Minibus flies the flag for England during the World Cup

The pub landlord as gone to great lengths to show his support for England during the World Cup

A pub minibus from Shropshire will be flying the flag for England during the World Cup football tournament this summer after the owner gave it a patriotic makeover.

Pub Landlord Ian Barton who owns the minibus splashed out £400 to have the vehicle spray painted with the St George’s Cross. Barton hasn’t scrimped on the fine details either, adding three lions to the roof of the minibus which have been screwed on with steel rods to stop any light fingered England supporters taking them.

The minibus is an integral part of pub life as the Duke Of York in Telford has a number of sports teams. The minibus is used to take the various team members to compete at away games, and there are a number of outings on the cards as the pub boats four football sides, plus dominoes, darts, and a pool team.

When the mad football mad pub landlord is asked what he plans to do with the minibus once the World Cup is over, he is quick to reply: “I’m going to get it repainted with the words ‘England, 2010 World Cup Winners”

The England supporter hopes his customised minibus will help rally support for the national team during the South Africa World Cup, plus he thinks the sight of the brightly coloured vehicle will put a smile on people’s faces, even if they are not footie fans.

Hyundai deliver a fleet of luxury coaches ahead of the World Cup in South Africa

32 luxury Hyundai coaches have been delivered for use during the South Africa World Cup

Hyundai have delivered a fleet of luxury coaches ahead of the kick off of the World Cup in South Africa this summer.

The state of the art coaches will be used to transport the 32 national teams competing for the biggest prize in football over the coming weeks. Hyundai ran a competition prior to the coaches being revealed where the public were invited to send in suggestions for slogans to be displayed on the side of the coaches for each team. The best supportive slogans have made it onto the side of the coaches which all feature a unique design for each individual team.

Hyundai have also supplied 609 cars which will be used for ground transportation during the tournament as well as the 32 Hyundai Universe Express Noble coaches. The top of the range coaches will be also be used to ferry around world cup officials, and also referees and members of the world media.

A spokesperson for Hyundai says the company is thrilled to have had the chance to supply vehicles for such as prestigious event, adding, “The opportunity to provide VIP transport at this momentous tournament gives us the high visibility we need in Africa and the world to raise awareness of our brand and products”.

Did a bus driver order a child off his bus for wearing an England shirt?

mother claims her child was ordered off a bus because of his England shirt

A mother of two from Stoke-on-Trent has claimed that her two-year-old son was ordered off a bus service after the driver took offence to the England football shirt the tot was wearing.

Dylan Hall was boarding a bus at Newcastle Station in Stoke-on-Trent along with his mother and 10-week old brother when the incident allegedly occurred. Dylan’s mother, Miss Fardon, says that she and her family were saved the humiliation of being thrown off the bus after the intervention of several other passengers on the bus to jumped to their defence, arguing that the trio should be allowed to travel on the bus service.

Miss Fardon described how events unfolded explaining that the driver had first asked if her son would be wearing the England shirt during the forthcoming World Cup tournament, to which she replied yes. It was at this point that the bus driver, who Miss Fardon describes as having an Eastern European accent, said, “I find that really offensive” before ordering the family to leave the bus.

Immediately after the incident, Miss Fardon fired off an email of complaint to the bus company, First Bus, from her mobile phone. She later complained in person at the bus station.

The bus company have confirmed that they are investigating the complaint, adding that they fully support England’s World Cup campaign and say they plan to put supporting material on their vehicles during the tournament. The spokesperson for the company agreed that no one should have to tolerate such comments, although the investigation into the incident is still ongoing.

South Africa roll out buses with onboard jails ready for World Cup football hooligans

South Africa invest in buses with onboard jails ready for Football World Cup

South Africa invest in buses with onboard jails ready for Football World Cup

South Africa have come up with a practical solution for tackling football hooliganism during the World Cup next year. The host country have converted a fleet of former 65-seater council buses into mobile jails which will be present at all England matches during the tournament.

The buses, which have been nicknamed Jaws, have enough cells onboard for 20 prisoners, plus a specially converted court where a judge will be present. This way, anyone found to be misbehaving can be convicted immediately.

Chief Inspector Vincent Mogopudi explained the system: “By having it at the scene of a crime, we can arrest people and process them on the spot. Minutes later they can be before a judge in an office at the front of the vehicle.” He warned that the worst perpetrators would be taken to a conventional prison straight away, or transported to an airport ready for deportation.

The Justice Buses were trialled earlier this year during the Confederations Cup Tournament. Now the unique coaches will be rolled out during the Football World Cup which kicks off in South Africa on June 11th next year to help clamp down on the problem of violent behaviour between football supporters. 25,000 England supporters are expected to descend upon the country next summer and it’s hoped the buses will prove an effective deterrent for many.