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France has meant quite a bit to me with regards to the World Cup.
I took part in the ‘Bristol-Bordeaux Schools Exchange’ in 1982, the year the competition was held in Spain.
This involved me spending three weeks with a French family, living with them after being paired off with their son for the exchange, the French lad then came to stay with us for three weeks later in the year.

So there I was, the longest time I had ever spent away from home, I was fourteen.
Argentina invaded the Falklands when I was away and although it was on the news every day, I didn’t really know what was happening until I returned from my trip.
It was thanks to taking part in the exchange that really my best subject and exam grade on leaving Secondary Education was in fact French.
I could understand conversational French I thought quite well and could speak it pretty good also.
When the tournament started in Spain on the 13 June, I had already been to France and was looking forward to my new French mate coming over.
England’s first game in the group stages was against France, we had mocked each other since the game had been announced and I of course looked forward to beating La France.
Now the day of the match, I received my first ever detention from our ‘Technical Drawing’ Teacher Mr Brown. Detention were quite rare at our school because for most misdemeanours, pupils received the cane which was the norm in those days.
I missed kick off because of this injustice but luckily lived quite close to School (Whitefield Boys in Greenbank) so legged it home when we were released to watch England win 3-1 with a record opening goal from Bryan Robson after only 27 seconds.
I rang my penpal Frederick to gloat afterwards and that match is one of the reasons I still like to see France do well in the World Cup to this day.

Also worth mentioning regarding France from the group stages of 1982 is farcical incident during the game between Kuwait and France. France were leading 3–1, France midfielder Alain Giresse scored a goal contested by the Kuwait team, who had stopped play after hearing a whistle from the stands, as the French player was in a suspicious, arguably offside position, which they thought had come from Soviet referee Miroslav Stupar. Play had not yet resumed when Sheikh Fahid Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, brother of the Kuwaiti Emir and president of the Kuwaiti Football Association, rushed onto the pitch to give the referee a piece of his mind. The visibly shaken Stupar changed his initial decision and disallowed the goal to the understandable fury of the French. Maxime Bossis scored another valid goal a few minutes later and France won 4–1. Stupar lost his international refereeing credentials due to this incident, and Al-Sabah received a $10,000 fine.

France also of course went on to host the tournament in 1998 where they beat Brazil in the final 3-0.

I am grateful for fall. In America, fall is the season for American football. I grew up watching and going to games and marching in college and highschool football games. Now, professional football is something I watch with my family and friends - footaball means gathering. More importantly, it even means fun times with our youngest son Hobbs - who just started tackle football this year for the first time. I am so very grateful for Matt - the father of my boys. He's patient, and kind to them. He makes them laugh. He pulls them out of a pit when they are having a hard time better than their mom (shown here, when Hobbs was losing his mind because his team was performing so badly). He gets involved and gets excited about whatever they are excited about - even when it's not his strength. Matt has been water boy for Hobbs' football team all season just to be on the field and share in the experience with Hobbs - and Matt has only played basketball his whole life. Matt is my boys' live-in math tutor (thank God!) and their xbox video game competition. Matt is their prayer warrior, and their leader. Even when I wasn't sure I wanted to marry Matt, I knew I wanted him to be the father of my children - and he's never made me regret that decision. I love watching him be their dad. And I love football Saturdays and big sports bars with college football playing on every screen! :-)