
The San Marino FA’s Twitter account made for excellent entertainment as their side lost 8-0 to England in Friday’s World Cup qualifier, reacting angrily to perceived slights from ITV’s studio team, Gary Lineker and a whole host of others.
San Marino FA began with consummate sportsmanship, issuing a rallying cry to their own team as well as (somewhat unnecessarily) wishing their opponents luck…
All hail the mighty #SanMarino . #Support #SanMarino
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 20, 2013
@fa Good luck on Friday’s game against us.
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 19, 2013
Hope, all #English supporters will enjoy in San Marino and will take nice memories from San Marino.
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 19, 2013
Let’s beat #England. #KeepCalmAndSupport #SanMarino
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 22, 2013
After tweeting enthusiastically about previous encounters between the teams – including a reference to Davide Gualtieri’s “milestone” strike after just ten seconds of a 7-1 defeat to England twenty years ago – San Marino FA then took issue with the BBC’s Dan Roan describing the night’s outcome as a “formality”…
The formality of San Marino tonight, but England fans are already looking across the Adriatic towards Montenegro twitter.com/danroan/status…
— Dan Roan (@danroan) March 22, 2013
@danroan That’s a disgrace and sheer ignorance. Shame on you.
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 22, 2013
The next target of their ire was twentyfour7 Football for tweeting the following…
A fact about England’s opponents. Our star columnist @themichaelowen has 50 times the amount of followers as San Marino’s entire population.
— twentyfour7 Football (@twentyfour7) March 22, 2013
@twentyfour7 Shame on you too!
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 22, 2013
They were now starting to sense a groundswell of negativity and responded accordingly, with the following appeal for compassion…
Entire World knows what is gonna happen tonight but don’t we have a right to compete in same level with one of the greatest football teams ?
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 22, 2013
…not to mention a commendable instinct for pedantry…
San Marino twitter.com/Footy_Jokes/st…
— Football Jokes (@Footy_Jokes) March 22, 2013
@footy_jokes Well actually it’s 1 victory in 119 matches.
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 22, 2013
…but they retained the good grace to field questions from curious foreigners…
What team is the only team San marino have ever beat? Must be terrible
— Harry phillips(@harryefc17) March 22, 2013
@harryefc17 Our great friends @liechtensteinff we beat them 1-0 on 28.04.2004 in Serravalle with @realandyselva ‘s goal.
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 22, 2013
Next up to stick the boot in was Gary Lineker, who was promptly accused of jealousy…
Rubbish football cliches; ‘There are no easy games in international football anymore’. San Marino is certainly one.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) March 22, 2013
@garylineker Come on Gary, this is just arrogant and ignorance comment. Stop being jealous because you didn’t play against us.
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 22, 2013
…before ITV’s coverage sent things into overdrive…
ITV should think it more wisely while mocking with San Marino. Shame on you ITV, this is just disgraceful.
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 22, 2013
@itvfootball Shame on you again!
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 22, 2013
Stop patronising about our team San Marino @itv, that is just sheer ignorance.
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 22, 2013
@fa You should do something with this ITV’s arrogant, ignorant and rude comments and coverages about us, San Marino.
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 22, 2013
They were then on the receiving end of the following ZING!…
@fa We took the 4th goal but at least we know how to count properly.
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 22, 2013
@sanmarinofa @fa I wouldn’t doubt that for a second fellas. You get the practice
— Colin Campbell (@_cpcampbell) March 22, 2013
…which may or may not have fostered feelings of guilt about the quality of their team, who by this point were 5-0 down…
Still, we’re thankful to all proud to be San Marino supporters. We’re terribly sorry.
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 22, 2013
There was something to cheer, though…
Our 1st shoot in this game came from Fabio Bollini. Well done Fabio.
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 22, 2013
…and then it was back to fielding questions from England fans…
@sanmarinofa how can you enjoy getting beat like this every game?
— John Kilmartin (@johnkilmartin) March 22, 2013
@johnkilmartin It’s a competitive area we know but it’s not all about who won/lost. Would you hear “San Marino”‘s name without football ?
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 22, 2013
@sanmarinofa @itvsport what is the point though? What are you gaining from us hammering you?
— Pinky23 (@Panth_pink4) March 22, 2013
@panth_pink4 @itvsport Football isn’t just about scores or who won/lost. It’s meaning more than that to us.
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 22, 2013
@sanmarinofa I get its a honour to play the worlds best, But surly it would help you to play teams as the same standard as you?
— Pinky23 (@Panth_pink4) March 22, 2013
@panth_pink4 It won’t help, at least in this kind of games more people heard or learn something about our country.
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 22, 2013
Those ITV jibes still rankled…
@levetsmcfc @jonnyt100 @itvsport They did same things in first match too. We know they’re trying to be funny but, it’s just rude.
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 22, 2013
…and we’ll leave it to them to end with an open question…
Why San Marino and other minnows have their own preliminary round ? This thing has both pros/cons.
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 24, 2013
You can get some more wins/draws but also games on preliminary rounds followed by less people.
— San Marino FA (@SanMarinoFA) March 24, 2013
What do you think? Have your say in the comments section below…