Unfortunately their cunning plan to use nationalist fervour to trick me into sending a few more bucks their way was fatally crippled at the outset by the fact that I don't HAVE any nationalist fervour (although I do like our eminently sensible refusal to adopt Europe restaurants' ridiculous and dishonest extra "service charge"*, and the fact that, back home, you can buy a hat with a brim). Also, even if I did get some kind of satisfaction from the smug realisation that we have it pretty good in the country in which by good management (and not total and utter luck) I chose to be born, the "group of athletes with whom I have nothing in common but a place of birth is better than the group of athletes with whom you have nothing in common but a place of birth (and consequently I am better than you, Oi Oi Oi)" sentiment is so offensively stupid as to force me to rant about it here on the blog even though I know full well none of you want to read it.
So unpatriotic that I'm wearing an (unbrimmed) hat with ANOTHER COUNTRY'S NAME ON IT.
And Vodafone, if I wanted to receive advertising on my phone I'd have ticked some box somewhere asking for it. Which I fervently hope I haven't.
*It's false advertising: if you require that 12% to pay your staff, then bloody well don't list the food at the real price minus 12%. The only purpose of deliberately underquoting the food price is to try to dishonestly trick patrons into underestimating the price of their meal, and putting "12% service" at the bottom right corner does not in any way counter the lies throughout the rest of the menu. PS You steal my change, I'll steal your serviettes.