who let them in, but they didn’t break in.”

The break-in took place Thursday night or Friday morning. One of those arrested reported Tribble’s death late Friday morning, Dailey said. Tribble was a friend of Whittaker’s granddaughter, and all three suspects were acquainted with Tribble.

Dailey would not say how the three knew about Tribble’s death.

J.C. Shaver, 20, James Travis Willis, 25, and Jeffrey Dustin Campbell, 20, were charged with larceny play bazaar and other offenses after being captured on a security camera that Whittaker recently had installed, authorities said.

Police recovered $15,000 worth of items taken from the home, Daily said. He did not give a total for everything stolen.

Whittaker won the largest single jackpot in the nation’s history when he hit a $314.9 million Powerball jackpot on Christmas Day 2002. He chose to accept a lump sum of about $113 million after taxes.

Since then, Whittaker’s vehicle, business and home have been broken into repeatedly. Last year, a strip club manager and his girlfriend were charged with drugging Whittaker and stealing a briefcase containing more than $500,000 in cash and cashier’s checks. The money was recovered.

Last March, within three days, his business was broken into and $2,000 was taken, and his vehicle, parked at his home, was broken into and property was stolen. Earlier in that week, Whittaker was sued by an employee of the Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center who alleged he assaulted her in March 2003.

Last year, he was also charged with threatening to kill the manager of a bar and with drunken driving.

WINNER OF NATION’S BIGGEST LOTTERY JACKPOT MORE SINNER THAN SAINT  

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The world’s first glimpse of Jack Whittaker, winner of the richest undivided lottery jackpot in U.S. history, was of a boisterous, happy-go-lucky guy in a big cowboy hat who loved his family, work and God and promised to share his good fortune with the church and the poor. Two years later, the picture the public is seeing now is a mug shot of a haggard, somber Whittaker.

Whittaker, 57, has been arrested twice for drunken driving in the past year and has been ordered to go into rehab by Jan. 2 for a 28-day stay. On Monday, he pleaded no contest to charges he attacked a bar manager, and he is accused in two lawsuits of making trouble at a nightclub and a racetrack. ‘‘That’s probably the unfortunate situation of maybe having too much money, too much time on his hands,’’ said Steve Zubrzycki, who works for a company that started selling ‘‘Where’s Jack?’’ T-shirts after authorities issued an arrest warrant for Whittaker earlier this month.

Although he was already a wealthy contractor, Whittaker became an instant celebrity on Christmas Day 2002 after winning a $314.9 million Powerball jackpot. He took his winnings in a lump sum of $113 million after taxes, and at a news conference in which he came across as a jolly saint, he promised to donate one-tenth to his church and contribute to other causes.

He soon created a charity to help people find jobs, buy food or get an education; he split $7 million among three churches; and he gave money to improve a Little League park and buy playground equipment and coloring books for children. But in August 2003, a briefcase containing $545,000 in cash and cashier’s checks was stolen from Whittaker’s sport utility vehicle while it was parked at a strip club, and police disclosed that Whittaker not only frequented strip clubs but was also a high-stakes gambler — which is why he was carrying so much cash.

The break-in was the first of several thefts involving Whittaker’s vehicle, his office and his house in Scott Depot, a booming bedroom community of about 8,000 situated between Charleston and Huntington, West Virginia’s two biggest cities.

लेकिन दो कोई अमीर नही बनता, जरूरी नही की अगर आप आज जीत रहे हो, तो आप हमेसा जीतोगे ही, Satta Matka Game में हारने के चांसेस जितने के चांसेस से 10 गुना ज्यादा होते है। इतना रिस्क लेकर अपने मेहनत की कमायीं को सोच समझ के ही निवेश कीजिये।

भारत में खेलों का जूनून तो प्राचीनकाल से ही सर चढ़ कर बोल रहा है। यहाँ पर खेलों के बिना तो हम अपने जीवनकाल की कल्पना भी नहीं कर सकते है।


भारत में अनेकों प्रकार के खेल है। जिनमें कईं खेल तो पूर्ण रूप से सुरक्षित व् कानूनी रूप से सही है। किन्तु कईं ऐसे भी खेल है, जो की क़ानून की दृष्टि से गैर व असुरक्षित है। इसलिए इस प्रकार के खेल क़ानून की नजरों से बचकर खेला जाता है।

ऐसे खेलों के बारे में रोचक बात यह है कि, गैर-कानूनी होने के बावजूद ये खेल भारत के साथ-साथ पूरे विश्व में बहुत ही बड़े स्तर पर खेला जाता है।

तो अगर आप भी सट्टा मटका (सटका मटका) खेल के बारे में विस्तार से जानकारी लेना चाहते है तो इस लेख को पूरा पढ़े। इस लेख में आपको सट्टा मटका (सटका मटका)) खेल के बारे में पूरी जानकारी प्राप्त होगी। तो चलिए शुरू करते है
play bazaar What is Satta Matta Matka in Hindi



Satta Matta Matka in Hindi : सट्टा मटका (सटका मटका) , यह एक प्रकार का जुआ होता है। सीधे शब्दों में आप इसे जुआ का राजा भी कह सकते है। यह जुआ एक बहुत ही विशाल पैमाने पर फैला हुआ है और खेला भी जाता है।

जानकारी के लिए आपको पहले ही बता दूँ कि  सट्टा मटका (सटका मटका) भारत में पूर्ण रूप से गैर-कानूनी है।  इसके बावजूद भी इसका कार्य क्षेत्र भारत में बहुत ही विशाल पैमाने पर फैला हुआ है।

सट्टा मटका (सटका मटका) जुआ के गैर-कानूनी खेल होने के कारण यह खेल कानूनी की निगाहों से पूरी तरह से बचकर खेला जाता है। सट्टा मटका (सटका मटका) एक खतरनाक खेल है और इस खेल में बहुत अधिक जोखिम है।

लेकिन इस खेल में जोख़िम से ज्यादा लाभ होने के कारण लोग इस खेल की तरफ आकर्षित होते है। प्राचीन काल में अधिकांश लोग सटका मटका खेल को खेलते थे।

इस खेल को पुरुष ही नहीं बल्कि स्त्रियां और गृहणियां भी खेलती थी और सट्टा मटका (सटका मटका) (Satta Matka) खेल पर पैसे लगाती थी।

सट्टा मटका (सटका मटका) खेल की शुरुआत कब हुई : When Did The Game Satka Matka Begin
Satta Matta Matka in Hindi : सट्टा मटका (सटका मटका) कोई नया खेल नहीं है। बल्कि यह एक बहुत ही प्राचीन खेल है, जो कि भारत की स्वतंत्रता से पहले से चला आ रहा है।

प्राचीनकाल में सटका मटका खेल पारम्परिक तरीके से खेला जाता था। लेकिन आज 21वीं सदी के समय में तकनीकी काल है।

जहाँ पर सभी कार्य अपने फोन व कम्प्यूटर के माध्यम से ही पूर्ण हो जाता है। इसी प्रकार से सटका मटका खेल भी आज के समय में सबसे अधिक ऑनलाइन ही खेला जाता है। प्राचीन काल में सटका मटका खेल ऑनलाइन नहीं खेला जाता था।

उस समय एक मटके के अंदर कईं पर्चियां डाली जाती थी और उसमें से एक पर्ची निकाल कर उसका नंबर निकला जाता था। तो कुछ इस प्रकार से प्राचीन काल में पारम्परिक तरीके से सट्टा मटका (सटका मटका) खेल खेला जाता था।


खेल में मटके का प्रयोग होने के कारण इस खेल का नाम सटका मटका रखा गया था। शुरुआत के समय में सट्टा, कॉटन के दाम पर खेला जाता था।

यह न्यूयॉर्क कॉटन एक्सचेंज से टेलीप्रिंटर के जरिए बॉम्बे कॉटन एक्सचेंज भेजा जाता था। उस समय में कॉटन के शुरु होने और बंद होने के दाम पर सट्टा खेला जाता था।

सट्टा मटका (सटका मटका) खेल 90 के दशक में बहुत ही अधिक लोकप्रिय था। लेकिन आने वाले समय में धीरे-धीरे सट्टा मटका (सटका मटका) खेल की लोकप्रियता कम हो गई। इस खेल की लोकप्रियता कम होने के कईं कारण थे।

फिर भी लोग इसे कानून की नाक के नीचे खेलते है। भारत के अलग अलग राज्यों में कुछ खेलों पर पैसा लगाने की छूट है जैसे गोवा में कैसिनो को वैद्य किया गया है। हालांकि अंग्रेजो द्वारा पारित एक कानून 1867, जोकि सार्वजनिक जुआ अधिनियम है यह बाध्य करता है कि कोई भी व्यक्ति न जुआ खेले और न ही जुआ खिलाये।

कौन है Satta Matka किंग?
ट्रेडिशनल मटके के जन्मदाता रतन खत्री को कहा जाता है। इन्हें ही मटका किंग के नाम से लोग पहचानते हैं। रतन खत्री की प्रतिदिन की औ 1 करोड़ रुपये से अधिक की थी। उन्हें मटके का बेताज बादशाह कहा जाता था। 2020 को रतन खत्री की मृत्यु हो गयी थी।

विभाजन के समय रतन खत्री कराची से मुंबई आये। इस दौरान मुम्बई में अंडरवर्ल्ड का साया था और सट्टा कारोबार भी play bazaar खूब फल फूल रहा था। तब रतन खत्री ने इस गेम में की शुरुआत की जिसमें मटके के अंदर पर्ची डाली जाती थी। उस समय न तो इंटरनेट का जमाना था और न ही मोबाइल फोन का

उस समय टेलीफोन ही सूचना भेजने की सहारा था। सटकी मटकी का रिजल्ट आते ही कुछ ही देर में यह पूरे देश में फैल जाता था। इसी बात से अंदाजा लगाया जा सकता है की मटके की लोकप्रियता कितनी थी।

उस समय भारत मे टेलीफोनिक शुरुआत दौर था। यदि रात्रि 9 बजे के बाद आप किसी को फोन भी करना चाहें तो नहीं कर सकते थे। क्योंकि सट्टे मटके लोकप्रियता की की वजह से सारी लाइनों पर सट्टेबाज होते थे जो एक दूसरे को लकी नम्बर बता रहे होते थे। हालांकि रतन खत्री की सफल सट्टे के पीछे कल्याणजी भगत का भी हाथ था। कल्याण जी भगत सीधे साढ़े आदमी थी वे कच्छ से मुम्बई गए और वहां राशन की दुकान चलाते थे। अपनी दुकान पर आने वाले ग्राहकों के मुह से वे न्यूयॉर्क कॉटन एक्सचेंज की बातें सुनते थे तब उन्हें लगा कि सट्टे के व्यापार में तगड़ा स्कोप है। इसके बाद रतन खत्री और कल्याण जी भगत पार्टनर हो गए और सट्टा मटका चल निकला।

कब शुरू हुआ सट्टा मटका?
सट्टा मटका को अंको का खेल कहा जाता है। अगर आप बुद्धिमानी एवं आंकड़ो का रिसर्च करने में माहिर हैं तो यह खेल बेहतरीन तरीके से खेल सकते हैं। भारत मे सट्टा मटका बेहद तीव्र गति से प्रसिद्ध हो रहा है। करोड़ों लोग इस खेल में अपना हाथ आजमा रहे है। उनकी लालसा बस यही रहती है कि इस खेल से वे ज्यादा से ज्यादा मुनाफा कमा सके।

भारत में सट्टा मटका का जन्म 1950 के दशक में हुआ। शुरुआत में में इसे Satta Matka ( सटकी मटकी ) नहीं बल्कि ‘अंकड़ा जुगर‘ कहा जाता था इसके मतलब है अंको की जोड़ी। लेकिन इसमें अंको की जोड़ी मटके का प्रयोग करके बनाई जाती थी जिससे लोग इसे सट्टा मटका के नाम से जानने लगे। Satta Matka खेल न्यूयॉर्क कॉटन एक्सचेंज के आधार पर शुरू किया गया खेल है।

न्यूयॉर्क कॉटन एक्सचेंज में सट्टा कॉटन के खुली एवं करीबी दर पर अनुमान लगाकर पैसा लगाते थे। लोग कपास की अनुमानित मूल्य पर पैसा लगाकर सट्टा खेलते थे। कपास का भाव न्यूयॉर्क कॉटन एक्सचेंज से मुम्बई कॉटन एक्सचेंज को टेलीप्रिंटर के माध्यम से भेजा जाता था। 1961 में यह खेल बन्द कर दिया गया तब इस खेल के अल्टरनेटिव को तलाश की गई और सट्टा मार्किट को खत्म होने से बचाने के लिए Satta Matka की उत्पत्ति हुई।

शुरुआत में इस गेम को ऑफ़लाइन खेला गया जिसमें मटके अंदर पर्ची डाली जाती थी। लेकिन वर्तमान में इसे अब ऑनलाइन खेला जा रहा है। इसके बावजूद आज भी लोग इसे Satta Matka ही कहते हैं।

कैसे खेला जाता है सट्टा मटका
सट्टा मटका आजकल ऑनलाइन खेला जाता है। आप एजेंट के माध्यम से पैसा लगवा सकते हैं। लेकिन पैसा यूँही हवा में तीर लगा के नहीं लगाया जाता। आपको सट्टा मटका एवं अंको से जुड़ी अच्छी समझ होनी चाहिए तभी आप Satta Matka ( सटकी मटकी ) के गेम में मुनाफा कर सकते हैं।

यदि आप जानना चाहते हैं कि सट्टा मटका कैसे खेलें, तो आप इस लेख को आगे पढ़ते रहिए। सटकी मटकी खेल से संबंधित पूरी जानकारी आपको दी जाएगी।

सट्टा मटका कैसे खेलें ? इससे पहले आप Satta Matka की बेसिक बातें समझ लीजिए। इस गेम में यदि आपसे कोई कहे कि आपको 1 का 4 मिलेगा इसका अर्थ है कि आपको 100 का 400 रुपया दिया जाएगा। Satta Matka में आपको 100 गुना तक मिल सकता है। शायद यही वजह है कि लोग इसके प्रति ज्यादा आकर्षित होते हैं। आपको बता दें कि यह पोस्ट हम सिर्फ जानकारी के उद्देश्य से लिख रहें हैं। हम इस खेल को बढ़ावा नहीं देते हैं। यह खेल एक गैरकानूनी खेल है।

There are two broad types of fans, those who attend matches in the flesh and those who don’t. OK, it is impossible to get tickets these days to Premiership games so one is forced back into the armchair with the remote control and a PC to mull over the media coverage of the sport.

But there is a third type and that is the fan who travels to away games but not the match. A scarce species in the domestic game and at qualifiers but found in huge numbers (e.g. 80,000 English fans in Cologne) at a World Cup or European Championship Finals.

What made this World Cup for me were the legions of travelling fans, the vast majority without a cat’s chance in hell of a ticket, who came to the host country to cheer their team alongside thousands of others in the same boat. Previously travelling to a World Cup entailed having a ticket or attempting to obtain one, but no longer.

If someone says they are going to a Satta result Cup now one automatically does not assume it is to get inside the stadium, or even near the host city.

This has been a phenomenon I have only noticed previously with Welsh rugby fans, who, when the dragons are playing in Dublin for instance, will travel to a random Irish city to watch the game and then sail home the day after.

At this World Cup I witnessed several such ‘odd’ gatherings such as legions of Croatian fans, bedecked in their tablecloth flag and with replica shirts, scarves and face paint on the occasion of their nation’s match with Brazil in Berlin, but they were stood in front of a big screen in Hamburg.

Some of the best fans left the tournament too early – the Australians, Koreans, Polish and Dutch and once again it was confirmed to me how the fun level diminishes after the first round.

It really was a supporter’s World Cup, as the fan fests confirmed. Let’s face it the footy wasn’t that memorable. Take away Italy’s classy execution of the host nation in Dortmund, Zidane’s thuggish au revoir to the sport and that Argentina goal against Serbia that let every man on the field plus the groundsman and a few ball-boys have a touch before it crossed the line and it was not a WC to remember on the field.

Australia’s comeback against Japan was somewhat memorable, as was Custer’s last stand when a nine-man USA held off the eventual winners Italy, plus the card-fest of Portugal v Holland but overall it was more an Italia 90 than a Spain 82.

There were no Cameroons of 1990 or South Koreas of 2002. Only T&T;’s draw with Sweden had a whiff of the plucky underdog heroism we eagerly anticipate each World Cup. And Zidane apart, whom we knew rather well already, were there any real stars to savour this time?

But if you had been there you would have come away beaming at the memories. For me it was Japanese & Trinidadians in Frankfurt, Tunisians in Stuttgart, Spanish in Cologne and Germans in Munich. And some of those were on days when their countries were not playing there.

Forget the expense, the corporate takeover, the disappointing games and travel headaches, there really is nothing compared to attending a World Cup Finals in person. Once you get the bug your life will come to be defined by four-yearly cycles. I met a man at his eleventh WC for instance, and I am sure he was not alone. He was not a nerd either, but an apparently normal guy with a wife, kids and career.

You might need a bullet-proof jacket for 2010 if the scare-stories are correct but what the heck, paint it in your national colours and come along. A television in your own country is simply no comparison.

Sampling the delights of food in a previously unexplored country is one of the pleasures the traveling fan can enjoy when starved of match action. So here are a few of my encounters with the local fare.

I did not expect the introduction at the opening game that I received. Due to the presence of Hosni Mubarak, I arrived at the stadium at 3p.m. some 4 hours before kick-off. I have heard various stories since, and it would appear that the satta final ank of Youth refused to sell tickets for the match from 2.30 on match day. People were told they would not get to the stadium on time. (I would have told them that there ticket wouldn’t be produced by the time the game kicked off). The latest time I have heard of anyone entering the stadium on that day was 4.30. So despite the fact that the ground was nowhere near full, the opening ceremony took place with fans who had tickets outside due to the security put in place for the day. For the recent group decider between Egypt & Cote D’Ivoire fans were refused entrance from 6p.m. despite holding valid match tickets.

So having come to the stadium myself from the Ministry of Youth, I had yet to have anything to eat. Ready to sample the local equivalent of the pies and Bovril served at home I was horrified that as well as sponsoring the event McDonalds also had franchises at the stadiums. One thing to avoid when going away is taking the easy option and going there, unless it is an emergency! Somewhat disappointed I settled for a Cheeseburger and fries, followed by a Pepsi. I am pleased to report that other culinary experiences have had a far more local taste.

The first night, I arrived in Cairo I used my guide book to find a recommended restaurant. Starting at the beginning of the alphabet I headed for Alfy Beys. A place with a vintage decor run by strict Muslims. Arriving at the restaurant there was no one else there, undeterred,I enquired if they were serving food. A smile appeared on the old man’s face and he ushered me in and sat me down. The place looked like it was the morning after a New Years Eve party as the remnants of 2006 in cotton wool could be seen sellotaped to the wall, whilst half deflated balloons were tied to bottles on the table. Looking down the menu I noticed firakh, I had read of this and so placed my order I received half a grilled chicken on a bed of rice with a mixed green salad. The food was fine, especially for the price. The waiter asked me if I wanted a drink and offered me a beer. I thought this strange, but as there was still no one else in the place I accepted. He called out the window and seconds later placed a can of Stella on my table. It would appear that the Egyptians have had their own brand of Stella since 1897. Back home I am aware of one person who is nicknamed after the drink due to his fondness for the stuff. I have yet to meet the Egyptian Stella.

Whilst in Port Said at a local restaurant we quickly made friends with the owners as three of us ordered one of everything on display to acquaint ourselves with the local fare. The highlight of the meal was the discovery of shakshouka. It consisted of chopped meat and tomato sauce in a casing of pastry. Another delight was koshari a mixture of rice, noodles and lentils topped with a tomato sauce.

On the streets the sound of hissing comes from Egyptians trying to catch your attention and give you their usual refrain, and the deep fat fryer which is used to make ta’amiyaa – which is a small round pattie made from fashed fava beans and herbs. The fava bean is a staple part of the diet here and breakfast often consists of a plate of fuul, the beans being mashed together and served on their own taste like Mexican refried beans.

For next to nothing you can purchase bananas, oranges, physalis, dates, nuts, different local breads including a date roll and brown sugar which looks like a lump of desert sand, but for someone with a sweet tooth tastes delicious.

In Alexandria, once again I headed for a small local restaurant enticed by the decor reminiscent of Yates’s spit and sawdust days, I bravely sat down. The owner, quickly tried to tell me all about his home made soup, which was being made in a churn by the entrance, of course it was highly recommended, but I was somewhat unsure of what he was trying to describe. Sometimes a little information can be a dangerous thing and I declined his offer whilst a friend accepted. The soup arrived, and whilst hot and with a definite tang my friend was unable to name the taste. At this time I watched as out of the churn came a sheeps head followed by its lungs and esophagus, all attached. I am aware that it is impolite to show a Muslim the soles of your feet, but at this stage I was definitely thinking of showing them a clean pair of heels and leaving.

Whilst in the Windsor Bar I noticed that the spirits on display looked look those at home with all the major brands you would expect on display. Upon closer inspection it was clear that this was not the case, trying them enhanced this opinion. I reckoned that if people did drink this stuff then it would probably turn them blind anyway and that they then wouldn’t mind as they couldn’t read the labels. One of the best parts in walking around the streets in Egypt is to come upon a juice shop. Fruits are stacked up outside and drinks are made fresh there and then in front of you. All the usual flavours are there, in addition to those we all know you can find fakhfkkina, a mixture of mango, strawberry and orange.

Italy sit on the verge of a remarkable triumph amid the most explosive scandal to hit European football for decades.

In only a few days Juventus could be relegated to Serie C and Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina to Serie B for their roles in trying to arrange referees for Serie A matches.

The board of the Italian F.A. have all resigned, the national manager has been questioned and former Italy midifielder and still Juve employee Gianluca Pessotto has attempted suicide. Stirring stuff on the eve of the World Cup Final.

Against this backdrop it seems almost Satta result ordained that gli azzurri will lift the trophy, a pyrrhic victory given the domestic game is in shambles.

The fact the police are banging on the door back home has conversely not upset but inspired Marcello Lippi’s men to perform superbly, no less than in their expert derailing of the host nation in the semi finals with two killer strikes of sublime quality.

”I think the scandal will affect the Italy players,” Italian soccer journalist and co-author of Gianluca Vialli’s latest ‘The Italian Job’ Gabriele Marcotti told Soccerphile before the tournament, “but perhaps not in the way you think. First and foremost, the vast majority of them seem to view this as good news, a cleansing of the system, if you will. None of them liked Moggi and even fewer liked GEA, even some GEA clients (the principal player agency implicated).” Italians live amid corruption on a daily basis, so this came as no surprise.

Paolo Rossi cam back from a ban imposed for match-fixing to be the star of the 1982 World Cup, an important omen for Italy, for whom Fabio Cannavaro and goalie Gianluigi Buffon have performed heroics.

“With regard to Buffon it’s quite simple,” says Marcotti: “He either did bet AFTER it became illegal to do so (November 2005) or he did not. If he did, it will come out and, I think, he knows that, in which case it will unsettle him. If he did not, and his conscience is clear, he knows he has nothing to fear.

Cannavaro’s name comes up time and again. The transcripts I saw don’t suggest he did anything wrong, but he seems uncomfortably close to Moggi and I think it could tarnish his image. Certainly, knowing the kind of guy he is, I don’t think he is enjoying the scrutiny: he has done a lot to cultivate a well-deserved reputation as a nice guy.”

But there are different perceptions at play here and the mega-scandal that was broken by Gazzetta dello Sport may not be viewed back in Italy as badly as it is here. As Marcotti explains:

The way it will affect Italy is at a political level. It’s the kind of thing some countries (like England) never worry about, but which others (Brazil and Spain first and foremost) are very concerned over.

With a very weakened federation and no credible people on FIFA’s important committees, there is a fear that Italy will Indian Matka be an after-thought when it comes to assigning referees. As a general rule of thumb, if you’re stronger than you’re opponent, you want one of the better refs, if you’re weaker, you’d rather have a poor ref (who might make a mistake in your favor).

In 2002, the Italian FA was blamed as much as anyone after we got Byron Moreno in the knockout game against Korea. It was felt they should have done more to get an established official, one who would not make the kind of mistakes that Moreno made.”

Paul Foot, author of “Calcio – a history of Italian football” rated the azzurri as “favourites or second favourites” before the tournament and I for one doubted him.

But as he explained, “Italy already has the best defense and goalkeeper in the world and they tend to get stronger as tournaments go on. Totti needs to be fit too as he is crucial but I don’t see any weaknesses in them apart from maybe at right back.”

When I analysed the draw and the permutations in early June I came up with a final of Brazil v Italy although I would not have said Italy were the second best team in the tournament before the start. If one suspected they had had a favourable draw to begun with and then advanced courtesy of some old style histrionics and an inept referee against Australia, the Italians certainly earned their stripes in the semi final beyond any doubt.

As Marcotti concluded, “All things said, our record in World Cups is actually very good.” Tonight should see Lippi’s men achieve more stunning glory against a backdrop of criminal disgrace and complete an amazing tableau of the Italian game.

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