eiffel_71 | (no subject)

Out of the blue, Ocean FM rang this evening to say they wanted me to go on air on the Sport At 6 show. I didn't honestly remember contacting them, apart from filling in a questionnaire, so I wondered whether they wanted to talk about one of my answers to that.

They promised to call back around 6.30. So I had to forsake the lovely Lawler to tune in to their show. In the end, at half past the presenters did a lengthy item about two new players at Southampton. The phone rang about 6.40, then for what seemed like ages I sat hanging on the telephone listening to a bit of the hosts' chat and a lot of adverts. The producer who'd phoned me cut in on the ads to apologise and promise that I'd be on soon. Then in the middle of the fourth or fifth advert the line went silent. I thought I'd been cut off, but then the hosts' voices came back. Soon one of the hosts, Mike, announced "We've been asking people to email us to say who they'll be supporting at Euro 2008". Then I remembered - I had clicked on the Euro 2008 page on the station website and confessed my Oranje allegiance.

Mike introduced me to the listening public and asked who I'd be supporting and why. I replied Holland because I've been a fan since I was a kid and I like their style of play and the Netherlands and its people. Jimmy, the other host, said he thought we could do well as we have a potent strike force and a strong midfield - our only weak link is the defence. When I said that although we're in the Group of Death I'm remaining optimistic, Jimmy said he thought the Oranje would qualify with France. He believed Italy would struggle without Cannavaro, and wrote off Romania (lucky for him that

ladymissloki wasn't in the vicinity), then Mike wished Holland the best of luck and explained that, among everyone who'd emailed in, I'd been pulled out of the hat so I'd won a year's subscription to World Soccer.

Canned noise of a cheering crowd followed, Mike and Jimmy said goodbye, then I was passed back to the producer to give my address.