The Owen Hargreaves Fan Club

COLOGNE, Germany

Calgary’s finest footballer, England and Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves was booed on to the pitch as he was subbed in late in Saturday’s game. Then Nelson Cuevas went around him like he was a pylon and there were some brays from the crowd when he missed a clearance. Not a good night, and that might be the end of his England career, with manager/protector/sole-admirer-in-all-of-England Sven-Goran Eriksson on the way out.
But it’s not quite unanimous.
“You are from Canada?” said the fellow in the elevator at my Cologne hotel, one of the editors at an India soccer website, also on his way to the game and clearly excited to see my badge and nationality. “Calgary?”
Toronto, I tell him. “Have you been to Calgary?” I ask.
“No. But my favourite footballer is from there.”
“You mean Owen Hargreaves?”
“Yes. I really like him.”
I tell him that I interviewed Hargreaves a couple of months ago, for a story in the Star's World Cup preview section. His eyes widened.
“Really? Can you get me his number?”

Related: Sven-Goran Eriksson's Dear Diary, from The Sunday Times:

Tuesday, Baden-Baden: The press aren’t asking me about Owen. Still fit! Phew! The other players have made him carry some water onto the training field: “That’s your strength, Mountie boy,” said that Neville character.

Comments

[Harry Schmidt]

He deserves being dumped by England. He deserted his native land. Although the booboos he made were only a bad phase in his young career. But the guy should have stayed Canadian since it wasn't money (a la Rusedski) that motivated him to for play for England. He would've been more useful and welcomed playing for his native country than any European country.

[Mike Skerritt]

Yes the only one who like this pylon is Sven and it will be a good day when he leaves England due to his tactics over the last 6 years. You can guarantee he will be the first sub of the bench for England even beats Rooney to the sub bench against T&T I bet. Owen Hargeaves choose to turn his back on Canada for the greener pastures of always being in Euros and World Cups and now he will get his payback. Has been a mistake from the off to have this guy on England there is a reason no English team that wants him.