An England football fan was today charged with trespass by South African police after he entered the England team's dressing room on Friday night following their woeful display against Algeria in the second match of their World Cup campaign to give the team a piece of his mind.
England took on Algeria, the weakest team in Group C, in a match everyone was expecting that England would win easily. But the team's worst performance during the reign of Fabio Capello as manager led to a drab 0-0 draw. Slovenia's 2-2 draw with the USA means that the Slovenians are two points clear at the top of the group with four points, England and the USA both have 2 points and Algeria have one point.
At the game, played at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town in the shadow of Table Mountain, was Prince William - the president of the English Football Association - and his brother Prince Harry.
If England lsoe against Slovenia on Wednesday then they will be out of the World Cup in the Group Stage for the first time since 1958, no matter what happens in the game between USA and Algeria. But a win for England will definitely put them through to the Last 16.
The England fan charged with trespass has been named as 32-year-old Pavlos Joseph, from Crystal Palace, south east London.
According to him, he was looking for the toilets and he didn't know the room he went into was the England dressing room. He then told the players that their display was "woeful", and met David Beckham, who is now a member of the England management team: .'I looked David straight in the eye and said, "David, we've spent a lot of money getting here. This is a disgrace. What are you going to do about it?".'
England have made a complaint to FIFA over security.
England fans booed the team off at half-time and at full-time. Wayne Rooney has issued an apology to England fans after saying to a TV camera as he trudged off the pitch at the end of the match: "It's great to hear your own fans booing you."
'That was woeful': What England fan charged with trespass told players in dressing-room rant... as Rooney is forced to apologise for his on-screen outburst
By Daily Mail Reporter
20th June 2010
Daily Mail
England 0-0 Algeria
(at the Green Point Stadium, Cape Town)
Other Group C result: Slovenia 2-2 USA
Current Group C standings
..................P.....W.....D.....L.....F.....A.....Points
Slovenia....2......1.....1......0....3......2........4
England.....2.....0......2......0....1......1........2
USA............2......0......2.....0....3......3........2
Algeria.......2......0......1....1.....0......1........1
Next games:
England VS Slovenia
USA VS Algeria
Scenarios:
England will qualify for the next round if they beat Slovenia, no matter the result in the other match between USA and Algeria. If Slovenia do lose, they will still go through if the USA fail to beat Algeria. If England lose against Slovenia, they will go out of the World Cup no matter the result of the other match. If England and Slovenia draw, England will go out if the USA beat Algeria or if Algeria beat the USA. If both games are draws, Slovenia will go through and the decision as to who will go through between England and USA may be made by the toss of a coin.
Pavlos Joseph, 32, from Crystal Palace, south-east London, said a security guard sent him in the direction of the players' tunnel explaining there were toilets nearby, and after taking a wrong turn he found himself in the changing room.
The intrusion, which happened minutes after Princes William and Harry left following England's goalless draw with Algeria on Friday night, prompted the Football Association (FA) to make an official complaint to World Cup organisers Fifa who promised to tighten security.
Facing the music: England fan Pavlos Joseph leaves the Bay Hotel, Camps Bay, to be taken to the Sea Point Police station, where he will be officially charged for invading the England dressing room on Friday
South African police arrested Mr Joseph after he revealed his identity to a newspaper and charged him with trespass and breach of security.
Mr Joseph, a life-long England and Manchester United supporter, said he told a stunned David Beckham that fans had been left bitterly disappointed at England's performance.'I looked David straight in the eye and said, "David, we've spent a lot of money getting here. This is a disgrace. What are you going to do about it?".'
The mortgage advisor told the Sunday Mirror that when Beckham asked him who he was, he had responded: 'I'm Pavlos and I actually need the toilet.'He said he then addressed the players, who were sitting on benches with towels around their waists.
Messing around: David Beckham with Prince William, President of the FA, and Prince Harry at an FA reception yesterday. Beckham said Mr Jospeh's dressing room invasion was 'blown out of all proportion'
'I told them, "That was woeful and not good enough". The room was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. The players' chins were on their chests - they looked pretty ashamed.'
Police had been investigating why Mr Joseph was not handed over to officers. But Mr Joseph said he had been escorted out of the dressing room by a Fifa official.
The last time England failed to get out of the Group Stage of the World Cup was in 1958 when Sweden hosted the tournament. England were in a group with Austria, Brazil and the Soviet Union. England drew all three of their matches - 2-2 against the Soviet Union and Austria and 0-0 against Brazil - to finish third in the group, with Brazil and the Soviet Union progressing to the next round.
At an FA reception in Johannesburg yesterday, Beckham played down the incident, saying it had been 'blown out of all proportion'.
Beckham, who gave a joint interview with Princes William and Harry, said: 'Luckily it was after the princes had left - five to 10 minutes after. Obviously it's been blown out of all proportion as well.
'The actual fan literally just walked in very casually and just said something to me and then walked out - there was no scuffle, there was no aggression at all.'
Meanwhile, there were further problems for the England camp with striker Wayne Rooney having to issue an apology yesterday 'for any offence caused' by his criticism of fans as they booed the team off the pitch at full-time.
Possibly nudged to do so by manager Fabio Capello, Rooney issued a statement saying: ‘I am as passionate about the England team as anyone. Last night, on reflection, I said things in the heat of the moment that came out of frustration of both our performance and the result.
‘For my part I apologise for any offence caused by my actions at the end of the game.’
Screen shot: Furious Rooney rants at the camera. He later issued an apology for 'any offence caused' by his actions
But Rooney has been branded a 'preening prima donna', who expects the rest of the team to play around him.
A senior England source told the News Of The World: 'Wayne came into the competition placed on the same podium as (Argentina's) Lionel Messi and (Portugal's) Cristiano Ronaldo... but he's done nothing to justify his billing.
England may have drawn their opening two matches of this World Cup, but history shows that teams can still do well despite drawing their first few games. In the 1990 World Cup in Italy, England drew 1-1 with Republic of Ireland in their opening game and then drew 1-1 with Holland, but they still got to the Semi-Final. In the 1982 World Cup in Spain, Italy drew their first three games - 0-0 against Poland, 1-1 against Peru and 1-1 against Cameroon - but went on to win the tournament.
'He believes the team should be built around him, and that is what Capello has attempted to do - even though it's meant Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard playing in a system that doesn't suit them.'
Capello has been criticised for leaving out talented players in preference to a formation that clearly isn't working.
Tension: Rumours of backroom bickering between the players and manager Fabio Capello are beginning to surface
Players are also said to be annoyed by the manager's strict boot camp. They are sometimes required to stay in their hotel rooms for hours, and many feel they might relax more if they were given free time - even a night out.
Capello is clearly angry at his squad, saying that players 'gave up' on Friday night, and warning that no-one was 'untouchable' in the lead-up to the Slovenia match on Wednesday.
England aren't the only big team struggling in this World Cup, which is turning out to be a World Cup of shocks. France will be lucky to get out of their group after losing 2-0 to Mexico (France were also knocked out at the Group Stage in the 2002 World Cup after losing their opening game against Senegal), Brazil - who are the World Cup's top-ranked team, struggled to beat North Korea, who are the bottom-ranked team, 2-1, and European Champions Spain, who started the tournaments as the favourites to win it, lost against Switzerland for the first time in their history. The sweetest result for England fans, though, will be Germany's 1-0 defeat to Serbia on Friday, after German gob-almighty Franz Beckenbauer accused England of "going backwards," playing "kick and run football" and saying that there are too many foreigners playing in England. Sadly for the Germans, none of their Polish or Brazilian contingent could score for them against Serbia.
He said that the England team played differently in training than they did on the pitch, suggested that they could not handle the pressure of the World Cup.
He said: 'I am surprised that the players are not coping with the pressures. In training it's perfect. When we play it's not the same.'
In response to Rooney's play and conduct throughout the World Cup, he said: 'Rooney is not untouchable and I can also change things during the game.'
Captain Steven Gerrard said: 'It's difficult to put your finger on it right now. There's a lot of pressure on the boys, there's no lying about that.
'There's a lot of tension because we want to stay in this tournament for a long time.'
Despite the backroom bickering, Beckham remained optimistic that England can still make it to the knock-out stages and said a win next week against Slovenia would put them back on track.
Beckham said: 'We win the next game, we win the group. We know we've not played well in the first two games but we haven't lost, we've got two points.
'To get it back on track it's easy - if we win our last game then everything looks good again.'
Defender: John Terry during a press conference near Rustenburg, where he denied claims of bickering between players and manager
John Terry has said the England squad is 'fully behind' manager Fabio
Capello.
Talking about the man who stripped him of the England captaincy just weks before the World Cup began, Terry said: 'We shouldn't be looking at excuses or criticising the manager
We're here, we're supporting and we are fully behind him. We know we've got
his support as well and that's the main thing.
'I've seen a few reports myself this morning. Coming here on behalf of the
players there's no unrest in the camp at all.
'We're obviously still disappointed from the game the other night, but we have
to pick ourselves up.'
Whatever England's woes, things couldn't possibly be as bad as France.
Rumours of an unhappy camp and an eccentric coach were sensationally confirmed when Chelsea star Nicolas Anelka was been sent home from South Africa after a foul-mouthed exchange with his boss.
Anelka told head coach Raymond Domenech 'Go f*** yourself you son of a *****' at half-time during France's match with Mexico.
Domenech substituted him immediately and Mexico went on to win the match 2-0 with goals in the second half.
dailymail.co.uk
England took on Algeria, the weakest team in Group C, in a match everyone was expecting that England would win easily. But the team's worst performance during the reign of Fabio Capello as manager led to a drab 0-0 draw. Slovenia's 2-2 draw with the USA means that the Slovenians are two points clear at the top of the group with four points, England and the USA both have 2 points and Algeria have one point.
At the game, played at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town in the shadow of Table Mountain, was Prince William - the president of the English Football Association - and his brother Prince Harry.
If England lsoe against Slovenia on Wednesday then they will be out of the World Cup in the Group Stage for the first time since 1958, no matter what happens in the game between USA and Algeria. But a win for England will definitely put them through to the Last 16.
The England fan charged with trespass has been named as 32-year-old Pavlos Joseph, from Crystal Palace, south east London.
According to him, he was looking for the toilets and he didn't know the room he went into was the England dressing room. He then told the players that their display was "woeful", and met David Beckham, who is now a member of the England management team: .'I looked David straight in the eye and said, "David, we've spent a lot of money getting here. This is a disgrace. What are you going to do about it?".'
England have made a complaint to FIFA over security.
England fans booed the team off at half-time and at full-time. Wayne Rooney has issued an apology to England fans after saying to a TV camera as he trudged off the pitch at the end of the match: "It's great to hear your own fans booing you."
'That was woeful': What England fan charged with trespass told players in dressing-room rant... as Rooney is forced to apologise for his on-screen outburst
By Daily Mail Reporter
20th June 2010
Daily Mail
England 0-0 Algeria
(at the Green Point Stadium, Cape Town)
Other Group C result: Slovenia 2-2 USA
Current Group C standings
..................P.....W.....D.....L.....F.....A.....Points
Slovenia....2......1.....1......0....3......2........4
England.....2.....0......2......0....1......1........2
USA............2......0......2.....0....3......3........2
Algeria.......2......0......1....1.....0......1........1
Next games:
England VS Slovenia
USA VS Algeria
Scenarios:
England will qualify for the next round if they beat Slovenia, no matter the result in the other match between USA and Algeria. If Slovenia do lose, they will still go through if the USA fail to beat Algeria. If England lose against Slovenia, they will go out of the World Cup no matter the result of the other match. If England and Slovenia draw, England will go out if the USA beat Algeria or if Algeria beat the USA. If both games are draws, Slovenia will go through and the decision as to who will go through between England and USA may be made by the toss of a coin.
- 'Prima donna' Rooney apologises for comments over booing fans
- Beckham says England may still win group stage and get 'back on track'
- Capello under fire from players for being too strict and aloof
- Terry pledges team is 'fully behind' manager
Pavlos Joseph, 32, from Crystal Palace, south-east London, said a security guard sent him in the direction of the players' tunnel explaining there were toilets nearby, and after taking a wrong turn he found himself in the changing room.
The intrusion, which happened minutes after Princes William and Harry left following England's goalless draw with Algeria on Friday night, prompted the Football Association (FA) to make an official complaint to World Cup organisers Fifa who promised to tighten security.
Facing the music: England fan Pavlos Joseph leaves the Bay Hotel, Camps Bay, to be taken to the Sea Point Police station, where he will be officially charged for invading the England dressing room on Friday
South African police arrested Mr Joseph after he revealed his identity to a newspaper and charged him with trespass and breach of security.
Mr Joseph, a life-long England and Manchester United supporter, said he told a stunned David Beckham that fans had been left bitterly disappointed at England's performance.'I looked David straight in the eye and said, "David, we've spent a lot of money getting here. This is a disgrace. What are you going to do about it?".'
The mortgage advisor told the Sunday Mirror that when Beckham asked him who he was, he had responded: 'I'm Pavlos and I actually need the toilet.'He said he then addressed the players, who were sitting on benches with towels around their waists.
Messing around: David Beckham with Prince William, President of the FA, and Prince Harry at an FA reception yesterday. Beckham said Mr Jospeh's dressing room invasion was 'blown out of all proportion'
'I told them, "That was woeful and not good enough". The room was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. The players' chins were on their chests - they looked pretty ashamed.'
Police had been investigating why Mr Joseph was not handed over to officers. But Mr Joseph said he had been escorted out of the dressing room by a Fifa official.
The last time England failed to get out of the Group Stage of the World Cup was in 1958 when Sweden hosted the tournament. England were in a group with Austria, Brazil and the Soviet Union. England drew all three of their matches - 2-2 against the Soviet Union and Austria and 0-0 against Brazil - to finish third in the group, with Brazil and the Soviet Union progressing to the next round.
At an FA reception in Johannesburg yesterday, Beckham played down the incident, saying it had been 'blown out of all proportion'.
Beckham, who gave a joint interview with Princes William and Harry, said: 'Luckily it was after the princes had left - five to 10 minutes after. Obviously it's been blown out of all proportion as well.
'The actual fan literally just walked in very casually and just said something to me and then walked out - there was no scuffle, there was no aggression at all.'
Meanwhile, there were further problems for the England camp with striker Wayne Rooney having to issue an apology yesterday 'for any offence caused' by his criticism of fans as they booed the team off the pitch at full-time.
Possibly nudged to do so by manager Fabio Capello, Rooney issued a statement saying: ‘I am as passionate about the England team as anyone. Last night, on reflection, I said things in the heat of the moment that came out of frustration of both our performance and the result.
‘For my part I apologise for any offence caused by my actions at the end of the game.’
Screen shot: Furious Rooney rants at the camera. He later issued an apology for 'any offence caused' by his actions
But Rooney has been branded a 'preening prima donna', who expects the rest of the team to play around him.
A senior England source told the News Of The World: 'Wayne came into the competition placed on the same podium as (Argentina's) Lionel Messi and (Portugal's) Cristiano Ronaldo... but he's done nothing to justify his billing.
England may have drawn their opening two matches of this World Cup, but history shows that teams can still do well despite drawing their first few games. In the 1990 World Cup in Italy, England drew 1-1 with Republic of Ireland in their opening game and then drew 1-1 with Holland, but they still got to the Semi-Final. In the 1982 World Cup in Spain, Italy drew their first three games - 0-0 against Poland, 1-1 against Peru and 1-1 against Cameroon - but went on to win the tournament.
'He believes the team should be built around him, and that is what Capello has attempted to do - even though it's meant Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard playing in a system that doesn't suit them.'
Capello has been criticised for leaving out talented players in preference to a formation that clearly isn't working.
Tension: Rumours of backroom bickering between the players and manager Fabio Capello are beginning to surface
Players are also said to be annoyed by the manager's strict boot camp. They are sometimes required to stay in their hotel rooms for hours, and many feel they might relax more if they were given free time - even a night out.
Capello is clearly angry at his squad, saying that players 'gave up' on Friday night, and warning that no-one was 'untouchable' in the lead-up to the Slovenia match on Wednesday.
England aren't the only big team struggling in this World Cup, which is turning out to be a World Cup of shocks. France will be lucky to get out of their group after losing 2-0 to Mexico (France were also knocked out at the Group Stage in the 2002 World Cup after losing their opening game against Senegal), Brazil - who are the World Cup's top-ranked team, struggled to beat North Korea, who are the bottom-ranked team, 2-1, and European Champions Spain, who started the tournaments as the favourites to win it, lost against Switzerland for the first time in their history. The sweetest result for England fans, though, will be Germany's 1-0 defeat to Serbia on Friday, after German gob-almighty Franz Beckenbauer accused England of "going backwards," playing "kick and run football" and saying that there are too many foreigners playing in England. Sadly for the Germans, none of their Polish or Brazilian contingent could score for them against Serbia.
He said that the England team played differently in training than they did on the pitch, suggested that they could not handle the pressure of the World Cup.
He said: 'I am surprised that the players are not coping with the pressures. In training it's perfect. When we play it's not the same.'
In response to Rooney's play and conduct throughout the World Cup, he said: 'Rooney is not untouchable and I can also change things during the game.'
Captain Steven Gerrard said: 'It's difficult to put your finger on it right now. There's a lot of pressure on the boys, there's no lying about that.
'There's a lot of tension because we want to stay in this tournament for a long time.'
Despite the backroom bickering, Beckham remained optimistic that England can still make it to the knock-out stages and said a win next week against Slovenia would put them back on track.
Beckham said: 'We win the next game, we win the group. We know we've not played well in the first two games but we haven't lost, we've got two points.
'To get it back on track it's easy - if we win our last game then everything looks good again.'
Defender: John Terry during a press conference near Rustenburg, where he denied claims of bickering between players and manager
John Terry has said the England squad is 'fully behind' manager Fabio
Capello.
Talking about the man who stripped him of the England captaincy just weks before the World Cup began, Terry said: 'We shouldn't be looking at excuses or criticising the manager
We're here, we're supporting and we are fully behind him. We know we've got
his support as well and that's the main thing.
'I've seen a few reports myself this morning. Coming here on behalf of the
players there's no unrest in the camp at all.
'We're obviously still disappointed from the game the other night, but we have
to pick ourselves up.'
Whatever England's woes, things couldn't possibly be as bad as France.
Rumours of an unhappy camp and an eccentric coach were sensationally confirmed when Chelsea star Nicolas Anelka was been sent home from South Africa after a foul-mouthed exchange with his boss.
Anelka told head coach Raymond Domenech 'Go f*** yourself you son of a *****' at half-time during France's match with Mexico.
Domenech substituted him immediately and Mexico went on to win the match 2-0 with goals in the second half.
dailymail.co.uk
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